Motown's Hot 100 Songwriters
CREATORS OF THE CROWN JEWELS
This seems as good a moment as any to recall that Motown was founded by a songwriter. And to recall that Berry Gordy built his business and its success on the high calibre and consistent output of a group of young songsmiths, most of whom had no prior track record in music.
He thought of these songs as his children, as writers often do. He even deployed the names of his real offspring – Joy, Berry and Terry – when choosing an identity, Jobete, for his music publishing company.
In the long term, Gordy’s song smarts paid off. Not only is the world familiar, to this day, with scores of the hits written by his team, but that work also continues to earn substantial income for them, and their heirs. Not to mention the catalogue’s corporate owners, Sony Music Publishing. And for himself? When Gordy sold Motown Records in 1988, he received $61 million for its assets; when he sold Jobete some years later, he pocketed more than $300 million.
The names of a half-dozen of Motown’s songwriters resonate with even the most casual music listener of the past half-century, and they’re in the top 20 of the 100 individuals identified below. A handful are superstars as singers, too. Regular readers of this blog will likely recognise many more on the list, but perhaps not know where they stand in terms of chart success.
Here, that success is ranked by the quantity of each writer’s hits on the Billboard Hot 100 during Motown’s Detroit era, from 1959-72. The result (methodology details in a moment) shows the number of chart entries for each songsmith via 45s released by Motown in that period; how many of those entries were Number One hits; and the name of the biggest hit by each writer.
The 100 are shown individually, rather than as teams. That’s because many of the Jobete writers collaborated with more than one professional partner. Brian Holland is righteously recognised as one-third of Motown’s titanic Holland/Dozier/Holland, but his first major hit (“Please Mr. Postman”) was not penned with brother Eddie or Lamont Dozier. As a songwriter, Norman Whitfield is almost always associated with Barrett Strong, but several of his biggest copyrights were written with Eddie Holland.
The tabulation below is based on a tried-and-tested formula. Each song which placed on the Billboard Hot 100 earns points for its chart peak, assigned to each of its writers, on a sliding scale, so that a Number One accrues 100 points, while a song which peaked at 100 earns one point. In the event of a tie between two titles, it’s generally broken by the song’s number of chart weeks. As noted, the hit shown after each writer’s name is his or her most popular work, whoever it was composed with, and based on this points system.
WHO’S IN, WHO’S NOT
The listed songwriters were all contracted to Jobete Music, to the best of my knowledge, so this tabulation does not include charted songs by non-Jobete creators. So it excludes, for example, Stevie Wonder’s hits “We Can Work It Out” and “Blowin’ In The Wind,” as well as the Four Tops’ “Walk Away Renee” and “It’s All In The Game,” and more. In another example, “Someday We’ll Be Together” was not published by Jobete when the song first appeared on record (by Johnny Bristol and Jackey Beavers), but later came into the fold when Harvey Fuqua sold his business to Motown.
As for what this countdown illuminates, you’ll have your own opinions. There are 18 women, with Sylvia Moy the first of these to have significant success at Jobete, beginning with 1965’s “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” and Valerie Simpson’s work being the most popular, beginning with 1967’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” These days, Marvin Gaye is widely celebrated for “What’s Going On,” but some eight years earlier, he co-wrote three Top 30 hits, including one he didn’t record himself, “Beechwood 4-5789.”
Another Jobete jewel from Smokey’s pen
It’s also interesting how Smokey Robinson’s Miracles were profitably partnered with him in song: Ronnie White (“My Girl” was but one of seven of his Hot 100 hits co-written with Robinson), Bobby Rogers (“Ain’t That Peculiar”) and Pete Moore (“The Tracks Of My Tears”), plus, of course, the group’s longtime guitarist, Marv Tarplin, who co-created seven chart entries of the survey period.
There are relatives of the boss (sister Anna and brother George), Stevie Wonder’s mama (Lula Hardaway) and first wife (Syreeta Wright), a studio engineer (Lawrence Horn), and, of course, more than a few recording artists in their own right (Gladys Knight plus Pips, Jr. Walker and assorted All Stars, Shorty Long and Gloria Jones, among others). Plus, several Motown executives whose ideas and inspiration helped to shape some hits (Suzanne de Passe, Billie Jean Brown, Barney Ales). If there are names missing, or lower on the list than expected, it may be that their light shone brighter later in Motown’s life (Hal Davis, for one). Obviously, that applies to those who broke through post-Detroit, such as Lionel Richie and Rick James. Similarly, Stevie Wonder’s aurora borealis of songwriting glowed brightest during the mid ’70s.
There are one or two technical points. Three hits which contributed to their songwriters’ ranking were not charted by Billboard on Motown labels: Marv Johnson’s “Come To Me,” the Miracles’ “Bad Girl” and Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want),” but these were spiritually Motown – and all were initially released on a Motown imprint, albeit for a minute-and-a-half, before being licensed elsewhere for maximum distribution.
PASSION AND DEPTH
In addition, this list excludes songs which registered on the annual Billboard Christmas singles chart, rather than on the Hot 100, such as the Supremes’ “Twinkle Twinkle Little Me,” co-composed by Ron Miller, and Stevie Wonder’s “What Christmas Means To Me,” co-written by Anna Gordy Gaye. (And if you see other anomalies, or – heaven forbid – mistakes, please do get in touch.) Let me also acknowledge sources which have been supremely helpful in assembling this countdown, namely the Don’t Forget The Motor City databank and Fred Bronson‘s The Billboard Book Of Number One Hits. Joel Whitburn’s Billboard chart volumes were essential reference points, too – as always.
This particular “Hot 100” recalls another truth of 2648 West Grand: that it was Motown’s singers and musicians who gave these songs the passion and depth required to make them crown jewels of 20th century popular culture. These are timeless copyrights, to be sure, but each acquired resonance and longevity through the unique talents of Marvin and Martha, Diana and David, Levi and Stevie, to cite a few. The writers listed here would be the first to acknowledge as much. And so…
MOTOWN’S HOT 100 SONGWRITERS 1959-1972
1. EDDIE HOLLAND (78 hits, 12 #1) “Baby Love”
2. BRIAN HOLLAND (73 hits, 13 #1) “Baby Love”
3. SMOKEY ROBINSON (79 hits, 3 #1) “The Tears Of A Clown”
4. LAMONT DOZIER (71 hits, 12 #1) “Baby Love”
5. NORMAN WHITFIELD (51 hits, 5 #1) “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”
6. BARRETT STRONG (39 hits, 5 #1) “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”
7. MICKEY STEVENSON (28 hits) “Dancing In The Street”
8. BERRY GORDY (28 hits, 4 #1) “I’ll Be There”
9. STEVIE WONDER (20 hits, 2 #1) “The Tears Of A Clown”
10. JOHNNY BRISTOL (20 hits, 1 #1) “Someday We’ll Be Together”
11= NICK ASHFORD (19 hits, 1 #1) “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
11= VALERIE SIMPSON (19 hits, 1 #1) “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
13. HANK COSBY (14 hits, 2 #1) “Fingertips – Pt. 2”
14. SYLVIA MOY (16) “I Was Made To Love Her”
15. MARVIN GAYE (15) “What’s Going On”
16. PETE MOORE (14) “Ain’t That Peculiar”
17. FRANK WILSON (17 hits, 1 #1) “Love Child”
18. MARV TARPLIN (11) “Ain’t That Peculiar”
19. IVY JO HUNTER (13) “Dancing In The Street”
20. DEKE RICHARDS (11 hits, 4 #1) “Love Child”
21. PAM SAWYER (13 hits, 1 #1) “Love Child”
22. HARVEY FUQUA (11 hits, 1 #1) “Someday We’ll Be Together”
23. AL CLEVELAND (9) “What’s Going On”
24. CLARENCE PAUL (11 hits, 1 #1) “Fingertips – Pt. 2”
25= FREDDIE PERREN (8 hits, 3 #1) “I Want You Back”
25= FONCE MIZELL (8 hits, 3 #1) “I Want You Back”
27. BOBBY ROGERS (8) “Ain’t That Peculiar”
28. R. DEAN TAYLOR (9 hits, 1 #1) “Love Child”
29. RODGER PENZABENE (8) “I Wish It Would Rain”
30. RONNIE WHITE (7 hits, 1 #1) “My Girl”
31. RON MILLER (6) “For Once In My Life”
32. JUNIOR WALKER aka AUTRY DeWALT (6) “Shotgun”
33. JANIE BRADFORD (5) “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby”
34. LULA HARDAWAY (4) “I Was Made To Love Her”
35. SYREETA WRIGHT (5) “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”
36. CORNELIUS GRANT (4) “You’re My Everything”
37. ROBERT BATEMAN (5 hits, 1 #1) “Please Mr. Postman”
38. BRYAN WELLS (3) “Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday”
39. WILLIE WOODS (4) “Shake And Fingerpop”
40. RICHARD MORRIS (5) “Honey Chile”
41. VERNON BULLOCK (3) “What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)”
42= NICK ZESSES (4) “I Just Want To Celebrate”
42= DINO FEKARIS (4) “I Just Want To Celebrate”
44= JAMES DEAN (4) “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted”
44= WILLIAM WEATHERSPOON (4) “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted”
46. GEORGE GORDY (6) “Beechwood 4-5789”
47. CLAY McMURRAY (3) “If I Were Your Woman”
48. TERRY JOHNSON (3) “Baby, Baby Don’t Cry”
49. GLORIA JONES aka LaVERNE WARE (3) “If I Were Your Woman”
50. TOM BAIRD (4) “Born To Wander”
51. LEE GARRETT (2) “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”
52. CLIFTON DAVIS (2) “Never Can Say Goodbye”
53. BARNEY ALES (3) “What’s The Matter With You Baby”
54. ANNA GORDY GAYE (2) “The Bells”
55. FREDDIE GORMAN (3 hits, 1 #1) “Please Mr. Postman”
56. JACKEY BEAVERS (2 hits, 1 #1) “Someday We’ll Be Together”
57= WADE BROWN (3) “I Can’t Stand To See You Cry”
57= DAVID JONES (3) “I Can’t Stand To See You Cry”
59. DAVE HAMILTON (2) “Once Upon A Time”
60. PAUL RISER (2) “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted”
61. HAL DAVIS (2 hits, 1 #1) “I’ll Be There”
62. WILLIAM GARRETT (2 hits, 1 #1) “Please Mr. Postman”
63. LAWRENCE HORN (4) “Shake And Fingerpop”
64. GLADYS KNIGHT (2) “I Don’t Want To Do Wrong”
65. BILLIE JEAN BROWN (2) “Here Comes The Judge”
66. ED COBB (2) “Every Little Bit Hurts”
67. DON HUNTER (2) “You Met Your Match”
68. SHORTY LONG (3) “Here Comes The Judge”
69= JACK GOGA (2) “You”
69= JAMES NYX (2) “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)”
71. LEONARD CASTON (2) “Nathan Jones”
72. EDWIN STARR aka CHARLES HATCHER (2) “25 Miles”
73= WILLIE HUTCH (1 hit, 1 #1) “I’ll Be There”
73= FRANK DeVOL (1 hit, 1 #1) “The Happening”
73= BOB WEST (1 hit, 1 #1) “I’ll Be There”
73= GEORGIA DOBBINS (1 hit, 1 #1) “Please Mr. Postman”
77= RENALDO “OBIE” BENSON (1) “What’s Going On”
77= STEPHEN SCHWARTZ (2) “Corner Of The Sky”
77= ORLANDO MURDEN (1) “For Once In My Life”
80. ELLIOT WILLENSKY (1) “Got To Be There”
81. KENNY THOMAS aka YENNIK SAMOHT (1) “Stoned Love”
82. GLADYS HORTON (1) “Playboy”
83. LEON WARE (2) “I Wanna Be Where You Are”
84. SUZANNE de PASSE (1) “Here Comes The Judge”
85. JIMMY ROACH (1) “My Whole World Ended”
86. VINCENT DiMIRCO (1) “Up The Ladder To The Roof”
87= IRIS GORDY BRISTOL (1) “The Bells”
87= ELGIE STOVER (1) “The Bells”
89= ARTHUR ROSS (1) “I Wanna Be Where You Are”
89= KATHY WAKEFIELD (1) “Nathan Jones”
91= KATHERINE ANDERSON (1) “I Don’t Want To Do Wrong”
91= WILLIAM GUEST (1) “I Don’t Want To Do Wrong”
91= MERALD KNIGHT (1) “I Don’t Want To Do Wrong”
94. JOE HINTON (1) “Gotta Hold On To This Feeling”
95. THOMAS KEMP (2) “I’ve Lost Everything I’ve Ever Loved”
96. ALLEN STORY (3) “I Promise To Wait My Love”
97. BARBARA NEELY (1) “Please Return Your Love To Me”
98. TOMMY CHONG (1) “Does Your Mama Know About Me”
99. MARV JOHNSON (1) “Come To Me”
100. DANNY COGGINS (1) “Pucker Up Buttercup”