Joe Cocker Albums Ranked

John Robert “Joe” Cocker OBE (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty voice, spasmodic body movement in performance, and distinctive versions of popular songs of varying genres.
Cocker’s recording of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends” reached number one in the UK in 1968. He performed the song live at Woodstock in 1969 and performed the same year at the Isle of Wight Festival, and at the Party at the Palace concert in 2002 for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. His version also became the theme song for the TV series The Wonder Years. His 1974 cover of “You Are So Beautiful” reached number five in the US. Cocker was the recipient of several awards, including a 1983 Grammy Award for his US number one “Up Where We Belong”, a duet with Jennifer Warnes.
n 1993, Cocker was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male, in 2007 was awarded a bronze Sheffield Legends plaque in his hometown, and in 2008 he received an OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to music. Cocker was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone’s 100 greatest singers list. Here are all of Joe Crocker’s albums ranked.

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10. Cocker (1986)

“Cocker is the tenth studio album by Joe Cocker, released in April 1986, his second on Capitol label. It features hit singles “You Can Leave Your Hat On” and “Don’t You Love Me Anymore”, the first made popular after its use in the famous striptease scene in the film 9 1/2 Weeks. Released as a single, Cocker’s version of the song peaked at No. 35 on Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. The album also features a rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues”, a Motown legend’s classic lament to urban decay.”

9. Organic (1996)

‘I love Joe Cocker’s voice and style. On this CD you’ll hear a different but still great sound of Joe singing without acoustic accompaniment. All of the wonderful musical instruments are played “organically,” i.e., with no artificial ingredients–just natural artistry–no electrification–no fooling around with the sound. This is a great CD to buy if you love Joe Cocker as much as I do. It will show you that Joe has natural, untrained talent for singing. His voice and the sound of the musical instruments will send chills down your spine. “

8. Jamaica Say You Will (1975)

“This is one of the most cohesive works I think I’ve ever heard; Everything fits, as if it were written specifically for this set of songs. There isn’t a clunker in the bunch, and “Jamaica Say You Will”, written by Jackson Browne is the star of the show. Jackson Browne’s version is worth listening to, but Joe takes it a to another level; A depth of feeling few artists can achieve and most can only aspire to. All of the songs are just spot on, exactly as one would want them to be, and the perfect finale is “Jack of Diamonds”, bluesy, but defiant, in which Joe near the end, chuckles to himself, then says “… goin’ down the road…”, a man and his blues, like a world-weary traveler and his trusty pup. No other way to say it; This is one of his best.”

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7. Joe Cocker (1972)

“This Joe Cocker album in my opinion is Joe’s best album ever. It was sandwiched in between “Mad Dogs & Englishmen” and “I Can Stand A Little Rain”and it is so full of his heartfelt soul and pain. A&M Records wanted him in the studio right away to get a record out after the mega success of “Mad Dogs & Englishmen”! Joe wrote a few of the tracks and the hit single “High Time We Went”was the focus song on the album. Released in 1971, “Something To Say” was called “Joe Cocker!” in the states. “Pardon Me Sir”, “She Don’t Mind”are amazing and “Woman To Woman” was heavily sampled unfortunatly for Tupac Shakur’s “California Love”. “

6. Civilized Man (1984)

“”Civilized Man” was the first album by Joe Cocker to be released on the Capital label in 1984. Although not a great collection i would say it is above average as far as Joe Cocker albums go. Some of the highlights include a thunderous rendition of the squeeze tune “Tempted” and a very enjoyable take on the Drifter’s classic “There Goes My Baby”. Excellent backing from members of the band Toto and backing vocals from Cissy Houston[Whitney’s mom] are an added delight to ones ears. Give it a try i think you will like it.’

5. Sheffield Steel (1982)

“This is one of the best albums ever produced! Why you ask? The voice of Joe Cocker is perfectly balanced with the background music to create a totally enjoyable experience. There are unusual and different sounds created here. One must listen without interruptions to feel and hear the impact. I am not even a die-hard Joe Cocker fan, yet I found myself mesmerized by the supporting cast of musicians. Subtle nuances of organ, bass, electric guitar and background vocals makes this a repeat listening pleasure. This album is over a decade old but sets the standard in my mind for beautifully mixed lyric’s and music blended to perfection.”

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4. Unchain My Heart (1987)

“The great Rock Voice of Joe Cocker stands out in any setting. Personally, I found the album over-produced and has the lyrics competing with the accompanying instruments. Still, a must have for fans of Joe Cocker.”

3. I Can Stand a Little Rain (1974)

“Get past the comparatively lightweight poppy first track…get into the impassioned title track, the classic Jimmy Webb songs “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” and “It’s A Sin”, Allen Toussaint’s “Performance” and Randy newman’s “Guilty”. All passionate soul-tearing performances. Then there’s that last cracked notes at the end of “You Are So Beautiful”…can you imagine that getting through on a song these days without being airbrushed and auto-tuned out? Roger Daltrey (The Who) once said something like he’d prefer to hit a note with emotion than a perfect note any day- this is a perfect example!”

2. Joe Cocker (1969)

“This was and continues to be one of the greatest albums of all time. In fact, it gets better as I get older. I’m less focused now on the strength and control of the voice, more on the pure human feeling he pours into it. Originally released in 1969, it came out in an era of powerful soul-rock singers. But Leon Russell’s contribution, along with Joe Cocker’s voice, set it apart musically. I heard my first Joe Cocker song while sitting in a rathskeller in Lake George NY drinking beer with a noisy group of friends. The opening of “She Came In through the Bathroom Window” — a single drumbeat and then Joe roaring in with the title phrase, followed with the Beatles-style honkytonk piano and guitar work …”

1. With A Little Help From My Friends (1969)

“Joe Cocker is one of my favorite Blue’s vocalists. His pure emotion in his voice fills your soul and just makes you feel every word he says. You believe his lyrics, you understand his stories, you experience it all. This album in particular is full of some of his hits and some unspoken of jems. The music to back his vocals is also very awesome and something to talk about. If you’re trying to get into Cocker, I highly recommend this album, such emotion that will show you what he is all about. A classic essential album.”