Poll: The Greatest Motown Single...

It does. Great pick.

 

"Ain't No Mountain" is THE Motown one for me and has been from the moment it hit the airwaves. I have the multitrack on that one and sometimes sit in the studio and just start soloing different tracks, and then the whole thing.... in sort of a daze . Man, the writing of Ashford and Simpson on that one. And the performances. Just stellar.

 

I prefer this version of it. Love the horns in the outro.

 

The "greatest" Motown single from this list? Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", of course.

 

I know a lot of people like the DR version but that one makes me cringe. Her version just sucked the soul out of the orig.... well.... I'll stick with the original as my fav.

 

I really don't understand why topics like this always have to be confined to the OC's list of what THEY think are the best songs, especially when the list is as predictable as this one is. These are all great songs but they would be on the list of even the most casual fans of Motown. Given the depth of expertise and experience around here, not to mention the size of the Motown catalog, I think it would be much more interesting to leave it open to interpretation and potentially hear about some deep cuts that maybe everyone and their mothers haven't heard a million times already. I do come here to learn as well as share and I don't think I'm alone in that.

Sorry to be critical. Maybe I'm just not big on Polls....

 

Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through the Grapevine

 

"Ain't That Peculiar"-Marvin Gaye.

 

Many classics on this list but none is more classic than "Reach Out."

 

Give me a break man. This is essentially a rock music board.
There was no way I was going to include obscure singles like "Buttered Popcorn","Come and Get These Memories",etc. for the sake of two Motown expertise on this forum.

 

Reach Out, Tears of a Clown...I dunno. There are no stinkers there, in fact they are all killers.

 

Love so many of these songs, but if picking just one, the one that moves me the most is:
"What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted".

 

@Nostaljack

 

It makes me kinda sad that "My Guy" hasn't received a single vote.
I've always really loved the record. The horns at the beginning and
in the middle, the wonderfully rhymes, the interchange of voices near the end.

In a different setting perhaps it would have gotten a lot more attention

** BTW, I mistakenly posted earlier that I voted for "My Guy" when I meant "My Girl"

 

Man, tough one. I guess I'll go with:

Isleys -- This Old Heart of Mine
or
Supremes -- Up the Ladder to the Roof

with the Supremes' "Reflections" pretty close behind.

 

You rang?? LOL!!

You're right, @JohnnyQuest. Too many choices. If I had to pick one (I'll oblige because you asked), I'd pick "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations. The production is absolutely brilliant, the groove is never-ending, and the vocals are pristine. Oh yeah, and the lyric is stark and perfect. There's never been anything else quite like it.

Ed

 

Whenever I hear "Nowhere To Run", I always have to do "The Jerk" along with it.

 

just to many to pick one, but I Can't Help Myself pops up.

 

I like everything on the list but my favorite Motown is when they started using the wha wha pedal.
What was the first Motown song to feature the wha wha ?

 

"Other" = Gladys Knight & The Pips - I Heard It Through The Grapevine

 

Still surprised to see "My Guy" with no votes.

 

How about I'll Always Love You-The Spinners

 

Detroit Spinners?

 

The 1st one I ever heard:
It's all in the Game/Love (is the Answer) - Four Tops