Motown’s Mastermind: Berry Gordy’s Unstoppable Vision
Berry Gordy is the man behind the legendary record label Motown, arguably one of the greatest contributors to American and global popular culture.
He became obsessed with songwriting at just seven years old. This early focus on tunes—what people sang and danced along to—became the secret behind his unparalleled success.
During the ’50s, Berry faced several setbacks. He joined the army, worked on a car production line, and opened a jazz record shop—which eventually failed as rhythm and blues emerged and took over.
Determined to succeed, Berry learned from his mistakes and had the vision to apply the assembly-line model of car manufacturing to music production.
He knew songwriters made money, and that the right records—with great tunes—would sell. So in 1959, he founded an R&B record label with a bold concept: house band, studio, singers, and record label—all under one roof, operating like a hit-making factory.
The company went by several names but came to be known to the world as Motown.
Gordy’s legacy is so massive it’s impossible to summarise in a few words, but here’s a glimpse:
Berry Gordy discovered, signed, and released records with these twelve iconic artists and vocal groups:
- Jackie Wilson
- Lionel Richie
- Martha and The Vandellas
- Tammi Terrell
- Marvin Gaye
- Smokey Robinson
- Mary Wells
- Michael Jackson
- Stevie Wonder
- Four Tops
- The Supremes
- The Temptations
That’s a pretty impressive list…
Remember how Berry knew the secret to his success was the song—the tune—and what people would sing and dance along to?
Here are just 20 of the timeless hits he helped release:
- Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell)
- Can I Get A Witness (Marvin Gaye)
- Dancing In The Street (Martha And The Vandellas)
- Easy (The Commodores)
- Get Ready (The Temptations)
- Hello (Lionel Richie)
- I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Marvin Gaye)
- I Want You Back (Jackson 5)
- I Wish (Stevie Wonder)
- Jimmy Mack (Martha And The Vandellas)
- Master Blaster (Jammin’) (Stevie Wonder)
- My Girl (The Temptations)
- My Guy (Mary Wells)
- Nowhere To Run (Martha And The Vandellas)
- Papa Was A Rolling Stone (The Temptations)
- Reach Out (I’ll Be There) (The Four Tops)
- Superstition (Stevie Wonder)
- The Tears Of A Clown (Smokey Robinson)
- What’s Going On (Marvin Gaye)
- You Can’t Hurry Love (The Supremes)
Berry even wrote a couple of hits himself—Money (That’s What I Want) with Barrett Strong, and Do You Love Me for The Contours.
Looks like his idea of a music production line, modelled on the car factory, really could create timeless tunes.
Berry Gordy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
Berry Gordy Tunes | Related Pages
Do You Love Me | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Do You Love Me by The Contours using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| F | Bb | C | Dm |
You broke my heart, ‘cause I couldn’t dance, you didn’t even want me around…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Do You Love Me – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
I’ll Be There | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play I’ll Be There by The Jackson 5 using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| F | C/E | Dm Dm/C | Am |
You and I must make a pact, we must bring salvation back…
Start learning with the full lesson series: I’ll Be There – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Money (That’s What I Want) | Chords + TAB
Learn how to play Money (That’s What I Want) by Barrett Strong using chords, lyrics, a chord chart, a backing track, and Spytunes video guitar lessons
| F N.C | N.C Bb C |
The best things in life are free…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Money (That’s What I Want) – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Berry Gordy on the web
