Top six Joe Cocker songs

You can start an endless debate about who are or were the greatest white soul/blues singers of this or any other era but any serious list has to include Joe Cocker near the top – if not in the number one spot.

Cocker, who died this week, was born in the northern steel-making town of Sheffield and the grit and toughness of the region never left his unique voice.

His battles with drugs and booze were legendary as was his curious manner on stage, which some in the argot of the time called "spastic" – something he denied. But through it all, the searing honesty and emotion of his raw voice persisted.

For an older generation of Cocker fans he was the artist who sang Up Where We Belong, a duet with Jennifer Warnes from the soundtrack to An Officer and a Gentleman. But despite that being an enormous hit for Cocker it's hardly representative of his extraordinary talent.

Here, then are six of the very best from the late John Robert Cocker. 

1. With A Little Help From My Friends

Cocker made this John Lennon and Paul McCartney standard his own with his extraordinary performance at Woodstock. After introducing the number in his flat Sheffield accent as "With a Little Help From Me Friends" he showed the full range of his extraordinary voice from the soft, fluting opening line "What would you do ..." to the manic screaming energy he injected into the climax of the song. If you don't have goosebumps after this, check to see if you're still alive.

2. Unchain My Heart

Cocker named his 1987 album after this Bobby Sharp tune that was popularised by Ray Charles, among others. In this live clip from 2002 Cocker's voice is undiminished as he tears through the gospel and funk infused classic with the energy of a man half his age. Deric Dyer's blistering tenor solo would alone be worth the price of entry.

3.  She Came In Through The Bathroom Window

This one comes from the 1971 live concert documentary Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Accompanied by Leon Russell and legendary saxophonist Bobby Keys, Cocker makes easy work of this lesser known Lennon-McCartney composition, leaving nothing behind in his performance.

4. The Letter

Another one from the Mad Dogs doco, Cocker is on fine stutter-dancing form belting out one of his most successful songs, since imitated by almost every pub rock band in the world. In the middle of all the musical energy sits an impassive Leon Russell, driving the groove along from the piano.

5. Feelin' Alright

From its choppy piano and conga opening this slightly down-tempo, live version from 1992 lopes along effortlessly. Composed by Dave Mason from British band Traffic, it features on Cocker's 1970 live album Mad Dogs and Englishmen.

6. You Are So Beautiful

In other hands this ballad often turns into sickly mush, but Cocker's raw emotion sidesteps all that with the raw emotion of his voice. Perhaps because of that, it became a big hit for Cocker in 1975. This is a live performance in Germany from the early '90s.