Ray Charles - What'd I Say

Year Released: 1959
Genre: Rhythm & Blues / Soul / Rock & Roll

Description:
A landmark single in modern music history, “What’d I Say” began as an onstage improvisation and became one of Ray Charles’ most iconic recordings. The track’s call-and-response vocal exchanges, electric piano riff, and driving Latin-tinged rhythm broke genre boundaries, fusing gospel, blues, and rhythm & blues into something entirely new — the foundation of soul music itself.

One of the most influential songs of the 20th century, “What’d I Say” has been covered by countless artists, including Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Bobby Darin. It’s also been sampled or referenced in Hip-Hop, funk, and pop — notably influencing Stevie Wonder’s “Fingertips” and Beastie Boys’ “Shake Your Rump”. Its unmistakable electric piano riff and vocal energy made it a blueprint for funk and early R&B grooves.