To celebrate what would have been Cole’s 100th birthday on March 17, 2019, various remastered collections were launched to preserve his "velvety" vocal legacy. This specific 100-track compilation is curated to showcase his versatility—from early jazz trio recordings to the sweeping orchestral ballads that made him a global pop icon. The tracklist includes his most essential signature songs:
Before he was known primarily as a crooner, Cole led the innovative King Cole Trio. This drums-free lineup (piano, guitar, and bass) revolutionized jazz ensembles. Tracks from this era showcase his intricate, swing-style piano work.
: One of his final hits, this track bursts with joy. The crisp brass accents and Cole's rhythmic phrasing shine brilliantly in high-resolution audio. nat king cole 100 unforgettable hits 2019 flac
Listening Experience and Audience For newcomers, the album offers a comprehensive sampler that introduces stylistic variety and signature performances. For collectors and audiophiles, the 2019 FLAC release provides high-fidelity sound and convenient access to a large portion of Cole’s catalog. The compilation’s length encourages both focused listening to standout tracks and casual background enjoyment—the latter aided by Cole’s congenial, easy-listening presence.
FLAC is a lossless format. It compresses file sizes without discarding a single byte of audio data, maintaining CD-quality resolution (16-bit/44.1kHz) or higher. To celebrate what would have been Cole’s 100th
For audiophiles, that difference is the difference between hearing music and experiencing it.
Avoid listening via Bluetooth. Bluetooth re-compresses audio, turning your pristine FLAC back into a lossy stream. Use a wired USB connection from your PC to your DAC. The crisp brass accents and Cole's rhythmic phrasing
To a casual listener, an MP3 file (especially at 320 kbps) sounds perfectly fine. However, for any serious listener, the difference is clear. Here's a simple breakdown of the differences:
"Route 66", "Straighten Up and Fly Right", "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You", "It's Only a Paper Moon".
Audirvana, Foobar2000, or Roon for bit-perfect audio passthrough.
: Cole’s "velvety" texture is notorious for losing its intimacy in compressed formats like MP3. Lossless audio captures the "breath" in his performance.