Top 5-10 commentary songs

[lockhartgary]

I'm back with another Top request. What are your top 5-10 commentary songs? Here are mine:
1. Love Child - Diana Ross and the Supremes
2. Does Your Mama Know About Me - Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers
3. Runaway Child Running Wild - Temptations
4. Inner City Blues - Marvin Gaye
5. Ball of Confusion - Temptations
6. You Haven't Done Nothin' - Stevie Wonder
7. Living for the City - Stevie Wonder

[marv2]

Stoned Love - The Supremes
What's Going On? - Marvin Gaye
Blowin' in the Wind - Stevie Wonder
Someday at Christmas - Stevie Wonder
Abraham, Martin and John - The Miracles

[Motown Eddie]

1. "What's Going On"-Marvin Gaye
2. "Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down"-The Temptations
3. "Heaven Help Us All"-Stevie Wonder
4. "War"-Edwin Starr
5. "Peace & Understanding Is Hard To Find"-Jr. Walker & the All Stars
6. "Smiling Faces Sometimes"-The Undisputed Truth
7. "The Young Folks"-The Jackson 5
8. "Magic Key"-Rare Earth
9. "When Can Brown Begin"-The Supremes
10. "Brothers Gonna Work It Out"-Willie Hutch

[RichyP]

Had a think about this, and after I found I couldn't get "Just My Soul Responding" by Smokey, out of my head, decided to research the subject a little more, and found this

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/tex...view=text;xc=1

Some great songs/artists listed here, well worth finding and listening, I wasn't able to find a playable video of "Sugar Cane Curtain" by Chuk-a-Lucks but would love to hear it!.Did manage to find "Baby I Miss You" Tommy Good

Then of course there's "I care about Detroit" The Miracles

After reading the article, realised there are many more political/social comment Motown songs than I thought

[RanRan79]

I used to not be a fan of these kinds of songs but growing older I have a new respect for a lot of them. I'll have to think about it before I can come back with my list.

[TomatoTom123]

Good question, lockhartgary!

I think, if done right, social commentary songs can be really good, otherwise they just come off a bit weird.

These have already been mentioned but are probably my favourites:
"Smiling Faces Sometimes" by The Undisputed Truth
"Stoned Love" by The Supremes
"War" by Edwin Starr
"What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye

And I would add these as well:
"Unite The World" by The Temptations
"You Make Your Own Heaven And Hell Right Here On Earth" by The Temptations and Undisputed Truth
"Friendship Train" by Gladys Knight & The Pips
"The Onion Song" by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
"Right On, Brothers And Sisters" by Junior Walker & The All Stars
"Love Power" by Willie Hutch

And of course the entirety of Marvin's What's Going On album!

[Motown Eddie]

And a few more:
1. "Message From A Black Man"-The Temptations
2. "My People...Hold On"-Eddie Kendricks
3. "Reach Out And Touch [[Somebody's Hand)"-Diana Ross
4. "I Should Be Proud"-Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
5. "Law Of The Land"-The Undisputed Truth
6. "Glasshouse"-The Temptations

Indeed, the message/social commentary song had become a staple of Soul Music by the late '60s thru the early '70s. And Motown was on the cutting edge of this trend with some of the best message songs of the era.

[blkfrost]

In no particular order

1. Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand - Diana Ross
2. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
3. War - Edwin Starr
4. What It Is, What It Is - G.C. Cameron featuring Syreeta
5. The Young Folk - Diana Ross & The Supremes
6. 1990 - The Temptations
7. Message From a Black Man - The Temptations
8. What The World Need Now Is Love - Tom Clay
9. Mercy, Mercy Me - Marvin Gaye
10. Brown Baby - Diana Ross

[Motown Eddie]

Two more;
1. "I Had A Dream"-Shorty Long
2. "Step By Step [[Hand In Hand)"-The Monitors