Forgive me for being late on this, but I wanted to note the passing of Teddy Pendergrass, one of the great voices of our time. Odd to have this happen while we're having a discussion on great soul singers.

Anyway, I'm going to do this the only way I know how. Many years ago, I chased a young lady all the way back to Chicago. I sat up in my man Ben's apartment banging Al Green's I'm Still In Love With You, Wu-Tang's "Triumph" and Harold Melvin And The Bluenotes' "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon." It was a weird mix, but it got me through.

About the Author

Ta-Nehisi Coates is a former national correspondent for The Atlantic. He is the author of The Beautiful Struggle, We Were Eight Years in Power, The Water Dancer, and Between the World and Me, which won the National Book Award for nonfiction.