Bassist James Jamerson was the bedrock of Motown Records’ legendary studio band the Funk Brothers, between 1959 and 1973 playing on no fewer than 23 Billboard Hot 100 number one hits as well as 56 Billboard R&B chart-toppers. Famed for his inventive, deeply melodic rhythms, Jamerson was largely unsung during his brief lifetime, but he […]

Motown Records scaled new heights in 1971, the label’s final year in its physical and spiritual home of Detroit, Mich. prior to relocating to Los Angeles. The year kicked off with Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” — the title track of his then-forthcoming LP, arguably the most celebrated release in the Motown canon — and […]

The Temptations are Motown Records’ premier male vocal group — a chart-topping, Grammy-winning institution whose six-decade career stretches from crushed-velvet R&B ballads to consciousness-expanding symphonic soul epics. Explore these seven Motown classics to hear how the Temptations transformed the shape and scope of American popular music.