What's Going On (album)

Marvin Gaye made a famous music album.

It is called What's Going On. The songs tell a story. They show life through the eyes of a soldier.

He sang about many things. He sang about the earth and its nature. He also sang about people being treated poorly.

Marvin Gaye worked hard on his songs. He even helped lead the music making. This helped him show his own ideas.

Many people think this is a great album. It is still loved today. Music can help us understand the world.

Marvin Gaye made a famous music album. It is called What's Going On.

This album is a concept album. That means the songs tell a single story. The songs follow a soldier coming home from the Vietnam War. He sees many hard things in his country. He sings about poverty and how people treat each other. He even sings about nature and the earth.

Gaye worked very hard on this music. He was the first to lead the making of his own albums. He worked with skilled musicians called the Funk Brothers.

Some people at his record company did not like his new sound. They thought his songs were too different. But the music became a huge hit. The title song reached number one on the soul charts. Many people now call this one of the greatest albums ever made. It changed how soul music could be used to talk about the world. It is a landmark in music history.

Marvin Gaye created a legendary music album called *What's Going On*.

This record is a concept album, which means the songs work together to tell a story. The songs follow the perspective of a veteran returning from the Vietnam War. As he travels through his home country, he witnesses many difficult things. He sings about poverty, drug use, and the suffering caused by war. He also sings about protecting nature in the song "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)." People often call this album a landmark in popular music.

Making the album was a very special process for Gaye. It was the first time he was credited as the producer. This means he had much more control over how the music sounded. He worked with talented musicians known as the Funk Brothers. Some of these musicians, like bassist James Jamerson, even recorded their parts while sitting on the floor.

During the recording, a happy accident happened with the vocals. Engineers Steve Smith and Kenneth Sands accidentally mixed two different vocal takes together. Gaye loved this new sound and decided to use it for the whole album.

The ideas for the album came from many places in Gaye's life. He was deeply affected by the Vietnam War and letters from his brother, Frankie. He also felt moved by social changes happening in the United States. A singer named Renaldo "Obie" Benson helped spark these ideas. Benson had seen violence during a protest in Berkeley, California. He shared a song about wanting to understand the world with Gaye. Gaye then added his own melodies and lyrics to make the story feel even more real.

Gaye recorded the music in several different studios between 1970 and 1971. These included Hitsville U.S.A. and United Sound Studios in Detroit. He also used The Sound Factory in West Hollywood, California. The album was released by Tamla, a label owned by Motown Records. Even though some leaders at Motown were worried the music was too different, it became a massive success. The title track reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It also stayed at number one on the Soul Singles chart for five weeks.

Today, many people see this album as a masterpiece of soul music. Music historians study it as a very important part of the 1970s. In 1985, writers at the British magazine *NME* voted it the best album of all time. More recently, *Rolling Stone* magazine listed it as the greatest album ever made in 2020 and 2023. It showed the world that soul music could be used to talk about serious things. Gaye proved that a singer could use their voice to share important messages about the world.

*What's Going On* is the eleventh studio album by the American soul singer Marvin Gaye.

Released on May 21, 1971, by the Tamla label, it is a landmark of 1970s soul music. The album is a concept album, meaning the songs are connected to tell a single narrative. This narrative is told from the perspective of a Vietnam War veteran. As the character returns home, he witnesses injustice, poverty, and suffering. The album is often described as a song cycle because the tracks segue into one another to create a continuous experience.

The creation of the album involved a unique recording process. It was the first time Gaye was officially credited as the producer. This gave him significant control over the musical direction. He recorded sessions between 1970 and 1971 at several locations. These included Hitsville U.S.A. and United Sound Studios in Detroit, as well as The Sound Factory in West Hollywood.

Gaye worked with the Funk Brothers, who were Motown's famous in-house session musicians. However, he also brought in his own recruits to achieve a specific sound.

Several technical and creative accidents shaped the final sound. During the recording, engineers Steve Smith and Kenneth Sands accidentally mixed two different lead vocal takes together. Gaye heard the result and loved the multi-layered effect. He decided to use this technique for the entire album. Another example was a saxophone riff by Eli Fontaine. Fontaine was originally just "goofing around" during a demo, but Gaye found the riff to be the perfect opening for the title track. Even the bassist, James Jamerson, had a unique session. Because he could not sit properly in his seat, he performed his bass riffs while sitting on the floor.

The themes of the album were deeply personal and social. Gaye was influenced by the Vietnam War and letters from his brother, Frankie, regarding the treatment of veterans.

He was also moved by social unrest, such as the 1965 Watts riots. A fellow singer, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, provided a major spark for the project. Benson had witnessed police violence against protesters in Berkeley, California. He shared a song with Gaye that focused on the question of "what's going on" in the world. Gaye then added his own melodies and lyrics to enrich the story.

Before the album's success, Gaye faced significant personal and professional struggles. He dealt with the death of his singing partner, Tammi Terrell, from a brain tumor in 1970. He also faced issues with drug dependency and struggles with Motown Records. Gaye felt like a "puppet" for the label and wanted to use his own mind. He even briefly pursued a career in professional football with the Detroit Lions. This period of seclusion saw him change his image, growing a beard and wearing sweatsuits instead of formal attire.

Motown executives were initially skeptical of the album's direction. Berry Gordy, the head of Motown, reportedly disliked the title track. He feared the jazz-influenced sound and political themes would alienate Gaye's mainstream audience. However, Motown executive Harry Balk and sales executive Barney Ales helped release the single without Gordy's immediate knowledge. The title track became a massive hit, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It also held the number one spot on the Billboard Soul Singles chart for five consecutive weeks.

The commercial success of the single changed Gaye's relationship with his label. After the song's success, Gordy gave Gaye the right to produce his own albums. This allowed Gaye to record the rest of the album in just ten business days. *What's Going On* stayed on the Billboard Top LPs chart for over a year. It was Gaye's second number-one album on the Soul LPs chart, where it stayed at the top for nine weeks. The album also produced other top ten hits, including "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)."

Music historians regard the album as a vital development in progressive soul. It is frequently cited as one of the greatest musical achievements in history. In 1985, the British publication *NME* voted it the best album of all time. More recently, *Rolling Stone* magazine listed it as the greatest album of all time in both its 2020 and 2023 revisions. The album remains significant for how it used popular music to promote awareness of ecological issues and social justice.