Motown, named in honor of hometown Detroit’s nickname “The Motor City”, was incorporated on January 12, 1959 as Tamla Records. Arguably the most significant player in the racial integration of popular music, it was the first record label owned by an African American, Berry Gordy, Jr. Its elite crossover success banished the idea of “race records” through a distinctively smooth blend of R&B and pop – the emphasis being on pop. Motown eschewed the raw soul of contemporaries such as Stax. Many of Motown’s flagship artists, raised in the Detroit projects, were given an extensive polish in the areas of grooming, etiquette and choreography. Acts were advised to behave like royalty. Their sophistication proved a ticket to a wider audience and ultimately cemented black music into mainstream culture. The label crafted such an instantly recognizable sound that “Motown” rose above mere label into a style unto itself – which Gordy dubbed “The Sound of Young America”. The lush, elaborate instrumentation of the Funk Brothers and the gifted Brill Building-esque team of songwriters, such as Holland-Dozier-Holland, conjuring gem after gem with assembly-line precision were invaluable weapons in Motown’s pop arsenal. Motown’s triumphs put the Detroit, Michigan business on the map and made it the most powerful independent in the recording industry. The Motown sound was ubiquitous throughout the 60s, consistently strong in the face of stiff competition from the British Invasion.

Berry Gordy, Jr. got his start as a songsmith for the Motor City’s Jackie Wilson but soon realized that the more lucrative end of the business was in producing and retaining royalties. Fellow songwriter Billy Davis and Gordy’s sisters, Gwen and Anna, started Anna Records and hoped to install Berry as company president. Instead Gordy struck out on his own with an $800 family loan and founded Tamla (after then-hit song “Tammy”) . His first signed act was The Matadors. He renamed them The Miracles and lead singer (and soon major Motown songwriter) Smokey Robinson became vice president of the fledgling label. Gordy purchased a former photography studio and converted it into Hitsville U.S.A, Motown’s headquarters until a 1968 expansion, then the 1972 corporation-wide migration to Los Angeles. Tamla-Motown’s earliest hits were Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)”, The Miracle’s “Shop Around” – Motown’s first million-seller – and The Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman”.

Motown exploded in the next decade. From 1961 to 1971, the label had 110 Top Ten hits with signature artists Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Martha & the Vandellas, Gladys Knight and the Jackson 5. Many of these young artists conquered the international pop world through an annual package tour, the Motortown Revue. “The Sound of Young America” became world famous shorthand for the coveted, youthful American lifestyle.

At the dawn of the 70s, Motown gradually broke away from their established formulas. Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder took greater artistic control of their own music, infusing songs with their unique personalities and shattering the Motown blueprint with full length masterpieces. Motown also diversified, joining the film industry to promote multi-faceted diva Diana Ross. During the course of the decade, while still successful through newer acts Rick James and The Commodores, Motown became less of the force it had been during its golden age. It remained an independent label until 1988 when Berry Gordy sold it to MCA. Today, Motown is yet another business under the Universal Music Group umbrella.

“Fingertips” by Little Stevie Wonder
The Four Tops - “Reach Out I’ll Be There”
The Temptations - “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”
Michael Jackson’s audition for Motown

Classic Motown.com
Motown Historical Museum
Motown Memories on soulwalking.co.uk
NPR: Motown, Not the Same Old Songs
PBS Guide to Motown
Motown-Related Labels