Motown�s music was crafted with an ear towards pop appeal. The company specialized in a type of soul music it referred to with the trademark "The Motown Sound". The Motown Sound was typified by a number of characteristics: the use of tambourines to accent the back beat, prominent and often melodic electric bass guitar lines, distinctive melodic and chord structures, and a call and response singing style that originated in gospel music. In addition, pop production techniques such as the use of orchestral string sections, charted horn sections, and carefully arranged background vocals were also used. Complex arrangements and elaborate, melismatic vocal riffs were avoided; Motown producers believed steadfastly in the "KISS principle" ("keep it simple, stupid"). This set reflects the top years of the Motown label from the start until 1985. Released before on vinyl in 1985 as 'Motown Chartbusters' and after the MCA takeover in 1988 re-released on CD.
01. My Guy - Mary Wells 02. Where Did Our Love Go - Diana Ross & The Supremes 03. Baby Love - Diana Ross & The Supremes 04. Nowhere To Run - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas 05. Stop! In The Name Of Love - Diana Ross & The Supremes 06. Uptight (Everythings Alright) - Stevie Wonder 07. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever - The Four Tops 08. Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations 09. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) - Jr. Walker & The All Stars 10. You Can't Hurry Love - Diana Ross & The Supremes 11. Reach Out I'll Be There - The Four Tops 12. Beauty Is Only Skin Deep - The Temptations 13. What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted - Jimmy Ruffin 14. You Keep Me Hangin' On - Diana Ross & The Supremes 15. I'm Ready For Love - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas 16. (I Know) I'm Losing You - The Temptations 17. A Place In The Sun - Stevie Wonder 18. Standing In The Shadows Of Love - The Four Tops 19. It Takes Two - Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston 20. Love Is Here And Now You're Gone - Diana Ross & The Supremes
01. Bernadette - Four Tops 02. Jimmy Mack - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas 03. The Happening - Diana Ross & The Supremes 04. 7 Rooms Of Gloom - Four Tops 05. Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me - Gladys Knight & The Pips 06. I Was Made To Love Her - Stevie Wonder 07. When You're Young And In Love - The Marvelettes 08. Reflections - Diana Ross & The Supremes 09. I'm Wondering - Stevie Wonder 10. In And Out Of Love - Diana Ross & The Supremes 11. Walk Away Renee - Four Tops 12. Gotta See Jane - R. Dean Taylor 13. If I Were A Carpenter - Four Tops 14. You're All I Need To Get By - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell 15. Yesterday's Dreams - Four Tops 16. This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You) - Isley Brothers 17. Love Child - Diana Ross & The Supremes 18. For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder 19. Stop Her On Sight (S.O.S.) - Edwin Starr 20. I Guess I'll Always Love You - Isley Brothers
01. Dancing In The Street - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas 02. You Ain't Livin' Till You're Lovin' - Margin Gaye & Tammi Terrell 03. I'll Pick A Rose For My Rose - Marv Johnson 04. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - The Supremes & The Temptations 05. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye 06. Get Ready - The Temptations 07. Don't Know Why I Love You - Stevie Wonder 08. (I'm A) Road Runner - Jr. Walker & The Allstars 09. Behind A Painted Smile - Isley Brothers 10. I'm Livin' In Shame - Diana Ross & The Supremes 11. The Tracks Of My Tears - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles 12. What Is A Man - The Four Tops 13. My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder 14. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby - Marvin Gaye 15. Cloud Nine - The Temptations 16. Put Yourslef In My Place - Isley Brothers 17. I Second That Emotion - The Supremes & The Temptations 18. Do What You Gotta Do - The Four Tops 19. What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) - Jr. Walker & The Allstars 20. Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday - Stevie Wonder
01. Someday We'll Be Together - Diana Ross 02. The Onion Song - Marvin Gaye 03. I Can't Get Next To You - The Tempations 04. I Want You Back - The Jackson 5 05. Farewell To A Lonely Sound - Jimmy Ruffin 06. I Can't Help Myself - The Four Tops 07. Never Had A Dream Come True - Stevie Wonder 08. Up The Ladder To The Roof - The Supremes 09. A.B.C. - The Jackson 5 10. Abraham Martin And John - Marvin Gaye 11. It's All In The Game - The Four Tops 12. I'll Say Forever My Love - Jimmy Ruffin 13. Signed Sealed Delivered I'm Yours - Stevie Wonder 14. The Love You Save - The Jackson 5 15. The Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles 16. Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross 17. Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today) - The Temptations 18. Still Water (Love) - The Four Tops 19. It's Wonderful (To Be Loved By You) - Jimmy Ruffin 20. War - Edwin Star
01. I'll Be There - The Jackson 5 02. It's A Shame - Detroit Spinners 03. Stoned Love - The Supremes 04. Come Round Here (I'm The One You Need) - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles 05. Forget Me Not - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas 06. Remember Me - Diana Ross 07. Indiana Wants Me - R. Dean Taylor 08. Heaven Must Have Sent You - The Elgins 09. I Don't Blame You At All - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles 10. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) - The Temptations 11. River Deep - Mountain High - The Supremes & Four Tops 12. I'm Still Waiting - Diana Ross 13. Nathan Jones - The Supremes 14. Simple Game - Four Tops 15. Surrender - Diana Ross 16. If You Really Love Me - Stevie Wonder 17. Got To Be There - Michael Jackson 18. Floy Joy - The Supremes
01. Take A Look Around - The Temptations 02. Doobedood'ndoobe - Diana Ross 03. Rockin' Robin - Michael Jackson 04. Automatically Sunshine - The Supremes 05. Ain't No Sunshine - Michael Jackson 06. Walk In The Night - Jr. Walker & The All Stars 07. Looking Through The Windows - The Jackson 5 08. Ben - Michael Jackson 09. Help Me Make It Through The Night - Gladys Knight & The Pips 10. Papa Was A Rolling Stone - The Temptations 11. Doctor My Eyes - The Jackson 5 12. Take Me Girl I'm Ready - Jr. Walker & The All Stars 13. The Look Of Love - Gladys Knight & the Pips 14. Hallelujah Day - The Jackson 5 15. Touch Me In The Morning - Diana Ross 16. Keep On Truckin' - Eddie Kendricks 17. All Of My Life - Diana Ross 18. You Are Everything - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye
01. Machine Gun - Commodores 02. There's A Ghost In My House - R. Dean Taylor 03. Your Kiss Is Sweet - Syreeta 04. The Night - The Four Seasons 05. Love Machine (Part 1) - The Miracles 06. Walk Away From Love - David Ruffin 07. Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To) - Diana Ross 08. It Should Have Been Me - Yvonne Fair 09. Love Hangover - Diana Ross 10. Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston 11. Easy - Commodores 12. Got To Give It Up (Part 1) - Marvin Gaye 13. Three Times A Lady - Commodores 14. Gettin' Ready For Love - Diana Ross 15. Sail On - Commodores 16. With You I'm Born Again - Billy Preston & Syreeta 17. Still - Commodores 18. Let's Get Serious - Jermaine Jackson
01. Upside Down - Diana Ross 02. Behind The Groove - Teena Marie 03. My Old Piano - Diana Ross 04. I'm Coming Out - Diana Ross 05. Being With You - Smokey Robinson 06. It's My Turn - Diana Ross 07. One Day In Your Life - Michael Jackson 08. I've Never Been To Me - Charlene 09. Endless Love - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie 10. All Night Long - Mary Jane Girls 11. Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell 12. Farewell My Summer Love - Michael Jackson 13. Let It All Blow - Dazz Band 14. Treat Her Like A Lady - The Temptations 15. Nightshift - Commodores 16. Rhythm Of The Night - DeBarge