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Motown is an iconic grounds statement that gave commencement to immoderate of the top artists ever. Their voices and sounds inactive resonate crossed generations. Some iconic Motown artists whose voices proceed to echo successful the hearts of the psyche and R&B music lovers see The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, and Diana Ross.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Motown is simply a grounds statement founded by Berry Gordy Jr. successful 1959 successful Detroit, Michigan.
- The legendary Motown artists see The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and The Jackson 5.
- Motown was instrumental successful shaping the improvement of R&B, soul, and popular music, peculiarly during the 1960s and 1970s.
Who are the astir celebrated Motown artists?
This database of the astir celebrated Motown artists who shaped the psyche and R&B country is based connected a operation of factors specified arsenic illustration performance, taste impact, longevity, captious acclaim, innovation, power connected aboriginal artists, and nationalist recognition. It is unordered and features precocious and surviving artists.
| Name/band | Notable songs |
| Marvin Gaye | Sexual Healing, Can I Get A Witness |
| Stevie Wonder | Isn't She Lovely, Superstition |
| The Supremes | Baby Love, I Hear a Symphony |
| The Commodores | Nightshift, Brick House |
| The Four Tops | It's the Same Old Song, Ain't No Woman |
| Mary Wells | My Guy, Laughing Boy |
| The Jackson 5 | I Want You Back, I'll Be There |
| The Temptations | My Girl, I Wish It Would Rain |
| The Originals | Raise the Dead, Baby, I'm For Real |
| Smokey Robinson & The Miracles | Shop Around, Ooo Baby Baby |
| Gladys Knight & The Pips | Love Overboard, On and On |
| Diana Ross | Endless Love, I'm Coming Out |
| The Isley Brothers | Between the Sheets, Groove With You |
| Rick James | Mary Jane, Fire and Desire |
| Eddie Kendricks | My Girl, If You Let Me |
1. Marvin Gaye
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- Full name: Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr.
- Date of birth: 2 April 1939
- Age astatine death: 44 years old
- Date of death: 1 April 1984
- Place of birth: Washington, D.C., United States
- Profession: Singer-songwriter, grounds producer
Marvin Gaye was an American singer, songwriter, and grounds producer. He is regarded arsenic 1 of the top and astir influential Motown artists ever. He played a cardinal relation successful defining the Motown dependable of the 1960s, starting arsenic an in-house league instrumentalist and yet rising to prominence arsenic a solo artist.
Marvin was nicknamed "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul". His deed tracks see Let's Get It On, Mercy Mercy Me, and Distant Lover. The R&B vocalist was shot dead by his dada connected 1 April 1984.
2. Stevie Wonder
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- Full name: Stevland Hardaway Morris
- Date of birth: 13 May 1950
- Age: 74 years aged (as of April 2025)
- Place of birth: Saginaw, Michigan, United States
- Profession: Singer-songwriter, grounds producer
Stevie Wonder is besides 1 of the top Motown artists of each time. He is an American-Ghanaian singer-songwriter and grounds producer. His azygous Fingertips was a fig 1 deed connected the Billboard Hot 100 successful 1963, erstwhile helium was 13. Stevie is champion recognised for deed songs specified arsenic Part-Time Lover, Master Blaster, and Sir Duke.
3. The Supremes
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- Origin: Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Debut year: 1959
- Genre: R&B/Soul
The Supremes is an iconic miss group formed successful 1959 successful Detroit, Michigan, primitively known arsenic the Primettes. Florence Ballard, Diane (later known arsenic Diana) Ross, Mary Wilson, and Betty McGlown were the archetypal members of the band, with McGlown aboriginal being replaced by Barbara Martin.
They were the archetypal Motown radical to interruption into mainstream crossover success, scoring 12 number-one hits connected the Billboard Hot 100 with iconic songs similar Stop! In the Name of Love, Where Did Our Love Go, and You Can't Hurry Love.
4. The Commodores
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- Origin: Tuskegee, Alabama, United States
- Debut year: 1968
- Genre: R&B/Soul
Another large Motown creator is The Commodores, an American funk and psyche iconic band. Their highest occurrence came successful the precocious 1970s and aboriginal 1980s, during which Lionel Richie served arsenic co-lead vocalist.
The radical consistently ruled the charts with numerous top-10 hits, including respective that reached fig one. Some of the band's deed songs see Easy, Three Times a Lady, and Nightshift.
5. The Four Tops
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- Origin: Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Debut year: 1953
- Genre: R&B/Soul
The Four Tops are an American vocal radical that originated successful Detroit, Michigan, successful 1953 nether the sanction "the Four Aims". They were 1 of the astir commercially palmy popular euphony groups of the 1960s and played a cardinal relation successful elevating Motown Records to planetary prominence.
The Four Tops' astir iconic and lasting hits see Reach Out I’ll Be There, Can’t Help Myself, and Bernadette. One of the astir bonzer qualities of The Four Tops was the enduring stableness of their archetypal lineup—Levi Stubbs, Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, and Lawrence Payton—who remained unneurotic and performed arsenic a radical for much than 4 decades.
6. Mary Wells
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- Full name: Mary Esther Wells
- Date of birth: 13 May 1943
- Age astatine death: 49 years old
- Date of death: 26 July 1992
- Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Profession: Singer
Mary Wells was among the archetypal female achromatic singers to motion with Motown Records, and her occurrence played a cardinal relation successful establishing the statement arsenic a ascendant unit successful the euphony industry. Her notable tracks see You Beat Me to the Punch, Laughing Boy, and Your Old Stand By. Mary passed away connected 26 July 1992 owed to crab of the larynx astatine the property of 49.
7. The Jackson 5
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- Origin: Gary, Indiana, United States
- Debut year: 1964
- Genre: Pop, R&B/Soul, funk, disco, bubblegum
The Jackson 5 is an American popular set made up of the Jackson household members. Formed successful Gary, Indiana, successful 1964, the archetypal members included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael. Joe Jackson, their dad, managed the band
The Jackson 5 importantly led to Motown's enlargement into the 1970s. Their signing to the statement successful 1968 marked a pivotal infinitesimal for Motown, arsenic it began appealing to a younger and much divers audience. The band's deed songs see I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save, and I'll Be There.
8. The Temptations
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- Origin: Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Debut year: 1961
- Genres: R&B/Soul, funk, progressive soul, psychedelic soul
The Temptations is an American vocal radical formed successful Detroit, Michigan, successful 1961 arsenic The Elgins. It is universally celebrated arsenic 1 of the top artists to look from Motown. Their 1964 deed My Girl is 1 of the astir iconic songs successful euphony history. Other notable songs see Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me), and I Wish It Would Rain.
9. The Originals
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- Origin: Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Debut year: 1966
- Genre: R&B/Soul, disco
The Originals, known arsenic "Motown's best-kept secret," was a palmy R&B and psyche radical connected the Motown statement during the precocious 1960s and the 1970s. They were champion known for supplying backing vocals for different Motown artists specified arsenic Smokey Robinson and The Temptations.
Their voices can beryllium heard connected immoderate of Motown's astir iconic hits, including Smokey Robinson’s The Tears of a Clown and The Temptations’ I Can't Get Next to You.
10. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
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- Origin: Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Debut year: 1955
- Genre: R&B/Soul
As 1 of Motown's pioneering groups, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles played a important relation successful shaping the label’s signature sound. Smokey Robinson was the founder, the main songwriter, and record producer. Some of the band's deed tracks see The Tracks of My Tears, Ooo Baby Baby, Shop Around, and I Second That Emotion.
11. Gladys Knight & The Pips
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- Origin: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Debut year: 1952
- Genre: R&B/Soul
Gladys Knight & the Pips were a family-based American euphony radical from Atlanta, Georgia, known for their R&B, soul, and funk sound. They were liable for immoderate of the astir iconic and lasting hits of the Motown era. Tracks similar Midnight Train to Georgia, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Neither One of Us, and If I Were Your Woman rapidly became timeless classics.
12. Diana Ross
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- Full name: Diana Ross
- Date of birth: 26 March 1944
- Age: 81 years aged (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Profession: Singer, actress, grounds producer
Diana Ross is 1 of the pistillate Motown artists. As the pb vocalist of The Supremes and a solo artist, Ross played a cardinal relation successful shaping Motown's dependable and transforming it into a planetary phenomenon. Her deed tracks see I'm Coming Out, Endless Love, Love Hangover, and Do You Know Where You're Going To. In 2012, Diana received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
13. The Isley Brothers
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- Origin: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
- Debut year: 1954
- Genre: R&B/Soul
The Isley Brothers are an iconic band hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio. They began successful the 1950s arsenic a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley, and Ronald Isley. Their clip astatine Motown successful the aboriginal 1960s was a defining section successful their career.
During this period, they released respective deed songs that helped unafraid their spot successful Motown’s history. Tracks similar This Old Heart of Mine, Twist & Shout, and It's Your Thing combined the signature Motown dependable with the Isley Brothers’ unsocial style.
14. Rick James
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- Full name: James Ambrose Johnson Jr.
- Date of birth: 1 February 1948
- Age astatine death: 56 years old
- Date of death: 6 August 2004
- Place of birth: Buffalo, New York, United States
- Profession: singer, songwriter, grounds producer
Rick James was 1 of the astir iconic Motown artists successful the 1980s. He was often dubbed the King of Punk Funk for his unsocial quality to merge the rebellious energy of punk with the funk and R&B elements helium expertly mastered. His celebrated songs nether the Motown statement include, Superfreak, Give It to Me Baby, Mary Jane, and You and I. Rick died on 6 August 2004 astatine the property of 56.
15. Eddie Kendricks
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- Full name: Edward James Kendrick
- Date of birth: 17 December 1939
- Age astatine death: 52 years old
- Date of death: 5 October 1992
- Place of birth: Union Springs, Alabama, United States
- Profession: Singer-songwriter
Eddie Kendricks was besides among the top Motown artists. He was astir renowned for his relation arsenic the pb vocalist of The Temptations from 1961 until 1971. His contributions to timeless hits similar The Way You Do the Things You Do, Just My Imagination, and Get Ready led to elevating The Temptations to legendary status.
As a solo artist, Kendricks recorded respective hits during the 1970s, including the number-one singles Keep On Truckin and Boogie Down. He passed away connected 5 October 1992 astatine the property of 52.
Why is it called Motown?
Motown, the legendary grounds label, derives its sanction from Detroit, its birthplace, which earned the nickname Motor City owed to its cardinal relation successful the automotive industry. Founder Berry Gordy Jr. selected the sanction to nexus the label's roots to the city's concern power.
Who is Motown's biggest artist?
It is hard to find the superstar Motown artist. However, Diana Ross and The Supremes are wide regarded arsenic Motown's astir palmy artists, with 12 Billboard number-one singles to their name.
Who is considered the queen of Motown?
In the aboriginal 1960s, Mary Wells, a young Detroit native, earned the nickname “The Queen of Motown” erstwhile she scored aggregate hits for the legendary grounds label, including her signature song, My Guy.
The top Motown artists shaped and defined psyche and R&B with their groundbreaking sounds, lasting taste impact, and unforgettable performances. The bequest of iconic artists similar Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, and The Jackson 5 remains timeless, ensuring Motown's enduring influence.
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Source: Legit.ng
