A Change Is Gonna Come

Written by Sam Cooke and originally released in 1964, this soul masterpiece was inspired by Cooke's experience being turned away from a whites-only motel in Louisiana and became one of the most significant Civil Rights Movement anthems. Otis Redding's 1965 cover brought his own powerful interpretation to Cooke's composition, which Rolling Stone placed at number 3 on its 2021 list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."