Album · Bill Withers
Just As I Am by Bill Withers
Just As I Am is an album by Bill Withers, released in 1971. 1 song from it has charted on rock radio countdowns, with 13 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Ain't No Sunshine”, on 13 lists with a best position of #98.
Just As I Am, Bill Withers' debut album, came out on Sussex on May 1, 1971, and it's about as unvarnished as soul records get. The man from Slab Fork, West Virginia, sings like he's talking to you across a kitchen table, and Booker T. Jones, who produced and arranged it and played keyboards and guitar on the sessions, has the good sense to keep everything lean and let that voice carry the weight.
There's as much folk in it as soul: plain acoustic strum, quiet grooves, songs built on small, true details instead of big gestures. "Ain't No Sunshine" is the one that stops you cold, spare and aching and over before you're ready, and "Grandma's Hands" carries the same warm, homespun spirit. For a debut, it sounds startlingly sure of itself.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Just As I Am on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ain't No Sunshine | 13 | #98 | – | 2001–2026 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.