No amount of awards or top 100 polls can even begin to convey the weight that a song like Stand By Me had on the musical landscape of the 20th century. Otis Redding, John Lennon and Ry Cooder all covered it, but Ben E. King was the first one to sing what would become his signature tune in 1961. Fresh out of the doo wop / RnB band the Drifters, he imposed his powerful voice and impeccable delivery as a solo artist in his own right.