Joe Cocker's love letter to the world - ten years on

But while the great man has passed away, his tunes certainly live on.

And just recently, his goosebump-inducing song 'You Are So Beautiful' - a staple offering at weddings to this day - made the top five Best Love Songs of All Time.

The music website Singersroom paid a heart-warming tribute to the raspy crooner who came from humble origins in Tasker Road, Crookes and attended Lydgate Lane School.

It urges listeners to: "Pay attention to the lyrics and the emotion in the singer's voice.

"Reflect on the beauty and love that the song conveys."

And, rather stating the obvious, the site suggests: "Play this song to express your feelings to a loved one on a special occasion or just to make them feel appreciated."

Joe, who died from lung cancer in Crawford, Colorado, in December 2014, aged 70, hadn't been everybody's cup of tea, with that gritty, soulful voice and unusual, almost fitful, body movements during trance-like performances.

But people who didn't necessarily warm to other songs from the one-time gas fitter admired 'You Are So Beautiful,' which was released half a century ago this year and went on to become Cocker's highest-charting solo hit in the United States.

It didn't just stay on vinyl, either, with its moving lyrics adorning movies, TV shows, and advertising campaigns.

Last year Anston-born artist Rebecca Lucy Taylor, AKA Self Esteem, released an acoustic version as a standalone single.

Only four other songs beat Joe in the website's top five:

1. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You by Bryan Adams, 2. Crazy Love by Van Morrison, 3. I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith 4. Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden.

While Joe's legacy lives on, there are always those who are happy to denigrate some of his works.

Last month, the frontman of Echo and the Bunnymen, Ian McCulloch, said he "hated" the Cocker version of "With A Little Help From My Friends."

Yet it's worth recalling he won a Grammy Award for his song "Up Where We Belong" and was ranked No. 97 on Rolling Stone's 100 greatest singers.

And as an encore here are those wonderful lyrics: "You are so beautiful, To me. You are so beautiful. To me. Can't you see? You're everything I hoped for. You're everything I need."