‘What A Wonderful World’ — Louis Armstrong
On the Ranker list, “What a Wonderful World” earned the No. 15 spots. This was written by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele under George Douglas. After Louis Armstrong recorded it, the song earned the top spot on the U.K. pop chart in 1967. However, it only earned No. 32 across the pond. Despite this, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Many artists have covered the song through the years. Among others, Tony Bennett, Katie Melua, The Flaming Lips, Joey Ramone, Nick Cave, Shane MacGowan, Katie Melua, and Eva Cassidy all have their own renditions this iconic track.
‘What A Wonderful World’ — Louis Armstrong
‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ — Sam Cooke
In 1964, “A Change is Gonna Come” came out as the B-side of his posthumous single “Shake.” The song was released only a few days after he was interred in December 1964. Sadly, Sam Cooke died after a woman shot him at a motel in Los Angeles. Even though it did not fare all that well on the charts, it was used as an anthem of the civil rights movement. In 2007, the National Recording Registry even chose it for preservation. It was selected because it is a “culturally, historically, or aesthetically important” song.
‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ — Sam Cooke
