Stevie Wonder: Top 100 Songs

First posted 8/18/2011; updated 5/28/2019.

R&B singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer born Stevland Hardaway Morris né Judkins on 5/13/1950 in Saginaw, Michigan. He was a child prodigy who was blind since shortly after his birth. He signed with Motown at age 11; initially doing backup work. He started recording in 1962 as “Little Stevie Wonder” and became the youngest artist (age 13) to top the Billboard Hot 100 with “Fingertips.”

Married to Syreeta Wright from 1970-72. When he turned 21, he reworked his Motown contract for more artistic freedom. Near-fatal auto accident on 8/16/73.

His song “Superstition” is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era, 1954-1999. His albums Innervisions (1973) and Songs in the Key of Life (1976) are featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of All Time.. Those two albums and Fulfillingness’ First Finale (1974) won Grammys for Album of the Year, three of his 25 Grammys, the most ever by a solo artist.

For a complete list of this act’s songs and albums honored by the DMDB, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry.

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Top 100 Songs

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Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards.

Songs which hit #1 on the following charts are indicated below: Billboard Hot 100 (US), Cashbox (CB), R&B chart (RB), adult contemporary chart (AC), UK chart (UK), Canadian chart (CN), and Australian chart (AU).

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Superstition (1972) #1 US,CB,RB
2. I Just Called to Say I Love You (1984) #1 US,CB,AC,RB,UK,CN,AU
3. That’s What Friends Are For (with Dionne Warwick, Elton John, & Gladys Knight, 1985) #1 US,CB,AC,RB,CN,AU
4. Ebony and Ivory (with Paul McCartney, 1982) #1 US,CB,AC,UK,CN
5. You Are the Sunshine of My Life (1972) #1 US,CB,AC

DMDB Top 5%:

6. Fingertips (1963) #1 US,CB,RB
7. Living for the City (1973) #1 RB
8. My Cherie Amour (1969)
9. Uptight (Everything’s Alright) (1965) #1 RB
10. Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours (1970) #1 CB,RB

11. Higher Ground (1973) #1 CB,RB
12. For Once in My Life (1968) #1 CB
13. Sir Duke (1976) #1 US,CB,RB
14. I Wish (1976) #1 US,CB,RB,CN
15. Part-Time Lover (1985) #1 US,CB,AC,RB,CN
16. You Haven’t Done Nothin’ (1974) #1 US,CB,RB,CN
17. Master Blaster (Jammin’) (1980) #1 RB
18. I Was Made to Love Her (1967) #1 RB

DMDB Top 10%:

19. Boogie on Reggae Woman (1974) #1 CB,RB
20. That Girl (1982) #1 CB,RB
21. Send One Your Love (1979) #1 AC
22. Blowin’ in the Wind (1966) #1 RB
23. I Ain’t Gonna Stand for It (1980)
24. Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing (1973)
25. St. Louis Blues (w/ Herbie Hancock, 1998)
26. Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday (1969)
27. We Can Work It Out (1970)
28. Do I Do (1982)

DMDB Top 20%:

29. Overjoyed (1985) #1 AC
30. Go Home (1985) #1 AC

31. There Must Be an Angel Playing with My Heart (w/ Eurythmics, 1985) #1 UK
32. Heaven Help Us All (1970)
33. Love Light in Flight (1984)
34. A Place in the Sun (1966)
35. If You Really Love Me (1971)
36. Skeletons (1987) #1 RB
37. Ribbon in the Sky (1982)
38. Never Had a Dream Come True (1970)
39. Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day (1968) #1 RB
40. Isn’t She Lovely (1976)

41. I’m Wondering (1967)
42. Lately (1980)
43. How Come, How Long (w/ Babyface, 1996)
44. Another Star (1976)
45. Nothing’s Too Good for My Baby (1966)
46. You Met Your Match (1968)
47. For Your Love (1995)
48. I Don’t Know Why I Love You (1968)
49. Happy Birthday (1980)
50. Used to Be (w/ Charlene, 1982)

Not in DMDB Top 20%:

51. Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) (1972)
52. As (1976)
53. Travelin’ Man (1967)
54. Workout, Stevie, Workout (1963)
55. Hey Harmonica Man (1964)
56. Brand New Day (w/ Sting, 1999)
57. Castles in the Sand (1964)
58. Outside My Window (1979)
59. My Eyes Don’t Cry (1987)
60. Pops, We Love You (A Tribute to Father) (w/ Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, & Smokey Robinson, 1978)

61. High Heel Sneakers (1965)
62. You Will Know (1987) #1 RB
63. Hey Love (1966)
64. Alfie (1968)
65. Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer (1971)
66. Get It (w/ Michael Jackson, 1987)
67. My Love (w/ Julio Iglesias, 1988)
68. True to Your Heart (w/ 98 Degrees, 1998)
69. I Believe When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever (1972)
70. What a Wonderful World (w/ Rod Stewart, 2004)

71. Gotta Have You (1991)
72. He’s Misstra Know It All (1973)
73. Love’s in Need of Love Today (1976)
74. Keep on Running (1972)
75. With a Child’s Heart (1966)
76. So What the Fuss (2005)
77. Pastime Paradise (1976)
78. I Was Made to Love Her (w/ Jimi Hendrix, 1967)
79. Land of La La (1985)
80. Too High (1973)

81. Don’t Drive Drunk (1984)
82. Feeding Off the Love of the Land (1990)
83. Contract on Love (1962)
84. Keep Our Love Alive (1990)
85. Black Man (1976)
86. Fun Day (1991)
87. These Three Words (1991)
88. Did I Hear You Say You Love Me (1980)
89. Until You Come Back to Me, That’s What I’m Gonna Do (1967)
90. We Didn’t Know (w/ Whitney Houston, 1990)

91. Thank You for Loving Me All the Way (1962)
92. You’ve Got It Bad, Girl (1972)
93. From the Bottom of My Heart (2005)
94. With Each Beat of My Heart (1987)
95. Ain’t That Asking for Trouble (1966)
96. Down to Earth (1966)
97. Sylvia (1966)
98. Thank You Love (1966)
99. Front Line (1982)
100. I’d Cry (1967)

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Awards:

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Stevie Wonder hit #1 with “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”

You Are the Sunshine of My Life Stevie Wonder

Writer(s): Stevie Wonder (see lyrics here) First Charted: March 16, 1973 Peak: 1 US, 1 CB, 2 GR, 1 HR, 1 AC, 3 RB, 8 CL, 7 UK, 5 CN (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 27.14 video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: This song followed “Superstition,” the lead single from 1972’s Talking Book, to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 – ten years after Wonder’s first run to the top with 1963’s “Fingertips (Part 2).” It received nominations for Grammys for Record and Song of the Year and won for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. In accepting the award, Wonder said, “I would like to thank all of you for making this night the sunshine of my life.” FB It is “a disarmingly simple love song,” JB “but of course, it’s only the composition that’s simple.” JB Its “candy-coated pop” TL could make it feel “nauseating or naively charming, or even nausteatingly charming.” SL-85 It is probably why it is also “one of the most covered (and ‘lounged’) songs ever.” SL-84 The song also showcased “a rare generosity in someone of Stevie’s star status” SL-84 in that the song’s first few vocal lines are given to Jim Gilstrap and Gloria Barley (although some accounts say it is Lani Groves). All three were backup singers for Wonder. WK The song was actually recorded during the making of Music of My Mind, Wonder’s previous album, but held back because it was “deemed unsuitiable for the mood of that album.” SL-84 There was also speculation that the song was held off for awhile since Wonder had entered into a relationship with Barley although still married to Syreeta Wright, SL-85 who’d been the inspiration for the song. FB Wright was a secretary and aspiring singer at Motown Records who married Wonder in 1970. According to some sources, the pair divorced in 1972, but Wright claimed they were married until 1975. SF Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Stevie Wonder FB Fred Bronson (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 333. JB John Bush, All Music Guide SL Steve Lodder (2005). Stevie Wonder: A Musical Guide to the Classic Albums. Backbeat Books: San Francisco, CA. SF Songfacts TL Josh Tyrangiel and Alan Light (11/13/2006). Time Magazine “All-TIME 100 Albums” WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 11/7/2020; last updated 12/26/2022.