Hello, my friends! My creativity is running circles around me: I had to press pause on the Divas' stories for a few days because I've been preparing for our most ambitious countdown yet. And when I say "our", I mean "our". You're going to help me do it.
The excuse: not that we need one, but the thing is that Motown, the record company that made Detroit a household name all over the world, was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959. Which means that if we begin our countdown after the Nick Cave one, we'll be just in time to celebrate the company's 60th anniversary. Because it certainly won't be a short countdown. You will be voting for a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 200 songs and the final list will have at least 200 songs and maybe as many as 400. More of that in a minute.
One cannot overemphasize the importance of Motown: For many decades, it was the highest-earning African American business in the United States. It gave voice to dozens of great artists, as well as performing a civic duty; MLK's The Great March to Freedom and The Great March on Washington were both released as albums on the Gordy label (a Motown subsidiary) in 1963.
Artistically, to put it into perspective, in the 1960s, the contribution of Motown was as important as that of the Beatles and the rest of British Beat. Perhaps even more so: Motown was the wrecking ball that (to a large extent) busted the wall of segregation in Pop music. White teenagers were buying the hits by the Supremes, the Temptations, etc, as much as black teenagers. Then in the 1970s, we witnessed the beautiful maturity of artists such as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, who gave us masterpieces for the ages.
Don't worry, I did much of the hard work for you: I have painstakingly compiled a list of 420 songs, that cover the period from the first Motown hit single in 1959, to the last #1 hit Boyz II Men, the label's last superstars, had in 1997. By the way, the company was independent until June 28, 1994, before it was bought off by MCA. For a record label to remain independent for more than 35 years, it certainly is no small feat.
The list is more or less chronological and is sorted by artist. The basis of the list were the hits (either a top 40 hit on the US Hot 100, a top 10 hit on the US R&B chart, or a top 20 hit on the UK singles chart), but I may have omitted a few hits in favor of including some worthy lesser successes or album cuts instead. If you feel that a favorite of yours or two are not on the list, feel free to say so. Any song that gets five suggestions or more will be automatically added to the list.
As I said before, you can vote for a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 200 songs. You just put your songs, along with the artists' names, in order of preference and I will do the rest.
Where can you vote?
You can vote in the comments' section (just don't vote as Anonymous, because I can't differentiate between one Anonymous and another). If you're my Facebook friend, you can also vote through the Messenger or with a Private Message.
I would very much appreciate if you, along with your list, spare a few words to share your opinion on this blog with me. Please, be kind.
How long will the voting last?
The voting begins today and will close approximately 6 weeks from now. I believe in transparency, so this is how I will grade the lists: I will assign 300 points for the top song on each list, 280 for #2, 270 for #3, 260 for #4, 250 for #5, 240 for #6, 230 for #7, 220 for #8, 210 for #9, and 200 for #10, 190 points for #11, 189 for #12, 188 for #13, etc, and finally 1 point for #200. I will then add the points and begin the countdown. Every song that received votes will be included, which means that the list could have as few as 200 songs, or as many as 420 songs, or more (if you nominate songs outside the list).
Record Man, Alan, and Snicks, I hope that you will participate in this, as you successfully did in the previous one. I also hope that many other friends will also participate - sometimes I feel as if I'm talking to a wall - it's discouraging. Since you now have my email address, there's no excuse for not participating. I mean, is it that tough to choose 20 songs, if 200 sounds like a lot?
Having said that, when I prepare a list, I usually have a pretty clear idea what my top 10 is, or my top 5 at the very least, before I even begin compiling. This time, I have no idea at all. This will be fun...
Where can you listen to the songs?
You probably realize that I cannot embed 420 videos in one story, today. I will present them with their videos gradually when the countdown begins. In the meantime, you can listen to all the songs on YouTube or any of the streaming services, like Deezer, Spotify, iTunes, etc. However, for those who don't have the time to listen to every song, I have taken the liberty to highlight the ones I think are not to be missed. Mind you, that doesn't necessarily mean that this is my personal list: I haven't even begun compiling that.
Here is the list. Enjoy!
Marv Johnson
Come to Me
Barrett Strong
Money (That's What I Want)
The Miracles
Shop Around
Who's Lovin' You
What's So Good About Goodbye
You've Really Got a Hold on Me
Mickey's Monkey
I Like It Like That
Ooo Baby Baby
The Tracks of My Tears
My Girl Has Gone
Going to a Go-Go
(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage
More Love
I Second That Emotion
If You Can Want
Baby, Baby Don't Cry
The Tears of a Clown
I Don't Blame You at All
The Miracles (without Smokey)
Do It Baby
Love Machine
Ain't Nobody Straight In LA
Smokey Robinson
Baby That's Backatcha
Quiet Storm
Cruisin'
Let Me Be the Clock
Being with You
Just to See Her
One Heartbeat
The Marvelettes
Please Mr. Postman
Playboy
Beechwood 4-5789
Too Many Fish in the Sea
Don't Mess with Bill
The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game
When You're Young and in Love
My Baby Must Be a Magician
Eddie Holland
Jamie
Leaving Here
Mary Wells
The One Who Really Loves You
You Beat Me to the Punch
Two Lovers
Laughing Boy
You Lost the Sweetest Boy
What's So Easy for Two Is So Hard for One
My Guy
The Contours
Do You Love Me
Marvin Gaye
Stubborn Kind of Fellow
Hitch Hike
Pride and Joy
Can I Get a Witness
You're a Wonderful One
Try It Baby
Baby Don't You Do It
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
I'll Be Doggone
Pretty Little Baby
Ain't That Peculiar
One More Heartache
Little Darling (I Need You)
Your Unchanging Love
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Too Busy Thinking About My Baby
Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)
That's the Way Love Is
The End of Our Road
What's Going On
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
Save the Children
Trouble Man
Let's Get It On
Come Get to This
Distant Lover (Live)
I Want You
Got to Give It Up
Marvin Gaye Duets
Once Upon a Time (with Mary Wells)
What's the Matter with You Baby (with Mary Wells)
It Takes Two (with Kim Weston)
Ain't No Mountain High Enough (with Tammi Terrell)
Your Precious Love (with Tammi Terrell)
If I Could Build My Whole World Around You (with Tammi Terrell)
Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing (with Tammi Terrell)
You're All I Need to Get By (with Tammi Terrell)
The Onion Song (with Tammi Terrell)
You're a Special Part of Me (with Diana Ross)
Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart) (with Diana Ross)
My Mistake (Was to Love You) (with Diana Ross)
You Are Everything (with Diana Ross)
Martha and the Vandellas
Come and Get These Memories
Heatwave
Quicksand
Dancing in the Street
Nowhere to Run
My Baby Loves Me
I'm Ready for Love
Jimmy Mack
Honey Chile
Stevie Wonder
Fingertips
Uptight (Everything's Alright)
Nothing's Too Good for My Baby
Blowin' in the Wind
A Place in the Sun
I Was Made to Love Her
I'm Wondering
Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)
Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day
For Once in My Life
My Cherie Amour
Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday
Never Had a Dream Come True
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
Heaven Help Us All
We Can Work It Out
Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer
If You Really Love Me
Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)
Superstition
You Are the Sunshine of My Life
I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)
Higher Ground
Living for the City
Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing
All in Love Is Fair
He's Misstra Know It All
You Haven't Done Nothin'
Boogie On Reggae Woman
They Won't Go When I Go
Love's in Need of Love Today
Pastime Paradise
I Wish
Isn't She Lovely?
Sir Duke
Another Star
As
Send One Your Love
Master Blaster (Jammin')
I Ain't Gonna Stand for It
Lately
Happy Birthday
That Girl
Do I Do
I Just Called to Say I Love You
Love Light in Flight
Part-Time Lover
Go Home
Overjoyed
Skeletons
The Temptations
The Way You Do the Things You Do
Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)
My Girl
It's Growing
Since I Lost My Baby
My Baby
Get Ready
Ain't Too Proud to Beg
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
(I Know) I'm Losing You
You're My Everything
I Wish It Would Rain
I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)
Cloud Nine
I'm Gonna Make You Love Me (& The Supremes)
Runaway Child, Running Wild
Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down
I Can't Get Next to You
Psychedelic Shack
Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)
Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)
Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
Masterpiece
Plastic Man
Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)
Let Your Hair Down
Happy People
Shakey Ground
Shorty Long
Devil With The Blue Dress
Brenda Holloway
Every Little Bit Hurts
When I'm Gone
You've Made Me So Very Happy
The Four Tops
Baby I Need Your Loving
Ask the Lonely
I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
It's the Same Old Song
Something About You
Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)
Reach Out I'll Be There
Standing in the Shadows of Love
Bernadette
7-Rooms of Gloom
You Keep Running Away
If I Were a Carpenter
Walk Away Renée
Still Water (Love)
It's All in the Game
River Deep – Mountain High (& The Supremes)
Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life)
MacArthur Park
A Simple Game
Caroline Crawford
My Smile Is Just A Frown (Turned Upside Down)
The Velvelettes
Needle In a Haystack
He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'
The Supremes
When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes
Where Did Our Love Go
Baby Love
Come See About Me
Stop! In the Name of Love
Back in My Arms Again
Nothing but Heartaches
I Hear a Symphony
My World Is Empty Without You
Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart
You Can't Hurry Love
You Keep Me Hangin' On
Love Is Here and Now You're Gone
The Happening
Diana Ross & the Supremes
Reflections
In and Out of Love
Love Child
I'm Livin' in Shame
The Composer
No Matter What Sign You Are
Someday We'll Be Together
The Supremes (without Diana)
Up the Ladder to the Roof
Everybody's Got the Right to Love
Stoned Love
Nathan Jones
Floy Joy
Automatically Sunshine
Diana Ross
Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Remember Me
Surrender
I'm Still Waiting
Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoo
Good Morning Heartache
Touch Me in the Morning
All of My Life
Last Time I Saw Him
Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)
Love Hangover
Gettin' Ready for Love
The Boss
Upside Down
I’m Coming Out
My Old Piano
It’s My Turn
Endless Love (& Lionel Richie)
When You Tell Me That You Love Me
Frank Wilson
Do I Love You? (Indeed I Do)
Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
Shotgun
(I'm A) Road Runner
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)
These Eyes
Kim Weston
Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
The Elgins
Heaven Must Have Sent You
The Isley Brothers
This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)
Behind a Painted Smile
Put Yourself in My Place
Jimmy Ruffin
What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
I've Passed This Way Before
Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got
Farewell Is a Lonely Sound
It's Wonderful (To Be Loved by You)
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Everybody Needs Love
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
The End of Our Road
Didn't You Know (You'd Have to Cry Sometime)
The Nitty Gritty
Friendship Train
You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)
If I Were Your Woman
I Don't Want to Do Wrong
Make Me the Woman That You Go Home To
Help Me Make It Through the Night
Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)
Daddy Could Swear, I Declare
Chris Clark
Love's Gone Bad
R. Dean Taylor
There's A Ghost In My House
Gotta See Jane
Indiana Wants Me
The Monitors
Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)
Time Is Passin’ By
Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers
Does Your Mama Know About Me
Edwin Starr
Twenty-Five Miles
War
Stop The War Now
David Ruffin
My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)
Walk Away from Love
The Originals
Baby, I'm For Real
The Bells
The Jackson 5
I Want You Back
ABC
2-4-6-8
The Love You Save
I'll Be There
Mama's Pearl
Never Can Say Goodbye
Maybe Tomorrow
Sugar Daddy
Little Bitty Pretty One
Lookin' Through The Windows
Doctor My Eyes
Corner Of The Sky
Hallelujah Day
Skywriter
Get It Together
Dancing Machine
I Am Love
Jermaine Jackson
Daddy's Home
Let's Get Serious
Michael Jackson
Got to Be There
Rockin' Robin
I Wanna Be Where You Are
Ain't No Sunshine
Ben
Just a Little Bit of You
One Day in Your Life
Rare Earth
Get Ready
(I Know) I'm Losing You
Born To Wander
I Just Want to Celebrate
Hey Big Brother
The Spinners
I'll Always Love You
It's a Shame
Tom Clay
What the World Needs Now Is Love/Abraham, Martin and John
The Undisputed Truth
Smiling Faces Sometimes
Eddie Kendricks
Keep on Truckin'
Boogie Down
Son Of Sagittarius
Shoeshine Boy
Commodores
Machine Gun
Slippery When Wet
Sweet Love
Just to Be Close to You
Easy
Brick House
Too Hot To Trot
Three Times a Lady
Sail On
Still
Lady (You Bring Me Up)
Oh No
Nightshift
Lionel Richie
Truly
You Are
My Love
All Night Long (All Night)
Running with the Night
Hello
Stuck on You
Penny Lover
Say You, Say Me
Dancing on the Ceiling
Love Will Conquer All
Ballerina Girl
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
The Night
Willie Hutch
Love Power
Syreeta Wright
Your Kiss Is Sweet
With You I'm Born Again (with Billy Preston)
Yvonne Fair
It Should’ve Been Me
Thelma Houston
Don't Leave Me This Way
Carl Bean
I Was Born This Way
Rick James
You and I
Mary Jane
Bustin' Out
Give It to Me Baby
Super Freak
Dance Wit' Me
Cold Blooded
17
Teena Marie
Square Biz
DeBarge
I Like It
All This Love
Time Will Reveal
Rhythm of the Night
Who's Holding Donna Now
You Wear It Well
El DeBarge
Who's Johnny
Love Always
Real Love
Dazz Band
Let It Whip
Joystick
Let It All Blow
Charlene
I've Never Been to Me
Rockwell
Somebody's Watching Me
Mary Jane Girls
All Night Long
In My House
Stacy Lattisaw
Nail It to the Wall
Where Do We Go from Here (& Johnny Gill)
Bruce Willis
Respect Yourself
Under the Boardwalk
The Boys
Dial My Heart
Lucky Charm
Crazy
Today
Girl I Got My Eyes On You
Why You Get Funky On Me
Public Enemy
Fight the Power
The Good Girls
Your Sweetness
Love Is Like An Itchin' In My Heart
Gerald Alston
Slow Motion
Getting Back Into Love
Johnny Gill
Rub You the Right Way
My, My, My
Fairweather Friend
Wrap My Body Tight
Another Bad Creation
Iesha
Playground
Boyz II Men
Motownphilly
It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday
Uhh Ahh
End of the Road
In the Still of the Nite (I'll Remember)
I'll Make Love to You
On Bended Knee
Water Runs Dry
4 Seasons of Loneliness
M.C. Brains
Oochie Coochie
