Motown: How Detroit’s Music Changed the World

In January 1959, former professional boxer Berry Gordy borrowed $800 to start his own record label. Without knowing it, he laid the foundation for a success story that goes far beyond the musical significance. In segregated America brought Motown one of the first record companies to bring black music to a white audience. Gordy’s trick: He smoothed out the raw soul and emphasized catchy melodies. That’s how an incredible 110 Motown songs made it into the American top ten between 1961 and 1971.
In its heyday, Motown produced hits like on an assembly line – the working method was similar to that of the big car factories in Detroit. Fixed teams of composers like the Trio Holland-Dozier-Holland developed the songs. The studio was open up to 22 hours a day, and house band The Funk Brothers played for all of the label’s artists. Motown’s first number one hit was in 1961 with the Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman.” A song that the Beatles would later cover.
The most successful group was the Supremes around lead singer Diana Ross (centre), who had twelve number one hits in the 1960s, including “Baby Love”, “Stop! In the Name of Love”, “I Hear a Symphony”. “, “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”.

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