Songs In The Key Of Life

How much I love Stevie Wonder! I am glad for the reminder. So good.

Classic that only gets better with time

Funky and smooth

He is the sunshine of my life

Rating: 9/10 Review: I went in with 0 expectation, and this was amazing. It was like discovering the source of so many catchy riffs and melodies from several different songs. And considering this is the 18th album?? That's nuts. It seems like every song experimented with a new sound, instrument, or concept that continuously had me curious as to what was coming next. This was awesome. Great album. I see why he gets as much praise as he does. Notable Songs: Have a Talk with God, Contusion, Isn't She Lovely, Black Man, Ebony Eyes, and Easy Going Evening

This album felt like stepping into an entire world. Each track brings something new, yet it all hangs together with Stevie’s unmistakable voice and feeling. His talent is undeniable. This is the kind of album you live with. A soulful journey I’ll definitely revisit.

This album is such an achievement. There’s loads of stand-out songs on here, but the rest of them are consistently good as well. He has such a lovely voice, but musically there’s tons of creativity and variety across the board. To create a double album of such consistent quality and variety is seriously impressive.

20 years ago, Songs in the Key of Life sparked for me a lifelong journey and fascination with music. To this day, every musical discovery or decision I’ve made can be traced back to my love of this masterpiece. And every piece I do love has this album and its master composer/arranger/producer/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist to thank. This album changed my life hearing it with my dad in the car for the first handful of times when I was 10 years old. Even if I didn’t have the words or terminology to fully describe my fascination with it at the time, this album’s detailed arrangements and dexterous genre-bending floored me. To this day as a musician of over 15 years it baffles me for even more reasons than I can count. Each listen brings with it something new, pure, and beautiful. Seeing and hearing Stevie himself perform this album in its entirety with my dad (Detroit, 2014) is a night I look back on as legitimately spiritual. I loved music all my life and grew up in a house where everybody else did too. But never before had an artist and their music captured my attention for something beyond a catchy chorus or a radio-ready beat. With Key of Life, Stevie gave me a nearly 2 hour masterclass of nearly every established genre at the time. It was like observing paintings in a museum from different corners of the planet all meshing seamlessly to form a gallery or exhibit with a message that goes far beyond anymore words I could possibly blather out. Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder is my favorite album of all time. Loquacious, eloquent, sprawling, heart-filling, life-affirming excellence. Every last second of it. “So *this* is music?”, my 10-year-old-self questioned internally. “Yes this is”, my 30-year-old-self assured him. 10+/10

The greatest.

Almost from beginning to end this is magnificent. Joyful, fun, introspective. Stevie at his absolute peak. Knocks me off my feet is timeless, summer soft is stevie in another key but still imperious. Ordinary pain articulates a break up better than most, you genuinely feel sympathy for stevie! Isn't she lovely is a song for all fathers of baby daughters. The song As is a staple for wedding songs. Another star is the ultimate party song. There are so many peaks that the minor bits of dribble that is on the beginning and end of the album can be forgiven. One of the best albums ever made.

Never heard this before, but did recognize several songs. A classic.

my favorite album ever

The big one. The poster-album-child of the Bachtivision movement ever since day 1. Often cited as one of the greatest albums of all time. The kind of album that is so sprawling that it's impossible to contain it in a review, the kind of album that you notice some new stroke of genius every single time. Last time it was the genius of the instrumental "Contusion". The time before that it was the utopian vision of "Saturn" where people live in orange snow until they're two hundred and five. There are so many grand ideas, little flourishes, and shifting musical styles on this double album - and couple that with the fact that I'm a relatively new listener to Stevie Wonder - that I am still processing much of what's on here. Not to mention just how many incredibly successful songs and artists have sampled or straight lifted entire portions of these songs - Coolio took "Pastime Paradise" wholesale; as did Will Smith with "I Wish", and when I first heard Wonder's version of "As" all I could think of was how George Michael sang it note for note. The sprawling, eclectic, experimental nature of the album isn't without issues (though I am sure people will argue that's what makes it great): Should "Ordinary Pain" REALLY be 2 different songs in one? Unlikely. Would I prefer to listen to "Isn't She Lovely" without the baby crying parts? Probably, but that also might be missing the point. Does the album feel incohesive due to the sheer amount of STUFF going on and mix of styles? Certainly. Will I keep listening to this when I'm two hundred and five? Definitely.

I’ve been waiting for this moment. It’s rare to have an album with so many amazing tracks, this one has 2 sides worth. No other notes

Finally! We've actually hit a streak of quality. Stevie is just a font of creative talent - this is album number 18 (let that sink in for a moment) and a double at that. Influence 5, Quality 5, Intagibles 4 (it could have easily been albums 18 and 19), personal taste 4. Why can't we have 1/2 stars again?

Every song a banger. Sensational.

Stevie reigns supreme

I think Stevie Wonder is one of the only guys who can drop a double album and have it be a good idea. Isnt She Lovely is the high mark for me but truthfully the whole album is a treasure. You will undoubtedly find something to enjoy here.

This is my favorite album of all time

Of all the slop I have subjected myself to by committing to actually listen to what this list has suggested (granted there have been some good albums) THIS is an actual masterpiece.

Perfect! Masterpiece!

I’m glad I’m selective with my 5 stars when albums like this come along.

If you look up "masterpiece" in the dictionary I'm pretty sure it just has this album cover

On almost every one of Stevie's albums he is head and shoulders above his contemporaries, but on this album he is light years ahead of everybody. This is one of those special moments in music where the artist is tapped into the ether and can turn the simplest of expressions into an amazing song(s). This album can still be heard in rnb, funk, pop, and rock albums today (2025). He blends all of the aforementioned genres as well as jazz into a beautiful package. 10/10 104/1001

5/5

Love this album

I would like to live my happy life listening to this

Fantastic!

Musically inspiring. Wonderful lyrics. Timeless.

"holy shit this album is beautiful"

This is a masterpiece given the very high level of workmanship across a double album; something extremely difficult to do. Lots of big hits across both sides and one thing should be noted here: This was Stevie's 18th (!) album. 10/10.

Goated album. Such a wide variety of songs that are all great, easy to groove to, and just honestly follow the theme of the title. Deserves a spot in the library.

Holy hell, this is gorgeous. It’s like soul music pulled up a chair and gave you a TED Talk on joy, heartbreak, justice, and spiritual energy. Stevie's voice is just buttery smooth, and the arrangements are full of flutes, synths, and beautiful harmonies. Unreal. Spins: All Day Playlist Additions: - Sir Duke - I Wish - Pastime Paradise - Isn't She Lovely - As

First thought was, 21 songs and 144 minutes. No thank you. Couldn't have been more wrong. This album might be the most deserving 5 on this list. And it's his18th album?!

An all-time classic!! No arguments!!

Stevie at the top of the worldddd

Another Sun and As back to back were nice Contusion from disc one goes hard. V sick jazz fusion i like how Easy Goin Evenin has chill harmonica vibes that callback to Isnt she lovely's sick solo and bookend the second disc and then the obviously the big songs slap. dude was at the top of his game and knew it

I Like this one! OF COURSE

So, a double album that isn’t absolute Shite. Finally! This is superb. So varied. Some of the songs were a bit weaker - not a surprise given his output - but even the worst song on the album is far above some of the other guff that’s on this list.

If there were a Mt. Rushmore of musicians, Stevie Wonder would have to be on it. He's a national treasure. Classic album, iconic songs. Songs in the Key of Life is five stars plus.

One of the most magnificent albums ever created. The artist was in the midst of a creative streak throughout most of the 70s and this is the pinnacle of his achievement. Two full length albums and a single packed with meaningful, melodic masterpieces. 5/5

I really liked this album, the song all carried different sounds and I enjoyed Stevie wonders voice. I also noticed how many hip hop samples come from this album, showing how much of an impact Stevie Wonder has had on music.

Perhaps Mr. Wonder's magnum opus. It's interesting to read that Wonder had plans to quit the music industry leading up to this album. The creative bug must've got him good, as he eventually conjured up the inspiration to release a double album with all sorts of talent helping out; such as George Benson, Herbie Hancock, and Michael Sembello among many others. So what makes this particular album among Stevie Wonder's best? Well, the aforementioned talent involved certainly helps, but everything in the recording and production just sounds even more refined. The fusion of R&B, soul, jazz, funk is adeptly showcased here, along with the usual passion and vigor from Wonder. All while singing about subjects ranging from love, faith, social justice & equality. This honestly would've been a fine swan song for Wonder if he so desired, but the man just couldn't stop grinding away and creating more records. He's a musician through and through. "Songs in the Key of Life" will always be present whenever we need it.

I've been putting off getting into Mr. Wonder's music besides Talking Book and wow was that a mistake. This is actually Perfect, one of the best albums I've ever heard. How does an album this long be so consistently full of life? I could see any of the 20+ songs being someone's favorite and I'm not even sure mine yet. Genuinely fantastic, easiest ten of my life. 10/10

Beste dubbelalbum ooit. Dit is zo'n moment dat werkelijk alles samenkomt. Een genie dat de grootste golf van inspiratie ondergaat die iemand ooit gehad heeft. Je hebt het gevoel dat er zo nog een dubbelalbum inzat.

yaoyaoyaoya

Brilliant. Will listen often

To be brutally honest, there are songs on here that I don't particularly like, and don't care to listen to - but, across the double album, there still is more than an album's-worth of top quallity material. While this may lose marks for lesser albums, I'm happy enough that the best of Songs In The Key Of Life is so visionary and unique and has inspired so much music that came after that it derserves five stars without hesitation. Definitley an album everyone should hear at least once.

SO GROOVY THIS WAS SUCH A BANGER HOLY, JUST AMAZING

It was a big bite to chew through, but I can't complain when the steak is juicy and the lobster is buttery.

Amazing

Of course this is a 5, don't be silly. Fave Tracks: Sir Duke, Summer Soft, Isn't She Lovely, Black Man, As 4.6/5

AUGHHHH I love this album so much I could explode

Absolutely love it though would probably be a 4.7 there are some parts in the beginning that I don’t love the synth or some of the solos, also some lyrics repeated too much for my taste but the album as a whole has so many fantastic influential songs that are phenomenal

The album was just simply marvelous I enjoyed it very much and it brought back memories

Остался под впечатлением. И записан классно и музыка богата.

Really good beats and classic hits, kinda long though

Wonder is God.

One of the very few 80 minute albums that completely earns its runtime. Literally every song is a total masterpiece.

It’s very simple: this is the very best album ever made. The fact that this is over an hour long and never feels a second too long is testament to that.

One of the best!

6/5 stars—could be in a tier of its own. Just wall-to-wall bangers on a double album no less

This has not only become one of my favorite albums of all time, but I truly believe this is one of the greatest albums of all time.

No skips

Perfect.

Fav- village ghetto land, love in need of love today

One of my favorite albums of all time. I remember when this came out. There were lines out the doors at record shops. But once in a lifetime type album.

I loved it

excellent; i have an original copy!

I always thought Harriet Tubman was a white man.

Such a fun and energetic album with some really beautiful songs in there too, amazing range that keeps a 1h 45m album interesting

A man at the height of his powers. Untouchable groove. At times the tacks drag towards the end as they dont out of their own way on the extended solos, but honestly, who the fuck am I? We're just ants in Stevie's world. While I'm more of an Innervisions guy, this album is near perfect. Summer fucking soft man. Also, maybe the two best singles dropped ahead of an album ever in "I Wish" and "Sir Duke." Talented bastard man. 'Cause I love them so....

Ez gigachad. Best double album ever.

It’s time to put a pin in another artist with multiple albums on the list. I think Stevie Wonder is brilliant, and he has so many songs that I love, but so far, none of his albums have gotten five stars from me. I know that Songs in the Key of Life is typically regarded as his best album, so I’m hoping that the generator wound up saving the best of his work for last! Well, I won’t go against popular opinion on this album. Yes, Songs in the Key of Life is a bold and ambitious album, but it completely sticks the landing. Stevie Wonder is one of the best musicians of our time, and he makes this double album completely worth it. He plays the keyboards like no one else on earth, and his arrangements are not only interesting and boundary pushing, but they’re beautiful as well. His voice is fantastic, and he does an excellent job on every song on this album. One of my favorite things that he does with his singing is when he drops his voice into that really low register, almost to a growl. But even when he does that, his voice just exudes a deep passion. I love his vocal fills as well, and it’s almost an insult to call them a ‘fill,’ because it feels to me like it’s just another instrument, adding more beauty and depth to his sound. I wound up listening to this twice, and on my first listen, I was thinking that I would rate this album four stars. But after going through this again, I’ve changed my mind, and I think it’s worthy of a five-star rating. Its length makes it difficult to listen to in its entirety often, but if time weren’t a factor, I could listen to this many times over. I did want to point out some of my favorite songs: -“Sir Duke” is excellent. I’ve heard this song quite a few times over the years, but I never think about it when I think about my favorite Stevie Wonder songs. It’s got a great sound, and I really love how funky the chorus is, especially compared to the verses. It’s some brilliant song structure. -“Wish” had my favorite bass playing on the album. Pure funk bliss. “Village Ghetto Land” had my favorite lyrics on the album, and awesome string arrangements as well. -I just learned a few weeks ago that Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise interpolated Stevie’s “Pastime Paradise.” The synthesized strings are beautiful and haunting, and I loved how the words changed on the second chorus. Another great example of some excellent song structure. -I love the funkiness and backing vocals of “Ordinary Pain.” I can’t think of another Stevie Wonder song where his vocals dip out for so long, but it worked really well. -“Have a Talk With God” has some great funk sound as well, and I loved the bells in the percussion too. Overall, this is a fantastic album. It’s massive and bold, and a complete testament to Stevie Wonder’s incredible talent as a musician, arranger, vocalist, and visionary. It’s astounding to me that this was his 18th album to record. The man has more ideas and creativity in one of his fingernails than I have in my entire body. What an album, and what an artist!

B-B-B-B-B-B-BANGER! Always love listening to this one. It is, truly, in the key of life. 10/10

One of the finest albums in the history of recorded music. Stevie’s lyrics were never sharper, his voice never clearer, the music never more interesting and gorgeous. When I need instant joy, I turn to side 1 and 2 of this double album; it solves all my problems. I appreciate the jams like Black Man and Ngiculeta more now than I did when I was younger and only wanted the pop songs.

I look at the run time and think, "OMG" but there is so much brilliant stuff on here that many lesser artists could have made a whole career out of, never mind one release.

50 year old album way ahead of it's time

draži mi innervisions, ali remek djelo nevertheless

Sjajan sjajan album

What can you say about this album that hasn't already been said? One of the best of all time.

"ONE" album a day?? Double albums are bombs! Especially this one. Haha. Ok. Wow. There's so much here. HIS 18TH RELEASE?? Unbelievable. AND he was about to retire?? 😂 Absolute monster. Killer grooves. Heavy themes. Blazing trails. Positive vibes. Blind! He's like Daredevil where his lack of sight just juices his other skills to the max. Can't touch Stevie.

Amazing breadth of styles while maintaining an impossible quality. Amazingly talented.

One of my favourites of all time - love it

Making a double album with near universal appeal is no easy feat. But this is Stevie Wonder at the height of his popularity and songwriting. Unlike the vast majority of double albums, it's hard to imagine what you could remove here. There's often some real fatigue by the time you get to side 4 of any LP. But here, it only gets more engaging, with some of the best tracks on the entire album rounding it out (ignoring the four tacked on bonus tracks on Spotify). Such is the brilliance of this one that it's been sampled left, right, and center. Younger listeners will undoubtedly recognize much more than they expected. "Contusion", "Sir Duke", "I Wish", "Pastime Paradise", "Black Man" and "As" are among Wonder's best songs ever. Although I'm a litle more partial to "Innervisions", "Songs in the Key of Life" is still an incredible album, particularly from an artist who almost gave up music entirely before he made it. It's clear that he still had much more to say.

easy 5

AHHHH I LOVE THIS ALBUM!!!!!! I will jump on any excuse to relisten to this. Stevie Wonder is just so immensely talented, this album is 1 hr and 44 mins but blows by. It's just loads of fun and you can hear the thought put into every instrument choice, every arrangement, and every lyric. Stevie himself played a lot of instruments on this album! It's just such an important body of work and I love this album so much. 10/10 no questions asked. I was in an American music history class in college and at the end of the semester, our prof asked us to make a list of 5 songs we think encapsulate American music's history. Then we would take everyone's list and narrow them down to 5 collective songs for the whole class. Someone's list had Sir Duke on it and eventually nobody cared about any of the other songs on anyone's list, and we all decided that Sir Duke was maybe the greatest song ever made and encapsulates American music more than any other list anyone made. I have never seen a group of music students agree on something like that. It was magical tbh.

Simply a masterpiece. It had been awhile since I listened to it and never before in headphones - the production is nearly perfect and the melodies are infectious. I often have skipped the hits before but let them play and was impressed with what I heard actively listening. If you like music, you’ll probably like this!

the double perspective in summer soft 🙏

Masterpiece

Awww yeaaahhh. I was so happy to see this pop up today. I was similar with all the big hits (Sir Duke, I Wish, Pastime Paradise, etc) but I never had an excuse to set the time aside to listen to the whole album until today. Better than I would have imagined. Masterpiece. 6/5! There's literally nothing wrong with it. Yeah it's long. So what? Think of it as a movie for your ears. Each song flows so well into the next for an hour and 45 minutes. You won't even notice the time passing. Absolutely worth it to invest in some good headphones. It'll sound great even on the crappiest speakers but you're doing yourself a disservice by missing out on all the tiny details. Not sure if an album like this could be replicated in the future. I'm just happy this exists.

This is a remarkable album. I loved every song

Amazing !

Love this album

Classic. So many catchy tunes, and you realize as you listen where so much music took its inspiration.

Stunning. Maybe a bit long but worth it when time allows a full listen.

adding this to my regular playlists, it cant all be NIN and Barry Adamson

Great album from a fellow Michigander.

Love this album

All timer, Love I Wish and Sir Duke

This album is iconic songs I enjoy but didn’t realise Stevie Wonder produced them. Two discs are a bit ling but no other complaints

This is baby making music! Soft, whimsical, and romantic plus the songs are repetitive and go one a long time so you don't have to worry about which one you pick because you'll have finished before it ends!

Listened on 5/12/25 4.75/5 Favorite songs: Sir Duke, Isn’t She Lovely, Knocks Me Off My Feet The only thing I loved more than this album is the conspiracy that Stevie isn’t blind. The number of absolute bangers is ridiculous

What a phenomenal album throughout. Enjoyed some of my existing favorites from Stevie with Sir Duke and Isn’t She Lovely, but also got to hear some other great songs in Knocks Me Off My Feet and Pastime Paradise. It’s such a joyful listen and I can see why Apple and other sites agree it’s a top 50 album of all time.

Great vibes only on this Monday morning! This album is upbeat, soulful and fun! Soo many good songs, but it’s very long and I did start to loose steam by the end. Overall, strong album from Mr. Wonder! I did prefer disc 1 over disc 2. Favorite song: Sir Duke!! Honorable mentions: - I Wish - Isn’t she lovely - Have a talk with God - Pastime Paradise: no clue Gangsters Paradise was a sample!

So every other album is just trying to catch up to this one. Got it!

Outstanding

Classic, so many great songs

This album rules, Contusion is fucking amazing

Amazibg

I was surprised by how many songs that I knew from this album. Sensational.

Holy shit this was awesome! It’s a humongous album and there’s so many great riffs. Stevie knows how to build a song up good lord! Making an exception and doing top 5. Sir duke, I wish, ordinary pain, As, isn’t she lovely

Near perfect most of the way, with multiple songs that might go on humanity's all time mix tape. Adding the B-sides EP to the normal LP pushes it over into Too Long, but so what.

Gotta be top ten all time

MASTERPIECE

8.5 great

I already knew some of the big hits off this album going in (Sir Duke is a masterpiece) but I was pleasant surprised at some of the other tracks I hadn't heard before. Contusion is not at all something I would expect on a Stevie Wonder album but it's amazing! Top tier album, would listen again.

I own this album and it's fantastic.

Happy happy happy

Did not realize how many classics are on this album. Perfect the whole way through. Love's in Need of Love Today is one of the best songs I've ever heard.

Have a Talk with God, I Wish and Pastime Paradise are standouts but its all of a quality that rightly confers the title of musical genius to Stevie.

Sure, you can argue about how long the album is or maybe how some of songs drag on just a bit but none of that matters when you take a look into how cohesive, mesmerizing, joyful, and perfectly produced this album is. There isn't a single dud on here and considering how stacked this album that is an insane feat. God bless Stevie Wonder. Top 5 (in no order): Knock Me Off My Feet, Sir Duke, Isn't She Lovely (Best), Another Star, Love's In Need Of Love Today No bad songs on here (good/great at worst) 6/5

Damn this is one of the best things I've ever heard in my life, I kinda feel like a clown for never listening until now this rocks

One of the quintessential albums for a reason. Endlessly listenable and timely. An album that changed the course of music history.

Goat

there needs to be a 6/5 stars option

Pure joy. I would say that, where the first disc is wall to wall classic bangers, the second one is a bit more album filler, but even then I’m sure I’ll grow to love these other songs as I listen to it more.

Exquisite album!

An everyman classic, for good reason

Masterpiece. Excellent from start to finish.

So many great songs and moments. I think Stevie ran out of steam after this. It's as if he gave everything he could to one album. He'd already done enough to guarantee his greatness, this just raised him up towards the heavens. Love's in Need.... is my favourite album opener of all time. Sir Duke is the best wedding song. Ordinary Pain, Pastime Paradise, Talk With God...... the songs keep coming one after another. An astonishing album.

One of the best albums ever put to wax. Also one of my finest records owned, it is one of the few that you never need to skip a song, and that you rush to flip to the next side. As a music theory enthusiast and amateur keyboard player, I'm certainly biased in favor of him, but Stevie kills it instrumentally all over this joint. And two of his best grooves ever written in Sir Duke and I Wish are unequivocal proof. Favorite Tracks: Love's in Need, Contusion, Knocks Me Off My Feet, Summer Soft, Isn't She Lovely, As

Most double albums so far I've graded a little lower due to their length, this is how double albums should be, great blend of soul and funk, lovely balance from song to song with some huge hits in there, a fantastic album

Incredible! I was familiar with this album but never listened to it from front to back. Many highlights but “knocks me off my feet” always takes me back to my childhood when i hear it. My 2 year old loved dancing to “sir Duke”. I love how versatile Stevie is with his voice on certain tracks and obviously he showed why he is one of the best musicians and songwriters in the world. Easy 5 out of 5 stars.

Hard to beat as one of the best of all time

So cool, classic timeless funk and soul and sunshine.

This was a very enjoyable listen. Some really great music on this album.

10

Perfect. No notes.

Great Album

Honestly it took two go-rounds to really listen to this. And then suddenly I realized that it is gorgeous. It’s not in your face, so you can have it playing in the background and dismiss it as better than average smooth R&B. But when you sit with it, the genius is undeniable. One beautiful song after another. So few misses even though it’s a long double album. This isn’t necessarily my favorite genre but i can’t deny this one. I look forward to sitting in the sun with this one this summer.

Groovy, fantastic album

To my mind a truly great album.

That was lovely! Very middle school band

Dałabym 6 jak się dało To jest jego 18 album i to jeszcze taki długaśny. Cały dzień go słuchałam. Stevie Wonder's jest geniuszem

10/10 te amoooo

Und immer wieder ein Push nach vorne. Großartig!

Great album. Lots of familiar hits and songs I recognize from hiphop samples. Favourites: As, I wish, Isn't she lovely, Knocks me off my feet New faves: Saturn, Ebony Eyes and Joy inside my tears

i've heard this work so many times front to back i have yet to finish it as i'm writing this review. this is quite possibly the best album that has ever been released in the recorded history of the world.

Genuinely one of the greatest albums ever made. An absolute delight from start to finish. 10/10 An exuberant display of genius

Stevie Wonder was 26 when he made his magnum opus, *Songs In The Key of Life*. This was also his 18th album, which is insane. This album is just so beautiful and astonishing to say the least. The name of the album is accurate! What sets it apart from other “happy” albums for me is that there’s this feeling of authenticity from Stevie. His vocal performance is just great. The intro track, *Love’s In Need of Love Today*, is an amazing example of this. While having great background vocals and vocals from Stevie, it just brings nice vibes like so much of this album. It’s one of many amazing ballads on the album. There’s so many stand out moments that I can’t name them all here. The production on all of the songs is excellent, and the fact that Stevie produced and played a lot of the instruments on this album is crazy. It’s impressive, and it really shows on tracks like *Isn’t She Lovely*, which is a song about his daughter. The harmonica solo played by him is just amazing, and adds to the feeling of excitement and happiness the song has. Another example is *Sir Duke*, which is a tribute to Duke Ellington. The brass on it sounds amazing! There’s also *As*, it’s simply excellent to say the least. In short, being regarded as one of the best albums of all time isn’t easy to live up to, but this album did. I HIGHLY recommend giving this a listen, it’s amazing. Bravo, Stevie.

One of the top albums of the 70's and Stevie's best in a series of 5 super powered albums released by him. A clear 5

Absolute perfection. Was a formative album of my teens. From the opening track - lush uplifting and joyous - to the last (depending on how you view the end - Another Star or Easy Goin Evening as the bonus Ep) it's a hymn to life, it's stages, its highs and lows, the ebbs and flows of people, love, loss.

Massive. Samples galore, the fountainhead of a clear genius. This album truly feels like being in the mind and life of Stevie. Exploding out in every direction with music and experience.

In 1950 a woman found a lamp, rubbed it, out popped a genie and she was offered 3 wishes. The first was for deeper understanding of the human condition so the double helix of DNA was discovered. The second was for man to conquer space so Sputnik was launched. Her third wish for her unborn child to be the personification of the joy of music. This brought us the gift of Stevie Wonder. From the outside it seems like writing beautiful, heart warming music comes as naturally as breathing for him, but im sure there is a lot of hard work involved too. A double album where ever song just seems that it existed forever and was found in nature is insane. Most album reviews talk about stand out tracks, Stevie Wonder had a stand out decade (70's) and this was slap bang in the middle of that.

Been in a rough patch this week as far as this project goes. What a way to get out of it. Maybe a bit long but it's warranted. 9/10

An album that everyone should listen to at least twice

Jeg vil sige det så ofte som bogen kræver - 1972-1976 Stevie Wonder alle 5’ere. Den her er måske den bedste af dem

Turn the key and enter these great songs into your life! Wow…there was so much to unpack from an initial listen to this mammoth double…nay…TRIPLE album, one that is worth every ounce of the accolades it has received with the lasting legacy it laid for the incredible artistry of Mr. Stevie Wonder! Now I won’t sugarcoat the fact that the album’s runtime is quite lengthy at just shy of two hours, however it is jam packed with entertaining grooves and heartfelt soul that will hardly test your patience to enjoy the set list in its entirety the whole way through. What I value most about this 1001 generator listening project beyond discovering such incredible music that I would otherwise have never dedicated the proper time to fully immerse myself with, is learning just how original and influential much of these albums were. I had no idea that ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ was actually interpolated from the Stevie Wonder song Pastime Paradise found in these collection of songs. My mind was blown! 🎧 Classic Track: Isn’t She Lovely 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Ngiculela - Es una historia - I am Singing 🎧 Personal Favourite: Village Ghetto Land Although a genre of music that is not typically in my regular rotation and a release well before my time, there is no doubt that it’s a classic must listen! 🖼️ Album Artwork: Iconic 💿 A must own for your vinyl collection! Click the thumbs up icon below if you enjoyed my take on the album :)

Lungo ma merita tutto

Great album!Despite the long duration, it does not bother, because the music is quite diverse and interesting.

YES YES YES I love everything about this. The guitars, the bassline, the synth stuff, the moog basses, the clavs, the singing, the female backing singers. It all just feels so polished in every way, The ballad-type songs all are great, even though perhaps I wouldn't normally like that kind of thing. The funkier songs are probably my favourite, especially the synth-based ones. The hits are all great as well, although isn't she lovely drags on with the recording at the end, but I still love it. I can't really think of a double album which is so interesting and varied in a good way the whole way through. I still think if each of the individual albums were on their own, it would still be amazing. Its not often a song makes me sporadically pull out every instrument I can play and have a go on it (I know that probably sounds stupid) Favourite songs: pretty much all of them, except maybe knocks me off my feet and a couple of ones at the very end (not the very last one though). Will definitely come back to this Overall around 9/10

This one is also a classic, so many great hits, stevie wonder is a genius

Based on how acclaimed this album is, my expectations were high, but were somehow still surpassed by this great album. I expected the album to be good, but I didn't expect it to be so experimental, political, and full of songs that would be the highlight of almost any other album. Favorite Track: As

Pretty amazing achievement to have an album with a run-time of 1h 45 min that never feels like it drags.

Fantastic. I’ve heard it all the way through several times. This run through was just as satisfying. Talking Book, Innervisions and this one. What a 4 year run. All 5 stars. This could be his greatest? I believe I read he thinks it is. 2nd half “deep tracks” are just so GOOD. For me, on a very short list of albums I would need on a desert island. Top 10 All-Time? Top 5? One could argue.

Joyful music

SO MANY SONGS ARE SAMPLED FROM THIS ALBUM. WHAT. PASTIME PARADISE = GANGSTAS PARADISE??!?!?! Also really nice album in general, got a hint of Japanese Fusion vibes from Contusion/Sir Duke.

another one of the greatest. There are highs and lows but even the lower have been sampled and redone over and over

A fave in High a school Listened to over and over Beautiful

He’s not as blind as everyone thinks. Great album.

Prob in my top 20 albums of all time. Timeless and phenomenal.

Great Album!

always good. I tend to forget how immersive his albums are. Til we meet again Mr. Wonder.

I can’t believe I’ve never listened to this before. Bop after bop. He has so many good love songs specifically in this album which is in theme in a beautiful way with the album title. Sir duke is unbeatable and I wish pastime paradise wasn’t such a meme cause it’s also amazing.

Stevie goes wall to wall with this one

Brilliant album.

Great album, it's a tad long but he must have been so incredibly inspired when he made this. 4.5, but definitely leaning towards the 5.

This may be the greatest soul album of all time. It's a near-perfect album!!!

It is so hard to have a double album of all killers but Stevie did it.

another perfect record

If this were the only album an artist made, it would still be legendary. But this was Stevie Wonder's eighteenth album, and the fifth of a string of 5 considered his strongest albums. And he was just twenty six years old. Take the phenomenal range of music he made for this album, the dense arrangements, the cutting edge technology he employed to produce the sounds, and the sheer volume of music that was released. He paid homage to his elders, he reminisced about his youth, he proclaimed his love for a woman and his love for all mankind. And he held a torch up to human cruelty. And that's just Side One! Favorite tracks: Contusion, Sir Duke, Ordinary Pain, and As. As can move me to tears, even after all these hundreds of listens. Ten stars. No notes.

C’mon

Absolutely floored by how many times these songs have been sampled, must be one of the most influential albums of all time. His magnum opus. 70s funk and soul, beautifully presented. A pretty perfect album.

Damn Stevie, leave some hooks for the rest of us! First album I'd not heard before that I instantly understood why it was special. Initially quite daunted by the length as I tend to prefer shorter, punchier, albums. But wow. A tour de force that just carries you through. A number of hits whilst having a coherent vibe. There are a number of times you can clearly see his influence on others.

Amazing artist, amazing album. Magnificent songs, relistenable front to back

Bunch of classics I recognized. Great album to listen to any time.

Sheeesh Stevie! I never listened to this whole album before. I just knew the hits but Damn son, this album is all just bangers! Shut up and take my money baby. Like seriously, how can an album come out in 1976 and just stand the test of time. Like I'm here in 2025 just absolutely blown away by this. I had no idea that Coolio's "Gangsters Paradise" was a sample from this. Like I wasn't even bored once and this is his 18th album too. Like settle down mate. We get it, You're a genius. This is why I signed up for this in the first place. I'm getting this on Vinyl. 5 stars!

This is a masterpiece. Some of the greatest pieces of music ever recorded. It’s funky, soulful, joyous, sophisticated. I remember listening to this for the first time, such a revelation. Didn’t know music can do all that.

Obviously, Stevie Wonder is a genius. Obviously, this album is a masterpiece. And obviously I'm giving it a five. But this album generator has taught me something I am somewhat surprised to learn. I'm just not that into Stevie Wonder. Weird.

Dancing and singing to songs in the key of life comes easily. Stevie is a master songwriter and performer

S tier of S tier. Maybe the only double album that justifies every second of its existence

Top 10 album ever

Textbook

no better way to spend a sunny friday morning ☀️

A definite Desert Island candidate! Every moment pulses with love, with beauty, with faith, with life!

Wow. Wtf is this album. I had heard a few of these songs and just LOVE "I wish". So much talent bundled up in 1 package. This album is like a fucking giant washing machine and throwing in R&B, funk, jazz, anything else you can think of. I had always heard about how they called him "Little Stevie" - the knickname of him in his crazy young years when he was starting to get recognized. But really only knew of him in his later "pop" radio years and never listened to a lot of his stuff NOT on the radio. The musical talent that inside this man's brain is absolutely INSANE. I cannot even comprehend the variations and arrangements of shit on this album. It is untouched as far as what so many other albums have. He is SO INSANELY gifted from a musical perspective. His writing/arrangements/producing/vocals/melodies - JESUS!! It is NUTS. Loved everything on this album. - Village Ghetto Land - incredible/different - I Wish - just an awesome song - always loved it - how cool. Listening to this song and picturing people in a studio...how could you NOT be just smiling and bouncing around and loving every second of recording a song like this?! - Contusion - good luck trying to in your head anticipate where this song is going next - pure Jazz insanity and all over the place. Reminds me of some later Steely Dan feel honestly. Time signatures insane, unpredictable, just tight jazz. Crazy guitar leads in background Pasttime Paradise - did NOT know this was the origination of later hip hop lol - learn something every day. Summer Soft - great mellow song - reminds me a lot of some of his later stuff. What I could not believe honestly in listening to this album is how much of these songs kept reminding me of artists in the last 20 years. WOW!! How much influence this album had on others! I hear everything from Phish to Lenny Kravitz to hip hop - just crazy. This must be a highly respected album by so many later artists. I never realized it. Overall I'm must blown away by the production/arrangement of this and the song-writing. It is just not from a brain from this planet. Seriously. There are only a handful of artists I listen to and pay attention to the musical genius behind it - this is one of them. Elton is another. People that just do NOT write what you think you're expecting to hear next and play stuff that just is not supposed to go together...yet it does. His songwriting here is just unparalleled. So appreciative of what is on this album. Just absolute insane talent oozing out of everything put together here and written. Wow.

Brilliant. Songs of struggle, life, and love. Most artists can’t make a 40 minute album of music and Wonder gives more than twice that as the albums draws one in and paints vivid pictures through the perfectly interlaced rhythms and melodies.

I've always been relatively familiar with this album, but have never listened to it in its entirety. I opened it up on Spotify and thought that I must have opened some sort of re-release with additional material. Nope. This is a double album. Nearly 2 hours long. I thought that my previous enjoyment of some of the material on this album was now going to be scarred by having to dredge through this lengthy monstrosity. Boy was I wrong. What a masterpiece and a joy to listen to. I can finally see the entire appeal of this. Such a beautiful album, front to back.

Like this will be 5 stars from me, let's jot that down My First Stevie Wonder album did not disappoint, like this was a classic from start to finish 👏👌

i fw this album so bad why didn't i find it sooner realistically i'd give this album 4.5-4.7

Long ass album. I'd say this album fits smack dab into the category of ones you should listen to before you die, I don't love every song but I love a great deal of them.

I'm not usually a fan of soul music post-Otis Redding, but Stevie Wonder's 1970s albums represent so much more than that. Joy, melancholy, nostalgia and hope are predominant themes and love is the biggest thread through them all. Truly moving stuff.

Fantastisch. Man merkt wie hochwertig es produziert ist. Die Musik macht gute Laune und eine tolle Stimme. Songs der Playlist hinzugefügt: Sir Duke

Truly one of the greatest albums of all time, and probably in my personal top 3. There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said.

This is the new standard for five star ratings. Outstanding.

As I was listening to this I started jotting down every track that stood out to me, then about half way through I had way too many tracks to add a list here. Insane hit rate on a double album - Stevie Wonder was really on fire here.

Excellent!

Wow, real source material type music. Hearing so many samples and classics. All in one album. Impactful lyrics and beautiful music.

pure bliss

soo funky

So many hits

still working through this, but so far I adore.

Awesome

It's absolutly brilliant.

Great stuff!

To think he was close to walking away from the music business before this album- imagine! The man is a genius, this album is sublime.

18th album Masterpiece

I mean what more could you possibly want from music. One of the greatest singers and songwriters of all time, singing his heart out on some of the very best songs he ever wrote, and it's funky and soulful as hell. I guess my main quibble is that the lyrics are odd and, on a lot of the songs, kind of impossible to retain/sing along with. But anyway. Disc One, on its own, would be one of the greatest records ever made. Dayenu. Aside from the unlistenable jazz-rock fusion track, it's like a greatest-hits album. Sir Duke - I Wish - Knocks Me Off My Feet - Pastime Paradise, all that in a row? That's 1990s Michael Jordan, but album tracks. Disc Two is a little more far-out and uneven, but it also rules! 7 stars.

Stevie Wonder's *Songs in the Key of Life* is nothing short of a musical triumph. This double album, bursting with creativity and soul, showcases Wonder at the peak of his artistry. The masterful blend of genres—soul, funk, jazz, and pop—creates an innovative and timeless sonic tapestry. Wonder's lyrics are profound, his melodies unforgettable, and his performances deeply moving. Few albums capture the human experience with such depth and joy. Truly, this is a masterpiece that transcends time. Absolutely essential.

This and Innerversions are pretty much perfect.

This album was so wonderful 😭🥹 I agree with other reviewers who said that they’ve had to second guess some of their previous 5 star reviews, because THIS is a 5 star album if ever there was one. I can’t even believe how many amazing songs are on here. Yes, it’s definitely long, and some of the individual songs run a bit long too, but that’s really just nitpicking, because this album is really one hit after another. Each song is special. And Stevie Wonder has such a positive sound. He was singing about some pretty heavy themes in a few of these songs, but he made sure that they were still listenable and enjoyable instead of just making a point. This has become one of my favorite albums of all time just like that. I loved it so much❤️❤️❤️

Great album love Stevie Another one I remember hearing on vinyl back in the olden days. Yeah it might get a little bit long and weird but its got the funk, jams and is just good

A classic.

Excellent - his best!!!

One of the most (the only?) essential double albums. Every song a masterpiece in itself.

This album is amazing!! Stevie Wonder is magician with music. I am definitely adding this entire album to my library. I already had several subs from it on my likes list, but this entire album is great!

Obviously incredible. Whats more to say!

Iconic from beginning to end!

Stone cold classic

I really, really like this album. I don’t necessarily make an effort to listen to it much anymore but almost every song on this album is gold!

Whoo this album still holds up from the first time I heard it. Highlights for me are still Black Man and Sir Duke but on this side of parenthood the once saccharine Isn’t She Lovely now makes me bawl my eyes out.

Very good

odlican naravno

Easy 5, easiest 5 I've ever given. The man, the myth, the Stevie Wonder.

La musica, las letras, cada cancion se siente fresca mientras que a la vez mantiene esa constanza de el género del álbum, de verdad muy recomendable

Fantastic album, all time great.

double album so less inclined to review every track individually, maybe break its down by sides? Nah i've got time Side A Loves in need of love today is very pretty Have a talk with god- What instrument is that? Village Ghetto Land- Lyrically strong Confusion- Instrumental, fun guitar work Sir Duke- Great Pop song, No notes I Wish- DITTO Knock me off my feet- Pretty Love song (stevies bread and butter) Pastime Paradise- LOL did not not know this was the original (but also serious subject matter) Summer Soft- another bread and butter stevie ( his voice is great) Ordinary Pain- Love those female vocals Side B Isn't she lovely- It's isn't she lovely, no notes Joy inside my tears- my favourite ballad so far? Black Man- Tell us Stevie Ngiculela-es una historia- I am Singing- interesting If its magic- cute As- Banger of course Another star- Another banger On streaming there are 4 additional songs from the a something's extra EP but because this is already a double album i'm gonna listen another time. I did just listen to Saturn as I was walking back from M&s, and it's got a great chorus.

A wonderfully ecelctic double album.

How the hell do you make a double album with 21 tracks where none of them feel phoned in!? Stevie Wonder cooked with this one. My compliments to the chef

A classic

Aw, man, this slaps! Extra pints for the insane noises during Isn’t She Lovely and the sheer audacity of Coolio to be annoyed at Weird Al for Amish Paradise

My introduction to Stevie Wonder; what an incredible listen! While the latter half didn't click for me like the former, the quality was nonetheless consistent. No doubt the best album I have encountered on this list thus far. The wide range of styles and instrumentation combine for a whole-package experience that I will most certainly be coming back to. Favorite song: Summer Soft Overall, a solid 9 for me, rounded up to 5 stars.

brilliant but about 20 minutes too long

i think the key (of life) is listening to these albums in the car cuz dang the second half of this album hit harder than it ever has. a serious classic. always my answer for what album is coming with me on a deserted island, and for good reason.

an all-time album. just gets you moving

An album this long should feel ridiculously bloated, but Stevie pulls it off. This album is an immersive experience from start to finish with very few problems. It's amazing that a blind man creates such visual songs.

brilliant, not much else to say. It's a double LP 5/5, stevie put this out for fun. Can’t believe this is his 18th album! It’s undeniably great and arguably the best album on this list. I could wax lyrically about this album, but really all I can say is go listen and enjoy his masterpiece

A classic whose reputation is deserved.

Fantastic album.

such an amazing album. 10/10.

Have on vinyl. Extremely rare for an album of this length to be so consistent. Endlessly sampled up to the modern day. As is one of the best songs Stevie Wonder ever recorded

SitKoL is essentially as close to a perfect album as you can get, which is even more impressive a statement when you realize it's a massive double album containing almost an hour and a half of material. When you have the runtime of a feature film and all of it is some of the most gorgeously arranged, incredibly written music you've ever heard, you've got something special. This album is special. Possibly the greatest piece of modern music ever made.

Groovy, Funky, Romantic, Beautiful album.

Not my personal favorite Stevie but undeniably a masterpiece tour de force, etc.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS FIVE NO QUESTIONS ASKED

Did not like at the start, but man, this shit grows on you... So many great songs... Gets worse in the second half, but still overall great

Stevie Wonder at his best.

Not only is this one of the best Stevie Wonder albums, it’s also one of the best albums of all time. Stevie is throwing 100 throughout the album with many bangers throughout and an insane consistency over the 1 hour 45 minute runtime. It’s fun, poppy, and lighthearted but also deep and reflective. It’s the type of hits we all love mixed with jamming and unconventional songwriting. Tl;dr this rocks

Очень клевая музыка, пара треков - хиты

Absolute gem of an album. So many great songs.

Hall of Fame

9/10 Banger. Sounds super fresh, production and music is amazing. As is the voice. Loads of cool storytelling. A small handful of songs that sound like they are 100% outro keeps it from a perfect 10 for me. The songs with the super funky squidgyness are my favourites Best: As

is this the greatest album of all time?

Stevie Wonder... bäh dachte ich, Ebony and Ivory, lass gut sein, da habe ich früher immer schnell umgeschaltet wenn das im Radio lief. Und da soll ich mir jetzt ne ganz Platte anhören? OMG. Nie lag ich falscher, sorry Stevie, ich war ein blinder Ignorant und hatte keine Ahnung. Fantastische Platte, keine Ahnung wie ich mich so verlaufen konnte. Volle Punktzahl.

album muito interessante, da pra entender e porque todo mundo glorifica o Stevie Wonder. Percebi várias referências e samples que foram retiradas desse álbum para músicas pop, rap e até aberturas de podcasts kk Muito bom nota geral 9.5 Tem o plus de ser bastante longo comparado aos álbuns atuais

Wow, Songs In The Key Of Life was an album that i absolutely loved. Stevie Wonder was always capable of greatness throughout his career but this is where he truly brought out his A game. Sure, it was a long one at an hour and 25 minutes but it was an hour and 25 minutes of some of the most sublime soul music out there that always managed to stand out from each other despite the long length yet still heavily being products from this album. I also do find it interesting that the original version of Coolio's \"Gangster's Paradise\" came from this album, a place i was not expecting at all. Sure, this album does have problems but none of them are enough for me to give this album any lower than 5 stars. Best Song: Sir Duke Worst Song: Love's In Need Of Love Today

Classic with amazing tracks. Overall great.

Despite this album being viewed by many as Stevie Wonder's magnum opus, I feel, while it is magnificent, it just feels like it is too much of a good thing. But, I don't want to focus on anything negative. There is greatness here and that is enough.

Another lovely album for this week. I was worried at first when I saw the play time, but it gets off to a cracking start. A lovely sprinkling of familiar tunes keep you switched on throughout, coupled with his delightful voice. I’m not sure how a man with no vision can be so descriptive with his lyrics though, ebony eyes? Orange snow on Saturn? If you’re reading this Stevie (with your eyes and not your fingers), which you probably are, I’m onto you, and your excellent colour perception.

Might be one of the most complete albums I’ve ever heard. I’m only going to point out 2 things I didn’t particularly like. I felt as though Summer Soft dragged on abit in the second half. And that Ngiculela song was obviously non-understandable until he finally just repeated ‘i am singing’ in english. Two very minor personally unenjoyable parts of what is otherwise in my opinion, genuinely a perfect album. Had to point them out otherwise I’d have had nothing to say, because I can’t afford to spend an hour writing all of the things I liked about it. Hearing music that I’m familiar with through the samples was great too. What a talent.

This was one of the best listening experiences so far of this challenge. What an incredible album. I love a lengthy album. The music builds beautifully and lies. So right in your eardrum. Lyrics are incredible too. Joy in my tears and black man gave me chills. Never listened to a striver album back to back

Nice

Didn’t realize how many hits are on this album. It is a great record but I think 10-20 minutes could be cut without damaging the whole album

This has to be one of the best albums of all time. Double albums usually have a ton of city able tracks but o don’t feel like that’s the case here. Just a staggering number of great songs can found here and the hits HIT. The back to back grooves of “Sir Duke” and “I Wish” is unbelievable, the political messaging in “Village ghetto land” and “Black Man” is powerful, and even the country attempt of “Saturn” works for me. I cannot believe one person masterminded this entire thing. Stevie Wonder is a genius plain and simple. Easy 5.

One of the greatest- so much has been said about this album over the last almost 50 years. Just beautiful. It really does contain multitudes. So rich and warm and laid the template for so much music that proceeded it.

Can I give this one six stars? An amazing album!

Easy 5/5. One of my favorite records of all time

Love it

This is the greatest album of all time. If you rated this any lower than a five, do me a favor and cut off your ears, then give them to someone else who deserves them. Not only is your music opinion invalid but you no longer deserve the ability to hear.

Very good but a little long, definitely would be better to listen to on record

Never listened to this whole album before, I didn't realize it was a double album, I know and love the hits. Wow, Contusion sounds like a Zappa song, crazy how technical some of this stuff is, going from that into Sir Duke is so awesome. Just realized that "Wild Wild West" is a sample of I Wish from this album lol, also Gangsta's Paradise from Pastime Paradise, but I already knew that one. Overall what a great album, so much awesome musicianship throughout, great writing, awesome singing, harmonies, a lot of variation across the album too.

Sooo random - the order is WILD, but the singles are TIMELESS. Dirty Loops took way more inspiration from him than I thought?

Crazy how much of his legacy is on this one album

This is the kind of album artists put out at the end of their career, when they've mastered the craft, only in this case, Stevie gets it right in his prime. A lifetime of experience and mastery with a fresh and creative streak of a debut album. Hardly any bands can do something like this. It is long and not every song is a hit. There's a lot of music in this album that isn't filler per say, but it represents musical calms and slow points that take you between the highs. This is the kind of album that you can put on just to enjoy. Before the age of burning CD's or the shuffle button, this is what you get a project that you can listen through like a movie and enjoy the pieces as they come. There are no skips and the highs are Stevie's best songs. This is an album that I had never properly listened through and I'm glad I did. I won't say that I'll start putting this album on when I'm bored sitting around, but I'd like to get to a place in my life where I could.

Now I know where Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise comes from.

I'm a little more partial to "Innervisions" but, honestly, you can't go wrong with anything he's ever done. At least from the 1970s.

I have to be honest here. I wasn't really looking forward to this at all. Stevie Wonder just feels really old and uncool to me. Like basically everyone on this list is old now, but something about him just feels a bit forced. Like he was so popular back in the day that I want to think I'm edgy and cool and don't like Stevie Wonder. Anyway, I was obviously wrong. This was incredibly good. It's ok to be popular sometimes, you can be popular and good. I apologies for my error. Since this is my first Stevie Wonder album, a bit of additional context. He was 26 when this came out, and it was already his 18th studio album. That's a lot of albums. His first one came out when he was 12 years old. Honestly kind of impressive that he was able to keep the quality up for so long. This thing is just incredibly smooth and easy to listen to. It has some hits, it has some slower songs where he shows off the vocals, the background instruments are jazzy and interesting, he wrote all the songs. It's a beast at an hour and forty-five minutes (including a bonus EP that was included in the album), but it somehow manages to be good throughout. I don't know what else to add, it's just great. It won a Grammy, sold a fuck ton of albums, what more is there to say. Great album. Favorite song: Sir Duke Other: Love's In Need Of Love Today, Have A Talk With God, Contusion, I Wish, Knocks Me Off My Feet, Pastime Paradise, Summer Soft, Ordinary Pain, Isn't She Lovely, If It's Magic, As, Ebony Eyes 10/29/24

There is a reason Will Smith, Coolio, Ja Rule and Snoop (probably more) all sampled songs on this album...its great! I think I envisioned more albums like this on the list. Looking at the samples you can easily see how much his music influenced so many musicians and future music. Pastime Paradise really got me, Gangster Paradise was just a rip off of this song! Stevie Wonder is so amazing, this album makes me want to dance and move with such ease. I always knew he was amazingly talented but I had never listened to an album. The second album started to drag after the first couple, but As was a good addition late in the game.

Too much awesomeness to break it all down. Stevie's voice is just one of the greatest. So soulful and uplifting. Great grooves. This album is incredible in it's diverse song styles, subject matter, and artful expression of a great musician.

I've heard so many great things about this album, so was very excited to see it pop up today! It has kind of a magical quality to it, I think in part because of his soothing silky voice, and also the almost ethereal way the songs are composed. It's also a really nice blend of beautiful love songs, musings on life, and important racial and political issues. Stevie is one of a kind.

....Yes

Stevie is a madman on the mic and this album demonstrates that. Sir Duke, I Wish, Isn't She Lovely are all fantastic songs that I knew but I was further impressed by the rest of the album. Pastime Paradis surprised me and i now know where Coolio got the sample for Gangsta's Paradise. My biggest complaint would be length, I don't personally enjoy albums that go over an hour as it usually means somethings can be cut. I'm not sure what you would cut from this album. It would probably be a 4.5 with half stars but I'll be rounding up for this one.

First time listening all of the way through this album 10/23/24!

Na The Crusaders onlangs nu de grootmeester van de uitgelaten funk zelve. Die moeiteloos een dubbelalbum vult met zijn energieke vondsten. Het klinkt na al die jaren nog even fris, elk nootje staat op z'n eigenwijze plek, af en toe is er wat inhoud en elke grijze herfstdag kikkert ervan op. Zo doe je dat, beste popmuzikanten.

Al twee keer eerder keek ik uit naar een Stevie album. Twee maal viel het tegen. Vooral de softe nummers deden mij niets. Het was soms (vloeken in de kerk natuurlijk) wat zielloos. Waar ik eigenlijk op hoopte was dat hij zijn krachtige muzikale stijl en stem meer inzette. Ik kom er nu achter dat mijn Stevie verwachtingen wat meer op dit album waren gebaseerd. Dit is Stevie in volle glorie. Zeker, er staan ook wat minder interessante softere nummers op, waaronder enkele hits. Maar die worden goed afgewisseld met krachtigere of meer creatieve nummers. Op cd1 staat een rij heel gevarieerde nummers achter elkaar, allemaal van top-kwaliteit. Een aantal van die nummers zijn in een gecoverde versie ook een hit geworden. Als een nummer in een hele andere uitvoering overeind blijft, toont dat de basis top is.

Superb!!

The Good: a bunch of songs in the same key! The Bad: only a double album. The Ugly: it isn’t his best album… I had a massive smile on my face when this album popped up, and I’ve listened to it 3 times since, as this album is a the soundtrack of 3 formative years of my life. Favorite song has always been Ebony Eyes, and yet on playlists, most people will opt for As, Isn’t She Lovely, Sir Duke, I Wish, Black Man, or any of the other MASSIVE songs on this album… and then most people react to the fact that “hey, Coolio actually covered one of his songs”… makes me sad as it means all those persons had never heard about this album prior. This is a must hear album that should be mandatory listening in school! 10000000000*

So this is where Will Smith and Coolio got there samples from??? My god this album never ceases to amaze me. 10 out of 5 stars

Stone cold classic