Items12The creator’s order
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Signed, Sealed & Delivered (1970)Released Jan 1, 1970Pop hooks
The title song has the shape of a quick apology and the energy of a party. Wonder sings the promise in short bursts, leaving space for the backing voices to answer. He wrote it with Syreeta Wright, Lee Garrett, and Lula Mae Hardaway.0 - 2
Where I'm Coming From (1971)Released Jan 1, 1971Breakup ballads
In “Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer,” Wonder and co-writer Syreeta Wright let the seasons mark the distance between what the singer expected and what happened. Wonder sounds more startled than angry, even as the arrangement swells around him.0 - 3
Music of My Mind (1972)Released Jan 1, 1972Songs in two parts
“Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)” opens by introducing Mary. The second part shifts to his own sense of abandonment. Listen for the shimmering synthesizer tones as the song changes its point of view.0 - 4
Talking Book (1972)Released Jan 1, 1972Funk built from a riff
The Clavinet figure in “Superstition” gives you both the hook and the rhythm before Wonder even starts to sing. Try following the gaps in that figure against the drums and the later horn hits. The groove keeps answering the vocal, even between lines.0 - 5
Innervisions (1973)Released Jan 1, 1973Character and scene
“Living for the City” follows a young man from Mississippi to New York. The sung narrative gives way to a spoken scene that takes him from arrival to arrest and sentencing. When Wonder starts singing again, the rasp in his voice carries the story forward.0 - 6
Fulfillingness’ First FinalePolitical satire
On “You Haven’t Done Nothin’,” Wonder gives a blunt complaint a chorus the Jackson 5 can answer with nonsense syllables. That little exchange makes the brush-off funny and sharp. The slow, spare piano of “They Won’t Go When I Go” shows how differently he can write about judgment…0 - 7
Songs in the Key of Life (1976)Released Sep 28, 1976Arrangements that tell a story
On “Sir Duke,” the horns celebrate the jazz musicians Wonder names in the lyric. On “Village Ghetto Land,” the stately sound of synthesized strings sits uneasily against scenes of deprivation. Play the two back to back to hear an arrangement agree with a lyric, then…0 - 8
Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants (1992)Released Jan 1, 1992A melody in two settings
Wonder wrote this music for a documentary about plants. The album first introduces “Send One Your Love” as an instrumental, then brings it back with lyrics. Hearing the tune on its own makes it easier to notice how much of the feeling is already in the melody.0 - 9
Hotter Than July (1980)Released Jan 1, 1980Songs people can join in on
“Happy Birthday” gave the campaign for a federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. a chorus anyone could pick up. On the same album, “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” honors Bob Marley with a reggae groove. Both songs put the invitation to join in right at the center.0 - 10
In Square Circle (1985)Released Jan 1, 1985Sound effects as percussion
“Overjoyed” builds a love ballad around piano and small sounds that include birds, crickets, and pebbles in water. Their uneven little accents give the singing room to breathe. Put on “Part-Time Lover” afterward for the rush of a much more tightly paced pop song.0
