So funky, so soulful. One of my favorite parts is the "aaah, baby!" he does up top.
The Playlist Special: Top Artists Pick Their Personal Top 10
Smokey Robinson: Marvin Gaye
"Marvin was always late to sessions," recalls Robinson, Gaye's old friend. "But it didn't matter: You'd play a song once and he'd sing it like he wrote it."
Listen: Smokey Robinson's Top Marvin Gaye Songs
-
1."Let's Get It On" | Marvin Gaye, 1973
-
2."Try It Baby" | Marvin Gaye, 1964
I like the subject – you're with somebody when they got nothing, now they have everything and they're too good for you.
-
3."How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) - Album Version (Stereo)" | Marvin Gaye, 1964
The melody is so unforgettable, even people who can't sing can sing it. Holland-Dozier-Holland were some of the greatest songwriters of all time.
-
4."Sexual Healing" | Marvin Gaye, 1982
Marvin went to Belgium to dry out from drugs, and when I saw him later he'd started running and making music. What a comeback.
-
5."What's Going On" | Marvin Gaye, 1971
I remember visiting Marvin at home when he was working on this LP. He was at the piano, saying, "Smoke, God is writing this album, he's sending me these songs."
-
6."I Heard It Through The Grapevine" | Marvin Gaye, 1968
The Miracles were the first to record this, and Gladys Knight had a huge hit with it, but Marvin made it haunting from the first note.
-
7."You're All I Need To Get By" | Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, 1968
I heard this in a Motown meeting. Everybody raised their hand saying it was a smash hit.
-
8."That's The Way Love Is " | Marvin Gaye, 1969
It's one of those songs where you could go anywhere in the world and people will sing along.
