Features
Music Of His Mind: Stevie Wonder In 20 Songs
A stunning selection of career highlights by a true legend of Motown, and of all music.
The headline may represent an impossible task, but today we rejoice in the music of one of the true greats. We present 20 career highlights from the hundreds of amazing achievements by Stevie Wonder.
Born Stevland Morris on 13 May 1950, the former 12-year-old genius remains a beacon of positive creativity, as he’s been reminding delighted live audiences across North America in recent years. He still plays with the spirit that took him to No. 1 for the first time in 1963 on our dynamic first selection ‘Fingertips,’ of which we feature the full six-and-a-half minute concert recording.
His next major crossover hit didn’t come until 1966 with the unstoppable ‘Uptight (Everything’s Alright),’ after which we feature some underrated entries from 1967. The top ten soul hit ‘Hey Love’ was an early example of his increasing vocal prowess. His own version of ‘Until You Come Back To Me,’ later immortalised by Aretha Franklin, wasn’t even released until years afterwards, but it’s another gem. The same year brought a further R&B No. 1 in ‘I Was Made To Love Her.’
From 1969, ‘I Don’t Know Why’ is a great transitional piece as Wonder’s prodigious talents developed even further. The Signed Sealed Delivered album saw him expanding his social conscience on ‘Heaven Help Us All’ and delivering one of the most brilliant of Beatles covers with ‘We Can Work It Out.’
The pivotal Where I’m Coming From, which in many ways marks the arrival of the fully-formed Stevie Wonder, included message songs such as ‘Look Around’ and gorgeous ballads like ‘Never Dreamed You’d Leave In Summer.’ Then we move into his peerless series of 1970s album masterpieces and some of their trademark hits. Little more need be said, other than that precious few artists in any genre have ever delivered such a sequence of indelible work.
Later pearls have included the superb 1982 R&B No. 1 ‘That Girl,’ one of the four new songs on his Original Musiquarium compilation. The elegant ‘Moon Blue’ comes from his most recent studio release, 2005’s A Time To Love. While Stevie continues to tantalise us with the promise of new material, here are 20 all-time landmarks to be going on with.
Follow the official Stevie Wonder Best Of playlist.
UK English
Pajic Slobodanka
May 26, 2015 at 7:36 pm
I am from Belgrade, Serbia, Europa… I like all from Stevie Wonder… I wish, more the anything to be in one concert, but to have place between hims back vocals…This is my wish begins around 20 years. Now I am 64 years but still I have the same wishes (if you understand my English).
Phyllis
May 26, 2015 at 10:09 pm
Blowing In The Wind with Jerry( Iceman) Butler
Joe highton
May 27, 2015 at 8:09 pm
Golden lady
Karen
May 28, 2015 at 2:41 am
As
Charmaine wood
May 29, 2015 at 8:49 pm
Happy birthday again and I just heard ribbons in the sky for the first time. I didn’t know until 2014 I got married on your birthday 1980 and five days later mt st Helen blow. He died 2007. 2013 spirit took me for a trip and I was lost in the USA but I seen a Z in the sky. Around your birthday this month someone sent me tickets for a cruz and I hear and seen ribbons in the sky. I know you may not want to go to Florida and I understand I have friend there. He has been called a name so much he almost forgot his. He just wants to cook and give his orgasmic food to the world. Charlie’s angle
Charlight
May 29, 2015 at 10:24 pm
Us swimming and baptism in the jordon and sign John hand cock. The sky blue moon or time Kano rune stone. The B&W tribe rising Bear. Like Ali we can dance like butterflies and sting like bees. Pour sugar honey with love Mother Earth is gods kingdom for me and you. Rainbow girl with a eagle eye and one good ear to hear the tiger roar.
Jada lee Johnson
May 30, 2015 at 2:15 am
June 22 chief Beary Tillman asked that humans races stop and the earth stand still bend down touch the ground high noon NYC times square so god can spank there will be the grandfather we tipi. The west will start sing the 19 th than north and south a repet we are the world all hands up to the sun in the sky thank god we have time to pant a seed. Groundhog tribe Seahawks fly