I think that the common narrative about Motown is that it was a cultural and generational powerhouse and phenomenon in the 1960s

Once the company moved to Los Angeles in the early 70s the magic was gone. They still had huge hits with Jackson 5, Marvin, Diana, Stevie etc. but nowhere near as many as the decade prior

There were some 80s hits courtesy of Rick James and Lionel Ritchie but once Motown 25 aired the company became one fueled almost entirely by nostalgia and past glory

Is there any way that narrative could have been changed and Motown could have been 'saved' to the point that Berry would have sold in the late 80s?

If Motown remained in Detroit?

If Berry stayed focused on music and not Hollywood?

If Holland Dozier Holland were convinced to stay and given more money and their own label like they wanted?

If artists who wanted to write and produce their own material was allowed to do so?

If artists and producers who left also were convinced to stay [[Mary Wells, Four Tops, Mickey Stevenson etc.)

and a big catch all - if all those with drug and alcohol problems didn't have drug and alcohol problems?

I honestly don't know how much it would have mattered

It seems that almost every 60s and early 70s soul star suffered once Disco exploded and again with videos

I don't know if anything could have happened that in the 80s Motown would have 4-6 of the top 10 songs on the country like it did some weeks in the 60s

With some/all of these changes I think we would have gotten more great 60s and 70s music but I think the decline was inevitable

It may have been delayed but I do think it would have still happened