On April 14, 1960, Barry Gordy Jr. created the Motown Record Corporation, a move which was to inspire and produce one of America's most well-known, and well-loved, musical genres – Motown. The label became one of the most influential companies in American music making, with a distinct sound that combines soul, R&B and pop. By the mid-sixties, Motown Records, based in Detroit, Michigan had become a virtual hit factory, with 110 top-ten hits and several wildly popular groups – The Supremes, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, and The Jackson 5 among them. The vast success of the label underscores the importance of the label in the integration of popular music. Through Motown, African-American artists could achieve the same – and often greater – popularity and monetary success as white artists. Motown Records became a label founded, owned and operated by an African-American. Most of Motown's artists were African-American, and through the excellent songwriting and production provided by the likes of Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield, Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Edward Holland, these artists were able to achieve success in numerous musical fields.
Motown Records and the artists that recorded for them developed a distinct sonic tradition known as “the Motown sound.” Things to listen for in the playlist include simple melodies, supported by background and call-and-response-vocals, as well as distinctive chord changes and electric guitars. The most important aspect of the Motown sound lies in its ability to blend pop with soul and R&B. Songs were generally not written by the performers themselves, although Smokey Robinson of The Miracles was an important songwriter and producer for the label. Instead, songwriting teams would work to craft hits for various groups, with the result that numerous recordings of the same song exist by different Motown artists.
While creating this playlist, I strove to reflect these sonic markers while including the most important groups and songs of the Motown label. I imposed a few restrictions, however, in order to sift through the impressive – and massive – Motown catalog. I wanted to focus on groundbreaking releases, so many of the songs I chose are first number one hits – for example, I include not only Motown's first number one, but also the first number ones of many important groups. All of the songs I chose were released while Motown Records was still based in Detroit, and their release dates span 1961 to 1973. Not every track included on the playlist reached number one, however – tracks like the unreleased Miracles version of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” for example, illustrate the disconnect between singer and songwriter while still reflecting the classic Motown sound.
To the right, you can find links to every individual song as well as a complete playlist. Below, I have included individual commentary, as well as bibliographic information, on each track. After this commentary, please check out my list of resources – they might lead you to your own Motown discoveries. Enjoy!
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