Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965)

Otis Redding turned desperate pleading into high art. Driven by the crisp horn stabs of the Memphis Horns and Booker T. & the M.G.'s, Redding uses raw rhythmic grunts, sudden dynamic drops and cracked falsetto cries to convey an overwhelming sincerity that feels entirely unvarnished.