"Good Times" is a song written and recorded by

Sam Cooke Samuel Cook (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964), known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer and songwriter. Considered to be a pioneer and one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred ...

, released as single in 1964.

Critical reception

In a retrospective review in 1971, music critic

Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born March 1, 1950) is an American music critic, and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of ''Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone (magazine), ...

wrote that "at his very best, Cooke utilized a perfect lyrical sentimentality... listen to 'Good Times' – ''It might be one o'clock and it might be three/Time don't mean that much to me/Ain't felt this good since I don't know when/And I might not feel this good again/So come on baby, let the good times roll/We gonna stay here til we soothe our soul''. That summed up perfectly what rock and roll was about, and still is, in so many ways."

Personnel

Featured musicians are John Ewing (trombone), Edward Hall (drums and percussion), John Pisano (guitar), Clifton White (guitar) and

Johnnie Taylor Johnnie Harrison Taylor (May 5, 1934 – May 31, 2000) was an American recording artist and songwriter who performed a wide variety of genres, from blues, rhythm and blues, soul, and gospel to pop, doo-wop, and disco. In 2022, Taylor was ...

(back-up vocals).

Chart positions

Sam Cooke

The Sam Cooke version of the song hit number one on the ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' R&B chart and number eleven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Dan Seals version

Dan Seals' version was a Number One hit on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot Country Singles & Tracks Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

chart in mid-1990, and is the second single from his 1990 album ''

On Arrival ''On Arrival'' is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Dan Seals. The album reached #13 on the Top Country Albums chart. "Love on Arrival" and "Good Times" were the first two singles which both reached #1 while the last two sin ...

''. His version stayed at number 1 for two weeks, and was his last number 1 hit, as well as his last top 40 hit of his career.

Chart performance

Year-end charts

Popular culture

*In 2011,

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

used the song in a commercial featuring

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

forward

Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for t ...

during their "Basketball Never Stops" ad campaign during the 2011 NBA lockout.Video
on Vimeo

References

{{authority control 1964 singles 1990 singles Sam Cooke songs Dan Seals songs Phoebe Snow songs Songs written by Sam Cooke Song recordings produced by Kyle Lehning RCA Records singles Capitol Records Nashville singles Song recordings produced by Hugo & Luigi 1964 songs