Wednesday, February 1, 2023

The Top 100 Motown Songs

Motown:

Top 100 Songs

On January 12, 1959, Berry Gordy launched Tamla Records after borrowing $800 from his relatives. The label evolved into Motown. In celebration of the historic event, the DMDB presents this list of the top 100 songs in the history of Motown. The list was generated by looking at song’s status in Dave’s Music Database, which is determined by rankings on best-of lists, awards, chart appearances, sales, and airplay. Appearances on Motown specific lists and CD compilations is figured into the mix as well. Here are the results:

Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.

Spotify Podcast:

Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast episode Remembering Barrett Strong: 10 of His Best which references songs on this list. Premiere: February 1, 2023. New episodes based on Dave’s Music Database lists are posted every Tuesday at 7pm CST.

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Marvin Gaye “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968)
2. Stevie Wonder “Superstition” (1972)
3. The Temptations “My Girl” (1964)
4. Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On” (1971)
5. Lionel Richie & Diana Ross “Endless Love” (1981)
6. Martha & the Vandellas “Dancing in the Street” (1964)
7. Four Tops “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” (1966)
8. The Jackson 5 “I Want You Back” (1969)
9. Boyz II Men “I’ll Make Love to You” (1994)
10. Marvin Gaye “Let’s Get It On” (1973)

11. Lionel Richie “All Night Long (All Night)” (1983)
12. The Supremes “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965)
13. The Supremes “Baby Love” (1964)
14. The Miracles “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965)
15. Boyz II Men “End of the Road” (1992)
16. Stevie Wonder “I Just Called to Say I Love You” (1984)
17. The Supremes “Where Did Our Love Go” (1964)
18. Diana Ross “Upside Down” (1980)
19. The Commodores “Three Times a Lady” (1978)
20. The Jackson 5 “I’ll Be There” (1970)

21. The Supremes “You Can’t Hurry Love” (1966)
22. The Jackson 5 “ABC” (1970)
23. The Temptations “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” (1972)
24. The Commodores “Brick House” (1977)
25. Four Tops “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” (1965)
26. Stevie Wonder “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” (1973)
27. The Temptations “Just My Imagination Running Away with Me” (1971)
28. Rick James “Super Freak” (1981)
29. Edwin Starr “War” (1970)
30. The Marvelettes “Please Mr. Postman” (1961)

31. Lionel Richie “Say You Say Me” (1985)
32. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (1967)
33. The Miracles “The Tears of a Clown” (1970)
34. Mary Wells “My Guy” (1964)
35. Martha & the Vandellas “Heat Wave” (1963)
36. The Temptations “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” (1966)
37. Lionel Richie “Hello” (1984)
38. The Contours “Do You Love Me?” (1962)
39. Four Tops “Baby I Need Your Loving” (1964)

DMDB Top 2%:

40. Stevie Wonder “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” (1970)
41. Little Stevie Wonder “Fingertips (Part 2)” (1963)
42. The Supremes “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” 1966)
43. Thelma Houston “Don’t Leave Me This Way” (1976)
44. Stevie Wonder “Living for the City” (1973)
45. Junior Walker & the All Stars “Shotgun” (1965)
46. Marvin Gaye “Got to Give It Up (Part 1)” (1977)
47. Stevie Wonder “Higher Ground” (1973)
48. The Miracles “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” (1962)
49. Marvin Gaye “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology Song)” (1971)
50. Stevie Wonder “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” (1965)

51. The Supremes “Someday We’ll Be Together” (1969)
52. Marvin Gaye “How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You” (1964)
53. Boyz II Men “On Bended Knee” (1994)
54. Diana Ross “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (1970)
55. The Miracles “Shop Around” (1960)
56. Martha & the Vandellas “Nowhere to Run” (1965)
57. The Supremes “Love Child” (1968)
58. Barrett Strong “Money (That’s What I Want)” (1960)
59. Lionel Richie “Truly” (1982)
60. Stevie Wonder “Sir Duke” (1977)

61. The Commodores “Easy” (1977)
62. Eddie Kendricks “Keep on Truckin’ (Part 1)” (1973)

DMDB Top 5%:

63. Jimmy Ruffin “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” (1966)
64. Stevie Wonder “My Cherie Amour” (1969)
65. Diana Ross “Love Hangover” (1976)
66. The Isley Brothers “This Old Heart of Mine” (1966)
67. Smokey Robinson “Being with You” (1981)
68. The Temptations “I Can’t Get Next to You” (1969)
69. The Supremes “Come See about Me” (1964)
70. The Temptations “Ball of Confusion” (1970)

71. The Commodores “Still” (1979)
72. Diana Ross “I’m Coming Out” (1980)
73. Gladys Knight & the Pips “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1967)
74. The Supremes “I Hear a Symphony” (1965)
75. Steve Wonder “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” (1980)
76. The Miracles “Ooo Baby Baby” (1965)
77. Boyz II Men “Motownphilly” (1991)
78. Michael Jackson “Ben” (1972)
79. Stevie Wonder “Part-Time Lover” (1985)
80. The Temptations “The Way You Do the Things You Do” (1964)

81. Stevie Wonder “I Wish” (1976)
82. Commodores “Sail On” (1979)
83. Rockwell with Michael Jackson “Somebody’s Watching Me” (1984)
84. The Supremes “Back in My Arms Again” (1965)
85. Rick James “Give It to Me Baby” (1981)
86. The Temptations “Cloud Nine” (1968)
87. Stevie Wonder “For Once in My Life” (1968)
88. The Miracles “I Second That Emotion” (1967)
89. Martha Reeves & the Vandellas “Jimmy Mack” (1967)
90. Marvin Gaye “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” (1971)

91. Diana Ross “Touch Me in the Morning” (1973)
92. Diana Ross “Do You Know Where You’re Going To (Theme from Mahogany)” (1975)
93. The Jackson 5 “The Love You Save” (1970)
94. Four Tops “Bernadette” (1967)
95. The Miracles “Love Machine” (1975)
96. Stevie Wonder “I Was Made to Love Her” (1967)
97. Dazz Band “Let It Whip” (1982)
98. The Supremes Reflections” (1967)
99. The Temptations “I Wish It Would Rain” (1968)
100. Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston “It Takes Two” (1966)