Okay, it's in.

LAST CALL !!!

This poll ends Thursday at midnight ET.

Time to present the results of the Best Ray Charles Songs survey. We had 30 different people submit ballots of their favorite Ray Charles Songs. There were 140 different tracks that got mentioned. Only songs that were on at least 2 ballots are listed in the results. Ties were broken first by how many ballots the song was on, and second by the highest individual ranking.

There were 92 songs that were mentioned on at least 2 ballots, so we are counting down a top 92.

First up at #92 is Ray's 1964 version of a song from 1950 that was number one on the Billboard R&B chart for 11 weeks in a version by one of Ray's Atlantic labelmates.

This is #92:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX6iXvpBB0o

Song #92 is "Teardrops From My Eyes" from 1964. It was on Ray's "Sweet & Sour Tears" album and a few months later it was released as a single.



The song was written by Rudy Toombs and Ruth Brown's 1950 version was a humongous R&B hit in 1950 and into 1951.


RANK - SONG TITLE -------- TOTAL BALLOTS - POINTS
92 - Teardrops From My Eyes ------------------2----------31


Next up is song #91. This one was first released in March of 1959:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1FlNKj8TZQ

Song #91 is "Tell Me How Do You Feel." It was released first as a single in March 1959 backed with "That's Enough" and later that year it was included on the "What'd I Say" album. The song was recorded in October 1958 and features Mongo Santamaria on the conga drums.


RANK - SONG TITLE -------- TOTAL BALLOTS - POINTS
91. Tell Me How Do You Feel -------------------2----------46
92 - Teardrops From My Eyes ------------------2----------31
=====================================================


Next up is song #90 and it takes us back to 1952 just before Ray started to record for Atlantic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3hDHHw9ut4

Song #90 is "Kissa Me Baby" from 1952, on the Swingtime label.



The record made the Billboard National R&B chart, getting to #10 on the sales chart and #8 on the jukebox chart.


RANK - SONG TITLE -------- TOTAL BALLOTS - POINTS
90. Kissa Me Baby -----------------------------3----------47
91. Tell Me How Do You Feel -------------------2----------46
92 - Teardrops From My Eyes ------------------2----------31
=====================================================


Song #89 is next, and it's the oldest record in the countdown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9FW46RWY2E

Song # 89 is "Confession Blues" from 1949. Ray was the vocalist on this record by the Maxin Trio. This was Ray's first hit record, and it was very big. It reached #2 on the Billboard R&B jukebox chart and #5 on the sales chart. It was his biggest hit until "I've Got A Woman" went to #1 in 1955. The song was written by Ray as R.C. Robinson.



Jack Lauderdale of Down Beat Records heard Charles play at the Seattle jazz club, The Rocking Chair. The next day, Lauderdale took Charles and his trio to a Seattle recording studio where they recorded "Confession Blues" and "I Love You, I Love You". In February 1949, the two songs were released as Down Beat record number 171 with "Confession Blues" as the B-side. The group's name—The McSon Trio—was inadvertently listed as The Maxin Trio on the record. The song, as well as much of Charles' early work, was grounded in the styles of Nat King Cole and Charles Brown.


RANK - SONG TITLE -------- TOTAL BALLOTS - POINTS
89. Confession Blues --------------------------2----------52
90. Kissa Me Baby -----------------------------3----------47
91. Tell Me How Do You Feel -------------------2----------46
92 - Teardrops From My Eyes ------------------2----------31
=====================================================

Next up at #88 is the first song on the countdown from Ray's first LP release. In late 1956 and into 1957 Atlantic released a series of "Rock And Roll" albums by all of their major acts. They were not albums of new material but rather collections of 14 of each artist's biggest and best known tracks from their time on the label up until that time. Ray's album was Atlantic 8006, shown below:



This is song #88:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3aEGL4Kjy0

Song #88 is "Funny (But I Still Love You)" from 1953. It's a good slow piano blues in the style of Charles Brown. The flip side is "Mess Around." Mickey "Guitar" Baker plays on the track.


RANK - SONG TITLE -------- TOTAL BALLOTS - POINTS
88. Funny (But I Still Love You) --------------3----------54
89. Confession Blues --------------------------2----------52
90. Kissa Me Baby -----------------------------3----------47
91. Tell Me How Do You Feel -------------------2----------46
92 - Teardrops From My Eyes ------------------2----------31
=====================================================

Next up at #87 is a hit record from 1963 that was not an any album until some hits packages many years later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulsNEqcw9EY

Song #87 is "No One" from 1963. The song reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Pomus and Shuman, that famous writing team that wrote things like "This Magic Moment" and "Save The Last Dance For Me" for the Drifters.


RANK - SONG TITLE -------- TOTAL BALLOTS - POINTS
87. No One ------------------------------------2----------61
88. Funny (But I Still Love You) --------------3----------54
89. Confession Blues --------------------------2----------52
90. Kissa Me Baby -----------------------------3----------47
91. Tell Me How Do You Feel -------------------2----------46
92. Teardrops From My Eyes -------------------2----------31
=================================================

Song #86 is up now, and it comes from the "Love Country Style" album in 1970:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_WRx3SKlzM

Song #86 is "Don't Change On Me" from 1970. There's still another song to come from the "Love Country Style" album.



This song was written by Jimmy Holiday and Eddie Reeves for the ABC-Tangerine label, although Reeves at the time was still working for United Artists Music. It was Reeves' first success as a songwriter. Eddie Reeves wrote the melody and the lyrics for the chorus, then had Jimmy Holiday have a go at writing the verses. Disappointed with the first result, he handed it back to Holiday again, telling him this time to think of church. Eddie Reeves told us: "A radio promotion man who worked for Ray's company called to tell me there was a possibility that our song could be released as Ray's next single but that the decision would be heavily influenced by what this promotion man reported to Ray. The promotion man then hinted that I should consider doing something 'nice' for him to increase the chance of our song being selected as the next single. I asked what he meant and he told me that recently someone had bought him a pair of alligator shoes, and that it would be good if I bought him another pair. He told me the store where I could buy them, his size, and how much they cost. I couldn't believe it. It was Hollyweird. I ignored his request and it had no effect on our song 'Don't Change On Me' being released as Ray's next single."


RANK - SONG TITLE -------- TOTAL BALLOTS - POINTS
86. Don't Change On Me ----------------------2----------63
87. No One ------------------------------------2----------61
88. Funny (But I Still Love You) --------------3----------54
89. Confession Blues --------------------------2----------52
90. Kissa Me Baby -----------------------------3----------47
91. Tell Me How Do You Feel -------------------2----------46
92. Teardrops From My Eyes -------------------2----------31
=================================================

Time for song #85, and it's the opening track on Ray's most famous album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmrEWyN3QMA

Song #85 is "Bye Bye Love" from Ray's monumental "Modern Sounds In Country And Western" album in 1962. It was one of the biggest albums of the pre-Beatles era, before albums started to become as popular as singles.



Charles produced the album with Sid Feller, who helped the singer select songs to record, and performed alongside saxophonist Hank Crawford, a string section conducted by Marty Paich, and a big band arranged by Gil Fuller and Gerald Wilson.

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music was an immediate critical and commercial success. The album and its four hit singles brought Charles greater mainstream notice and recognition in the pop market, as well as airplay on both R&B and country radio stations. The album's integration of soul and country challenged racial barriers in popular music at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. In the process of recording the album, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to exercise complete artistic control over his own recording career. In retrospect, it has been considered by critics as his best studio record and a landmark recording in American music. According to Robert Christgau, the album "transfigured pop, prefigured soul, and defined modern country & western music." It has been called one of the greatest albums of all time by publications such as Rolling Stone and Time.


RANK - SONG TITLE -------- TOTAL BALLOTS - POINTS
85. Bye Bye Love -----------------------------2----------69
86. Don't Change On Me ----------------------2----------63
87. No One ------------------------------------2----------61
88. Funny (But I Still Love You) --------------3----------54
89. Confession Blues --------------------------2----------52
90. Kissa Me Baby -----------------------------3----------47
91. Tell Me How Do You Feel -------------------2----------46
92. Teardrops From My Eyes -------------------2----------31
=================================================


Next up at #84 we go way back to 1952 for one side of Ray's first release for Atlantic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA7ZmVbYogY

Song #84 is "The Midnight Hour," from late 1952. It was Ray's first release on Atlantic, the flip side being "Roll With My Baby." It was recorded on September 11, 1952. Sam "The Man" Taylor is believed to have been on the session.


RANK - SONG TITLE -------- TOTAL BALLOTS - POINTS
84. The Midnight Hour ------------------------3----------78
85. Bye Bye Love -----------------------------2----------69
86. Don't Change On Me ----------------------2----------63
87. No One ------------------------------------2----------61
88. Funny (But I Still Love You) --------------3----------54
89. Confession Blues --------------------------2----------52
90. Kissa Me Baby -----------------------------3----------47
91. Tell Me How Do You Feel -------------------2----------46
92. Teardrops From My Eyes -------------------2----------31
=================================================


Song #83 is next, and it's the most recent song on the list, from 1993:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtUQImH26Bw

Song #83 was "A Song For You" from the "My World" album in 1993. It's a Leon Russell song that was recently added to the Grammy Hall of Fame, and Ray's version won him a Grammy for the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.




RANK - SONG TITLE -------- TOTAL BALLOTS - POINTS
83. A Song For You ---------------------------2----------79
84. The Midnight Hour ------------------------3----------78
85. Bye Bye Love -----------------------------2----------69
86. Don't Change On Me ----------------------2----------63
87. No One ------------------------------------2----------61
88. Funny (But I Still Love You) --------------3----------54
89. Confession Blues --------------------------2----------52
90. Kissa Me Baby -----------------------------3----------47
91. Tell Me How Do You Feel -------------------2----------46
92. Teardrops From My Eyes -------------------2----------31
=================================================


Next up is song #82, from 1959:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZqSJH9I59Q

Song #82 is "That's Enough" from 1959. It was a single and also was included on the "What'd I Say" album that same year. Written by Ray. It was recorded back in 1957.




RANK - SONG TITLE -------- TOTAL BALLOTS - POINTS
82. That's Enough ----------------------------2----------80
83. A Song For You ---------------------------2----------79
84. The Midnight Hour ------------------------3----------78
85. Bye Bye Love -----------------------------2----------69
86. Don't Change On Me ----------------------2----------63
87. No One ------------------------------------2----------61
88. Funny (But I Still Love You) --------------3----------54
89. Confession Blues --------------------------2----------52
90. Kissa Me Baby -----------------------------3----------47
91. Tell Me How Do You Feel -------------------2----------46
92. Teardrops From My Eyes -------------------2----------31
=================================================

Up next at #81 is the second track from the "Love Country Style" album in 1970:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sJ3hihBOqg

Song #81 was "If You Were Mine" from 1970. It was written by Jimmy Lewis and it reached #41 on the Billboard Hot 100.




RANK - SONG TITLE -------- TOTAL BALLOTS - POINTS
81. If You Were Mine -------------------------2----------82
82. That's Enough ----------------------------2----------80
83. A Song For You ---------------------------2----------79
84. The Midnight Hour ------------------------3----------78
85. Bye Bye Love -----------------------------2----------69
86. Don't Change On Me ----------------------2----------63
87. No One ------------------------------------2----------61
88. Funny (But I Still Love You) --------------3----------54
89. Confession Blues --------------------------2----------52
90. Kissa Me Baby -----------------------------3----------47
91. Tell Me How Do You Feel -------------------2----------46
92. Teardrops From My Eyes -------------------2----------31
=================================================


Coming up now at #80 is a track from "The Genius Sings The Blues" in 1961:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPVixS5jSWs