# Otis Redding — Try a Little Tenderness

Otis Redding’s Try a Little Tenderness (1966) appears on 2 of our lists — Soul and The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred, highest at No. 4 in Soul. Every verdict, in full.

- **Released:** 1966
- **Label:** Volt
- **On:** Soul and The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred
- **Updated:** 2026-08-29
- **Artist:** [Otis Redding](https://waxonia.com/artist/otis-redding/)
- **Canonical page:** https://waxonia.com/track/otis-redding--try-a-little-tenderness/

## What 2 lists say

### No. 4 in [Soul](https://waxonia.com/genre/soul/)

A 1932 ballad taken slowly for two minutes and then dismantled. Redding's final minute is the single best argument that soul is a technique for controlling release, not for avoiding it.

### Picked by [The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/)

Two minutes of restraint and then the roof comes off. The best available argument that soul is a technique for controlling release rather than avoiding it.

## Listen

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Otis%20Redding%20Try%20a%20Little%20Tenderness) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=pli44utBOwo)

---

Hand-curated by Waxonia. We host no audio; all links point to streaming platforms.