Songs In The Key Of Life

can't imagine giving this anything but a 5

Good. Long album

was dazu noch sagen? es ist zwar extrem lang und manche songs sind sehr sehr lang aber wenn man ready dafür ist und die zeit dabei hat ist es so eine erleuchtung, es ist so joy filled irgendwie essence von wofür musik da ist

Songs In The Key Of Life combines Funk, Soul, Jazz, and Pop into one record! One of the greatest records to exist that is! It's an insanely good album and probably Stevie Wonder's best! The musicianship and socially aware lyrics are some of the best things about this album! It's truly amazing!

Review - this is a real 10/10 album. So many genres, so many synth sounds bass lines or horn parts that aren't the sort of thing anyone else would do. Even the songs that I don't think of as bangers like Ordinary Pain will hit a chorus or bridge that's (not to be too dramatic about it) transcendental. Some all timer songs her: Sir Duke, Isn't She Lovely?, As, Knocks Me Off My Feet. But I feel that someone coming in who's never heard it will also find that the deep cuts are incredible. To be honest the week points are the songs that have gone on to be heavily sampled in my opinion. A lot of other Stevie Wonder golden era albums should be on this list I think, like Talking Book. But if you had to pick one to be a representative example of his best work, you couldn't do better than this. Score - 10/10 Need to listen? YES

Ok Stevie, you broke me. I’ve been giving this a 4 because it, like Prince’s Sign O’ The Times, is TOO LONG. I get that you had a lot to say. But I really don’t like double albums. Today though, I was actually sad when it ended. I’ve come to really know this whole dang album over the years. And now because of the project, well… 5 - isn’t she lovely Boolean: True

I already knew most of the songs while I was discovering this album !

bought this album on cd for my parents anniversary a million years ago. it brings back the best memories. stevie wonder is a legend. the more you listen to his work the more you hear his influences on so many other artists music.

Well people say its one of the best records of all time and of course it is. The 70s was Stevies playground. We were living in his world. Songs in the key of life is the thesis statement to that claim. Its incredible. Front to back. Back to front. Side to side. Doesn't matter what angle you attack this at its damn near perfection. I was a little worried after like 2 or 3 songs I wasn't blinded by the raw power but after that i got the best song ever followed by the best song ever and so on. That first half is just about perfect. Those first couple songs not perfect but very good. Then into the 2nd disk it starts off more of the same. Isn't she lovely is so sweet. My only nit pick is there are a few too many long songs that I just cant fully enjoy for 8 minutes straight. Still cool songs just tougher listens for my low attention span ass. Thats so minor though. Its so great dude. I cant sing the praises enough. So ill just end with a little personal aside. When I was in the 6th grade I had to be in the school choir. We did a competition at the end of the year and our director picked two songs for us to sing. The fun cool one, some shit from highschool musical. And sir Duke. And even as a ornery preteen angry I had to sing at all I saw how good that song was. Way better pick than we're soaring flying dadada... Very cool to be exposed to that then and to finally hear it in context now. One of the best records out for sure. They are jot exaggerating even a little bit

Ok

One of the greatest. Cannot be less than 5.

So much that is good included in this double album package. Of course there’s the well known singles but so many fantastic deep cuts make this a definite career highlight for Wonder.

Couple good tunes. Not as.good as some other albums.

Kind of an odd coincidence I had Ray Charles yesterday. Is it possible to listen to Stevie and be in a bad mood? This album is incredible. He is incredible

Would have been a 5 if it wasn't so long.

This is an album that is perfect despite itself. It’s rarely reasonable to listen to an album front to back that’s 104 minutes long. There are several songs that sound the same. There are some songs here that you’ve heard a billion times at the grocery store. It’s almost these factors that make Songs In The Key Of Life so incredible. It’s remarkably ambitious: I’ve never read about the making of it but I’m sure there were people advising against making such a long record. An issue for many double albums is that it’s too easy to lose the listener after a certain amount of time, but SITKOL is so beautiful from beginning to end it just never outstays its welcome. You just want it to keep going. I’m not sure I can say that about even my favorite double albums. Stevie is in top form all the way through, from the singing, piano playing, harmonica (some of the best ever here), the songwriting: it’s the ultimate showcase of his genius. I don’t come back to this album often because it’s so long and I’m stubborn about listening to albums all the way through… but it was great to listen to this all timer again today.

This was a tough one because it’s an exceptional album. It has at LEAST 7 or 8 BANGERS. But it’s a long double album with a few songs here and there which I wasn’t THAT into. Feels harsh, but going with 4. But a HIGH 4.

I'm more and more englighted with each listen. I didn't get into it the first time, I think more than 10 years ago. Today I realized the masterpiece it is. Of course the best Stevie Wonder, but probably the pinacle of funk music. A beautiful, sincere, masterfully crafted album, with a lot of classics.

Honestly, I thought giving this album 5 stars would be a bit cliche. Thus I initially settled for a somewhat lower anchor point before starting the album for the first time today. But I listened to 17 songs now (twice actually) and NOT ONE of them was bad, NOT ONE was mediocre or dull or forgettable. EVERY song was a goddamn masterpiece in its own right and demonstrated a degree of musicianship and compositional brilliance rarely achieved in any century. A milestone cultural achievement for humanity. So cliche or not: this album deserves 5 stars. Period

Clearly class and mostly magnificent, apart from the vomit inducing 'Isn't She Lovely' obviously.

Yeah, its pretty hard to find a criticism for this. Smooooooth and delicious the whole way through. A bit earnest for me but I'm a 2026 Brit not a 1976 American so that's hardly Steve's fault.

Pretty peak

so classic I hadn’t heard everything on it in a full listen but I actually listened to the album like 3 times it was really nice 8.89/10

I don't know how to even comment on this - I know its a classic, some songs that were album cuts really resonated with me - others could feel like filler (?). The background skits/baby noises could become super annoying. Keen to listen more and over more than 1 day.

my puny gen z brain couldn't comprehend the runtime of this album but the energetic production and impressive performances throughout really kept it interesting from start to finish. disc 1 is fantastic and my attention only waned in disc 2 because i started work, but i would still occasionally find myself noticing a section and thinking ´nice'

Some good stuff but some pretty poor stuff too. I remember disliking 'Isn't She Lovely' when we did it in Year 7 or 8 music and I don't like it now. 'Sir Duke' is excellent.

There's some very good songs here but unfortunately the album is way too long and gets diluted by mediocre songs. I don't really get the hype.

favs: love’s in the need of love today sir duke i wish pastime paradise isn’t she lovely as ebony eyes all day sucker rating 1.9/5

"Songs" is always good a good listen. i heard it many times before.

Is this just an absolutely exceptional collection of amazing songs. Wow this guy is just ultra talented. He can make catchy pop songs, scathing political songs, blues songs, soul songs, all with beautiful rhythms and a very smooth voice. A double album yet little felt like filler. This album deserves all the accolades that it gets.

Classic. His best. One of my favorite alblums. Love Sir Duke and I Wish

I was never a big Stevie Wonder fan. This album was a little wishy-washy for me, but there are a couple good songs like I wish and Sir Duke.

Clearly THE Stevie Wonder album

‘As’ might just be the greatest song of all time. This album is a big part of why life on Earth is pretty fucking amazing. I give it 12 million stars x infinity.

Good album with a lot of cool songs. Really interesting harmonization and instrumentation. Worth a revisit someday I’m sure. 7/10

The highs are incredible high.

This album has so many great songs

One of the best

I’ve never been big on Stevie Wonder..I would try this again because clearly I haven’t given his music enough of a serious listen.

Probably the greatest collection of music anyone has ever put together. Impossible to overrate. 6/5 and whatever the other 5 star albums end up being are gonna pale in comparison

Greatest album of all time

A classic. Jamiroquai owes a huge debt to him. Everything I've heard from them sounds ripped straight from Stevie Wonder.

Was looking forward to pulling this and it lived up to the hype, Stevie's 70s career is a blessing. Sir Duke is my favorite track overall, of ones I didn't hear before I liked Another Star a lot

His masterpiece.

Grande álbum, grande início. Disco 1 combina muito com dias ensolarados, manhãs de final de semana em casa, passeios de carro com família. Disco 2 é absolutamente completo, qualquer ocasião.

I mean, it's perfect. So soulful and funky and cool and fun. Really hard to write about because everybody has already sung all its praises. Joy Inside My Tears was my fav song and first listen. As and Ordinary Pain were my other highlights

Ordinarily my heart would sink at the prospect of a double album, wondering how I'll be able to stand ploughing through songs whose only purpose is to get to the next one. However, my heart did soar at this album, positively giddy over the prospect of spending a couple of hours in the company of a bona fide musical genius. You'll do well to find a weak track here - heck, it deserves 5 stars on the back of Sir Duke, I Wish and As alone, works of utter brilliance each one. The only one I could possibly have contention with is Isn't She Lovely - that veered uncomfortably close to cheesy - but I couldn't stay mad at that for long. For all its excellence, there is a message of mankind we would have done well to listen to back then, and it still resonates now. For me, Mr Wonder stands at the top of a very tall mountain of brilliant, wonderful artistes. Have 6 stars, sir. What do you mean, I can only give 5?? This is bull- (long rant censored)

Heard this one 👍

overrated imo

- Pastime Paradise

Very good Album. Most songs are bangers or just really nice to listen to.

After so many years, perhaps the thing which impresses me most about this album is how well-paced it is. For a double LP (and extra 45) of material, these songs are perfectly sequenced and never overstay their welcome. Every jam session is as long as it should be, every refrain arrives just when you need it, and the energy oscillates perfectly between fun, sadness, and romance. Sure, it probably helps that I knew nearly every song by heart—but that just speaks to the sheer timelessness of what Stevie accomplished here. I can clearly recall the first times I heard “Sir Duke,” “I Wish,” “Have a Talk With God,” and “Isn’t She Lovely,” and deeper songs like “Ghetto Village Land” and “Black Man” were shown to me by my dad as a means of learning how thematic music could be. Several “deep cuts” really stand out too: I love the jazz fusion on “Contusion,” the sudden breakdown in “Ordinary Pain,” the Latin outro of “Another Star,” and the improvisational fun of “Ebony Eyes.” The sheer, unrelenting love that pours through this record is unquantifiable. Easily one of the greatest albums ever made, but you knew that already. Fav Tracks: Love’s In Need of Love Today, Have a Talk With God, Contusion, Sir Duke, I Wish, Knocks Me Off My Feet, Ordinary Pain, Isn’t She Lovely, Joy Inside My Tears, Black Man, Ngiculela-Es Una Historia-I Am Singing, As, Another Star, Saturn, Ebony Eyes Least Fav: Summer Soft Score: 10

Every song is great!

A generational talent. What an amazing musician and songwriter.

It's so sad that I won't hear another album this good for the rest of the list :( ♾️/ 5

some of the best songs ever made are on this album . so its a five

Too long

Overall: 8/10 Another banger album from Stevie. Fun, funky and beautiful in so many ways, this album is a real treat. The one big issue for me is that some of the songs drag on, and there's SO many of them. But it doesn't even matter because Stevie knew how to write a good jam song. Fav Song: I Wish

Some bangers but simply too long

I thought the 90 minute runtime would be too much but this has to be close to the perfect 90 minutes of music. Such a fun joyous album with some of his greatest hits. Really amazing what he did during this 3 album cycle

Owned A perfect no notes masterpiece

Years ago, I came to the conclusion that 1976 was the best year in the history of music. It was the year when humanity's greatest creation (screw fire and the wheel) reached its evolutionary peak, and the starting point that led me to this conclusion was that monumental album known as *Songs in the Key of Life*—Stevie Wonder’s Holy Grail. Out of the 100 best songs of the 70s, at least five of them are right here on this album. The only downside to this album is that you NEED two hours of free time to listen to it. If you have an appointment scheduled in less than two hours and put this album on, you simply won't make it to that appointment—because *Songs in the Key of Life* is impossible to stop listening to. You’ll flip the two LPs over, and there’s even a 7-inch single included; before you know it—snapping back to reality—you find seven missed calls from your girlfriend, whom you left standing there waiting for you outside Wendy's... yeah.

Wow - not a bad song. Love the vibe. 5/5

untouchable

tranquilamente el mejor album de todos los tiempos

Long but without the fillers 10/10

Top

Nice, veel bangers en tijdloos

its so long but its so good 9/10 best song - have a talk with god

I’ll be honest, I saw a nearly 2 hour long double album and got nervous, but man does this album absolutely bang. It mixes it up enough that it continues to sound fresh from start to finish. I really had a blast with this one, and never once felt it was going on too long.

Magical ambience. Stevie is one of the greatest of our time. Glad to hear it's songs with him performing. Great album.

Curtis McNair should be a household name for designing and art-working a generation of Tamla’s sleeves, single handedly, and in doing so creating an identity for the label that many will be familiar with. Averaging 25 album covers in a year, plus who knows how many singles, on shoestring budgets, is quite an achievement. They’re not all great, but most are good, and as they clothed some of the best music ever made, some gained legendary status. This one included. https://baystatebanner.com/2008/12/18/the-man-behind-motowns-image/

That hour forty-five flew by. I had this double LP but haven’t listened to it in its entirety for years. Always loved I Wish and Sir Duke and Isn’t She Lovely, but man, what an album.

And just like that, we’re back on track! Stevie saves the day again! My second go around with one Stevland Morris on this site, and this time, it’s with what many consider to be his magnum opus. And until I go through the rest of his work, I’m inclined to agree, and not only that, but I also think that this may be one of the finest R&B albums of all time. Going in, I have listened to this whole album before, having thoroughly enjoyed it, but I feel like upon re-listen, it shines even brighter than it did the first time. The notable songs still hold up, and the deep cuts were brought back to my attention, with pretty much all of them being better than I remember. There’s a lot that I could say about this album, being seventeen tracks and around an hour and a half in length, but I’ll stick to the main things I enjoyed about this album. Firstly, the musicianship on this album is incredible. There were a whopping 130 people who worked to bring this album together, so I can’t necessarily give every performer their rightful dues, but there are some contributions I’ll highlight throughout the rest of the review. Stevie is an absolute powerhouse on this album, especially in his singing. His ability to go from a soft and gentle croon to a growling bluesman gives this album its dynamic power. One of my favorite vocal moments being his vocal runs at the end of Summer Soft, which make you just want to jump out of your seat and groove. Another performance I enjoy other than Wonder is Michael Sembello’s electric and funky guitar playing on the instrumental Contusion, a great jazz fusion song that doesn’t feel out of place on the album. Another reason I think this album is incredible is its lyrical content and overall mood. This album truly feels like a celebration of life, in all its ups and downs. It feels like it celebrates love, happiness, heartache, and all the things that it means to be human. The opening track, Love’s In Need Of Love Today, feels like a mission statement for the whole album, and brings you into this world and tells you that the world is in need of more love, a message that still resonates today. The album them continues through the other themes of life, such as religion(Have A Talk With God), music(Sir Duke, which has one of my favorite lines on the album, “But just because a record has a groove/Don’t make it in the groove”) and the future and past(Pastime Paradise), all to great effect. The aforementioned Summer Soft, my second standout, compares the rush of love to the sons, with Stevie’s piano and incredible vocals being the centerpiece. It then transitions through other themes, such as the birth of a child(Isn’t She Lovely) and racism(Black Man), before getting to one of my favorite three song runs on any album, If It’s Magic, As, and Another Star, my third, fourth, and fifth standout tracks. If It’s Magic gives us a calm look at the fragility of love with subtle harp playing by Dorothy Ashby, As gives us an incredible build up, using incredible imagery to show the depth of Stevie’s love, and finally, the latin groove Another Star, probably my favorite song on the album, ends the journey with a primal burst of power, the song breaking into drum groove before the song crashes into a climatic conclusion. I always said this song sounds like Mario Kart Music in the best way possible, it just has that infectious groove you could zip around Coconut Mall to, big props to the backing vocalists for making this song shine, along with Bobbi Humphrey’s flute playing. The album celebrates being alive through music that makes you want to be alive, it all just sounds like a sunny day, and I think that it is just an incredible piece of music. Now, I’m going reach for another star and hope for a last great album to cap off the summer.

I can understand how it's good its just really not for me.

No notes. I have an As tattoo. This really sets the standard for art and music and life

the greatest album of all time

One of the best albums of ALL time

Number of songs known going in : 2/17 favourite song : sir duke favourite new song : black man Nice background vibes notes: I did struggle with pastime paradise with how iconic gangstas paradise has been growing up in the 2000s. not super excited by all of them I find the really upbeat saxophone jazzy vibes coupled with its all going to shit if you grew up poor on the streets a little jarring in the case of village ghetto land. rating : 4/5

Apart from suffering the variability that comes with almost any double album, there's little to criticise here.

Really enjoyed this one, some real classics and a few sampled in songs that I am more familiar with. As with most double albums, I think a single disk would have made this ‘all thriller no filler’ but still a really good listen.

Unstoppable. The funk-jazz interludes are spellbinding and were a fresh delight. Contusion slaps.

The opener, good lord, it's just such a great, warm, beautiful album opener! And then it just keeps going, a a steamroller of an album full of great tracks. Obviously, Sir Duke and I Wish. Have a Talk with God. Pastime Paradise. Black Man is the kind of aggressive, driving, defiant, even angry rock song that only Stevie Wonder can make sound sunny and friendly. It's one of the all time great albums, without question.

Una cumbre indiscutible del soul, el funk y la música universal que ha envejecido bien como el testimonio definitivo de plenitud creativa y humanismo sónico. En el plano de diseño formal, la producción de Stevie Wonder logra un entretejido que da claridad a una escala instrumental colosal, articulando el uso pionero de sintetizadores polifónicos, metales cortantes, cuerdas y polirritmias con una nitidez y un balance dinámico asombrosos. La entrega de Wonder despliega una fuerza y calidez inagotables que transmiten una autenticidad desarmante, consagrando su autoridad superior mediante un dominio técnico y una pasión interpretativa sin igual. Himnos de júbilo contagioso como la precisión de "Sir Duke" y el pulso rítmico de "I Wish" se entrelazan con la ternura de "Isn't She Lovely" y la densidad reflexiva de "Pastime Paradise", "Village Ghetto Land" y la monumental "As", configurando un documento conmovedor, crudo y real que opera como un sutil llamado a la conciencia sobre las fracturas sociales, el amor y la dignidad humana. Una obra monumental cuya cadencia envolvente y constante sensación de paz y fluidez la vuelven sumamente versátil para múltiples usos, destacando como un catalizador extraordinario para acompañar el ejercicio, la conducción o potenciar el trabajo creativo.

I've been thinking between 4 and 5, but needed that only one more song probably ha-ha. Still this one is very-very good

This is a realy good album but not my cup of tea

A classic! Vocal performances unreal, some weird bold arrangement choices that work. Some huge tunes, and some weird little b-sides

Halfway through the record. Atleast a 4 but im feeling a 5 Easiest 5 stars of my life, so full of life and melodies and passion and love

Just when you start thinking this one's overrated it hits you with the Sir Duke-I Wish 2x combo

Wonderful album from stevie

whole other level... full of spirit

Masterpiece obviously, but just not quite my vibe. Too happy. Solid 8.

It’s only taken me 50 years to listen to this album in full (exactly why I needed this project) despite hearing many times how influential it was for its time. A transition piece marking the move from child to adult performer and a showcase of pure talent. Stand out for me ‘As’ … absolutely love the energy.

han scho laaaang uf das füfi gwartet. die erste paar songs bis pastime paradise hani bim scopa spiele mit de francesca glost und afoch nur gnosse oooooh mein gott stevie. er het so so viel melodie i sich gha. nöd okay. vorallem ischs crazy wies irgendwie en eigene sound het aber s folgt alles de melodie immer. ich find lustigerwiis d production und d songstrukture (do sinds afoch z lang) uf anderne albe um welte besser aber er het so viel gueti songs uf eim album do. sir duke oooh mein gott, i wish perfekte groove, love's in need of love soo gueti melodie. knocks me off my feet isch so e befriedigendi kadenz. village ghetto land het riese gsellschaftlichi ambitione, chunt vlt nöd ganz döt ane wos will aber s isch trotzdem de hammer. sunmer soft isch für mich de erst woni amel chli vergiss, aber au suuuper smooth und soo so guet gspielt. do findi s arrangment zimli perfekt. ich vergiss immer ordinary pain und s isch soooo so so so guet ooooh mein goooott. oh mein gott de song isch insane. ah stimmt de hochi stimm time. isch das er? uf chillo singt d minnie riperton mit norml. er isch sich konstant am überbüüte. isn't she lovely. willsch mi zieh. ich has scho so viel glost und bin jedesmol baff ab de songs. de song gits doch scho immer? da isch son ewige? ja ich han spass. song so lang aber es isch isn't she lovely. kei ahnig er isch papi worde und het e schissfreud. mer ghört wie sis baby badet. joy inside my tears wär uf jedem andere album so DIE ballade aber do ischs en normale song. lieb de #9 chord als turnaround (glaub?). ich weiss no woni das album s letstmol glost han hani black man so krass gfunde. und ich find etz de afang vom groove wieder insane. mensche red sege isch hüt etz vlt nüme de move aber de song het mega gueti intwntione und wie tight sind die blöser mit dene synths bitte? gebemer ihm de? bin nöd d person wo entscheidet obmer da dörf. ngicuela isch sochli de deepcut. chli de lowpoint. As isch defür definitiv en höhepunkt. d akkörd wie s ufbaut uf de refrain afoch perfekti melodiefüehrig und de turbaround zrugg id strophe und wie er siiiingt oooh mein gott mann. d drums fuuuck me. ah es isch nöd er ade drums! ich find ihn en guete drummer aber do isch perfekt eso fuuck es wird tschuttet.

Great album. A few songs get a little too noodle-y and go on to long at the end. "Saturn" (where you live to be 205?) is a place where even Stevie's genius is outdone by his ambition. Seriously, what the hell was that? Those are the quibbles. Otherwise, it's fantastic. Love all the classics on it. Love most of the dep tracks (especially "Black Man"). Great stuff.

Fantastic. Genre-defining and full of that sweet Motown.

How can you not love this album?! And that’s coming from someone who typically despises long albums. Yet with Mr. Wonder, I’d listen over and over again.

Unique instrumentation that fitted well with the lyrics. Nice breath of fresh air.

Echt crazy hoe consistent dit album is voor de lengte

Zoals ik al eens eerder heb aangegeven op de lijst, ligt bij mij de lat voor het verantwoorden van een dubbelalbum heel hoog. Op Songs In The Key Of Life springt Stevie Wonder, zonder aanloop, een aantal meter over deze lat heen. Dit staat meer dan terecht bekend als één van de beste platen ooit. Zo ontzettend funky en gevarieerd. 21 nummers en geen seconde filler. Wow.

incredible stuff... did not stevie wonder was influencing the world of music in this way. LOVED IT

Just a phenomenal record here. So many hits. As Mitchell pointed out, the highs are unbelievably high here. “Have a Talk with God” who is in the conversation for greatest song of all time. With that said, I felt the runtime was egregious. If you’re gonna make an album this long, you have to back it up. The last four songs could’ve been completely removed in the record would’ve been fine. Stevie’s genius is in full force here, but the fat should’ve been trimmed.

for an album this long, there's bound to be some tracks that don't hold up to the peaks across the record. thankfully, the strength of most of these songs more than makes up for the moments that don't strike gold or run a little long. even with the length, I was surprised by the variety of sounds on here. plenty of funk, soul, and R&B spread across these songs (even some jazz fusion on "Contusion") and synthesizer experimentation abounds. some of his most direct, iconic songs up against some boundary-pushing efforts that refract the social environment of the time through group vocals, call-and-response, and the joy of music. even in those moments, he never sacrifices immediacy. one of those albums where I feel like I'll continue to discover cool moments on continued listens.

So much brilliance, so many different styles, had no idea “Gangsta’s Paradise” was a take on a Stevie Wonder song. It’s objectively a five, but it’s soooooooo long, and those last few songs had me checking how many were left, even though I split it up into multiple listening sessions.

I don’t have a shred of talent. So I have immense gratitude for someone as wonderfully talented as Stevie Wonder; who was able to incapsulate the feeling of having a daughter in such a beautiful song. By January, I’ll know the feeling. I only wish I could give her as something as beautiful as this. P.S. how did arguments go in that household? How do you argue with a guy that made that song about you?

So damn beautiful I cried.

It feels like a sin not giving this five stars, but alas, I’m a sinner. I recognize that this is a masterpiece—a monolith of an album. That being said, I feel like I resonated more with the less flashy Fulfillingness’ First Finale more. Blasphemy, I know. Sidenote: Stevie Wonder and Weird Al Yankovic have more in common than I thought.

Is it possible for an album to be too good for too long? Twenty-four hours is just not enough time to reckon with this beast. Consider my rating tentative...I'd like to return as often as I can in the coming weeks.

Some great Stevie, some just okay. Good listening.

This this is long and meandering but it is still Stevie and it is still great.

Stevie is Stevie!

8/16/26 Favorite Track: Sir Duke

I quite like Wonder. But this album is clearly a masterpiece. Bravo Mr Wonder.

Classic album

Amazing album, incredible songs, a masterpiece from Stevie Wonder!<3

Ok

Like many of Stevie's albums, there are some all time classic songs on here, but there are some kind of filler songs as well. "I Wish" and "Sir Duke" are amazing and "As" is one of the greatest love songs ever written. However, some songs go on a little long and the album may have benefited being shorter and a little more refined. Still a great listen. 4.5/5 Will listen again

Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder is exactly what it says it is, but it's also greater than simple words can express. It's a musical blueprint of the ups and downs we face as humans, the good and bad days, and it's sewn together with a constant thread of hope weaving its way throughout its ambitious 21 songs. This thread is Stevie's way of reminding you to find the goodness that exists all around you, using the language of music because it speaks directly to the soul. His message is clear...love and allow yourself to be loved. Songs in the Key of Life is one of those rare records that leaves you a better person for having experienced it. It's Stevie Wonder's magnum opus in my humble opinion, and without a doubt one of the greatest records ever pressed.

This is an excellent album. I had heard several of the songs before but I enjoyed listening to this entire album from beginning to end.

Only giving 4 stars because this is not my personal preference for genre, but this is one of the few albums on the list so far where I've thought yeah, this is absolutely an album that people should listen to even if just for its sheer cultural impact.

Pastime Paradise, never heard it before! This album was a lot for me. I probably won't listen to it again.

I liked this. But it is too long for me. It was a good mix of hits, well spaced throughout the album to keep me listening. But I'm just not into R&B enough to listen to it for 2 hours.

звучит очень хорошо, для солнечного дня отлично. оставила много любимых песен, советую к прослушиванию

Nice, 8.5 Linolt: 9 Hatwg: 8.5 Vgl: 8 C: 10 ⭐️ Sd: 9.5 IWish: 9 Kmomf: 7.5 Pp: 7 Ss: 8 Op: 6.5 Isl: 8.5 Jimt: 7.5 Bm: 8 Neuhias: 6.5 Iim: 6.5 🚮 As: 9 AS: 8.5 S: 9 Ee: 8.5 Ads: 7.5 Egemmc: 8

Songs in the key of life- So much Stevie! The quantity and range of creative output here is amazing. It’s all so good too. “As” is the perfect song. I’d give this album something beyond a 5 this and maybe a handful of others are on a class of their own.

Lotta stuff on here. So many of the songs are so iconic but so much stuff i had forgotten about too, crazy arrangements and jammy sections and crazy sounds and grooves.

I would have given it a 5 if someone of the songs didn’t become as jammy. I love a long song but it has to have a purpose.

Good, very good

Il y a de gros banger quand même. Un peu indigeste à certains moments par contre. J’aime les albums long mais je dois dire que 1h45 c’est peut être long quand même

Jooooo jooooo Dit album wil ik zo graag hebben!! Instant 5 sterren. Pastime Paradise is ook wel echt een legendarisch nummer, hoe vaak dat gecoverd is.

Dit zou wel ongeveer het perfecte album kunnen zijn. Vocaal is Stevie wonder heerlijk, de piano en synths natuurlijk ook. Ik hou er ook van als baspartijen melodieus zijn. Daarnaast wordt alles aangevuld door achtergrond vocals, blaaspartijen of strijkers. Elk nummer is een meesterwerk opzichzelf. Het is perfect geproduceerd en alles klopt. Ik vind het altijd heel vet hoe de nummers alle kanten op gaan, zoals bij het nummer summer soft verwacht je totaal niet waar het nummer heen gaat. Dit album is al met al een meesterwerk! Een ding wat naar mijn mening niet klopt en heel frustrerend is voor mij. is hoe hij is uitgebracht op vinyl. Het is namelijk zo uitgebracht dat kant A en D op een plaat zitten en B en C. Dat betekent dat je twee keer van plaat moet wisselen als je het op vinyl luistert. Ook vind ik het altijd grappig dat Stevie altijd van die lelijke albumhoezen heeft, maar dat is hem vergeven want hij heeft geen idee hoe ze er uit zien.

Ambitieus album met veel muzikale informatie maar wat tegelijkertijd toegankelijk blijft voor iedereen. Het album is wel lang, iets over de helft ben ik er wel al beetje klaar mee, had geconcentreerder gekund. Alles op de plaat is technisch bijna perfect met de beste studio muziekanten. Heb er eigenlijk niks op aan te merken. Stevie wonder is op alle vlakken aan het maximaliseren. Het is voor mij soms iets te zoet maar dat is een smaak kwestie. Het raakt mij niet, ik zal het ook niet zo snel opzetten.

Mooi album, t maakt me dan ook niet uit dat het aan de lange kant is. Stevie Wonder houdt zo erg van muziekmaken dat hij af en toe simpelweg niet kan stoppen, en dat werkt aanstekelijk want je gaat er lekker inzitten. Stevie Wonder houdt zo erg van muziek maken dat hij er een nummer over heeft geschreven. Vakmanschap in combinatie met plezier, daarnaast vind ik Stevie ook een leuke verhalenverteller. Heel veel respect voor deze legende. 5 sterren.

I mean, just the greatest thing of all time, isn't it? A monster of an Rnß album by one of the best voices in the genre, that I don't listen to nearly as often as I should. It's just so dense, so masterfully executed, and so deserved of its double-album length. An album that blends all the most joyful and gloomy aspects of Wonder's life seamlessly into one of music's grandest displays of sincerity and down-to-earth emotion - both lyrically and musically. I don't even know how to start with this album, or how to talk about the songs here; there are just so many incredible moments. 'Love's In Need Of Love Today' is the perfect way to start a giant album like this - warm harmonies, the riffing in the lead vocals, the subtleties in the playing here, and the way the strings are mixed so low in the background that you might audibly miss them, but still sense their presence. It's a song that moves very slowly, but also manages to not feel like a 7-minute opener, despite its singular nature. A perfect mission statement for the rest of the album. In contrast to the opener, the strings in 'Village of Ghetto Land' are so in your face and melodic, painting a very majestic scene, something royal and rich, which brilliantly contrasts the actual lyrics here because Wonder isn't describing something elegant, but something sad, run-down, and in need of desperate change. 'Sir Duke' is a masterpiece, one of the very first songs I learned on bass because I just had to nail that bass and trumpet breakdown (I never really did, but I got damn close!). A super catchy and feel-good tune about Wonder's appreciation for music and its impact on him and his surroundings. And goddamn, those horns are iconic - the earliest of many peaks on this album. 'I Wish' is one of this album's many obvious forays into funk with the tight syncopation in the percussion and a bassline that just won't quit. And while I don't have too much to say about 'Knocks Me Off My Feet', it's easily one of my favorites here, just Stevie at his most perfect as a songwriter, vocalist, and composer; it's pretty stripped back when compared to everything else here. 'Pastime Paradise' brings back those dramatic and unsettling FM strings and choir vocals, which is fitting given the darker subject matter of the song, though I've always found it to be almost too sharp a change in pace from the previous tracks. It's striking is all, but I appreciate the left turn in terms of mood and genre; it's something this album does a lot, and it stops the album from feeling stagnant and gives the sequencing a lot of life. 'Summer Soft' is also great, lives up to its title. The highlights here are Stevie constantly pushing his voice and the slick organ solo closing the song out. And Shirley Brewer coming in out of nowhere to snatch the leads of 'Ordinary Pain' and then steering it in a completely different direction is such an incredible way to close off this disc, just an unforgettably fiery performance by her. Disc 2 opens up with the iconic 'Isn't She Lovely', and while I don't like it as much as the opener to Disc 1, it's such an undeniably layered love ballad. It's one of this album's finest displays of tight mixing, just the way everything falls into place, while never stunting Stevie's ever-evolving boyish lead vocals. And that harmonica outro over these very human samples and this tight bass groove is a stunner, like driving off into the sunset side-by-side with the people who mean the most to you. 'Black Man' is maybe the album's most bluntly delivered "political" track - a super meaningful piece that has an absolutely infectious and warbly groove underneath it. Another one of those overtly funky tracks here. And the vocoder in the final part here is super weird to hear in the '70s. We then get the one-two punch of 'As' and "Another Star". The former is another one of those classic "perfect" Stevie Wonder love songs; similar to the opener, it grows in intensity very subtly, as more vocal harmonies are brought into the mix and that underlying organ flies loose. And then there's 'Another Star' which is one of the greatest songs ever, period. I can listen to this song forever, an absolute adrenaline rush. Despite the lyrics speaking of heartbreak, the song sounds like a celebration of life, just an insanely danceable piano and drum groove and a simple but immediately catchy vocal motif. It's repetitive, and goes the distance in terms of length, but the subtle changes throughout are what maintain the song's momentum. Like when everything is stripped back 2/3rds of the way through, and then the instruments are slowly brought back in with that first single snare hit that makes me lose my shit for some reason, and then that flute that just flutters over the whole thing. It's so damn good it should be illegal; if there's one song that makes me happy just to be alive, it's this one. And the album sends itself off pretty nicely as well with the final four tracks. We have the awe-inspiring synthetic orchestra and strange garbled bass slides of 'Saturn' and the most rock-oriented track on the album with 'All Day Sucker' with this really interestingly chopped repeating vocal snippet closing the song out. Finally there's the instrumental 'Easy Goin' Evening' which is the perfect album closer, another "sun setting harmonica" vibe, where the sun, in this case, was the album itself. Well, it looks like I rambled again, but this album really is just that good. It's pleasant and easy 70s music to put on, but hidden deep within the songs are bits and pieces that are genuinely experimental and pretty ahead-of-the-curve. And again, it's such a shining album, just absolutely beaming with life and emotion. There's nothing out there quite like it.

I love every song on this record. But, as a whole, it overstays its welcome a little bit. That’s not to say there’s any slack on the album; there isn’t. But, 2 & 1/2 sides from one artist is a lot. Things become staid, and I find myself feeling bad for not having the capacity to appreciate the songs after a certain point. Nevertheless, this is a triumph. There is a reason why this is commonly listed as the greatest album of all time, and that is because every track on it is worthwhile. Some of my favorite music I’ve ever had the pleasure to hear is on here. (Sir Duke is easily in my top five songs of all time.)But, I find 85 minutes of the same artist to be fatiguing— regardless of how good that artist may be. There are tracks here that go on longer than they really need to, no matter how good they may be. (I may get some flak for this, but think: Isn’t She Lovely, As, Another Star, Black Man, etc.) This, for me at least, contributes to the fatigue. The songs are great, but this is a marathon rather than a sprint. Were any of the songs I mentioned parenthetically to be featured on a single record the length would be justified. But they aren’t, and that length adds up. Still, for all of my whingeing, one of my favorite tracks is the last. There’s a certain kind of longing to it, one that the subtitle builds: “Easy Goin’ Evening (My Mama’s Call)”. It’s a languid, half-lullaby. A tune of pure and potent nostalgia, even if that nostalgia calls back to a time and place I have no direct connection to. I don’t know, I just like that song and think it’s the perfect and to a near-perfect album (despite my criticism), even if that album is best taken in doses.

Amazing. Mark off for being a bit long in parts

Number: 219 Familiarity: Moderate (3) Rating: 4 Before: ======= Oh, I thought I already had this one. I guess not. Let's see...OK, it was Fulfillingness' First Finale, which was my 3'rd album in this challenge. I gave it a 2 but I was rating more harshly when I first started. Maybe I'll revisit that one or not. Looks like there are 4 albums from him on the is list and that is one too many imo. After : ======= I did not have anything from this album on my 1976 playlist but added 3 tracks: Sir Duke, I Wish, & Isn't She Lovely. Overall I though it was a good album but not great, based on my own personal opinion, but it's not really my style. There are some very good songs but a lot of mediocre owns as well. Anyways, if it were whittled down to a single album at 40 minutes, there is a decent chance I would rate it a 5. As it is though it came out to 3.48, which I decided to round up to 4. But as I said, it's not really my style, For reference, my favorite three albums from 1976 are in order: T. Rex's "Futuristic Dragon", The Modern Lovers' "The Modern Lovers", and Boston's Boston.

As if you need to Have a Talk With God about this album. Isn’t She Lovely? Knocks Me Off My Feet.

Standouts: Sir Duke, I Wish, Summer Soft, Isn't She Lovely, Black Man, As Admittedly, I found the first few songs of "Songs in the Key of Life" a bit drab. I wondered if I was too uncultured to understand its genius, if I didn't enjoy Stevie Wonder's music as much as I thought, if the next 2 hours would be largely unmemorable besides iconic tracks like "Sir Duke." I'm glad to report that my first impression was very, very wrong. The rest of the album was mesmerizing. I didn't even care to analyze lyrics or consider their (lack of) thematic cohesiveness. I just enjoyed the sounds and the feelings that followed. Stevie Wonder is a virtuoso of rhythm, melody, arrangement, and composition — all which is readily apparent on hearing "Songs in the Key of Life." Ultimately, it's not only Wonder's musical talent, but also his inventiveness and attention to detail, that makes this album impeccable. I love the wide application of synths: the varied "voices" and their use as melodic and percussive elements. But synths are far from the only standout instrument in this album. In fact, this album's array of lush instrumentation could easily become overwhelming in the wrong hands... but Wonder has the hands of a maestro. He seamlessly mixes acoustic and electronic instruments, crisp and oscillating textures, standard and complex time signatures. Review #2 might be a bit early for a 5-star rating, but I don't know if I'll find many albums more deserving.

Genius at work, excellent songs, arrangements, and musicians

This was good

Incredible with both pop and funk

Classic album.

I am kinda mad at my parents for never introducing me to this album growing up. How could they get away with something like that all these years?

Very fun if not a little too long. Love Stevie Wonder, but don’t think I need an hour and a half of nonstop Stevie Wonder

So good!!!! I knew it would be good, but the quality is just so high up there. It's varied, it has some golden tracks there too, and many I didn't know, but loved! High recommend this to anyone, it's amazing. Will be listening again.

Man I don't know... This feels like a bad rating but I just couldn't do it. I can't deny the musicianship and the importance that this record has but just musically it did not click. It felt so long and bloated. Every track just goes on and on. The ballads just feel so corny.. When he gets groovy and funky that's when Stevie shines, he's previous two records I feel are far more innovative and exciting. Idk man... It's just kinda corny through and through im sorry. Isn't she lovely does slap though

Honestly started out so high. I wrote “always know I’m in good hands when a Stevie record starts”. Still true but the sheer length of this thing dragged me down. Favs: track 1, knocks me off my feet, ngiculela Nah calling yourself an All Day Sucker is crazyyyy….

Listan helpoin 5/5 tähän mennessä. Niin, Wikipedian mukaan tämä on Wonderin 18. albumi. Luonnollisesti se on lähes parituntinen tupla-albumi, jonka biisimateriaali on täyttä timanttia alusta loppuun. Ja tässä vaiheessa kaveri on 26-vuotias. Älytöntä! Sisältää myös klassikoita! 5/5

I think if the album was like... Even 5 songs shorter I would have no problem giving it a 4. I think I'm going to go with three because I can't see myself relistening to this

7/10 - Didn't finish the album due to length but every song I heard was good at worst so worth a solid review

Do we need to explain this album? Let's start with this: without this album, the late 90s rap scene is basically devoid of hits. It is hard to overstate how much Stevie carried the genre without necessarily being asked to, and especially this album. How about the “songs in the key of…” trope? This is an album that looks large culturally before we even put it on. Stevie does a little bit of everything here. Why wouldn't he? He starts with a love song to love itself, a funk-gospel that somehow avoids being intolerable, a socially conscious stately classical piece. This is the filler, so it tells you the level of quality of the hits (or even just the following instrumental). Sure, some of these songs were big enough to spawn major hits for other artists (Coolio weirdly manages to live up to Pastime Paradise. Will Smith makes a mockery of I Wish). But the strut and swagger and killer riffs of Sir Duke? Possibly the highlight of Wonder's entire catalog. Not that we don't also get one of his most simple but perfect love songs in “Isn't She Lovely.” SitKOL contains multitudes. And that, of course, isn't all about how well this blends some pure pop with some pure funk, fluff with weight, into a cohesive stew. It also is one of those few true double albums where even in the CD era, you weren't getting away without swapping a platter. There are a couple other albums this bulky that pull this off on the list, but it's rare, and few do it as elegantly. Let's get back to those “filler” tracks. Most of them would still amount to at least a 4 star album by themselves. The smart pop of Knocks Me Off My Feet, the sprawl of Joy Inside My Tears, the African textures of Ngiculela. It's doe-eyed in both its love songs and its protest songs, but never particularly saccharine or hollow. It's the sound of hope. But more importantly it's the sound of great soul music. Even the “bonus” 7”, which is canon as a proper part of the album, is solid (imagine putting a song like “saturn” on a bonus single and not your album proper). It's probably a 4.5 for me, but it seems a nitpick to not round that up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pretty good, liked the other Stevie wonder album more

Some bangers. Didn't get through it. It was a bit Bruno Mars esque - like sharp and produced in a way that reminds me of musicals. Full respect to be making that in the 70s tho and some of the beat mixes were very retro futurist which I liked.

If the blind dude asks to deliver a baby, you can have confidence that Stevie would do it right and do it with style.

I’ve Stevied, and I’ve Wondered, mainly when it was going to stop. It’s like being given a 2kg tub of vanilla ice cream. It’s not the flavour I’d usually go for but it’s nice enough and it can hit the spot if you’re in the mood, but that doesn’t mean you can sit there and comfortably eat the whole damn thing. I enjoyed hearing pastime paradise and the difference between that and Amish paradise is hilarious. There’s some bangers in there and plenty of decent songs. But there’s also songs like Joy Inside My Tears where it takes repetition to new levels, the weirdness of Black Man as a song even if I appreciate the sentiment, and then after that so much of the second disc is completely forgettable. Benefit of the doubt 3 as there’s some mastery and ease but plenty of dross too.

I have a personal aversion towards soul music for some reason.  I don't massively enjoy the slow burn grooves I think paired with heavy bass plods (or when faster it's the stretching of words over the melody seems to drag it out for me).  I can never fully explain why and in the context of Stevie wonder is clearly a legend of sorts and very expressive.  What's not to like you would think. Liked songs "Sir Duke", "I wish", "Pastime Paradise" (didn't realise until now Coolio did a cover of sorts of this song) and "As". A classic album of its time completely lost to my dumb ears.  I enjoyed some songs clearly as nearly impossibly not to with Steevie boy but a few bangers does not make an album. Not my thing but compelled to experiance it and actually enjoyed it in the end.

I carved out some time to sit down and give this a proper chance but I just don't get the hype. Yeah it's technically good music, really tightly played, recorded and produced. I just don't understand why this is worshipped as much as it is. A few inoffensive wedding tunes but otherwise an album that just isn't my jam. Too happy clappy and so so long... It's like 105 minutes of Calton Banks' dancing.

A great album with some absolute classics and I really enjoyed Contusion. Stevie Wonder’s voice is magical and he shows off some great songwriting pomp in this double album. I think there is some tail off in this album that caused me to lose a bit of engagement in this listen. For me it doesn’t quite make it an all timer perfect album. But I’ve been wrong before.

There’s a reason my buddy considers this the best album of all time

Masterpiece. This is one of very few examples of a five-star record that is better than the sum of its parts. I LOVE the record. I love the individual tracks, but they sing best in the context of the record.

Breaking my album too long for this one, shit slaps, absolutely nothing wrong with it

I notice something new every time I listen to this album. For instance this time, I noticed just how accurate T-pain's impression of Stevie was in the Epic Rap Battle against Wonder-woman

Just like most Stevie Wonder albums, they are just great to listen to. There were so many songs on this album that I've heard multiple times and are just great and iconic songs.

A bit lengthy, several really great songs, most of the rest ist also very good, but IMHO there are some skippable tracks.

I’ve seen this listed as an album with no skippable songs, which seems crazy to me. Next time I listen to it I’ll tap out after ”As”

(5/5) This is my second favorite Stevie Wonder album. It's a legendary work, made during this man's creative peak. It's sprawling, majestic, and has absolutely never worn out it's welcome. If anything, I've grown into it as I've aged, appreciating the monumental genius that this double album has encoded for history. If anything, and why I quibble with myself over this and "Talking Book", is just the sheer size of it. It's too much perfect, and that's why it's only marginally below "Talking.." in my head canon. The other is just so tight and focused. Here, Stevie wanders about, making amazing music, but drifting nonetheless. It's absolutely essential listening and will always get some air time as long as l can hear. Near perfection.

It's not often that a double album is this devoid of skips. My favorite Stevie Wonder album by a long shot, namely due to exposure and the memories associated with it. An incredibly solid 5/5 that everyone should certainly hear before they're shaken off this rock.

159. Songs In The Key Of Life - Stevie Wonder (1976) 7.31.26 Variety: 5 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 5 Emotionality: 5 = 5.0 "Like the lifetime of the sun/ It will leave no heart undone/ For there's enough for everyone" Early on in the list we had Talking Book, which was an easy 5. A joy to listen to and great that we started in order. There are four albums on the list, and we skipped right over the middle two ( chronologically speaking) to this one - which I am going to go ahead an just guess will also be getting a 5 from me. It's been a few years since I listened to any of this, but in my mind it might just be his best ( what an original opinion, right?). Though Innervisions and Talking Book are right up there for me. Fulfillingness' First Finale I am not as familiar with, but remember not liking it nearly as much as those others. This should be a breeze, but I might find it a bit difficult to just say anything other than "this is great, huh?" for the whole thing, so... THE TRACKS Side one "Love's in Need of Love Today" - A beautifully realized lovely message ( almost a sermon really) about choosing love over hate. What's not to like? A lovely and memorable vocal melody delivered with Wonder's always earnestly emotional style. A pretty damn great opener. I will say it surprisingly difficult to find a decent quality version of this. For some reason EVERY single version I found on Youtube sounded muddy and had weird tics like they were all recorded from the same shitty low quality mp3, Which they probably were. I gate resorting to Spotify, but... "Have a Talk with God" - We get decidedly funky here, with some odd computer beeps and boops. The bass is HUGE here, and it all about the rhythms. It's a little too Jesusy maybe, but Wonder's got a lot of gospel and church music influence in his work, and musically it's pretty great still. "Village Ghetto Land" - A really pretty synth string quartet number, that manages to be full of a striking amount of vitriol ( all implied) and sarcasm, with the horrible tour of a poverty stricken world where greed rules and the privileged live off the fat of the land while suffering happens right under their noses. Pretty damn effective and classy invective on Wonder's part, using the fanciness of the instrumentation as harsh contrast. This is some brutal satire. It also fucking slaps. "Contusion" (instrumental) - After the brutality Stevie laid on us with the last track, we get a funky ass instrumental that doesn't feel so much like a call to dance as it does an almost progressive jazz funk take on anxiety, chaos and confusion. This has more than a little in common with some of the stuff Frank Zappa had been doing. Groovy and at the same time a bit stress inducing. "Sir Duke" - Holy shit. This is the stuff, people. One of my favorite songs of all time. And one of Wonder's most joyous and infectious jams. A tribute to the jazz greats of the past, in particular Duke Ellington, this one is a burner and is one giant melodic hook the whole way through. Nothing in this is less than awesome, including the slide whistle and the EMORMOUS horn section. If this doesn't make you want to get up out of your seat and dance then you might want to get your life signs checked. Side two "I Wish" - We get what feels at first like a cousin to "Superstition" with it's syncopated bassline, punchy horns and upbeat tempo, but the differences become apparent very quickly when you realize this is a nostalgia driven ode to childhood, where the other is a warning. Danceable driving funk that few could equal AND it has a solid emotionally resonant core. Which even the best imitators could not pull off with the same light touch. "Knocks Me Off My Feet" - A pretty standard love song, and as basic as Wonder gets. It's very solid, and well done, and almost doesn't reach the heights of anything that's come before on here until that soaring chorus pushes it right back up with the rest. Fantastic drumming on this. "Pastime Paradise" - That synth string line over that chorus is GOD LEVEL. What further proof do you need than how it was such a giant hook that it echoed down through the decades to blow up in the 90s again. Said it already but few could deliver deep as hell serious issue songs while wrapping them up in amazingly catchy melodies that burrow deeply into your brain. "Summer Soft" - Love and time, what excitement or heartbreak will the seasons bring? Many others have tackled this very same subject matter, and this is just as fine as many of those. This one is a bit iffy and then the chorus hits and it absolutely soars up into the upper atmosphere and just keeps rising and climbing. Jazzy and funky in equal measure and all held together by Wonder's intense delivery. "Ordinary Pain" - More well trodden territory with a breakup song, but with a little bit of a twist in that the relationship sounds like it's well over, and we get an answer back form the other person where we maybe get the real story of unfaithfulness which reframes the first part in a different light where the narrator was feeling so very sorry for himself. This narrative trick lifts the song up a bit and combined with the very solid if not super memorable melody, makes it hit hard enough to stick in the mind. Side three "Isn't She Lovely" - Is there a sweeter, more joyful song than this that exists? Maybe, but this is the one that comes to mind when I think of that sort of thing. The amazingly catchy vocal melody is echoed by the instrumentation and we get yet another all time classic for the ages. And maybe the best harmonic solo in all of popular music. Truly beautiful stuff. "Joy Inside My Tears" - A lovely downtempo, piano driven ballad about unexpected happiness. This is a lot catchier than it appears on first look, and is strangely akin to some of the more baroque orchestrated stuff that ELO was doing, but where Lynne was applying this to old doo wop and the 50s rock of his youth, Wonder applies the same aesthetic to R&B. "Black Man" - Damn. A more straightforwardly brutal takedown of the hypocrisy, injustice and racism that is still unfortunately as fresh and on point as it was nearly 50 years ago. And dude still cares enough to make it FUNKY AS HELL, despite the deeply troubling airing of the sad realities. Wonder pulls the rug out from under your feet and lets you stand there on the rotten, stained floor that was hidden underneath. And you stand there of your own free will, absolutely hypnotized by his delivery. Side four "Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing" - I had to look this one up and Wonder is apparently singing in English, Spanish, and Zulu. I have absolutely no clue what he is saying in parts, but it's done with a gentleness and exuberance that is both delightful and moving. "If It's Magic" - With just his own voice, a harp, and a harmonica Stevie Wonder paints as pretty a picture as you can imagine. Gorgeous and delicate and intimate. "As" - As great as the verses are on this its the gospel choirish refrain that steals the show on this dedication to love and commitment. But not really a romantic love. It's not even really a joyful song even, and comes across as almost deadly serious as opposed to joyful or pretty. Wonder gets pretty danged fiery in the bridge, and as close to stereotypically angry as he comes in any of his vocals. "Another Star" - Even disco can't kill the vibes of this one. The up-tempo Latin rhythms here dominate the whole thing, but Wonder keeps it all reined and it never moves over into cheese. This is the form it its original funky mode, and the samba feel is much stronger than here than any of those later 70s trappings that would become cliches. -A Something's Extra EP - Though techincally not within the purview of this project I don't think, it's worth mentioning though as it's so tied to the album. This is all just more great stuff, and definitely worth your time. The standout track is by far "All Day Sucker" though. HIGHLIGHTS - All of it MIDLIGHTS - LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS Are there any songs on this thing that have NOT been sampled in major hip hop tracks? Beautiful, funky, full of life and energy and emotion, and influential as any album I can think of. By this time Wonder had perfected his special brand of socially conscious funk and soul. NO ONE sounded like Stevie Wonder, but everyone tried to, and in the process changed and developed a lot of other great sounds, which would go on to be influential in and of themselves. Dude is a national treasure and I think this is his masterwork. Yes, it's a double album and I've gone on record about how there really are no double albums that are without issues, usually too much self indulgent inessential stuff, and taxing run times. The nearly one hour and twenty-six minutes of this just FLEW by, and even the lesser tracks were all very solid numbers that most any other artists working in a similar mode would be jealous of. This one is up there with the White Album in that respect. It's eminently listenable, and never falters or missteps. There's a lot of medicine on this album, but it all goes down easy. I don't think Stevie Wonder has ever had a reputation as anything other than a peace and love guy, but this was as politically on point and as affecting as any Rage Against the Machine album, and exponentially more delightful than that sort of music could normally ever aspire to. It's great magic trick, and I think when all is told his run of albums from Talking Book to this one might just be the one with the highest concentration of quality to exist in the popular canon, and sits at least co-equal with the Beatles run of Rubber Soul to the White Album, which just maybe edges him out with sustained quantity. Supremely justifiable as one of the ever present top albums of all time. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - no need FURTHER LISTENING - Talking Book by Stevie Wonder - Innervisions by Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale by Stevie Wonder

“In remembrance of ignorance oldest praise, Tell me who of them will come to be, How many of them are you and me” An album and artist that need no further introduction from me. Stevie Wonder is a legend walking among us. Here we have what the man himself says is his proudest achievement. “Songs in the Key of Life” is one of the few instances where you can say a double album worth the time. This one has some all timers. And the remainder is inspired tracks as well. This is our second Stevie Wonder album on this 1001 journey. “Songs..” surpasses “Talking Book” in my opinion. It feels like a culmination, and thats coming from a soul novice like myself. It’s funky and spiritual and pure human. My only complaint of this album is that all the rap songs that have sampled it tried to keep interrupting my mind while I listened to it. Its legacy speaks for itself there, for sure. An album that lived up to the hype for my first time listening to it. 5/5.

Can you give this anything other than a 5? Way too long? Yep. But it has sir duke and isn’t she lovely. 15/10.

A masterpiece of masterpieces.

LONG. The hits were good but I guess it held together? I need to hear it again

Honestly this is kinda weird, there are some fantastic songs in it but lots of things that kept surprising me (not in a good way).

Didnt really like it...got tired after 4 song

I'm envious of a lot of people. I'm envious of people who understood things about themselves earlier. I'm envious of people who take to new skills like a duck to water. I'm envious of people who have managed to accomplish amazing things despite the odds being stacked against them, while I have managed to achieve very little with every hand up in the world. ────────────────── Stevie Wonder is one of the greatest writers and musicians of all time. His voice is one of the most recognisable voices in popular music, and he has revolutionised what music could be. All the way through his career, he has been a fountain of creativity and ingenuity. His keyboard playing is instantly recognisable - I can tell Stevie's playing from a 20 paces. His command of the manual is superhuman, and with it, he has crafted some the most enduring music of the 20th century. Songs In The Key Of Life was recorded during a pivotal moment in Wonder's life. After a string of award winning albums, he considered retiring from music entirely, and moving to Ghana to help disabled children. He changed his mind, and instead gave us this masterpiece. ────────────────── A big regret in my life is that as a child I could never practice. I don't know why, maybe I just wanted to play the songs I loved, rather than the songs that would have made me better at the instruments I seem to have devoted my adult life to. It took me too long to learn a scale, and chords seemed to have come to me very late in my guitar career. Malcolm Gladwell's 2008 book Outliers states that it takes 10,000 hours to become world class at something. I am roughly 250,920 hours old, and very little time of that was spent sat running through modes on the piano. I wish it had been now. ────────────────── Songs In The Key of Life was a very delayed project. Stevie Wonder is a perfectionist at heart, and spent hours and hours recording, re-recording, mixing, and remixing. Motown started advertising the album by printing t-shirts with "We're almost finished!" on the front. It's undeniable that it was worth the wait. From the opening vocal harmonies on Love's In Need Of Love Today, to the modal intricacies on Contusion, the vivid imagery of childhood on I Wish, to Sir Duke, whose bassline has troubled many an aspiring funk player. Every single note on this album drips with attention, and everyone who has heard a note of it is better for it. ────────────────── It is bad for me to wish for more time, because I had that time! I used it. And without knowing what I know now, I would have just done what I did with it the last time. A lot of it was serene and unproductive, but a lot of it was deeply personal and I wouldn't be who I was without it. All I have in front of me now is time, and the drive and love to use it to chase what I want. I will practice, I will keep trying, I will book shows, I will keep playing music. I've got nothing else to do but love what I love. ────────────────── I'm willing to bet that 90% of people who have heard Western Popular Music in the last 60 years have heard a song from this album. If it's not Sir Duke, it's the beautifully devoted Isn't She Lovely, and if it isn't that, it's the synth part from Pastime Paradise. This album encroaches on everything, and there is a clear line on music made before Songs In The Key Of Life was released, and music after it. ────────────────── 10/10 Choice Tracks Love's In Need Of Love Today Contusion I Wish Sir Duke Black Man Isn't She Lovely As

An obvious 5/5. An amazing, classic, album. The fact that it’s long yet it keeps you engaged makes it even greater. “As” and “another star” are my favorites.

It's really, really, reeeeeeeeally long! but the sequencing and variety in the songs keeps it feelign fresh the whole way through. The production and musicianship are out of control, but the closing track is garbage and I could happily never hear isn't she lovely ever again

Stevie has a way of making you feel so good. This could be his masterpiece, except there are a couple other albums that might compete for that title. Nevertheless, a double album that can keep your attention and feel so much deserves my highest respect. 5 stars

Good listen

Such foundational music to be sampled endlessly

wowowowow

Solid. A little long

Magical listen through, thank you Stevie

How did I not know that Gangster’s Paradise was ripped off? This album is legendary Stevie album, and for good reason: this ain’t little Motown Stevie, this is full-power Stevie on the move. I was a little surprised by the song Pastime Paradise, as it was an inspiration for Coolio’s Gangster’s Paradise. Isn’t She Lovely is a lovely song, and Sir Duke is pure show off goodness subject to a thousand bass videos for being one of the hardest songs ever. But then there is Pastime/Gangster’s Paradise, which caught me off guard, and kind of just destroyed my childhood, like discovering Ariel kills herself in the original HC Anderson version of Little Mermaid. Contusion is pure fusion jazz but my favorite song was Black Man, which I had never heard and regret it. Speaking regret: WHAT THE FUCK!? PASTTIME PARADISE?!?!? Another Star was cool too, with the Afro-Jazz style. If this is ever in the stacks, this may come home. I’m going to listen to again while contemplating the shattered reality of my gangster/pastime paradise….

Random thoughts: * Stevie wonder had music and talent to spare! A double LP + another 4 song EP tacked on. Wow! * Standout tracks were: Sir Duke, I Wish, Isn't She Lovely, and As * Surprisingly the first track on the album is one of the weakest. * I kind of wish Stevie had maybe made this into two separate albums. One could have been a bit more upbeat and jazz influenced while also containing the racially progressive songs; one could have been more just life songs like Isn't she Lovely and As. But you gotta respect the artist and his choices. * The album peaked for me at the song trio of "Contusion", "Sir Duke" , and "I Wish". Wanted a whole album upbeat like that. * I did appreciate the racially conscious tracks on LP 2 of "Black Man" and "Ngicuela" * This is quite the range and really does encompass the songs in the key of life. Really great album!

volume 2 was niet nodig behalve isnt she lovely maar het zijn allemaal solid nummers

kijk ik snap waarom dit een 5/5 album zou moeten zijn maar het klikt niet zoo erg bij mij.. sommige liedjes zijn iconisch, maar sommige zijn ook mega saai.. het gaat gwn te lang door

Instant 5

If you had asked me to name albums that definitely would be on this list, I would have names this one pretty quickly. It's so good. Fun to hear originals that became popular samples (Wild Wild West, Gangstas Paradise). "Isn't She Lovely" is just so infectiously joyful. Inject that shit right into my veins.

Too long but fun

What an explosion of genre shattering creativity. Just amazing and impossible to label, at times sweet at times intensely political, a masterpiece.

Unbelievable album. A must needed part of any serious music afficianados music collection. Timeless.

What a funky album, Stevie Wonder is such an amazing musician. Previously i had only heard sir duke but the rest of this album is just as amazing, such a vibe. 9/10 5 stars

I liked Innervisions more but this one is alright. Its over 90 minutes so I will have to remove a star leaving this a 3.

Classic

Ложка меда в бочке дегтя. Самый долгий альбом не по времени а по ощущению. Выделить отдельно что-то поразительное и удивительное трудно - все композиции на отличном техническом и исполнительском уровне, но нет особенных песен. Если взять любую из альбома или даже две и послушать их, то скорей всего я скажу что это замечательно, а кто это ? Если мне поставят альбом, я скорей всего не выдержу такой участи. Оценка отдельно взятой любой песни - 7-8/10, оцека альбома 4/10

Unbelievable album and brilliant voice

Nothing will top this album, I might as well quit here

Bruh. I already listened to this record countless times. 5/5 masterpiece

Did not know that Pastime Paradise was from him.

R&B and soul are not genres I typically gravitate toward - as a general rule, they aren’t for me, much like hip-hop and jazz. However, I am well acquainted with the style; my brother had that side of the musical spectrum firmly covered when we were teenagers back in the 1970s and early '80s. Because of that, I was already somewhat familiar with "Songs in the Key of Life" before sitting down to give it a proper listen today. I admire Stevie Wonder's musicianship and the production on what is an incredibly adventurous undertaking of an album is crystal clear, punchy, and remarkably full-sounding. It’s far from a standard R&B record; Wonder throws in an array of styles, from the Beatles-esque chamber pop of 'Village Ghetto Land' to the fiery, jazz-rock-infused fusion of 'Contusion'. There is the pure, joyful pop of' 'Sir Duke' and 'Isn't She Lovely', alongside the vibrant Latin influences on 'Another Star'. Personally, Wonder's music clicks most for me when he leans into the funk, as he does brilliantly on 'I Wish' and 'Ordinary Pain'. Meanwhile, a track like 'Knocks Me Off My Feet' feels like a timeless standard written straight for the Great American Songbook of the 1940s or '50s. Ultimately, I found myself sitting right on the cusp of a three or a four-star rating. At one hour and forty-five minutes (including the " A Something's Extra EP"), the runtime is a bit too much Stevie Wonder for my personal taste. However, choosing to accentuate the positive, it earns four stars. Side one 1 "Love's in Need of Love Today" (3/5) 2 "Have a Talk with God" (3/5) 3 "Village Ghetto Land" (3/5) 4 "Contusion" (instrumental) (3/5) 5 "Sir Duke" (5/5) Side two 1 "I Wish" (5/5) 2 "Knocks Me Off My Feet" (4/5) 3 "Pastime Paradise" (5/5) 4 "Summer Soft" (3/5) 5 "Ordinary Pain" (4/5) Side three 1 "Isn't She Lovely" (5/5) 2 "Joy Inside My Tears" (3/5) 3 "Black Man" (3/5) Side four 1 "Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing" (3/5) 2 "If It's Magic" (3/5) 3 "As" (3/5) 4 "Another Star" (3/5) A Something's Extra EP Side one 1 "Saturn" (3/5) 2 "Ebony Eyes" (3/5) Side two 1 "All Day Sucker" (3/5) 2 "Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)" (instrumental) (3/5) Total - 73 Average - 3.5 381/1001 202/381 albums reviewed were new to me.

A terrific album filled with hit songs covering soul R n B jazz and popular.

7.6/10

The hype is real. This is the crown jewel of Wonder's discography for a reason. It's just banger after banger. And even the songs I had never heard and aren't the most popular were still so good. I feel like I discovered even more of his classics on here. This elevates to new heights in ways his other albums don't. It's a fully realized vision and consistent sound. He's never sounded better. Top Songs: Love's in Need of Love Today, Sir Duke, I Wish, Knocks Me Off My Feet, Isn't She Lovely, As, Saturn, All Day Sucker

Good vibes.

Enjoyment: 9/10 Replayability: 5/10 Cohesion: 8/10 Flow/Pacing: 7/10 Artistic Merit: 8/10 Weighted Average: 7.5/10 Review: This was a great album to listen through with plenty of well-known hits and hidden gems found within. I loved how uplifting it was, especially the baby in the bath in Isn't She Lovely - such a sweet and tender addition that I never heard with the radio edit. My only mark is that since this is a double LP, it loses some points in the Replayability category due to its extended length. Long albums aren't a problem on their own, but this one seemed to drag a few times, but not as I expected really. Liked Song(s): Love's In Need Of Love Today, Sir Duke, I Wish, Pastime Paradise, Summer Soft, Isn't She Lovely, Black Man, Saturn Disliked Song(s): Have A Talk With God, Ordinary Pain, Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call) Recommend? Yes Heard Before? Partly

My dad is a good man. I’d trust him with my life. For some reason, he can’t stand Stevie Wonder. If you don’t like this album, you’re either my dad or I don’t trust you.

Jedinica iz principa. // Jesam ovo konačno završila njega? Nisam imala POJMA da Gangsta's Paradise i As nisu originali u verzijama koje znam. Inače, ovo stvarno jest njegov najbolji album iako je dupli. Progurao bi se u trice. Malo mi je ovo sve cmizdravo.

I can not see why I could not give it a 5....Muhehe

I enjoyed Innervisions more - the extra run time meant that there were a few lulls in here interspersed with the bangers.

It's pretty cool.

nice, a lot of classics

OK. I’m gonna say it. I’m about 300 albums into this. This is hands down the best so far. I went into it having never heard it before but knowing the reputation it had. I wondered if it would genuinely be that good. And yeah, fucking hell it is THAT good. Every song is jaw-dropping. I actually burst out laughing at one point because I was so stunned by it, was enjoying it so much. Just total joy. I fucking love music.

4.0

1000/10

Funky, classic R&B soul

absolute smile album :>

Obviously a 5, everything I heard was fantastic

Top 5 album OAT

It is a very long album, nearly 2 hours so will have to finish it another day.

Nice

Great record, still hear it sampled and played all the time.

Thankfully, this was a much more enjoyable album compared to the last Stevie Wonder album I reviewed, especially considering it’s a double album. “Songs in the Key of Life” is a very soulful album that covers a lot of ground. It features a wide array of instruments, from traditional ones to horns, strings, harmonica, keyboards, and synthesizers. Another fun fact I learned while listening to this album is that Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” is a complete rip-off of Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise.”

I of course have heard of Stevie Wonder but I wouln't have necessarily be able to list (m)any of his songs. The album has Isn't she lovely and Pastime Paradise that are songs that I definitely had heard before. The album was made in 76 but it sounds like this could have easily been 80s or even 90s album. I enjoyed it but a) it is very long and b) it is not really my style. I like some R&B but this this me is "oversinging". For somebody else Stevie's vocals most likely are top tier.

Sir Duke I Wish Pastime Paradise Black Man As Ebony Eyes

Absolute quality. Many individual tracks are essential listening for any music fan, and the whole thing also works as a cohesive body of work. It takes you through every emotion, and frequently makes you want to dance. A genuine classic.

A torrent of imagination and creativity, though the heavy-hitters stand above the rest, all of the album is still fully satisfying to listen to But you don't need me to tell you that about Stevie Wonder

I’ve heard a lot of these songs as a kid, but hearing the version of Isn’t She Lovely with the sounds of his daughter made me emotional

It's difficult for me to pick a favorite of the absolutely insane run of albums from Music of My Mind through Hotter than July (Secret Life of Plants excluded, as it's a soundtrack). This one is consensus, but for me it's Innervisions. Nevertheless, this one meanders a bit but every track on its own is excellent and overall it's a remarkable collection from one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century

10 out of five. 15 out of five. This is an amazing album.

Hyviä biisejä ja hyvä kokonaisuus kaiken kaikkiaan. Stevie biisit on hyviä ja soitanta myös. Hänen tulkintansa ja äänen sointi on erinomaista.

Really very excellent.

Absolutely iconic. Mesmerizing collection.

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Have A Talk With God, Pastime Paradise, Isn't She Lovely I was, practically, only able to listen twice, which itself a tall ask, given this is a triple album clock in at 1h45m. Despite the long runtime it's very easy listening, with plenty of variety on the tracks. You put this album on and it breezes by. The key tracks, Pastime Paradise and Isn't She Lovely are great, and catchy to boot, and while I enjoy them very much, I am even more about those funky tracks like Have a Talk With God, Contusion, I Wish, etc. Anything with a funky bass line and brass instruments. Definitely an important piece of music. Should be on the list. Not my personal favorite, but I recognize the talent.

Great album; and if the world has problems creating new songs, covering a Stevie song is always an option :)

Hermoso

Stevie Wonder- Songs in the Key of Life (1976) If Sgt. Peppers was the Beatles on acid, then I have no idea what Stevie was on. This felt like a mixing pot of every instrument and genre known to man i.e. violins, brass band, Hispanic, etc. The overall theme made sense, with the title of the album. There were highs i.e. Isn't she lovely, Sir Duke, but also lows i.e. Village Ghetto Land, Pastime Paradise (which I learned was sampled for Coolio's hit!) I'm glad I listened to the album, and found some new songs, but overall I wouldn't listen in full again due to very long songs that should have been cut earlier. Album Rank: 6.7 Favorite Song: Pastime Paradise

No notes. No words.

✅Sir Duke ✅Ordinary Pain

Yes

No sé… no entiendo a SW. pero tiene buenas rolas

Really funky, some incredible songs on here. However there were a few skips and some songs were a bit too long for me

wild wild west *and* gangsta's paradise came from here? this has gotta be the blueprint for hundreds of good songs. ridiculously fun to listen to and the goal that all music should aspire to

Yesss!

🔥🔥🔥

Soulful goodness!! Had no idea Gangsta's paradise was created from pastime paradise. Saturn was a lovely song.

jeez, 2 perfect albums in a row here. this may be a trend

This one is widely considered the best record that Stevie put out, and I can understand why. I am a huge fan of his voice and his music overall, so I am very subjective, but this album is beautiful! It has slow moments, upbeat moments, and some of his best songs ever. I mean, Sir Duke is one of the best hooks in the history, Isn't She Lovely is just the most beautiful piece written for his kid, and Pastime Paradise gave us one of the most recognizable rap songs of a whole generation. Amazing from start to end.

Pastime Paradise became Gangsta's Paradise. I Wish became the backbone of Will Smith's Summertime. Sir Duke has been inside your head your entire life whether you invited it or not. Isn't She Lovely exists. The Library of Congress inducted this album into the National Recording Registry. Rolling Stone ranked it number four on the greatest albums of all time. Paul Simon won the Grammy for Album of the Year the previous year and publicly thanked Stevie for not releasing anything, because when Stevie releases something, everyone else goes home. I grew up on MTV, alternative, metal, and punk. I know exactly what this album is and exactly where it sits in the history of recorded music. I hold Stevie Wonder in a respect reserved for very few artists. I will not however be putting this on regular rotation. That is not a criticism. That is just an honest accounting of who I am versus what this album requires. Songs in the Key of Life does not need my regular rotation. It was doing fine before I arrived and will continue doing fine long after I am gone. 3 out of 5. All three stars given with a slight bow.

A straight-up masterpiece.

i’ve already listened to one of the songs from this album!! “As” is in my Spotify liked playlist so I hope I like this album, i’ll edit this after I finish 7/5/26 <3 edit: 7/6/26 as of 11:24pm rn i'm listening to the first disc and i really enjoy it ! so far village ghetto land is my least fave but i still like it and i wouldn't skip.

This album exudes joy and love and family, what life’s all about. It’s chill and approachable with many beautifully written tracks, but it’s overlong in my opinion.

Great vocals and songs, just a bit too long for me to give a 5.

Is it a bit long? Yes but this is up there for best album all time. I understand why Apple Music has it rated so high. I probably won’t listen to it again but it was great

Really good for a double album. Some of it is just okay but most of it is either solid or really good. Stevie has a great voice and great storytelling but this album just doesn't cut it for me to be 5 stars. It's too long and too much of it is just solid.

This is an album I’ve been waiting for g to listen to for a while. Stevie is such an incredibly talented musician-loved the variety, composition, lyrics had so much depth. Only thing holding it back from 5 is length-I broke it up into 2 sessions. 4.5 stars

*Great hit songs but the length makes it a little daunting to listen to with some filler *The piano/synth work is top notch

Banger absolu, je connaissais plus de musiques que ce que je pensais : 4/5

absolute smash, loved the first few tracks of the album but i kinda js put the rest on the background but yeah i heard a few weird noises in the middle of listening (idk which) i think it was on "saturn" i dont remember. but TOP TRACK? definitely love's in need of love today.

I think everyone loves this album, but it's just not for me. Sorry, Stevie

This is such a jolly album wau. I didn’t think that Stevie Wonder did such good tunes but i am glad to say that this album is most definitely worth a listen!

Good rock. Surprised me that I didn’t find it annoying and same-y

Phenomenal album here. Most massive project fail to keep you entertained from note one until the finale, but over two big disks and a small one, Stevie somehow makes every track feel at home. This is music for the masses with tons of politcal undertones and groovy ass beats with hooks galore. The music is colorful and packs a punch. Then you remember that this is a blind man. Sheesh. No one was really touching 70s Stevie Wonder. What a stretch he went on. I got this at a 9/10, but would not blame you if you slotted it as a 10

This is a fantastic album.

Annoying

Beautiful, just beautiful

A peak, Himalayan magnificent.

Quite good.

No fue mi vibe, pero Pastime Paradise fue una sorpresa el enterarme que era el inicio de muchas canciones de hip hop.

its crazy how much artistry used to go into making music. like they were PLAYING those damn instruments perhaps the history of this album is cooler than the actual album long ass album... i already have two songs liked in this album (bet you can guess which they are) 1. Love's In Need Of Love Today- i like 2. Have A Talk With God- bleh not my fav 3. Village Ghetto Land 4. Contusion- good boogie music, the guitar was sick 5. Sir Duke- are we in mickey mouse clubhouse or what? fun sing along song 6. I Wish- so fun and dancey, already had this liked and for good reason 7. Knocks Me Off My Feet- this song feels so nostalgic to me 8. Pastime Paradise- BRO WHAT???? did not know this was stevies song this sent me down a rabbit hole 9. Summer Soft- feels like a broadway song 10 Ordinary Pain- groovy all the way through but i was ready for the song to be over with about 1 min left in each half 11. Saturn- 12. Ebony Eyes DISC 2 1. Isn't She Lovely- such a banger. the intro can go, i really didn’t like that 2. Joy Inside My Tears- loveeeee. vocals on this record have so much soul and depth. 3. Black Man- chills. listening to this right before the fourth of july made me cry. so good. 4. Ngiculela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing 5. If It's Magic 6. As 7. Another Star 8. All Day Sucker 9. Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)

NEGAWATT

Almost two hours of funk and soul from the amazingly talented Stevie Wonder? Yes, please! I’ll gladly take it and tap my foot and bob my head the entire time.

Stevie Wonder is an astonishing artist. He has an amazing voice and is musically gifted in many senses of the word. This collection was a bit long for me but it was a good listen nonetheless. Stevie’s classic hits will always be bangers with lyrics that paint a picture and drums, guitars and horns that make the rest of the album easy to listen to. A good compilation overall.

I could pretend I have an intricate rating system replete with algorithms. I could take off a quarter star because it’s too long and another quarter star because there are a few indulgent tracks that miss. OR I could recognize that the hit songs are legendary and everyone across generations can sing them from memory. I might remember that this is Stevie MFin’ Wonder, the music genius, and one of the most respected albums of all times. So, maybe my thoughts on the second My Bloody Valentine album might offer insight (they don’t), but there’s nothing I will say here that you can’t feel for yourself in the music.

Stevie is speaking to us on this one. Giving us his perspective on struggle, community, and love. Musicly it's clearly R&B Soul, but each song has its own identity, this is a long album yet never get repetitive or tiresome. Hints of jazz through out, a bit of funk, and Stevie's flawless voice. Perfection. Just a wonderful album. I need to listen to this one more often.

Everyone’s already said everything about this one. It’s great obviously. It’s funny that it’s his like 18th album. What the hell

All of its peak

I mean, it's Stevie Wonder! He's in a class all his own.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this one. Some great songs, some really interesting songs, and overall a solid vibe.

Bien.

Despite not being my favourite genre, I have to admit (as anyone with a minimum interest in music would) that the guy is a musical genius and this album is full of good songs (with some being terrific)

Classic

nothing

Amazing

very relaxed, slower tunes that are still catchy I really liked the political ideas. He combines jazz with R&B with impressive vocals and catchy lyrics.

The sheer scope of what Stevie pulled off here is definitely impressive. A double album that pivots from upbeat funk and jazzy rhythms to softer piano ballads shows off his versatility as a musician. I forgot how incredibly catchy "Sir Duke" is, it instantly puts you in a great mood. "I Wish" always makes me think of the "Wild Wild West" song where Will Smith sampled it back in the day. I totally forgot "Pastime Paradise" was on here too, and man, those strings are just so good. Coolio and Mary J. Blige definitely knew exactly what they were doing when they sampled that track for their own hits. Then you have "Isn't She Lovely," which has pretty much been every single bride's walkout song since 1976. "Black Man" was also a really good, powerful social commentary for America's 200th birthday, and it is honestly well worth a thoughtful listen right now during America's 250th. He handles a ton of the instrumentation and production work himself, which gives the record a really distinct, unified perspective. Even though a few of the longer, sprawling tracks can drag a bit and make the album feel a little bloated as a whole, the deep grooves and solid melodies make it a highly enjoyable and memorable listen from start to finish. Favorite song: “Pastime Paradise”

He discovered every instrument on the electric piano including flute and harmonica. Straight disco and jazzercise.

I legitimately think this is in the top 10 best albums all time. So fun and groovy. It has like 4 of the best songs I’ve ever heard in my life. It’s so charming I forgive it when it commits the sin of running on for too long.

While I don’t think it’s one of the greatest albums of all time, it’s undeniably a classic

If gods were real, you'd think after hearing the opening track one of them would have talked to Stevie and been all like 'Jesus Stevie, why in the name of fuck is this seven minutes long? That's four minutes longer than it needs to be! And quit it with the whole blind thing, I know you're faking it just so you can stare at titties all day'. If you needed any more proof that gods are make believe, the fact that the song remains in its seven minute form should be the final nail through the palm of thr hand. I have been underwhelmed by Stevie's albums, going in as someone who believed I would love them, to coming out of each wondering what the fuss is all about. This is the best one I've heard, but I have no desire to listen to it again, ot any more of his albums. A common issue with double albums is the dross which inevitably makes it through. Look no further than track 3 which is fine to hear a single time and never again, bu would never have made the final cut on a single album. He then follows it up with one of a depressingly small number of true bangers in his discography in track 4. For such a stupidly talented human, his music often fails to touch me in the same way less talented artists do. I think it's the jazz influence and inflections in his vocals - as I know you'll agree, Jazz is anti-emotion and rarely makes me feel anything.

Such a great album!

This album has several drawbacks for me: it’s too busy, it’s too upbeat, and it’s too long. Is it objectively worse than some albums I have given four stars? Probably not, but we’re not doing objectivity here. The man deserves his own eponymous genre label, but this is not for me.

Not as epic as everyone makes it out to be in my opinion. It’s good though

good

Stuart Maconie said "You can here where he gives up half way through side 4..." And he's absolutely right. 3.5 sides of masterpieces and then trash. Side r open with As and I suggest that's where you stop listening.

Una vaina bien funky, las texturas y las diferentes capas sónicas en algunas de las canciones me tienen flipando. Instrumentalmente es uno de los álbumes más impresionantes, instrumentalmente hablando, que he escuchado.

Great to see so many origin songs.

pretty nice and long album. lots of good tracks, especially pastime paradise

If this wasn't a double album, it would be packed with hits. As such, it just has too many filler tracks to be the fantastic album it has every right to be.