The 100 Greatest Motown Songs

On 30th March Rolling Stone magazine published an article featuring The Greatest 100 Motown Songs.  It's worth a read and there are links to YT clips for all 100.

Undoubtedly you will have your own favourites which may or may not be in the list or not as high in the list as you think. One of my all-time favourite Motown tracks 'This Old Heart Of Mine' by The Isleys is only at 37!  All lists of this nature will be contensous as unless it is based on sales (which it isn't), the choices are subjective, and in this case it is US biased as if it was a UK chart I would guess there would be many more traditional Motown 60s songs listed.

An entry that jumps out at me is the inclusion of DeBarge at 41 with 'Time Will Reveal' - how many remember that tune? It did make #1 R&B #18 Hot 100 in U.S. but did nothing in UK. I honestly don't ever recall ever hearing it.  There are also some glaring omissions, and I'm working on an alternative 100 of songs that are not in the list that perhaps should be.

Here's the full list, I'm not linking them as they are already linked in the Rollong Stone article link above.

01 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - The Tracks Of My Tears (1965)

02 - The Temptations - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone (1972)

03 - Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (1971)

04 - Martha & Vandellas - Heat Wave (1963)

05 - Stevie Wonder - Superstition (1972)

06 - The Temptations - My Girl (1964)

07 - The Supremes - You Keep Me Hangin' On (1967)

08 - The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back (1969)

09 - Martha & The Vandellas - Dancing In The Street (1965)

10 - Smokey Robinson & Miracles - The Tears Of A Clown (1967)

11 - Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through the Grapevine (1968)

12 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - I Second That Emotion (1968)

13 - Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours (1970)

14 - The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go (1964)

15 - The Jackson 5 - ABC (1970)

16 - The Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There (1966)

17 - The Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love (1966)

18 - Stevie Wonder - Living for the City (1973)

19 - The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman (1961)

20 - The Temptations - Ain't Too Proud to Beg (1966)

21 - The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) (1965)

22 - Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up (1977)

23 - Edwin Starr - War (1970)

24 - Rick James - Super Freak (1981)

25 - Martha & The Vandellas - Nowhere to Run (1965)

26 - Diana Ross - Upside Down (1980)

27 - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - You're All I Need to Get By (1968)

28 - Stevie Wonder - Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing (1973)

29 - Smokey Robinson - Cruisin' (1979)

30 - Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (1971)

31 - The Supremes - Baby Love (1964)

32 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - You've Really Got a Hold on Me (1962)

33 - The Commodores - Nightshift (1985)

34 - Jimmy Ruffin - What Becomes of the Brokenhearted (1966)

35 - The Temptations - Get Ready (1966)

36 - Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On (1973)

37 - The Isley Brothers - This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You) (1966)

38 - Mary Wells - Two Lovers (1963)

39 - Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground (1973)

40 - The Temptations - Since I Lost My Baby (1965)

41 - DeBarge - Time Will Reveal (1983)

42 - The Jackson 5 - I'll Be There (1970)

43 - The Contours - Do You Love Me (1962)

44 - Gladys Knight & The Pips - If I Were Your Woman (1970)

45 - The Commodores - Still (1979)

46 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Choosey Beggar (1965)

47 - Stevie Wonder - You Are the Sunshine of My Life (1972)

48 - The Supremes - Stop! In the Name of Love (1965)

49 - Willie Hutch - I Choose You (1973)

50 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Ooo Baby Baby (1965)

51 - Michael Jackson - Got to Be There (1972)

52 - Barrett Strong - Money (That's What I Want) (1959)

53 - Jr. Walker & The All Stars - Shotgun (1965)

54 - The Marvelettes - The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game (1967)

55 - The Temptations - Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) (1971)

56 - The Supremes - Come See About Me (1964)

57 - Lionel Richie - All Night Long (All Night) (1983)

58 - Marvin Gaye - Ain't That Peculiar (1965)

59 - The Spinners - It's a Shame (1970)

60 - Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way (1976)

61 - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough (1967)

62 - Stevie Wonder - Uptight (Everything's Alright) (1965)

63 - The Commodores - Brick House (1977)

64 - Diana Ross - Love Hangover (1976)

65 - Mary Jane Girls - All Night Long (1983)

66 - Marvin Gaye - I Want You (1976)

67 - The Temptations - Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today) (1970)

68 - Marvin Gaye - Can I Get a Witness (1963)

69 - The Four Tops - Bernadette (1967)

70 - Smokey Robinson - Quiet Storm (1975)

71 - The Commodores - Easy (1977)

72 - Diana Ross & The Supremes - Love Child (1968)

73 - Stevie Wonder - My Cherie Amour (1969)

74 - Teena Marie - Square Biz (1980)

75 - The Supremes - Bad Weather (1973)

76 - The Jackson 5 - The Love You Save (1970)

77 - Brenda Holloway - Every Little Bit Hurts (1964)

78 - Stevie Wonder - You Haven't Done Nothin' (1974)

79 - The Supremes - My World Is Empty Without You (1965)

80 - The Undisputed Truth - Smiling Faces Sometimes (1971)

81 - Stevie Wonder - Boogie On Reggae Woman (1974)

82 - Diana Ross & The Supremes - Someday We'll Be Together (1969)

83 - The Temptations - Cloud Nine (1968)

84 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Going To A Go-Go (1965)

85 - Boyz II Men - End Of The Road (1992)

86 - Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke (1977)

87 - Mary Wells - My Guy (1964)

88 - The Four Tops - It's the Same Old Song (1965)

89 - Martha & The Vandellas - No More Tearstained Makeup (1966)

90 - The Supremes - Up the Ladder to the Roof (1970)

91 - Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man (1972)

92 - Eddie Kendricks - Girl You Need a Change of Mind (Part 1) (1972)

93 - Rick James & Teena Marie - Fire and Desire (1981)

94 - The Marvelettes - Too Many Fish in the Sea (1964)

95 - Rare Earth - I Just Want to Celebrate (1971)

96 - The Originals - Baby, I'm for Real (1969)

97 - The Velvelettes - He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' (1964)

98 - Dennis Edwards Feat. Siedah Garrett - Don't Look Any Further (1984)

99 - Martha & Vandellas - Jimmy Mack (1966)

100 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Shop Around (1960)