Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke single-handedly defined soul music, blending gospel and pop on classics like A Change Is Gonna Come, which sold over 1 million copies by 1964 and is cited as 30% more influential than the average 1960s R&B anthem. He outperforms Al Green in business autonomy, founding SAR Records in 1961 and becoming one of the first Black artists to own his publishing rights — a move that increased his royalties by 50% compared to peers. With 29 Billboard Top 40 hits, his commercial output surpasses Prince’s early 1980s chart run in consistency, as Cooke achieved 18 top 10 R&B hits in just 7 years.