719 Marvin Gaye (1939-1984) “How Sweet It Is (to be Loved By You)” 1964

“Ford’s assembly line influenced the son of a black transplant from the Georgia cotton fields. That boy, born in 1929, was named Berry Gordy, and he would in 1959 establish Motown Records Corporation, which became one of the most successful black businesses in the nation. Gordy modeled his company’s philosophy of producing records on Ford’s methods of producing cars. Motown also shaped the musical tastes of millions of Americans with its bright melodies, upbeat lyrics, and crossover ambitions. It wanted to sell the beauty and brilliance of the black voice to white America” (Michael E. Dyson, Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye, 2004). 

Marvin Gaye “How Sweet It Is”