ALL THE MOTOWN #1s (#80-76). Continues tomorrow.

Motown scored its first #1 60 years ago. The label, founded by Berry Gordy Jr., made Detroit a pivotal city in R&B history. Its roster boasted soul music legends such as: Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Temptations, Four Tops, Supremes, Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson and Lionel Richie. All of these titans enjoyed time at the chart summit.

Caffè Lattè pays tribute to the 141 songs on Tamla Motown and its subsidiary labels that reached #1 on the U.S. Pop / Soul charts, ranked in order of impact and influence. Each song’s year of chart peak; weeks spent at the top & writer(s) is included.

All the MOTOWN

No. 1 SINGLES

*80

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ [Part 1]

Eddie Kendricks

[1973] Soul 2 / Pop 2

Frank Wilson; Anita Poree; Leonard Caston

Initially, the situation seemed bleak after Kendricks exited The Temptations in March 1971. He may have grown accustomed to achieving Top 10 hits with the vocal group, but as a soloist, he endured a 2-year drought. Six previous singles failed to reach the Soul Top 10 and sank without cracking the Pop Top 40. “Keep On Truckin’” changed Kendricks’ fortunes. The single topped both charts. Part 2 of the song was used as the disc’s flip side. Kendricks would follow the release with another 7 Soul Top 10 hits. He re-united with fellow Temptations lead vocalist David Ruffin in 1985 with a live medley that peaked at #20 and was a collaboration with Hall & Oates. “A Nite At The Apollo Live!” featured past hits “The Way You Do The Things You Do” and “My Girl”.

*79

I SECOND THAT EMOTION

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

[1968] Soul 1

William “Smokey” Robinson; Al Cleveland

Smokey and his wife Claudette were grieving after the death of their prematurely born twins. He and fellow Motown staffer Cleveland went shopping for pearls. As he purchased the gift, he expressed the hope that his wife would like them. Cleveland replied: “I second that emotion”. The slip inspired a third Soul Chart #1 for The Miracles. Together, the 2 produced the track. Cleveland would later help shape Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ album.

*78

IF I WERE YOUR WOMAN

Gladys Knight & The Pips

[1971] Soul 1

Gloria Jones; Pam Sawyer; Clay McMurray

It took Jones and Sawyer only half an hour to create this hit. McMurray had been commissioned to produce Gladys Knight & The Pips. When he presented the song to Knight, she was unsure. Berry Gordy Jr. convinced her that the track would be a hit. Co-writer Jones had previously recorded the original version of “Tainted Love”. She was also romantically involved with glam rocker Marc Bolan at the time of his death in 1977.

*77

SIR DUKE

Stevie Wonder

[1977] Soul 1 / Pop 3

Stevie Wonder

“Sir Duke” is named after Duke Ellington, but the song is also a tribute to other legendary performers: Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. The single was lifted off Wonder’s opus ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’.

*76

ON BENDED KNEE

Boyz II Men

[1994] Pop 6

James Harris III; Terry Lewis

As this single was rising, Boyz II Men were already at the top of the charts with “I’ll Make Love To You”. In late November, that disc had tied with Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” for the longest run at #1. Hopes were high that Boyz II Men would break the record. On December 3, the group was still at the top of Billboard’s Hot 100, but with a new song. After an incredible 14-week reign, “On Bended Knee” gave the boy band another 6 weeks at the chart summit. Doing so, the group became the first black act to succeed itself at #1. Only Elvis Presley and The Beatles had achieved this feat. Interestingly, that record was finally broken the following year, by a duet recorded by Mariah Carey. The single enjoyed a 16-week run at the top. That disc was "One Sweet Day", her collaboratoin with Boyz II Men. As the single was issued on the Columbia label, it is not included as a Motown hit.