Top Ten Marvin Gaye Songs

The story of Marvin Gaye’s life is as iconic as it is tragic. He may not have died early like Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain or Amy Winehouse, but his death when it did come was no less troubling. Some would argue it was somewhat fitting considering how unsavory some of the details of Gaye’s life was. And yet in saying all this, his musical gifts saw him win honors and respect from peers, followers and millions of fans in life and death. In death, his music has achieved that rare and precious quality, timelessness. As such, it is truly difficult for this Marvin Gaye fan to choose my favorite ten songs from an extensive catalogue. But to my mind, these songs best capture the beauty of his essence as a songwriter and musician.The story of Marvin Gaye’s life is as iconic as it is tragic. He may not have died early like Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain or Amy Winehouse, but his death when it did come was no less troubling. Some would argue it was somewhat fitting considering how unsavory some of the details of Gaye’s life was. And yet in saying all this, his musical gifts saw him win honors and respect from peers, followers and millions of fans in life and death. In death, his music has achieved that rare and precious quality, timelessness. As such, it is truly difficult for this Marvin Gaye fan to choose my favorite ten songs from an extensive catalogue. But to my mind, these songs best capture the beauty of his essence as a songwriter and musician.

Ten

What’s Going On?

What’s Going On? (1971)

After a decade of substantial success as part of a legendary duo (with Tammi Terrell) and with his solo projects, Marvin Gaye had achieved more than most musicians of his era at the start of the seventies. But he wasn’t satisfied. He felt artistically stymied by the effective but repetitive Motown formula that had seen acts like The Four Tops, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and the Temptations dominate the charts. When his brother returned home from Vietnam (where he served in the military) to find nothing but disillusionment and frustration, Gaye found fresh inspiration for his career. With “What’s Going On”, he sorrowfully wondered about society’s ills and what opportunities were available for the marginalized. It not only became the biggest success of Gaye’s career (at that point), but it is now recognized as one of the greatest songs of all time, partly because of the masterful orchestration but mostly because of the timeless message.

Nine

I Heard it Through the Grapevine

In the Groove (1968)

This Norm Whitfield helmed song has had quite the journey since its conception. It was originally recorded by the Miracles in 1966 but wasn’t released as a single until 1968 as Motown president, Berry Gordy wasn’t happy with what he heard. Gladys Knight and the Pips recorded a version of the song that was released in 1967 to moderate success. When Marvin Gaye finally had a go at it, his version was released as a single in 1968 and went to the top of the charts in 1968. In fact until, The Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There” was released 20 months later, Gaye’s version was the biggest hit in Motown’s history. In fact, not only did his version become a hit in its time, it has become one of the most acclaimed soul songs in history. In 2008 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of fame for having “historical, artistic and significant” value.

Eight

Is That Enough

Here, My Dear (1978)

To say Marvin Gaye and Anna Gordy (sister of Berry Gordy) had a troubled marriage is like saying life is tougher when you’re poor. Their issues had already started to seep into Gaye’s work - as 1972’s “Just to Keep You Satisfied” proved – before they finally decided to call it quits in 1975. At the time he was already seeing Janis Hunter, a beautiful woman who was significantly younger than Anna. But if Gaye thought this divorce was going to be the end of his problems, he was sadly mistaken. Clearly bitter over the way her marriage ended, Anna decided to make the divorce as acrimonious as possible. “Is That Enough” is the work of a hurting man who’s as confused as he is bitter about the difficult situation he’s been placed in. There is no order or structure to the proceedings, no verses and no chorus. He sings as if caught in a daze of emotions too complicated to explain. The song culminates in a moment where he wonders why he has to pay attorney fees. “This is a joke,” he wails, “I need a smoke. Wait a minute…” Then the saxophone player enters and the song goes from intriguing to something quite brilliant.

Seven

After the Dance

I Want You (1976)

The perfect closer to the perfect album. Of all Gaye’s post 1970 releases, I Want You was perhaps the most underrated upon its release. If What’s Going On was his conscious, spiritual album and Here, My Dear was his divorce album, 1972’s Let’s Get It On was his grown and sexy album. As such, 1976’s I Want You (a very grown and sexy album) initially got very mixed reviews as critics deemed it as a retreading of old ground. But with time it became clear that Gaye’s musical inclinations were touched by genius as I Want You established quiet storm as a viable sub-genre of soul music. “After the Dance” sees Marvin set his amorous eyes on his lover on the dance floor and making a simple proposition: let's hook up after the party. It’s a slow, seductive and sexy number full of luscious instrumentation and Gaye’s unique vocal layering. The perfect closer to the perfect album.

Six

Mercy, Mercy Me

What’s Going On? (1971)

After the success of “What’s Going On”, the first single of the album of the same name, Gaye released “Mercy, Mercy Me” as the second single. With this song, Gaye laments the degradation of the environment and man’s culpability in this urban decay. Although it appeared as the second half of one track on the album (“God is Love/Mercy Mercy Me”), it enjoyed great success on its own as it charted on the R&B singles and Adult Contemporary charts. Although it only clocks in at about 3 minutes long, it’s distinctive percussive sound and multi-tracking vocals led by Gaye’s piano makes this poignant anthem of environmentalism one of the greatest songs in Gaye’s discography. It’s hardly surprising that it became his third single to be posthumously inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Five

Let’s Get It On

Let’s Get It On (1973)

It’s hard to think of a Marvin Gaye song that has endured in the public consciousness as well as “Let’s Get It On”. Maybe “Sexual Healing” at a push, but the 1973 single probably has the edge. It has basically become the unofficial sex anthem in popular music. It’s a simple song, really. It’s Gaye doing what he does best, using his velvet smooth voice to seduce his lover for a night of sexual bliss. The Funk Brothers’ musical arrangement is funky and sultry in equal measure and Gaye’s lyrics are sincere and vulnerable without been schmaltzy. It not only went to the top of the Billboard Pop Charts, it stayed in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 weeks. In 2008, it was ranked #32 on Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 All-Time list. But perhaps the most notable thing about the song is what it did for Gaye’s reputation. This was the song that established Gaye as the sex icon of his time, thus paving the way for the Likes of Barry White, Prince and R. Kelly after him.

Four

Trouble Man

Trouble Man: The Soundtrack (1972)

Picture Marvin Gaye in early 1972. After the unprecedented success of his What’s Going On album (Motown’s highest selling album at that point), he was basically the most successful R&B artist in the world. After signing a million dollar contract renewal with Tamia (Motown subsidiary), he was given the opportunity every true musician craves – 100% creative control over his next project. After Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield’s successes composing the Shaft and Superfly soundtracks, Gaye was given the opportunity to score the upcoming Trouble Man film. The standout track was the title track, a song that not only served as an examination of Trouble Man’s main character, Mr. T, but also a message of defiance for those fighting with life’s uncertainties. As Gaye notes in his verses, life only offers three certainties, “…taxes, death and trouble”. The song was another big success for Gaye and it peaked at number #4 on the Billboard charts.

Three

You Are the Way You Are

I Want You (2003 Deluxe Edition)

My first controversial pick of this list. This isn’t a song you’re likely to see referenced on any “best of” albums, compilations or top whatever Marvin Gaye lists. For starters, it wasn’t a single. Not only was it not a single, it wasn’t even deemed good enough for release on the original I Want You album. It’s not even so much a real song, as it is a showcase by Gaye and his studio musicians. But what a showcase! Credit must go to Leon Ware, the song’s composer who released his own version of the song (with vocals) on his Phantom Lover album in 1976. But with all due respect to Mr. Ware, Gaye’s interpretation is so lusciously and decadently done that even without any singing, it is superior. When Gaye shows up at the last minute to crown the song with his vibrant falsetto, it becomes clear how no instrument can top a truly beautiful voice.

Two

Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)

What’s Going On? (1971)

I’ve always found it interesting how Gaye released the singles from What’s Going On, in terms of the album sequence. The first single, the title track, is the first song on the album. The second single, “Mercy, Mercy Me”, is at the album’s midpoint and the third single, “Inner City Blues”, is the album closer. In this song, Gaye directly addresses the specific difficulties of life in the ghetto. He taps into the raw and visceral pain of the African American inner city dwellers as he wonders about taxes, bills, crime and “trigger happy policing”. The instrumentation is relatively sparse – the lyrics are the focus here – but Gaye and the Funk Brothers’ make sure the song’s composition is in keeping with the rest of the album. The song ends with a short reprise of the album’s opener which gives the listener a sense of closure. The song not only became Gaye’s third consecutive top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, it became his most covered song in life and in death. The song got covered thrice in 1972 alone by the like of Grover Washington, The Chi-Lites and Sarah Vaughan. Since then it’s been covered by several other artists like Angela Winbush (1994), John Mayer (2004) and his daughter, Nona Gaye (1994).

One

Sparrow

Here, My Dear (1978)

My second controversial pick of this list. Gaye was an iconic artist with several hits that not only made an impression in his time but have endured over the years. These include hits like “Let’s Get It On”, “Sexual Healing”, “Gotta Give It Up”, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “You Sure Like to Ball”. This list could have been topped by any one of these hits. But when I consider the depth of Gaye’s artistry and musical talents, I find I’m more impressed by the overlooked songs like “Rocking After Midnight”, “Soon I’ll Be Loving You Again” and “A Funky Space Reincarnation”. It’s in these songs that you see him experimenting with different sounds and different methods of expression. Take “Sparrow”, for instance. It seems to stick out thematically on Here, My Dear, an album that had divorce as its central theme. And yet, when you listen to what Gaye is singing, it becomes clear how it fits. Here, Gaye is lamenting the absence of the titular sparrow. What was so special about this sparrow? According to Gaye, its sweet song carried a message. Sometimes it was a message of hope and sometimes it was a message of despair. Sometimes it was a message of peace and sometimes it was a message of agony. After all, sparrows see it all and they can only sing about what they see. In the face of a stressful divorce and its accompanying difficulties, a sparrow represents a constant source of comfort for Gaye. Every lyric carries the pain of a man who is unsure of what his tomorrow brings and by the end of the song, all you’ll want to do is get his sparrow back. For me, no song captures the essence of Marvin Gaye’s artistry better than this song.

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