British Motown Chartbusters
168 TOP 20 HITS ACROSS THREE DECADES; STEVIE LEADS THE PACK
This month marks the 70th anniversary of Britain’s first singles sales chart, entitled “Record Hit Parade” and introduced into the New Musical Express by its sax-playing co-founder, Percy Dickins, in the issue dated November 14, 1952.
Around that time, Berry Gordy, Jr. was in his early twenties, serving in the U.S. Army in Korea as a chaplain’s assistant, driving his superior officer to and from the front lines of the war, and playing the organ during services for the troops fighting there.
Two worlds more different, it’s difficult to imagine. But a dozen years later, they would come together as the former soldier saw the output of his young record business begin selling significantly – and therefore NME-charting – in the United Kingdom.
Thanks to Percy Dickins…
Under Gordy’s ownership, Motown Records placed 168 singles in the Top 20 of the British singles chart between 1964 and 1988. The first of these was “My Guy” by Mary Wells, a Top 5 hit in June 1964. The last was a remix of “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5, which occupied the Top 10 in May 1988 – one month before Gordy sold his record company to MCA.
Coincidentally, both of those singles reached the Top 20 not once, but twice: “My Guy” when reissued during the summer of 1972, and (of course) “I Want You Back” during its original chart run in early 1970.
Motown reissues were quite common in Britain during the late 1960s and early ’70s, as record buyers discovered tracks which had mostly been ignored during their first release by Gordy’s U.K. licensee, EMI Records, and as the so-called “Northern Soul” phenomenon took hold.
In 1968, six Tamla Motown singles charted in the Top 20. The following year, 23 did so, including five reissues. Indeed, that made 1969 the company’s most successful 12 months ever in U.K. chart terms: Diana Ross & the Supremes scored four Top 20 hits then, for instance, as did Stevie Wonder, while Marvin Gaye collected three.
TWICE ‘BROKENHEARTED’
And so to the point of this week’s WGB: a chronological list of all those 168 singles, and some numerical detail – such as Wonder scoring the most hits (25) and the biggest (six weeks at Number One with “I Just Called To Say I Love You,” with 13 weeks in the Top 20). He’s followed by the Supremes, boasting 21 Top 20 titles, including three duets, six post-Diana hits, and the trio’s only Number One (“Baby Love”), which charted twice.
A solo Diana is ranked third, with 15 hits, two duets among them, followed by the Four Tops (13) and the Temptations (12). It’s worth noting, too, the popularity of Jimmy Ruffin, with five Top 20 charters (compared to two in his homeland) including “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted,” which reached the Top 10 – twice. Also, the Isley Brothers, who managed only one Top 20 pop success in the U.S. while signed to Motown, but enjoyed four in Britain.
Stop! It’s the first Tamla Motown single issued in the U.K.
Returning to 1969 for a moment, consider that three of the five reissue hits soared as high as the Top 10, and that every month of that year saw a Tamla Motown title in the Top 20.
Overall, there were 40 T/M singles released by EMI Records in 1969, so to have more than half of them enter the Top 20 was quite an achievement. The background to this turn of events was highlighted in an earlier WGB post, with former Motown label manager John Marshall. “I tried to restrict the single releases to under one a week,” he reminded me last month, “because it was hard trying to promote too many singles and giving them all a fair crack.” Such restrictions were also difficult, he said, “as from time to time, there was a lot of single product coming from America.” (The volume of T/M singles made available in Britain is verifiable in Terry Wilson’s thorough Tamla Motown: The Stories Behind The UK Singles, and Sharon Davis’ essential Motown: The History. The former book also includes U.S. chart information for comparison, and both have ample minutiae, such as release dates and catalogue numbers.)
Other observations from WGB’s U.K. chart analysis:
Eleven Motown singles reached Number One from 1964-88, while ten peaked at No. 2, four of them by Stevie Wonder.
In terms of songwriting and/or producing, Wonder also created the most hits: 23 of the 168, followed by Holland/Dozier/Holland (22). Smokey Robinson was responsible for nine, including the twice-charted “My Guy.”
Michael Jackson scored four solo Top 10 hits in 1972 alone, including one unreleased as a U.S. single (“Ain’t No Sunshine”), plus the chart-topping “One Day In Your Life” nine years later. The latter was not a significant American hit.
Britain’s all-time favourite Motown hit, with six weeks at the summit
Marvin Gaye earned nine Top 20 titles from 1967-86, four of which were duets, but none of his What’s Going On singles charted to that level. “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” occupied Number One for three weeks in 1969, and came back to the Top 10 in 1986, spurred by a cover version’s use in a TV commercial for Levi’s 501 jeans.
Lionel Richie was present on 13 Top 20 tunes, five with the Commodores and eight as a solo star, including “Endless Love” with Diana Ross. He wrote or co-wrote 12 of the 13 songs, and like Diana, he topped the charts in a group (with “Three Times A Lady”) and on his own (“Hello”).
On a technical note, some might argue that Berry Gordy’s first U.K. Top 10 success as a writer/producer – with Marv Johnson’s “You’ve Got What It Takes,” which reached No. 7 – should be listed below. However, the singer was signed to United Artists at that point, not Motown, and the recording was done at Detroit’s United Sound, not at West Grand. Johnson does qualify in the tabulation for his 1969 Tamla Motown hit, “I’ll Pick A Rose For My Rose.”
The Temptations’ “My Girl” did not make the U.K. Top 20 on first release in 1965, but attained No. 2 in 1992 when reissued after its use in the popular movie of that name. By then, Motown was no longer owned by Berry Gordy, so the single is not included in this table.
The list below (sourced from the Official Charts company data) is organised chronologically by year, with each hit’s U.K. chart peak first, followed by title, date of chart peak, artist and U.S. chart peak on the Billboard Hot 100. U.K. reissues appear in italics. An asterisk denotes a record not released as a U.S. single; two asterisks denote the track was released as an American flipside.
To help celebrate the chart anniversary, there’s a 5CD set called Now #1s due out in Britain on November 11, containing 100 of the many titles which reached the summit over the past 70 years. Four Motown tracks are in the set: “Baby Love,” “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and “Hello.” The late Percy Dickins would be gratified by the anniversary celebrations, and Berry Gordy, Jr. just might be amused. It’s a long time since he was a chaplain’s assistant, after all.
1964
#5 “My Guy” (June 24) MARY WELLS (US #1)
#3 “Where Did Our Love Go” (Oct. 7) THE SUPREMES (US #1)
#1 “Baby Love” (Nov. 25) THE SUPREMES (US #1)
1965
#7 “Stop! In The Name Of Love” (April 21) THE SUPREMES (US #1)
1966
#14 “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” (March 9) STEVIE WONDER (US #3)
#3 “You Can’t Hurry Love” (Oct. 5) THE SUPREMES (US #1)
#1 “Reach Out I’ll Be There” (Nov. 2) THE FOUR TOPS (US #1)
#18 “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep” (Nov. 16) THE TEMPTATIONS (US #3)
#8 “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (Dec. 28) THE SUPREMES (US #1)
1967
#8 “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted” (Jan. 4) JIMMY RUFFIN (US #7)
#19 “(I Know) I’m Losing You” (Jan. 18) THE TEMPTATIONS (US #8)
#20 “A Place In The Sun” (Jan. 25) STEVIE WONDER (US #9)
#6 “Standing In The Shadows Of Love” (Feb. 1) THE FOUR TOPS (US #6)
#16 “It Takes Two” (March 1) MARVIN GAYE & KIM WESTON (US #14)
#17 “Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone” (April 5) THE SUPREMES (US #1)
#8 “Bernadette” (April 26) THE FOUR TOPS (US #4)
#6 “The Happening” (June 14) THE SUPREMES (US #1)
#12 “Seven Rooms Of Gloom” (July 25) THE FOUR TOPS (US #14)
#13 “When You’re Young And In Love” (July 25) THE MARVELETTES (US #23)
#13 “Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me” (Aug. 1) GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS (US #98)
#5 “I Was Made To Love Her” (Aug. 22) STEVIE WONDER (US #2)
#5 “Reflections” (Oct. 3) DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES (US #2)
1968
#13 “In And Out Of Love” (Jan. 9) DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES (US #9)
#3 “Walk Away Renee” (Jan. 16) THE FOUR TOPS (US #14)
#7 “If I Were A Carpenter” (April 9) THE FOUR TOPS (US #20)
#17 “Gotta See Jane” (Aug. 6) R. DEAN TAYLOR (US #67)
#19 “You’re All I Need To Get By” (Nov. 19) MARVIN GAYE & TAMMI TERRELL (US #7)
#3 “This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)” (Nov. 26) THE ISLEY BROTHERS (US #12)
1969
#15 “Love Child” (Jan. 14) DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES (US #1)
#3 “For Once In My Life” (Jan. 28) STEVIE WONDER (US #2)
#5 “Dancing In The Street” (Feb. 18) MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS (US #2)
#11 “I Guess I’ll Always Love You” (Feb. 18) THE ISLEY BROTHERS (US #61)
#3 “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” (Feb. 25) DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES & THE TEMPTATIONS (US #2)
#10 “I’ll Pick A Rose For My Rose” (March 4) MARV JOHNSON (–)
#1 “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (April 1) MARVIN GAYE (US #1)
#10 “Get Ready” (April 1) THE TEMPTATIONS (US #29)
#14 “I Don’t Know Why (I Love You)” (April 29) STEVIE WONDER (US #39)
#14 “I’m Livin’ In Shame” (May 13) DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES (US #10)
#12 “(I’m A) Road Runner” (May 13) JR. WALKER & THE ALL STARS (US #20)
#5 “Behind A Painted Smile” (June 3) THE ISLEY BROTHERS**
#9 “The Tracks Of My Tears” (June 17) THE MIRACLES (US #16)
#16 “What Is A Man” (July 1) THE FOUR TOPS (US #53)
#4 “My Cherie Amour” (Aug. 23) STEVIE WONDER (US #4)
#5 “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby” (Sep. 13) MARVIN GAYE (US #4)
#13 “Put Yourself In My Place” (Sep. 27) THE ISLEY BROTHERS*
#15 “Cloud Nine” (Sep. 27) THE TEMPTATIONS (US #6)
#18 “I Second That Emotion” (Oct. 4) DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES & THE TEMPTATIONS*
#11 “Do What You Gotta Do” (Oct. 25) THE FOUR TOPS*
#13 “What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)” (Nov. 15) JR. WALKER & THE ALL STARS (US #4)
#2 “Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday” (Dec. 6) STEVIE WONDER (US #7)
#9 “The Onion Song” (Dec. 13) MARVIN GAYE & TAMMI TERRELL (US #50)
1970
#13 “Someday We’ll Be Together” (Jan. 17) DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES (US #1)
#13 “I Can’t Get Next To You” (Feb. 7) THE TEMPTATIONS (US #1)
#2 “I Want You Back” (March 7) THE JACKSON 5 (US #1)
#10 “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” (April 18) THE FOUR TOPS (US #1)
#6 “Never Had A Dream Come True” (May 2) STEVIE WONDER (US #26)
#8 “Farewell Is A Lonely Sound” (May 2) JIMMY RUFFIN (US #104)
#6 “Up The Ladder To The Roof” (May 30) THE SUPREMES (US #10)
#8 “ABC” (June 6) THE JACKSON 5 (US #1)
#9 “Abraham, Martin And John” (June 27) MARVIN GAYE*
#5 “It’s All In The Game” (July 11) THE FOUR TOPS (US #24)
#7 “I’ll Say Forever My Love” (Aug. 8) JIMMY RUFFIN (US #77)
#15 “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” (Aug. 8) STEVIE WONDER (US #3)
#7 “The Love You Save” (Aug. 22) THE JACKSON 5 (US #1)
#1 “The Tears Of A Clown” (Sep. 12) SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES (US #1)
#6 “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (Oct. 17) DIANA ROSS (US #1)
#10 “Still Water (Love)” (Oct. 31) THE FOUR TOPS (US #11)
#7 “Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today)” (Oct. 31) THE TEMPTATIONS (US #3)
#3 “War” (Nov. 14) EDWIN STARR (US #1)
#6 “It’s Wonderful (To Be Loved By You)” (Nov. 21) JIMMY RUFFIN (–)
#20 “It’s A Shame” (Dec. 19) THE DETROIT SPINNERS (US #14)
1971
#4 “I’ll Be There” (Jan. 23) THE JACKSON 5 (US #1)
#3 “Stoned Love” (Feb. 6) THE SUPREMES (US #7)
#13 “(Come ‘’Round Here) I’m The One You Need” (Feb. 27) THE MIRACLES (US #17)
#11 “Forget Me Not” (March 6) MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS (US #93)
#7 “Remember Me” (May 8) DIANA ROSS (US #16)
#2 “Indiana Wants Me” (June 5) R. DEAN TAYLOR (US #5)
#3 “Heaven Must Have Sent You” (June 5) THE ELGINS (US #50)
#11 “I Don’t Blame You At All” (July 3) SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES (US #18)
#8 “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)” (July 10) THE TEMPTATIONS (US #1)
#11 “River Deep, Mountain High” (July 24) THE SUPREMES & THE FOUR TOPS (US #14)
#1 “I’m Still Waiting” (Aug. 21) DIANA ROSS (US #63)
#5 “Nathan Jones” (Sep. 18) THE SUPREMES (US #16)
#3 “Simple Game” (Nov. 6) THE FOUR TOPS (US #90)
#10 “Surrender” (Nov. 27) DIANA ROSS (US #38)
1972
#20 “If You Really Love Me” (Feb. 19) STEVIE WONDER (US #8)
#5 “Got To Be There” (March 4) MICHAEL JACKSON (US #4)
#9 “Floy Joy” (April 1) THE SUPREMES (US #16)
#13 “Take A Look Around” (May 20) THE TEMPTATIONS (US #30)
#12 “Doobedood’ndoobe Doobedood’ndoobe, Doobedood’ndoo” (June 17) DIANA ROSS*
#3 “Rockin’ Robin” (June 24) MICHAEL JACKSON (US #2)
#10 “Automatically Sunshine” (Aug. 5) THE SUPREMES (US #37)
#13 “My Guy” (Aug. 5) MARY WELLS (US #1)
#8 “Ain’t No Sunshine” (Sep. 16) MICHAEL JACKSON*
#16 “Walk In The Night” (Sep. 23) JR. WALKER & THE ALL STARS (US #46)
#9 “Lookin’ Through The Windows” (Dec. 2) THE JACKSON 5 (US #16)
#7 “Ben” (Dec. 9) MICHAEL JACKSON (US #1)
1973
#11 “Help Me Make It Through The Night” (Jan. 20) GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS (US #33)
#14 “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” (Jan. 27) THE TEMPTATIONS (US #1)
#11 “Superstition” (Feb. 17) STEVIE WONDER (US #1)
#16 “Take Me Girl I’m Ready” (Feb. 24) JR. WALKER & THE ALL STARS (US #50)
#9 “Doctor My Eyes” (March 10) THE JACKSON 5*
#7 “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” (June 2) STEVIE WONDER (US #1)
#20 “Hallelujah Day” (June 30) THE JACKSON 5 (US #28)
#9 “Touch Me In The Morning” (Aug. 4) DIANA ROSS (US #1)
#18 “Keep On Truckin’” (Dec. 15) EDDIE KENDRICKS (US #1)
1974
#9 “All Of My Life” (Feb. 9) DIANA ROSS*
#15 “Living For The City” (Feb. 16) STEVIE WONDER (US #8)
#5 “You Are Everything” (April 20) DIANA ROSS & MARVIN GAYE*
#10 “He’s Misstra Know It All” (May 11) STEVIE WONDER**
#3 “There’s A Ghost In My House” (June 15) R. DEAN TAYLOR (–)
#4 “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted” (Aug. 24) JIMMY RUFFIN (US #7)
#12 “Baby Love” (Sep. 28) THE SUPREMES (US #1)
#20 “Machine Gun” (Oct. 5) THE COMMODORES (US #22)
1975
#12 “Boogie On Reggae Woman” (Feb. 1) STEVIE WONDER (US #3)
#12 “Your Kiss Is Sweet” (March 1) SYREETA*
#7 “The Night” (May 10) FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS (–)
1976
#3 “Love Machine” (Feb. 7) THE MIRACLES (US #1)
#10 “Walk Away From Love” (Feb. 14) DAVID RUFFIN (US #9)
#5 “It Should Have Been Me” (March 6) YVONNE FAIR (US #85)
#5 “Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)” (April 24) DIANA ROSS (US #1)
#10 “Love Hangover” (May 29) DIANA ROSS (US #1)
1977
#5 “I Wish” (Jan. 22) STEVIE WONDER (US #1)
#13 “Don’t Leave Me This Way” (March 5) THELMA HOUSTON (US #1)
#2 “Sir Duke” (May 7) STEVIE WONDER (US #1)
#7 “Got To Give It Up (Pt. 1)” (June 4) MARVIN GAYE (US #1)
#9 “Easy” (Aug. 13) THE COMMODORES (US #4)
1978
#1 “Three Times A Lady” (Aug. 19) THE COMMODORES (US #1)
1979
#8 “Sail On” (Sep. 29) THE COMMODORES (US #4)
#4 “Still” (Nov. 24) THE COMMODORES (US #1)
1980
#2 “With You I’m Born Again” (Jan. 19) BILLY PRESTON & SYREETA (US #4)
#8 “Let’s Get Serious” (June 14) JERMAINE JACKSON (US #9)
#6 “Behind The Groove” (June 28) TEENA MARIE (–)
#2 “Upside Down” (Aug. 9) DIANA ROSS (US #1)
#2 “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” (Oct. 4) STEVIE WONDER (US #5)
#5 “My Old Piano” (Oct. 11) DIANA ROSS (US #109)
#13 “I’m Coming Out” (Dec. 6) DIANA ROSS (US #5)
1981
#10 “I Ain’t Gonna Stand For It” (Jan. 31) STEVIE WONDER (US #11)
#16 “It’s My Turn” (Feb. 7) DIANA ROSS (US #9)
#3 “Lately” (April 11) STEVIE WONDER (US #64)
#1 “Being With You” (June 13) SMOKEY ROBINSON (US #2)
#1 “One Day In Your Life” (June 27) MICHAEL JACKSON (US #55)
#2 “Happy Birthday” (Aug. 8) STEVIE WONDER*
#7 “Endless Love” (Sep. 26) DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE (US #1)
1982
#1 “I’ve Never Been To Me” (June 26) CHARLENE (US #3)
#10 “Do I Do” (June 26) STEVIE WONDER (US #13)
#6 “Truly” (Dec. 4) LIONEL RICHIE (US #1)
1983
#13 “All Night Long” (July 23) THE MARY JANE GIRLS (US #101)
#2 “All Night Long (All Night)” (Oct. 29) LIONEL RICHIE (US #1)
1984
#9 “Running With The Night” (Jan. 21) LIONEL RICHIE (US #7)
#6 “Somebody’s Watching Me” (March 3) ROCKWELL (US #2)
#1 “Hello” (March 24) LIONEL RICHIE (US #1)
#7 “Farewell My Summer Love” (June 30) MICHAEL JACKSON (US #38)
#1 “I Just Called To Say I Love You” (Sep. 8) STEVIE WONDER (US #1)
#18 “Penny Lover” (Nov. 3) LIONEL RICHIE (US #8)
#12 “Treat Her Like A Lady” (Nov. 24) THE TEMPTATIONS (US #48)
#12 “Let It All Blow” (Dec. 1) THE DAZZ BAND (US #84)
1985
#3 “Nightshift” (March 9) THE COMMODORES (US #3)
#4 “Rhythm Of The Night” (May 28) DeBARGE (US #3)
#3 “Part-Time Lover” (Sep. 21) STEVIE WONDER (US #1)
#8 “Say You, Say Me” (Dec. 14) LIONEL RICHIE (US #1)
1986
#17 “Overjoyed” (April 5) STEVIE WONDER (US #24)
#8 “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (May 10) MARVIN GAYE (US #1)
#7 “Dancing On The Ceiling” (Aug. 23) LIONEL RICHIE (US #2)
1987
#17 “Ballerina Girl” (Jan. 17) LIONEL RICHIE (US #7)
#7 “Respect Yourself” (March 28) BRUCE WILLIS (US #5)
#2 “Under The Boardwalk” (July 11) BRUCE WILLIS (US #59)
1988
#8 “I Want You Back” remix (May 7) THE JACKSON 5 (US #1)
* not released as US single
** released as US B side