5 Decades of Motown: Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Jackson Five, Diana Ross, Boyz II Men, India Arie, Four Tops

Berry Gordy Jr. changed music and American culture in the 1960's and 70's arguably more than any other individual.  With the opening of Motown Records (Detroit is the Motor City), a new soundtrack to people's lives was being formed with each new record on the label.  

Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Jackson 5, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Marvelettes, on and on, music acts that competed with The Beatles and dominated the charts worldwide.  Even more incredible was how they changed public perception and an awareness and acceptance of black artists being respected by the masses.  

Smokey Robinson wrote, "Into the '60s, I was still not of a frame of mind that we were not only making music, we were making history. But I did recognize the impact because acts were going all over the world at that time. I recognized the bridges that we crossed, the racial problems and the barriers that we broke down with music. I recognized that because I lived it. I would come to the South in the early days of Motown and the audiences would be segregated. Then they started to get the Motown music and we would go back and the audiences were integrated and the kids were dancing together and holding hands."  

Motown has been putting out amazing records for 5 decades, here's a recap of the decades and some unforgettable favorites.   If you aren't smiling, dancing, and singing along to these songs, check your pulse, you may be dead.


60's  "AIN'T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING"   MARVIN GAYE & TAMMI TERRELL 

60's   "REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE"   THE FOUR TOPS

70's   "I WANT YOU BACK"   JACKSON 5
Motown in the 70's released some of the all time greatest albums like Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and "Let's Get It On", Stevie Wonder's "Talking Book" and "Songs In The Key of Life".   Add in the Diana Ross solo albums, Gladys Knight & The Pips, the Commodores, and The Temptations and Motown's legacy grew with their 70's classics.

70's  "TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING" (alternate raw version!)  DIANA ROSS

80's   "RUNNING WITH THE NIGHT"  LIONEL RICHIE
Big acts on Motown in the 80's included the Commodores, the Lionel Richie solo CDs, Rockwell (Berry Gordy's son), DeBarge, and Rick James.

80's "PART TIME LOVER" STEVIE WONDER

90's   "END OF THE ROAD"   BOYZ II MEN
Motown had lost steam in the 90's but still had major success with Boyz II Men, Shanice, Johnny Gill, Tony Toni Tone, and even 98 Degrees!

00's   "VIDEO" INDIA.ARIE
By the mid 2000's, Motown had merged with Universal and sadly marked the end of almost 50 years of life changing music from the greatest American record label.   Brian McKnight, Erykah Badu,  Michael McDonald, India.Arie, and some old favorites like Diana Ross were still on the label.

Whitney Houston's New Song! Whitney Houston with Jordan Sparks, Boyz II Men, Chamillionaire with Ne-Yo

"CELEBRATE"    WHITNEY HOUSTON with JORDAN SPARKS

This summer the motion picture, "Sparkle" starring Whitney Houston, Cee-Lo Green, Jordan Sparks, and Mike Epps will be released.  The movie is a remake of the 70's musical depicting the rise of a Supremes-type girl group.   Whitney plays Jordan's mom and they recorded the lead single just before her untimely death.   Her voice is vintage Whitney and the R. Kelly produced song is a upbeat celebration of life.

"WHEN YA ON"   CHAMILLIONAIRE and NE-YO

In 2005, urban radio stations couldn't resist playing Houston rapper, Chamillionaire's smash hits, "Turn It Up" with Lil' Flip and "Ridin" with Krayzie Bone.   He's famous for his legendary mixtapes and he's back with a new hard hitting jam.   Chamillionaire's style is clean but still maintains street cred.   "They only love you when you're on, the other time is when you're gone".    Hot track!   He's currently looking for a new record label after getting out of his Universal Records contract.

"DOING JUST FINE"   BOYZ II MEN

Life after a break-up, some people can easily move forward, I can't say it's been that easy for me.  Music has always inspired me in so many ways and this song has helped me in the past.  It came from their 1997 CD, Evolution, which was a commercial disappointment after the mega-selling discs,  Cooleyhighharmony and Boyz II Men II.   But record sales don't always translate to the quality of their work.  On this CD came some of the band's best ballads, "Dear God", "A Song For Mama" and my video pick were timeless R&B songs.   "Doing Just Fine" feels like a code phrase for  "I haven't moved on" and Wanya's vocals are perfection on this sad track.

   

Michael Jackson Tribute: Alicia Keys, Teena Marie, Boys II Men, Chris Brown, The Game

"LOVERGIRL"                       TEENA MARIE

One of the hottest jams of the 80's!   R.I.P. Teena.    "Hook, Line, and Sinker baby, that's how you caught me", "I got a vibe on you the first time you saw through me", so many classic lines.   Teena is so sexy in this one, jamming on her guitar, classic 80's video!

"FEELING YOU, FEELING ME"             ALICIA KEYS

This is only 2:08 but it's Alicia at her best.    This song is an interlude on her 2003 CD, The Diary of Alicia Keys.   Sexy, passionate.... this needed to so much longer.     The music is hypnotic, soothing, orgasmic, best interlude ever?

"BETTER ON THE OTHER SIDE"     THE GAME, CHRIS BROWN, and BOYZ II MEN

"This the kind of song that make the angels cry
I look up in the sky ask God why?"


This one came out within a week of Michael Jackson's death in 2009.    The Game's tribute to Michael's life, music, and how much of an influence he had on all of us.   MJ rightfully holds the title, Kind Of Pop, for being the greatest entertainer in the last century.     Thriller = #1 selling CD,  MJ's videos = artwork, greatest ever, Concerts = groundbreaking in their creativity!