The Bluest Soul

i rarely use the term blue-eyed soul.  i'm believe soul music is just that...soul.  but i have to admit it's extra impressive when you hear something extra soulful and then find out that the singer behind it happens to be white.  it is what it is.  plus, "blue-eyed soul" gives me an excuse to bring you this list:

rhythm's top 10 14 "blue-eyed soul" artists of all time:

14.  Christina Aguilera.  stay with me, people.  her James Brown tribute at the 2007 Grammy awards solidified her spot.

13.  Amy Winehouse.  Amy is like my white 'Tasia.  that actually makes sense to you, doesn't it?

12.  Lisa Stansfield.  and not just for her infamous forehead curl.  she can sAng.

11.  Thicke.  yes, he performs as Robin Thicke now, but i was introduced to his artistry as Thicke, and that's how i still refer to him when we have conversations in my head.  "I Need Love," from The Evolution of Robin Thicke is by far one of the sexiest songs of all time.

10.  Simply Red.  simply underrated.  so much more than "Holding Back the Years."

9.  Steve Winwood.  i was about to type "so much cooler than Michael Bolton," which made me realize Michael Bolton didn't make the list.  oh, well.  Steve Winwood had Chaka Khan on background vocals of "Higher Love."  that's major blue-eyed street cred.

8.  Bobby Caldwell.  some of y'all still think he's black.  i'm just sayin'.

7.  Annie Lennox.  "No More I Love You's" is one of those songs that's painfully beautiful.  That's not what puts her on the list.  just something i felt like mentioning.

6.  Kenny G.  i bet you can "sing" all of "Songbird."

5.  the Bee Gees.  i can still remember the very first time i heard "How Deep Is Your Love."  i was maybe 7?  it was playing on the car radio, and my mom got really excited and turned the volume up.  she was singing along and seemed so excited to be exposing me to this classic.  she's so dope.

4.  George Michael.  where do i even begin?  he earned a mention in my Christmas jams post as a part of Wham.  and you could already guess "Carless Whisper" is one of my all-time favorite songs.  AND apparently he was the first white solo artist Aretha did a duet with.  "I Knew You Were Waiting for Me" was the hotness.  again with the blue-eyed street cred.

3.  Hall and Oates.  this is another one i attach to my mom.  i vaguely recall thinking she was saying one person's name.  as in, Hollanotes.  i thought it was a terrible name.  i have absolutely no research on this, but i'm willing to bet they're on some list for being highly sampled by hip-hop artists.  m-e-t-h-o-d-o-f-l-o-v-e.

2.  Teena Marie.  everybody get up!  she's probably on the list mentioned in number 3.  she writes.  she plays guitar (and piano?).  and she's still going strong.  take notes, Amy.

1.  Michael McDonald.  i'm obsessed and biased.  but this is my list.  say somethin'.  this man gets DOWN.  when he became lead singer for The Doobie Brothers, their whole sound evolved.  he is greatness.  he, too, did a duet with Aretha.  and Patti.  and he was on the monitors in the background on 40-Year Old Virgin.  by far one of my favorite parts of the movie.  AND he actually happens to have blue eyes.  i still can't decipher half of his lyrics (my mama can).  so what?

Honorable Mentions:  i mean, as long as the list was a random number, i coulda just added these to it.  but that would be too much like right.

• Jane Child
• Billy Vera
• Rick Astley
• Jamiroquai (it's a band, not a person.)
• Remy Shand
• Elliot Yamin (yah-mean!)

Green-Eyed Soul:
an artist who sings mostly country released an album called Green-Eyed Soul.  the artist is Lari White.  the song "Loved Right" deserves a post of its own ("you ain't never been loved right...").  it's one of my faves (thanks, Pandora).  it's a bit obscure, so the only link to it is on her page.  have a listen.

today's list was brought to you by the letter S, the color white, and readers like you.