Motown - Unique Genre of the 1960s and 1970s

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Motown's 50th Anniversary by Robert D Hill

What do Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, The Temptations and The Four Tops all have in common? Well they are all part of the music movement that is known to us as Motown!

Some of the greatest songs of all times were recorded by some of Motown's famous artists, starting back as early as 1959. That was the year that Berry Gordy, Jr. started his own record label called "Motown". Ever since, this label has carried the top R&B/Soul acts and has had hit after hit.

If you love music with some soul, Motown was made for you. The unlimited supply of classic sounding R&B songs has been carried on through the years by many artists but it all started about 50 years ago. When you think back to the late fifties and early sixties, there was a lot of rock and roll hitting the music scene with the "British Invasion", but there was also a new sound that had been slowly growing that was about to take the music industry by storm and that was Motown. Through the years, as early blues recordings started to evolve into more vocal works of art and less guitar picking, the actual "feel" of the music or what I like to call "soul" started to grow.

When Marvin Gaye released "Let's Get It On" America heard this new sound and they loved it, the US music charts would soon be filled with Motown artists and the history of music was forever changed because of it. When Berry Gordy Jr. started his Motown record label, he did not know it but he would go down in history for being the first African American to own a record company. This opened the doors for many other African American in the music industry in the following years.

The Motown record label was so special because it was able to bring African American artists to the radio when other record labels were not interested. By making professional recording studios available to the black music community they were able to sign some of the most talented artists of the time and bring their music to the world.

For the 50th anniversary we love to take a little time to remember the hits that were brought to us all by Motown. From the Jackson 5 and there "ABC123" to Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through The Grape Vine" you can see that the musical talent that we all have grown to love.

The Temptations brought many hits to Motown as well including, "My Girl", "The Way You Do The Things You Do", "I Can't Get Next To You" and "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)". The Four Tops also could not stay off the top 10 charts or out of our hearts, when they released songs like, "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)", "(Reach Out) I'll Be There", "Bernadette" and "Standing In The Shadows Of Love".

Motown has brought us some of the most beloved songs ever and in calibration of its 50th anniversary we wanted to remember some of Motown's all time greatest artists. So sit back, relax and put on your favorite Motown classic today in celebration, it is Motown's 50th Anniversary!

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