Playlist Sundays presents…

For the Love of Motown

Motown Records is a record label founded by Berry Gordy in 1959. It was the first record label owned by a Black person to primarily feature Black artists. The label is primarily known for a style of soul music with a distinct pop influence also known as ''The Motown Sound''.

America’s greatest record label and global music icon—MOTOWN. Who would have thought back in ’59, when Barrett Strong sang “Money (That’s What I Want)”, that Hitsville U.S.A., our beloved Motown, would become one of the most renowned, groundbreaking record labels in modern music history.

From their incredible team of staff writers, producers and studio musicians, to the amazing galaxy of artists — Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Jackson 5, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Mary Wells, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas and many more — Motown was, and still is, The Sound of Young America.

The Motown Sound went worldwide in the 60s, and that sound still resonates today. With nearly 200 #1 songs worldwide, Motown’s hits continue to appear worldwide in commercials, TV shows and movies and remain an influence on today’s biggest pop and R&B stars.