Which song became Otis Redding’s first and only Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 after his death?

“(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay” became Otis Redding’s first and only Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 after his death.

Redding recorded the song in 1967 with producer Steve Cropper, combining soul music with a more reflective, acoustic sound. Redding died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967, before the single was released.

The record was issued in January 1968 and reached No. 1 in March. It became the first posthumous single to top the Billboard Hot 100, giving Redding his biggest mainstream success.

The whistled ending was intended as a temporary guide, but it was retained in the finished recording. The song’s title is often shortened informally, although its credited title begins with “(Sittin’ on).”