Happy Birthday, Stevie!

Even before I know exactly who he was, I was a huge fan of Stevie Wonder.

In my younger years, I remember loving Raven Symoné’s cover of “Superstition” from a Disney Channel original movie, and John Legend’s version of “Don’t You Worry About A Thing” from the Hitch soundtrack. And don’t get me started on how many times I belted out Michael Bublé’s cover of “You and I (We Can Conquer The World)” in my room during high school. Groovy bass lines, intricate melodies and lyrics that just feel right make quite an impression on me.

Fast forward 15 years, and my quest to dive deep into the music that shapes us (and the artists that write & originate it) has led me to become a Stevie Wonder super fan, with the goal of owning all of his available live and studio album releases on vinyl.

I’m still about 6 albums away from the full collection but I wanted to share my favorite albums of Stevie’s, why I love them and my favorite song (in addition to the title track) from each.

(I considered including links to buy these albums on vinyl, but I’d encourage you to check your local record stores before buying from Amazon or online. Small businesses can use all the help we can give right now!)

5. Signed Sealed & Delivered - 1970

This album was Stevie’s 15th release, and features super smooth vocals throughout, and of course the title track is one of his most popular songs. This was the first album where Stevie received producer credit, and was an important step on his journey toward creating some of his best work.

Favorite Song: “We Can Work It Out” - Though this one is a cover of the Beatles’ song, I love hearing Stevie’s signature sound and harmonica on this track. If there’s one thing I miss from this era of music, it’s when legends covered legends. The cultural impact that has! Epic.

4. I Was Made To Love Her - 1967

Traveling back in Stevie’s discography to his 8th release, This album features some strong Blues influences and the classic Motown sound. It also features more covers than originals—as it precedes the era where Stevie was allowed to write, produce and release his own music. In spite of what could be viewed as a hodgepodge of source material, I love that Stevie’s style and voice are still so evident throughout. A singular artistic voice is any artists’ dream.

Favorite Song: This one is another cover—Otis Redding’s “Respect”. Stevie’s version was released 4 months after Aretha’s, and my love of legends covering legends holds strong. Aretha’s version reigns supreme, but I still love hearing Stevie’s spin on it.

3. Talking Book - 1972

In 1972, Stevie released what became the signal album for what many consider to be his classic period—and this period is also home to my top three favorite albums. My favorite aspect of Stevie’s writing has to be the instrumentation—especially during this era, his music began to take on an almost otherworldly feel. It’s just the epitome of a vibe. He doesn’t leave anything to chance, and all his decisions serve to plunge you deeper into the depths of the music. Stevie wrote or co-wrote all the music on this album, and it shows. It’s also home to three of his biggest hits—”You Are the Sunshine of My Life”, “You and I” and “Superstition”.

Favorite Song: “I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)” — Stevie’s way of looking at love always inspires me, and I identify with the heart of this song so much. My favorite lyric: When the truths of love are planted firm / They won’t be hard to find. I also love how effortlessly he flows between genres in this one—his move from an almost gospel-style ballad to the Funk-inspired ending is everything!

2. Songs in the Key of Life -1967

This choice won’t come as a surprise to any Stevie fan or anyone with a passing knowledge of his discography. There’s a reason it’s considered to be his Magnum Opus—the album is perfect. People with many more years of experience in music and writing have said so much about SITKOL, but suffice it to say that the album flows beautifully, has so many important things to say, and is definitely one of the best purchases you can make for a vinyl collection. If you haven’t listened to this album in its entirety, make it a goal as soon as possible.

Favorite Song(s): I couldn’t choose just one. My first is “Love’s In Need of Love Today". It sets such a beautiful tone for the album, and almost feels like a benediction—and I love the idea of starting off with the softest & most important message. My other favorite is “If It’s Magic” which I think might be my favorite Stevie Wonder song, full stop. The most tender treatment of Love in the simplest AABAB form, accompanied by beautiful harp.

Innervisions - 1973
This album wins top billing for a couple reasons; the first being the way Stevie started using his music to make important political and social commentary. The second is due to the way this album flows together. Nearly every song glides into the next, which makes it a joy to listen to; both aspects are hugely inspirational as I start writing my own music. What you want the album to say, and how you want the listener to feel are simple concepts, but Stevie executes them to perfection here and it’s a master class on those two ideas working in tandem.
Favorite song: “All in Love is Fair” - One of the only love ballads on the album, but an incredibly strong one. The bittersweet melody is haunting, and perfectly captures the mystery of being in love, juxtaposing it against the unfairness of war. BONUS: My favorite performance of this song belongs to Jennifer Hudson, from her tribute performance for Stevie in 2016. Click here to watch!

Honorable Mention: Looking Back - 1977

This anthology covers Stevie’s first Motown period; and while it doesn’t feature most of his biggest hits, it is a fun exploration of the journey toward his creative expression being fully realized in the second Motown period. The highlight of this album for me is Stevie’s version of “Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)”, which he co-wrote and recorded in 1967. Aretha Franklin’s 1973 version of the song is the most popular (peaking at #3 on the Hot 100), and this collection is the only place it currently appears—it’s not even available on streaming services. So If you see this one in the record store stacks, snag it!

If you made it this far, thanks for coming on this journey with me! Stevie Wonder is such a tour de force, and I’m thankful I get to explore his impact while he’s still alive. I’ll leave you with my favorite section from “Love’s In Need of Love Today”, helpful advice for us all in these trying times.

…Love’s in need of love today / Don’t delay, send yours in right away / Hate’s goin’ round, break-in’ many hearts / Stop it please, before it’s gone too far.