Otis Redding: (Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay (1968)

Otis Redding died in a plane crash in 1967. His version of this song marked the first time a posthumous release hit #1 on the American charts. In 1999, it was listed as the sixth most performed song of the 20th century.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyxLaHmOaYM