Top 100 Most Played Motown Songs of the 21st Century

[Horizontal Hippopotamus]

Aggregated using PPL’s UK airplay data, the chart collates those Motown tunes which have been played in public spaces across the nation in pubs, restaurants, shops, offices, many other business types, and broadcast on TV, radio and online, since the year 2000.

The full top 100 list is included below:


1. All Night Long (All Night), Lionel Richie

2. Sexual Healing, Marvin Gaye

3. I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Marvin Gaye

4. Superstition, Stevie Wonder

5. Dancing In The Street, Martha And The Vandella

6. Dancing On The Ceiling, Lionel Richie

7. Easy, Commodores

8. The Tears Of A Clown, Smokey Robinson And The Miracles

9. Reach Out I'll Be There, Four Tops

10. Baby Love, The Supremes

11. Upside Down, Diana Ross

10. Baby Love, The Supremes

11. Upside Down, Diana Ross

12. My Girl, The Temptations

13. The Tracks Of My Tears, Smokey Robinson And The Miracles

14. What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted, Jimmy Ruffin

15. My Guy, Mary Wells

16. Three Times A Lady, Commodores

17. I Want You Back, The Jackson 5

18. Nowhere To Run, Martha And The Vandellas

19. This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You), The Isley Brothers

20. Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Diana Ross

21. Let's Get It On, Marvin Gaye

22. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours, Stevie Wonder

23. My Destiny, Lionel Richie

24. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch), Four Tops

25. It Takes Two, Marvin Gaye

26. Uptight (Everything's Alright), Stevie Wonder

27. Get Ready, The Temptations

28. For Once In My Life, Stevie Wonder

29. Stop! In The Name Of Love, The Supremes

30. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby, Marvin Gaye

31. Part-Time Lover, Stevie Wonder

32. Sir Duke, Stevie Wonder

33. You Keep Me Hangin' On, The Supremes

34. I Second That Emotion, Smokey Robinson And The Miracles

35. You Can't Hurry Love, The Supremes

36. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me), The Temptations

37. Where Did Our Love Go, The Supremes

38. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye

39. Stuck On You, Lionel Richie

40. Hello, Lionel Richie

41. Jimmy Mack, Martha And The Vandellas

42. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, Stevie Wonder

43. ABC, The Jackson 5

44. I'm Still Waiting, Diana Ross

45. Standing In The Shadows Of Love, Four Tops

46. It's The Same Old Song, Four Tops

47. Nightshift, Commodores

48. End Of The Road, Boyz II Men

49. Walk Away Renee, Four Tops

50. Endless Love, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie

51. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), Marvin Gaye

52. Running With The Night, Lionel Richie

53. Don't Leave Me This Way, Thelma Houston

54. Say You, Say Me, Lionel Richie

55. I Was Made To Love Her, Stevie Wonder

56. Isn't She Lovely, Stevie Wonder

57. He's Misstra Know-It-All, Stevie Wonder

58. Farewell Is A Lonely Sound, Jimmy Ruffin

59. Stoned Love, The Supremes

60. Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday, Stevie Wonder

61. Bernadette, Four Tops

62. Behind A Painted Smile, The Isley Brothers

63. Living For The City, Stevie Wonder

64. One Day In Your Life, Michael Jackson

65. Reflections, The Supremes

66. Abraham, Martin And John, Marvin Gaye

67. I'm Coming Out, Diana Ross

68. I Just Called To Say I Love You, Stevie Wonder

69. The Happening, The Supremes

70. Baby I Need Your Loving, Four Tops

71. Papa Was A Rollin' Stone, The Temptations

72. I Wish, Stevie Wonder

73. Sweet Talking Guy, The Chiffons

74. Love Machine (Part 1), The Miracles

75. You Are Everything, Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye

76. Master Blaster (Jammin'), Stevie Wonder

77. Touch Me In The Morning, Diana Ross

78. Do You Love Me, The Contours

79. Heaven Must Have Sent You, The Elgins

80. What Christmas Means To Me, Stevie Wonder

81. You're All I Need To Get By, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

82. Brick House, Commodores

83. Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing, Marvin Gaye

84. I'll Be There, The Jackson 5

85. Treat Her Like A Lady, The Temptations

86. Still, Commodores

87. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me, The Supremes

88. Why Do Fools Fall In Love, Diana Ross

89. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), Junior Walker And The All Stars

90. Stop Her On Sight (S.O.S.), Edwin Starr

91. Ain't Too Proud To Beg, The Temptations

92. Lately, Stevie Wonder

93. Love Child, The Supremes

94. (I'm A) Road Runner, Junior Walker And The All Stars

95. Nathan Jones, The Supremes

96. Penny Lover, Lionel Richie

97. Machine Gun, Commodores

98. Heatwave, Martha And The Vandellas

99. When She Was My Girl, Four Tops

100. If I Were A Carpenter, Four Tops

www.ppluk.com/About-Us/News/Press/Top-100-Most-Played-Motown-Songs-of-the-21st-Century-Chart/

[raliverpool]

Well the #2 has done remarkably well .... considering it was recorded in 1982 on Columbia (CBS) records after Marvin Gaye had acrimoniously left Motown records!

[rubcale]

Really interesting list.

Gotta wonder how The Happening does so well ahead of Love Child for example.

The 2000 deadline is significant.

[vastar iner]

I can divide that list of songs into two groups.

1. Brilliant songs that express the human spirit, talent and achievement in a way few others could ever hope to dream about.

2. Songs involving Lionel Richie.

[raliverpool]

Sept 14, 2015 21:18:37 GMT 1 raliverpool said:

Well the #2 has done remarkably well .... considering it was recorded in 1982 on Columbia (CBS) records after Marvin Gaye had acrimoniously left Motown records!

I've spotted a few more invalid songs in the countdown due to them also not being Motown recordings:

#99 When She Was My Girl, was the first Four Tops release after leaving Motown to join Casablanca records.

#88 Why Do Fools Fall In Love, was Ms Ross' first single release after leaving Motown for the RCA label.

#90 Stop Her On Sight (S.O.S.), was recording by Edwin Starr on the Ric-Tic label in 1965, prior to him joining Motown in 1968, for which he had his first with the label in 1969 with Twenty-Five Miles.

#73 Sweet Talking Guy. The Chiffons were never a Motown act. This New York based act released their singles on the New York Laurie Records alongside their other two major hits He's So Fine, and One Fine Day.