1961 · Album
Unforgettable
Mercury Records · Album Type: Studio album (twelfth LP)
When Dinah Chased the Pop Charts
Washington trades her jazz roots for standards and shorter forms, chasing radio hits instead of artistic depth.
By the late 1950s, Dinah Washington had already proven herself across jazz, blues, and R&B. Unforgettable represents a deliberate shift in direction—one that prioritizes commercial appeal over the kinds of performances she'd built her reputation on. The album finds her singing brief, radio-friendly versions of pop standards, the kind of material designed to land another chart hit rather than showcase her full range as an improviser or interpreter.
The title track, "Unforgettable," tells the story of this record's whole strategy. Released as a single in 1959, it climbed to No. 10 on the Billboard 200 by 1961, and the recording later earned induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. That's genuine commercial and critical success—proof that Washington could compete in the pop market if she wanted to. But success on the charts doesn't mean the album itself is essential listening. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings rated it three stars, which feels about right: solid, professional, occasionally pleasurable, but not a record you'd return to for artistic discovery or emotional depth.
Where does this fit in her catalog? It's a departure, not a peak. If you want to understand Washington's real power—her ability to bend a phrase, her control, her emotional intelligence—start elsewhere. Unforgettable is the sound of a major artist making a calculated commercial play. That's honest work, and it paid off in sales and radio play. But it also means this album matters more as a historical document than as a reason to listen to Dinah Washington in 2024.
