100 Greatest Albums of All Time

89. Dusty in Memphis, Dusty Springfield, Atlantic, 1969

 London-born Dusty Springfield was a great soul singer hidden inside a white British pop queen ”“ racking up Motown-style hits such as “I Only Want to Be With You” ”“ when Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler brought her way down South, to Memphis, to make this album. She was so intimidated by the idea of recording with session guys from her favorite Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett hits that she never actually managed to sing a note there (“I always wanted to be Aretha,” she recalled years after). Her vocals were overdubbed later, when the sessions moved to New York. But the result was blazing soul and sexual honesty (“Breakfast in Bed,” “Son of a Preacher Man”) that transcended both race and geography.