Thursday, March 27, 2008

What is your favorite Stevie Wonder song?



Do you know what the mark of a truly great artist is? When you routinely find yourself changing your mind when it comes to pinpointing what exactly your favorite song by that artist is - its an indecisiveness in my life usually reserved for the types of deviant pornography I finally decide to "rub one out" to before starting my day. When I stumbled upon this 1975 grammy performance where he delivers a rather infectious "You haven't done nothing" - it automatically moved "As" out of my top spot, even though the hook on "Too High" is a force to be reckoned with, thus making it a rather formidable opponent in the weeks to come. Stevie Wonder is hands down my favorite artist of all time, and despite his 40 years worth of blessing all of us with ear-pleasing melodious mission statements of Love and Hope - his musical brilliance is to blame for my intolerance of subpar artistry. Being a fan of a man whose work ethic and perfectionism is second to none, who has a "go big or go home" aspect to creating songs - every time I hear an MC give a less than spirited 16 bars, I sincerely want he/she to euthanize themselves with an extremely dull butter-knife. Every time I hear Missy Elliot come out the same fucking song year after year, it makes me ashamed that I hail from the same state that she does - and that's saying a lot, with Pat Robertson being my neighbor and all. Even though black men are an endangered species, when my ear openings are breached by these minstrel show rappers that only appeal to black folks who I would immediately give up if I was ever captured in a race war - I want all of those motherfuckers to miraculously disappear, Jimmy Hoffa style. Stevie, YOU did this to me!!!

I was wondering, what is your favorite Stevie Wonder song?

28 comments:

  1. My favorite song of the moment is "Master Blaster (Jammin'). My mother had "Hotter Than July" and I'm sure I burned new grooves in it.

    Peace.

    ReplyDelete
  2. One?

    How 'bout three--in no particular order:

    1) Boogie on Reggae Woman
    2) Superwoman
    3) Get it (just cause its on heavy rotation in my latest 70/80's fusion funk mid-tempo mix)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I loved Stevie since childhood. I can't give one. Here's five-in no particular order
    -Creepin'
    -Another Star
    -As If You Read My Mind
    -Ordinary Pain
    -Too High

    ReplyDelete
  4. Very hard question, come on Mr. H. F. Critic, you know NOBODY can really answer this with ONE song.

    I'd have to say...

    * Summer Soft
    * Golden Lady
    * Ordinary Pain
    * You are the sunshine of my life

    In that order.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's a really great video, btw too. Have you seen the video of him singing at Luther Vandross' funeral? Pretty amazing.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dpkGnkvmgI

    He's aged now and lost some of his range, but his voice is as moving as it ever was.

    I definitely think of Stevie Wonder as an artist up there with any of the American greats. In many other countries in the world his face would already be on their currency.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous6:44 AM

    I can't pick just one. My favorites are "Golden Lady" and "Every beat of my heart"( I think that is the title).

    Please stop referring to black men as a endangered species. You all are far from it. Targeted yes. Endangered no.

    ReplyDelete
  7. just one?? I can't, I just can't...

    "some" of my favorites, off the top of my head:

    I Was Made to Love Her
    Yester-me Yester-you Yesterday
    Living for the City
    Lately (damn...that's my JAM!)
    With Each Beat of My Heart

    okay...I think five is enough for now LOL

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous10:49 AM

    You take the thoughts right out of my own head whenever you post something like this. Nice to know my music snobbery is shared by others. How about:

    Village Ghetto Land
    Do I do
    Never dreamed you leave in Summer
    Hey Love

    ReplyDelete
  9. in no particular order, honestly too many to change......

    Golden Lady
    My Cherie Amor
    Pastime Paradise
    Isn't She Lovely

    ReplyDelete
  10. It's hard to choose, but I'm going to stick with "Living For The City." The skit in the middle is classic and innovative, and it predates the dime-a-dozen skits that are now in music.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Rocket Love.

    "you dropped my black ass down to this cold, cold world"

    "i wouldn't do that to a dog."

    i love it.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Do you know what the mark of a truly great artist is? When you routinely find yourself changing your mind when it comes to pinpointing what exactly your favorite song by that artist is - its an indecisiveness in my life usually reserved for the types of deviant pornography I finally decide to "rub one out" to before starting my day.


    I agree and pwahahahahahahahaa!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous6:42 PM

    three way-tie: Don't you worry 'bout at thing ~ Overjoyed ~ All I Do

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dang...I've felt the EXACT SAME WAY, however, years ago, I figured out which Stevie song was my favorite of his...of ALL songs I've heard, and it's Do I Do. It is an infectious song that I absolutely can not feel bad whenever I'm listening to it. My favorite song ever.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Too many to name...

    Isn't she loveley
    Overjoyed
    Ribbon in the sky
    Do I do
    Paradise

    What a good idea to reflect on some Stevie. I love him!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have too many. I love Stevie.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I have too many. I love Stevie.

    ReplyDelete
  18. "ALL I DO" {is think about you}

    ReplyDelete
  19. I guess if I had to narrow it down to one it would be "Always" but catc me on a nother day and I would probably give you a diffrent answer..

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous12:04 PM

    Look, the man said give 'im ONE, and so make it one! The whole point of his post is that if asked tomorrow it would be different, but if you give more than one, you're defeating the whole purpose of being forced to choose!

    Superwoman. (Today.)

    ReplyDelete
  21. That Girl
    All I Do
    Do I Do

    ReplyDelete
  22. "All Day Sucker"

    "Superwoman"

    "Boogie on Reggae Woman"

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous5:54 AM

    Summer Soft
    chronwell08

    ReplyDelete
  24. "As" and "Living for the City"

    He simple does not get enough credit as a songwriter. The man is a genius.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Theres too many!

    "As"
    "Another Star" (I think thats what its called)
    "Golden Lady"
    "Higher Ground"
    "Never Dreamed Youd Leave in Summer"

    and the "Woman in Red" soundtrack wasnt all bad either.

    L

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous9:19 PM

    Es Un Historia

    i can not listen to that song and be upset.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Never dreamed you'd leave in summer
    My cherie amour
    Ribbon in the sky

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hey Love, I used it as the song to my bride at our wedding.

    ReplyDelete