Photo: Atlantic Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Our Top 10 Sam & Dave songs list looks back at the career of the great Sam & Dave. The legendary duo Sam and Dave began their career in 1961. Ther full names consisted of Sam Moore and Dave Prater. Their earliest musical performances came about when they performed gospel music in their own homes and local churches. It was on this circuit where they first met. They were officially formed after one night singing together at a club. The same night they were discovered by singer and producer Steve Aliamo who quickly signed them to Marlin Records.
After releasing two singles on this label in 1962 they got signed to Roulette Records by Henry Stone. They released six 45’s over the course of the next two years on this label. Despite receiving radio airplay, they did not obtain much in the way of chart success.
In 1964 they moved to Atlantic records after being introduced to Jerry Wrexler. He asked Stax records to work with them. During their time on Stax they met Isaac Hayes and Dave Porter who would become their main songwriters who were responsible for their biggest hits. They were also very instrumental in terms of the musical direction that Sam & Dave went in. They had their first chart success in 1966 with “Hold on I’m Comin.”
Over the course of the 1960’s, they continued to have further success with the release of several successful singles and LP’s. However, after a decade long stint, Sam and Dave split in 1970 due to Moore’s dissatisfaction with their output. However, they reunited the following year following unsuccessful attempts to be solo artists.
They then went on to enjoy a further decade of relative success over the course of the seventies. Despite failing to attract the attention of another major label after Atlantic, there was much demand for their live shows, which had gained them a reputation over the years as being very lively and entertaining.
In 1974, they recorded their first album of new material in seven years titled Back at Cha. They continued on for the next few years and experienced a resurgence in popularity when they appeared in the 1979 film The Blues Brothers. That same year they actually appeared as the opening act for punk rock band The Clash on their US tour, proving that they still had relevance despite having been around for a long time. They performed their last show together in 1981 on New Year’s Eve in San Francisco.
In 1982 Prater formed an new incarnation of Sam & Dave with a singer named Sam Daniels. Moore was not happy about this and unsuccessfully tried to take legal action. However, he did stop them from releasing a recorded medley of their hits under the name. This was perhaps why they did not proceed to record anything else, being a purely live act. Prater died in a car crash in 1988.Moore on the other hand, embarked on a solo career which he has been on ever since.
They recorded five full length studio albums over a nine-year period from 1966 to 1975. They have been inducted into four Halls of fame: Rock n Roll, Vocal Group, Memphis Music and Rhythm and Blues. They also won a Grammy for their song “Soul Man” and in 2019 received a Lifetime Achievement Award.
# 10 – You Don’t Know Like I Know
Kicking off this Sam & Dave Songs list is what became the first of a string of hot singles for Stax Records released in 1966. Their first hit to be written by Isaac Hayes and Dave Porter, once the duo put their own stamp on it, it became a true piece of golden soul. It entered the R&B with much gusto, reaching the rather impressive (for an early single) position of number twenty-nine.
# 9 – Said I Wasn’t Gonna Tell Nobody
Hayes and Porter were essentially like the third and fourth members of Sam & Dave, if that makes any sense. After signing with Atlantic, the singing duo would come down to Memphis every few months and much activity would take place. This track is taken from 1966’s Double Dynamite and was another hit on the R&B charts where it reached number eight.
# 8 – You Don’t Know What You Mean to Me
This next track was taken from the duo’s fourth album released in 1968 titled I Thank You. It was the album’s second single after the release of the title track and was not as successful on the charts, only reaching number twenty on the R&B charts and forty-eight on the billboard. This is unfortunate as it is a great track.
# 7 – When Something is Wrong with my Baby
Written once again by Hayes and Porter, this classic soul ballad was released as a single in 1967. It was, like many of the duo’s singles a success more within their niche genre, reaching number two on the R&B charts and being a moderate success within the music scene as whole, reaching number forty-two on the Billboard. There are also other notable versions of the song by Johnny Gill and the Australian singing duo of Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham.
# 6 – You Got Me Hummin
Up next is another song written by Hayes and Porter which has been recorded by several artists and which was popularized by this version. They released it as a standalone single in 1966. It was yet another of the duo’s singles which charted high on the R&B charts where it reached number seven but significantly lower on the Billboard where it got to seventy-seven. Several other artists within the soul genre went on to release their own respective versions of it. Billy Joel released several versions of it, the first being with the band The Hassles in 1967.
# 5 – Hold On, I’m Comin
At number five we have yet another Hayes and Porter-penned song. It is the title track of the duo’s 1966 debut album. It topped the R&B charts and got to number twenty-one on the Billboard. As one of the most iconic soul numbers of all time, it has been covered by countless artists over the years with the most notable version being by Aretha Franklin.
# 4 – Soothe Me
Next is a track of which the live version was a big hit for the duo. It is a cover version of the Sam Cooke song originally released in 1962. It was featured on Double Dynamite. The live singles highest chart position was number sixteen on the R&B charts. It charted at number thirty-five in the UK and at the rather low position of fifty-six on the US Billboard. The song has been covered by a wide variety of other artists, most notably Rod Stewart.
# 3 – Soul Sister Brown Sugar
Here is yet another track written by Hayes and Porter. It was featured on the 1969 LP The Best of Sam and Dave. As their first single of that year, it saw the duo return to the R&B top twenty and reached number fifteen in the UK. This track has also been covered several times most recently by rock band The Woggles in 2004.
# 2 – I Thank You
Just off the top spot is a track written by you guessed it, Isaac Hayes and David Porter! It is the title track to their fourth album released in 1968. Its highest chart position was number four on the US R & B charts. On the Billboard it reached number nine and in the UK, it peaked at number thirty-four. ZZ Top had a big hit with their cover of it in 1979. Other artists to have covered the song include Bon Jovi and Tom Jones.
# 1 – Soul Man
At the number one spot we have a track that was written by Hayes and Porter with lyrics that were influenced by the civil rights movement. It is the partial title track of the duo’s third album Soul Men released in 1967. Upon its release it reached number one on both the US R & B charts and the Cash Box Top 100. It also reached number two on the US Billboard Top 100 and the Canadian RPM Top Singles. In addition to this it charted in the UK where it reached number twenty-four. The song has been covered by many artists, most notably by Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi as The Blues Brothers.
Updated November 8, 2023
Top 10 Sam & Dave Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. 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It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. 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When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. 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