Rolling Stone.com-Weekend Rock Question-What Is The Single Greatest Motown Song?

[Motown Eddie]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/weekend-rock-question-what-is-the-single-greatest-motown-song-20130802

[thanxal]

Stop! In the Name of Love

[jsmith]

"This Old Heart of Mine"

[splanky]

The Flirtations' Nothing But Heartaches!
Oh, wait a minute, that wasn't on Motown, was it?...ah, excuse me...
The Toys' A Lover's Concierto!!
ooo, my bad...
gee, I'm not too good at this, am I?...

[roger]

Are they asking for a song or a recording here?

Roger

[MotownLover]

This is really tough to narrow down to ONE song, but I vote for "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted" by Jimmy Ruffin.

[thomas96]

It's not my favorite, but I'm going to have to say Ain't Too Proud To Beg. Sums up the "Motown Sound" the best in my opinion.

[supremester]

My vote is You Can't Hurry Love however, Nothing But A Heartache by The Flirtations is major major.

[sophisticated_soul]

Take Me In Your Arms [[Rock Me A Little While) - Kim Weston

[LuvHangOva]

Heatwave- Miss Martha and The Vandellas

[Nothing But Soul]

"This Old Heart Of Mine [[Is Weak For You)" - The Isley Brothers. So good that Curtis Mayfield tried to steal it [["Can't Satisfy") and Rod Stewart recorded three cover versions.

[marv2]

"Baby I Need Your Loving" - The Four Tops

[edafan]

They had one song to put in a time capsule a long time ago.

I believe they put

My Girl

edafan

[144man]

Reach Out I'll Be There - Four Tops

[Methuselah2]

This is one of those questions for which there cannot possibly be a definitive answer. Every recording that's been mentioned so far has been right. That's what's so remarkable about the Motown catalogue--whatever you might be listening to at any given moment can suddenly seem like the best thing you've ever heard, no matter how many times you've already heard it.

I can't answer the best song question myself. But something about Brenda Holloway's JUST LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE [1967], written by Frank Wilson and R. Dean Taylor, is one that I always gravitate to on YouTube. It seems to epitomize The Motown Sound--the top-notch writing, the stellar Funk Bros.' orchestration, the relentless/infectious/undeniable, grab-you-by-the-throat dance beat, the glorious background voices. And, of course, the element that you couldn't escape even if you tried: Brenda.

Is it the very best of Motown? Maybe. Maybe not. But it sure seems to press all of my buttons.

And here's the rendtion that's just too good to pass by: By Mosogotam--extended and edited by using only what was recorded to the point of overwhelming, perfect saturation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wSuKUJMfxU

See what you think.

[RossHolloway]

This an impossible question to answer, like counting grains of sand at the beach.

[thisoldheart]

"[[come round here) i'm the one you need", smokey & the miracles [[h-d-h song & production)

[daviddesper]

Like some of you have said, what an impossible question. But here are some of my thoughts:

1) Dancing in the Street: This is not my personal favorite Motown song and in fact it is even pretty far down the list of favorite Martha songs, but that is just my personal opinion. But for the purposes of this question, I would not be surprised if it were the winner because of how identifiable it has always been with Motown.

2) Ain't Too Proud to Beg: As someone mentioned above, this is just such a hot, infectious record, one of those that you could listen to over and over and never tire of. I have always been amazed that it never went higher than it did on the charts.

3) My Girl: A good candidate for this question just because it shows that Motown could have a sensitive story-telling side instead of just driving beats on every record.

4) What's Going On: A good candidate because of its message and the importance of it at the time it was written.

5) Love Child: I am only including it because I suppose it is a requirement to mention the Supremes in any discussion of Motown and to me this was their best in terms of social-consciousness as well as being a great record musically. You Can't Hurry Love wouldn't be too far behind.

And saving the best for last........my personal favorite Motown song of all time is Bless You, but I know it wouldn't make most people's top 1,000 list. I think it just came along a few years too late or it would have been a bigger hit.

And finally.........in my opinion one of the best all-time Motown songs just in terms of pure musical perfection would have to be the Four Tops' version of I Got a Feeling. It is right up there with Ain't Too Proud to Beg in terms of just making you want to get up and move.

[thisoldheart]

Like some of you have said, what an impossible question. But here are some of my thoughts:

1) Dancing in the Street: This is not my personal favorite Motown song and in fact it is even pretty far down the list of favorite Martha songs, but that is just my personal opinion. But for the purposes of this question, I would not be surprised if it were the winner because of how identifiable it has always been with Motown.

2) Ain't Too Proud to Beg: As someone mentioned above, this is just such a hot, infectious record, one of those that you could listen to over and over and never tire of. I have always been amazed that it never went higher than it did on the charts.

3) My Girl: A good candidate for this question just because it shows that Motown could have a sensitive story-telling side instead of just driving beats on every record.

4) What's Going On: A good candidate because of its message and the importance of it at the time it was written.

5) Love Child: I am only including it because I suppose it is a requirement to mention the Supremes in any discussion of Motown and to me this was their best in terms of social-consciousness as well as being a great record musically. You Can't Hurry Love wouldn't be too far behind.

And saving the best for last........my personal favorite Motown song of all time is Bless You, but I know it wouldn't make most people's top 1,000 list. I think it just came along a few years too late or it would have been a bigger hit.

And finally.........in my opinion one of the best all-time Motown songs just in terms of pure musical perfection would have to be the Four Tops' version of I Got a Feeling. It is right up there with Ain't Too Proud to Beg in terms of just making you want to get up and move.
forget your numbered list! i like your personal faves! good choices!

[Methuselah2]

I agree with ThisOldHeart--but I enjoyed David's numbered list, too. The interesting and fun part of all this is simply hearing what people like. And what they like is always personal and individual. And, therefore, meaningful. And that's what makes everyone's choices exactly right. Let Rolling Stone make their decision. We're on our own roll. And in the end, that's the one that counts.

P.S. The only other favorites list I'd be interested in hearing about would be one by Motown artists themselves--of their own recordings and/or any Motown recording. And the reasons behind their choices.

[arrr&bee]

Too tough,we are talking motown and everyone has their favs,take me for example is it the almost unreal beauty of[i'll try something new]or how about the greatest first tenor lead in soul history[the girl's alright with me]when jr.walker shouts[shotgun]is it motown or stax?and what were you doing when marvin asked[what's goin on]bubble gum soul anyone it's easy as[abc]and i dare anyone to sit still when mary wells sings[my guy]...no it can't be narrowed down to any one song,too many stars in the motwn universe for that.

[tmd]

The great rock critic Dave Marsh said that it was the greatest single ever made, I agree, it has it all, Levi Stubbs at his best, HDH at their peak and perhaps James Jamerson's greatest bass playing- which says it all- because James Jamerson was and is Motown.

[thomas96]

And saving the best for last........my personal favorite Motown song of all time is Bless You, but I know it wouldn't make most people's top 1,000 list. I think it just came along a few years too late or it would have been a bigger hit.

I bet most of my top ten [[If I could choose) wouldn't be on a lot of people's top 1,000 list, but I bet that is true for a lot of people. Music is weird like that... A song that's one person's absolute all time favorite may be in nobody's top 1,000. People's preferences are interesting. My personal favorite song is With A Child's Heart by Stevie Wonder. And I agree with what someone else said up there - that any Motown song can sound like the best song ever while listening to it no matter how many times you've heard it. Absolutely amazing what that company did.

[thisoldheart]

The great rock critic Dave Marsh said that it was the greatest single ever made, I agree, it has it all, Levi Stubbs at his best, HDH at their peak and perhaps James Jamerson's greatest bass playing- which says it all- because James Jamerson was and is Motown. if one had to pick one song to represent the entire work of motown, and that embodied its key elements, the four tops' "reach out" does all of that and more. but it just seems too easy. i like looking in the dusty corners of the vault!

[Ngroove]

My all-time favorite, and what I believe is the single greatest Motown song - Temptations' "My Girl". THE ultimate love song, my opinion - from beginning "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day, When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May, I guess you'll say, What can make me feel this way - ", to end "Talkin, Talkin' About My Girl, It's all I could talk about is My Girl, Why don't you believe she's all my girl". Melts people's hearts like marshmallows every time. Other personal favorites - two mid-charters of Marvin Gaye's, "Little Darling I Need You" and "Your Unchanging Love".

[jobeterob]

Maybe You Keep Me Hangin On.

[splanky]

This is one of those questions for which there cannot possibly be a definitive answer. Every recording that's been mentioned so far has been right. That's what's so remarkable about the Motown catalogue--whatever you might be listening to at any given moment can suddenly seem like the best thing you've ever heard, no matter how many times you've already heard it.

I can't answer the best song question myself. But something about Brenda Holloway's JUST LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE [1967], written by Frank Wilson and R. Dean Taylor, is one that I always gravitate to on YouTube. It seems to epitomize The Motown Sound--the top-notch writing, the stellar Funk Bros.' orchestration, the relentless/infectious/undeniable, grab-you-by-the-throat dance beat, the glorious background voices. And, of course, the element that you couldn't escape even if you tried: Brenda.

Is it the very best of Motown? Maybe. Maybe not. But it sure seems to press all of my buttons.

And here's the rendtion that's just too good to pass by: By Mosogotam--extended and edited by using only what was recorded to the point of overwhelming, perfect saturation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wSuKUJMfxU

See what you think.

I co-sign this and that Brenda Holloway extended mix was the most fun I've had round these parts in a while now. That woman oozed me!....

[motown_david]

Heat Wave by Martha with great bvs from Annette and Roz. Perfection.

[JimBagley]

If I could only pick one recording to represent Motown, it would be "Reach Out, I'll Be There" by The Four Tops. If I could have two, I would add "My Girl" by The Temptations.

[Ngroove]

If I could only pick one recording to represent Motown, it would be "Reach Out, I'll Be There" by The Four Tops. If I could have two, I would add "My Girl" by The Temptations.

Don't get me wrong, "Reach Out" was a magnificent tune, fully deserving of its #1 chart spot back when, but that's what it was - magnificent. The Motown sound, my opinion, is simply simple, bouncy, happy musical confections - such as Four Tops' "I Can't Help Myself [[Sugarpie, Honeybunch)", "It's The Same Old Song", Martha Reeves & the Vandellas' "Heatwave" or "Dancing In the Street", Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is [[To Be Loved By You)", Temptations' "My Girl", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg"...

[warehserat2911]

To pick just one song is so hard to do. I absolutely love My Girl but then Whats Going On cannot be counted out. But then what about I Heard It Thru The Grapevine that had two completely different interpretations that were both equally sensational.

[tmd]

The greatest song is Reach Out, pure Motown I agree- Sugar Pie, either way they both have Levi and the great Jamerson playing his butt off.

[florence]

Possibly for the general public Marvin's I Heard It Through The Grapevine.

Personally Supremes' You Can't Hurry Love - it's such a soulful, joyous and uplifting record which really makes you feel good to listen to.

[Zantellor]

to me it's the Elgins,Heaven Must Have Sent You

[BayouMotownMan]

My vote goes to I Can't Help Myself-4 Tops

[jobeterob]

They released the results. My recollection is no Supremes, no Stevie Wonder songs.

Pretty predictable coming from Rolling Stone; My Girl was # one; and I think What's Going On, Dancing in the Street, Grapevine were in there.

[arrr&bee]

The thing to me that made motown so unique is the fact that very few of the many hits repeated a verse[a flaw in too many recordings]the only artist who came close to that kind of storytelling...the drifters-aretha.

[Methuselah2]

Rolling Stone Magazine's READERS' POLL--The Results:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/readers-poll-the-10-greatest-motown-songs-20130807

[davidh]

dancing in the streets

[thisoldheart]

surprising results. i would have expected at least one supremes [[you can't hurry love?) no tops either, right? weird. and two really weak songs, "papa was a rolling stone", but we know why that's in there! and "tears of a clown". would like to see a critics poll!

[Ngroove]

surprising results. i would have expected at least one supremes [[you can't hurry love?) no tops either, right? weird. and two really weak songs, "papa was a rolling stone", but we know why that's in there! and "tears of a clown". would like to see a critics poll!
Not so surprising, as the list represents songs that are mostly still relevant to people today, not even people fifteen years ago when Oldies radio played Four Tops or Supremes, let alone sixties music. Temptations, well, they're just as forever smooth and classy, immortalized with top choreography - whether as seen on Ed Sullivan's then, or the Temptations movie today, or used in Big Chill in between - especially the David Ruffins, "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg". Marvin's "What's Going On" still speaks to people of troubled social changes, "Let's Get It On", well, "Get It On", at the most straightforward, unsubtle, kind.

[Ngroove]

I would say, of late nineties, back when "Oldies Radio" was Oldies Radio: 1. Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself [[Sugarpie, Honeybunch) 2. Temptations - My Girl 3. Four Tops - It's The Same Old Song 4. Supremes - Baby Love 5. Martha Reeves & the Vandellas - [[Love Is Like A) Heatwave 6. Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go 7. Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love 8. Supremes - Stop! In The Name Of Love 9. Martha Reeves & the Vandellas - Dancing In The Street 10. Mary Wells - My Guy