Top Ten Songs of Stevie Wonder
I remember how irritated I used to get, as a kid, when my parents used to say that the music of their generation was superior to that of my generation. I just figured it was typical talk for “old folks” and shrugged it off. Now, years later, I find myself making the same claims about what I used to listen to back in the day.
Personally, I believe I’m absolutely correct.
During the 1960’s and 70’s, recording studios did not have all the electronic tricks of today, where skillful sound engineers can make mediocre singers sound like they are much better than they actually are. When I was growing up, singers had to really be able to …well… sing. If somebody had gotten onstage and been caught lip-synching, ala Ashlee Simpson, a small riot would have been started. We were blessed enough then to be getting the real deal when we bought a record or went to a concert.
One of the musical geniuses of that era that proves my point, that”our” music was truly the best, is Stevie Wonder. No successful R&B artist today should fail to give him credit for setting a standard that still, in my opinion, is unmatched.
He is one of the most prolific songwriters of our time, as well as a gifted singer, musician and record producer.
Stevie Wonder was born Stevland Judkins (later Stevland Morris) on May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan. Complications from his premature birth may have attributed to the cause of his blindness. Young Stevie started performing in church and mastered the harmonica and piano, and later on the organ, bass guitar and congas.
Berry Gordy, CEO of Motown, signed young Stevie to a recording contract and he had his very first hit when he was only 13-years-old, a song by the name of “Fingertips, Part 2”. Back then, he was known as “Lirtle Stevie Wonder”.
The 1960’s and ’70’s were a great time for Wonder, as he turned out hit-after-hit, most originally composed by him. After creative differences, he left Motown in 1971.
I can still remember, back in high school and college, nearly everybody had Stevie Wonder albums. His appeal transcended cultural barriers, because when music is simply that good, it becomes universal. In the 70’s, his songs sometimes took on a political tone, and his songs spoke particularly to the younger generation.
He has, over the span of his career, won 21 Grammy Awards, as well as a host of other honors and awards. He has composed music for films and received an Oscar for those efforts and has also composed hit songs for other singers.
Today’s so-called musical “song stylists” pale in comparison to him. He has always produced quality results in whatever musical tasks he has taken on and he remains a highly-respected part of the past and current music industry.
Stevie Wonder’s sound and style are distinct. He is definitely one-of-a-kind.
I have compiled a list of what I feel are his Top Ten Songs. It was pretty hard to narrow everything down to only ten, because the man has written and sung so many great songs, it would take more space and time than I presently have to list them.
Here, however, are the songs I feel are Stevie Wonder’s best, in my opinion:
“My Cherie Amour”
“You Are the Sunshine of My Life”
“For Once In My Life”
“Superstition”
“Higher Ground”
“Boogie On Reggae Woman”
“Livin’ In the City”
“Sir Duke”
“I Wish”
“I Just Called to Say I Love You”
These songs are, almost without exception, included in most Stevie Wonder song collections. A lot more songs should be listed here, but brevity forces me to condense it to this limited selection.
The ones I have here are solid evidence that “our” music unquestionably did have something special.
