| 100% | HITTHE | 6 | With 55 Across, 1961 hit for Ray Charles |
| 51% | UNCHAIN | 7 | "___ My Heart" (R&B hit for Ray Charles) |
| 43% | CLEO | 4 | With 47 Across, Ray Charles' ''Porgy & Bess ''partner |
| 42% | ROADJACK | 8 | *1961 chart-topper for Ray Charles |
| 41% | TEAK | 4 | With 55-Across, preservative for fine wood furniture |
| 40% | WECAMEINPEACE | 13 | With 55-Across, message left by 28-Across for future explorers |
| 39% | MAMASAID | 8 | 1961 hit for the Shirelles |
| 38% | POLICELINE | 10 | With 55 Across, crime scene warning |
| 38% | UNOFFICIALSTART | 15 | With 55 Across, what 19 Across signifies |
| 37% | BETWEENSCYLLA | 13 | With 55 Across, dilemma-bound (from the ''Odyssey'') |
| 37% | ALAN | 4 | With 55 Across, ''Little Miss Sunshine'' Oscar winner |
| 37% | THELANDDIVIDED | 14 | With 55 Across, transportation slogan of 100 years ago |
| 37% | PLEASEMRPOSTMAN | 15 | 1961 No. 1 hit by the Marvelettes with the lyric “Is there a letter, a letter for me?” |
| 37% | SOUL | 4 | Genre for Ray Charles and Luther Vandross |
| 36% | NOONE | 5 | Ray Charles hit of 1963 |
| 36% | THELOST | 7 | With 54-Across, Oscar film for '45 (with Ray Milland) |
| 36% | MUSICSOUNDS | 11 | With 29-Across, hit song for 42-Across: 2 wds. |
| 36% | MELLOW | 6 | With 46-Across, colorful rhyme for a 1966 Donovan hit |
| 36% | RAMA | 4 | "___ Lama Ding Dong," 1961 hit for the Edsels |
| 36% | TIL | 3 | 1961 hit song for the Angels |
| 36% | NOONE | 5 | 1963 Ray Charles hit |
| 36% | GEORGIAONMYMIND | 15 | 1960 Ray Charles hit |
| 35% | MONTYPYTHONS | 12 | With 55 Across, BBC series that premiered 50 years ago tomorrow |
| 35% | THE | 3 | With 55-Across and 56-Across, 2011 biopic for which 18-Across won her second Best Actress Oscar |
| 35% | MONY | 4 | With 70-Across, #1 hit for Billy Idol |
| 35% | INMY | 4 | With 10-Across, 1963 hit for the Beach Boys |
| 35% | ICANTSTOPLOVING | 15 | "___ 62-Down" (1962 Ray Charles hit) |
| 34% | CRY | 3 | 1951 #1 hit for Johnny Ray |
| 34% | STAND | 5 | With 35-Across, 1961 solo hit by Ben E. King featured in a 1986 movie |
| 34% | CANTTAKEMY | 10 | With 42-Across, 1967 hit that Bob Crewe cowrote for Frankie Valli: 3 wds. |