What's Going On

Le estuve prestando especial atención a la percusión. Es sublime. La voz del chabon también es buenisima, y las canciones se complementan de buena forma: cuando hay buena percusión, la voz acompaña suave... y cuando hay buenos coros la percusión acompaña y no destaca demasiado, dandole protagonismo a la voz. Aún así no es mucho mi estilo, pero se nota la gran calidad del artista. un 3.5/5

nunca tinha escutado nada do Marvin Gaye, não é muito meu estilo de música, mas não é ruim não, provavelmente tentarei escutar outro albúm algum dia.

Not really my thing but I can understand why it's considered one of the greatest albums of all time. It has a really chill vibe and very well-written affecting lyrics.

Might be being harsh because it’s considered a masterpiece but 3.5/5 for me. Is objectively a good album but a bit samey but gets away with it because it’s quite short. What’s Going On and Mercy Mercy Me do a lot of the heavy lifting. Save The Children is fucking annoying!

What a lovely album. I wish I could conjure up more words for the Title track of this album. I'm sure better people have said better things than me.

Not my fave - a little boring

Decent album with a few great songs

It’s fine. I don’t get the hype and high ratings. Maybe you had to be there.

I'm not a huge Marvin Gaye fan, but this is better than his other album I've already heard.

Great album. Always enjoy listening to Marvin.

Good for a few

Partially known. Iconic, but a bit too Jesus-y for me.

Very cool, very casual. I liked it but it didn't blow me away.

Bit dated, but influential and still relevant.

it's really beautiful, not really what i usually listen to, but it sheds light on many problems in the US and the world and how we need to love and empathize with one another I wasn't really into with the loving jesus and follow God of it all cuz I'm not religious but it's still good :)

What’s Going On - 3/5 What’s Happening Brother - 3.5/5 Fly in’ High (In The Friendly Sky) -3/5 Save The Children - 4/5 God Is Love - 3.5/5 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - 4/5 Right On - 3/5 Wholy Holy - 3/5 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) - 2.5/5

So this is actually a record I’ve had in my collection for years. Popping up as the first album in this series felt a little like drudgery I’ve always thought this record a bit repetitive. Digging deeper I come to find out the repeating motifs were how it was intended to be, more like a classical music suite than an album made for singles. Gives me a new respect for the album but didn’t fundamentally alter my opinion of it.

Was really excited to check this one out but was left a bit cold. Musically it's great, but the way it's structured it feels very samey from track to track. Whoever mixed the guiro so hot on Inner City Blues needs to reevaluate their life choices. It's fine but I wasn't blown away by it.

Significant album. Absolutely! But, unfortunately, there's a lot of time spent transitioning between the three brilliant songs on the album with some marginal and/or lackluster tunes that, ultimately, lessen the album's impact for me. I hate to say that because What's Going On, Mercy Mercy Me and Inner City Blues are so perfect.

I recommend this album to some who like soulful singing. I liked the lyrics of the songs but the songs themselves not so much.

Felt like this was one continuous story. After coming back from war, Marvin longs for a world of peace, a world of freedom, a world of love for G-d and a world of joy. However he never seems to find what this as he continuously repeats the same longing to G-d/Jesus over and over to a point where it’s redundant. I found the melodic portions of songs awfully similar and would have liked more dramatic beats. Marvin’s longing for a better world didn’t completely land with me as it appears to come off as a drunken spew of repetitiveness by the 4th or 5th song.

I love the approche that he took for this album. i'm such that during this time this was a revolutionary album where younger folks felt seen and heard. I think this is just not an album made for me, which is perfectly fine, but i cant remember any melodies or songs. It was not a bad listen by any means, i was dancing to it at some point in the street but i dont have any strong feelings about it. Like a lot of these albums i love the historical value of this album i just don't really care for it. It's one of those albums where you had to be there :)

Some classic tunes on there

Wegweisend etc

I know I should like this more, but I found this very boring

Det påstås vara Gates stora politiska album. Ett album är det. Ljudmässigt och textmässigt håller det ihop. Men textmässigt är det platt och tråkigt. Det är inte i närheten av Curtis Mayfield. Öpnningspåret och avslutande Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) är riktigt bra. Däremellan är det helt ok cocktailsoul.

Another classic album performed by a soul legend.

Як і минулий альбом, який мені випав (Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker,) це не моя музика. Я розумію, що це якісний, культурно важливий альбом. І тут є ціла купа хороших пісень (особливо перша і остання), але це не те музло до якого схочеться повертатись. Це альбом настрій, а в мене до нього настрою немає( Оцінка: середня-висока 7

Just a 3. Good voice, good instrumentals. Just didn’t do anything to impress me past that.

It’s aight I guess

What's Going On

So much that’s so good but at times it veers too far into “we gotta save the children and listen more to Jesus”

I know I am supposed to go Gaga for this album. I get the concept. I appreciate his greatness. After What’s Going On it was ok

Fine

More religious than I would've thought, but hell, its good music

Siempre he tenido la muy heterodoxa impresión de que el soul está un pelín sobrevalorado. Buen disco, pero esa atmósfera es un poco confusa.

Räppisämplejä all around

Porno sex music, hell yeah. Fucking, baby

This album is like a nice warm hug. Beautiful R&B. Favorite track: Mercy Mercy Me

Some very strong songs, some not so much

Would I listen again: sure, but not my first pick. It was chill. Very ambivalent about this. He sounded nice in a way that I don’t really remember much of the album after listening

Honestly quite boring which was not what I expecting. Most tracks didn't go anywhere and a lack of hooks.

a good listen

No change from the previous album. It's good, but not for me.

I love the whiplash of going from the horny Marvin Gaye of Let's Get It On a couple days ago into the socially conscious one of What's Going On. The best moments of this are justifiably lauded (the title track, "Mercy Mercy Me"), but "Save the Children" and, to a lesser extent, "God is Love" are clunkers. I didn't know "Right On," though, so that was a fun new discovery. This is a mixed bag, but Marvin Gaye is an icon, so what do you want? 3.75 stars.

It’s ok

Delightful & GAY(e)!

Enjoyable album, but easily fades into background music.

There are some killer tunes here. This isn't my general jam, and there's plenty here I don't love. And there are some killer tunes here.

loved his voice more than i loved the songs but also the music gets really good at times

Pretty good not necessarily my type of music but i can appreciate it

The title track and Mercy, Mercy Me are both beautiful tracks, and there are a couple of other high points on this album, but I found it a little saccharine all in all, far more so than I remembered from my late teens.

Buena musica

The definition of true talent, I just happened to not care much for songs

No strong feelings, nice as background music at work

People think this is the best album of all time kinda ruins your expectations. 3/5

Someone once made me a CD mixtape and What's Going On was the first song on the mix. That song has had a dreamy nostalgic tint for me ever since, and I was so happy to find it here again. This whole album is smooth.

This was okay it was hard to listen in 2026. Not because of the music or singing but just that he's enumerating all of the worlds problems in 1971 and we still have all of those problems only it's worse. I'm glad Marvin Gaye isn't here to see it because he would definitely be asking 'What's going on'

i would say this album is not what i usually listen to, but it was nice and quite a different pace of music

I thought the album was pretty good, all the songs were nice, nothing I would ever go out of my way to listen to again, but nothingbad.

I didn't realise Marvin Gaye was such a religious man. Overall a remarkably generic album musically

Buen álbum, no es para mí

Wow, first song of the album, "Whats going on"listened on Ytube like 97 Million times. Yet i first time heard this. I like how he s making melodies with background music. I tend to like when there is orcheastral element of song. Is this 70's? Second song, i like he s siging out of key like jazz. I like when music is unpredictable and free. I can feel his feelings, he is not pretending. There was so many colours in this area of music. So many instrument, crossing each other but all of them jamming fine. I bit got bored with "Flying high" and "save the children". "God is love" was pretty rich, ı like the sound of it. "Mercy mercy me" was okay, but ı m not sure i would wanna search it to play again, "right on" i like this kind of intrumental sound at the background. It was fresh. And last one is "wholy holy" i like it. The music sounds like movie scene. Or personal written poem to himself.

This is objectively a Good album, but it's surely a bit too Christian-specific worship heavy to class as a album EVERYONE must listen to before they die... Right? Or is this list trying to save my soul?

A lot jazzier than I thought it would be. Unbeatable voice. Really good.

70’s Soul ⭐️Mercy Mercy Me

6/10 The title track was really good. The rest of the album is a perfectly pleasant listen, nothing more

Nice but not my cup of tea

Pretty chill album with very calming and relaxing songs. It is an enjoyable listen but kinda forgettable. All the songs blend in together and sounds the same after a while.

Marvin Gaye gör helt klart den här grejen bra, men kanske inte ett album jag skulle dra igång när som helst.

Coolt chill.

Bueno para salir de tu comfort zone, y escuchar algo nuevo. No lo amé, pero tampoco estuvo mal.

Um just not my cup of tea I guess. Well it’s not really bad I just don’t feel anything about that

Great but not much variation in the vibe

Fun but meh

I don't Know what's going on...

Todo el álbum se siente como una gran canción, conecta perfectamente una con la otra si se escucha en orden, es un buen álbum para poner de fondo mientras se hace algo más.

edit: I haven't thought about this album at all after an prop won't revisit it. The album almost sounds like a prayer. Even though there is a lot of mentioning of what man is doing badly there is still a hopeful tone throughout the songs. It feels fresh compared to the other art i've consumed recently who has either been jokingly nihilistic or about escapism, trying to cope with the state of the world right now. The Album talks a lot about love for each other and for god. My top songs are: Save The Children and Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)

Good but is not my vine 3/5

Solid Album musically, a little too much praising the Lord, imo. Fav: What‘s going on

I was familiar with the singles and loved "What's Going On" and "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" for their all time groove, and I was looking forward to hearing the rest of this album hoping for more of that. But unfortunately, whilst the performances and production are well done, the song arrangements and edits of the non-singles don't really hold up to the pacing and brilliance of the singles. Marvin has a great voice, but even with his great voice the album becomes a bit uneven between "What's Going On" and "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and then after truly enters a morass and becomes thoroughly listless on the back half of the album. The groove of "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)", with its reprisal of harmonies and melodies from "What's Going On", almost redeems the back half of the album. While its cultural relevance probably once made it a 4 or 5, I feel like it has not held up to time and now feels like a solid 3 in my book.

The lyrics are very political and deep which I really liked but I can't connect at all as it's not a rhythm i listen usually. The album is good but i wouldn't listen to it daily

chill vibes but not going into my playlists

yupppp

It’s pretty good, but I think I would appreciate it more if it were more standout tracks. I mean it literally segues between songs, but it does feel a bit samey overall, to me at least. It could be that I’m just not connecting with it that much. The fact remains that he has a great voice, and I still like the orchestral elements very much. I think I’m more of a casual fan of particular tracks, rather than his general discography. 3.5 rounded down.

Por lo general no tengo mucha música de este tipo, del genero soul (tuve que investigar sobre el artista y su estilo de música) . Pero este en particular me encanto, siento que acompaña cualquier actividad que uno este haciendo en el momento, y si uno tiene ganas de relajarse y entrar en un ambiente elegante incluso, viene bien.

Lekker achtergrond muziekje, niet echt iets dat ik actief zou luisteren. 3/5

chill and cool, great music to listen to while being creative

The brilliance of this album is not lost on me. It's smooth and upbeat while taking on difficult and complex issues of the 70's. The Vietnam war, poverty and civil rights weren't simple but Marvin Gaye made them sound pretty good. It goes without saying that it's not really my thing, but it is good to visit this once in a while.

Flight of the Conchords are geniuses. I couldn't listen to this album without thinking about junkies with monkeys diseases. Sorry Marvin, lovely album, very soulful, just too well spoofed. Preferred Think About It by FOTC.

wins jobda

As is typical I’m finding from this genre, this was pleasant enough, smooth, easy listening, but simply nothing more than that. Quite bland, didn’t leave a lasting impression, but completely inoffensive. Alright.

A pretty solid soul album. The man has some amazing pipes. A perfectly acceptable album, but not one I'm likely to return to.

album muy chill, para cocinar o para garchar diria

I know it's number 1 album ever.. but not for me? Maybe one day.

Highlights: What’s Going On, Mercy Mercy Me and Inner City Blues. 3.9

I did really like this one, a bit samey so an almost 4

I felt like I was being seduced by this album. The album made me feel comfortable and it talked to me sweetly and like I was the only person in the world listening to it when I was. Solid 3.

Pretty solid! All Right was a bit long for my taste, but thats just preference.

high 3 truly a pretty enjoyable listen and flows well but doesn’t tire don’t care for lyrics

Great album all the way through, but I am not really an avid religious music listener. I liked it tho.

3/5 This was a good album, but as an avid Jesus-hater I can't in good conscience give it a 4/5. Marvin Gaye has a great voice, but the Christianity really put me off this album.

Classic soul for sure, but outside of the title track I wasn’t really that impressed

I enjoyed this album but I wasn’t drawn in as much as I would have liked. It’s nice to have playing but I wanted to be more captivated by it even with the hits that were there.

Tää levy on tullut kuunneltua joskus aiemminkin. Marvinin ääni on upea, mutta tämän levyn biisit on aika tasapaksuja, eikä näistä jäänyt mitään erityistä mieleen.

Was nice to listen to but nothing really jumped out at me like “wow I’ve never heard this before”. Neutral good rating.

#166 - Here, My Dear (3/5) #555 - Let's Get It On (3/5) ********************************* Album #1,054 Marvin Gaye is a great soul singer. I'm just not big on soul or message music. This was the best of his three on this list though. Best track: Mercy Mercy Me

It's got a lot going on

Emm sacando la parte que se menciona un poco mucho a Jesús y conociendo el contexto histórico de este artista, es un álbum que movió mucho la conciencia en ese tiempo, básicamente sin Marvin Gaye no habría la libertad como la conocemos al día de hoy pero respecto como ha envejecido el album,la verdad que no muy bien..pasa a ser un soul muuuuuuy positivo mas de la lista..por eso esta bueno googlear el contexto antes de dar la opinión

Celkom pekný album. Som rád, že som ho konečne počul. Ale či si ho ešte niekedy cielene vypočujem, to je otázne ...

Pleasant to listen to.

This is some old cheesy easy stuff and his voice was great but I think I was just expecting a bit more. chill.

Smooth tunes with hard hitting social commentary lyrics.

Good timing for recommending this on Valentine’s Day

A few classics but not enough to rate high.

It's a classic for sure, but just doesn't resonate with me

The music is great, sounds like something that would play in a quiet, expensive bar. Also good music to put on while you make love to someone. There are some standouts on this album such as “Whats going on” and “Come Get To This” i absolutely adore the instrumentation throughout this record, however some of the songs were blending in with each other and i couldnt tell the difference between them, i was also expecting a little more.

Good but wasn’t in the mood for it unfortunately

I had high hopes but a little disappointed. Good to have on in the background but few stand out tracks for me.

Don't have anything to say, pretty nice

I like the Anchorman jazz flute in "Right On." Also like "Inner City Blues." This is obviously good (Rolling Stone has it #1 all time) and socially important and profound but also just not my thing.

I know this is supposed to the greatest album of all time according to some lists. I find it kind of not so great. It may be over hyped and a product of its time. It's not bad, it just doesn't have much to hold my interest for repeated listenings.

Giod

There's no real catchy tunes here but the vibe it gives off is nice after awhile. Might grow to love it work more listens

Y'all five star mafia making me feel like a cretin here. I can appreciate the talent and I recognize the cultural and historical significance, I just didn't think it was that fun to listen to.

Remember hearing this on the smooth jazz radio before i was old enough to switch channels, so sadly I can't stand this album

While I recognize how talented he was, and what an incredible voice he had, and can appreciate the music, I don't feel an urge to listen to this again. And by that measure, it gets no more than a 3/5 for me.

Surprising in some respects; a little too Jesus-y in others.

NOT FINISHED!!

Tunes

очень приятный альбом, если поставить на фон в доме то вообще будет супер расслабляюще. по сравнению с прошлым альбомом это была терапия

What's going on Marvin?

Some classic tracks. They don run together at times.

started of really strong, definitely has some good songs, but halfway throught just got a little bored.

Ok easy listening

Respect, but not my cuppa tea.

better than i expected

Felt like listening to a gospel album and not in a good way, has some good songs on it. Marvin is also a really good singer

Very jazzy and chill but overall a 7.5/10

Didn’t finish. I get it, it’s just not for me.

1. What's Going On - 10 Such a great track. Gaye's vocals are so smooth on the track and the instrumentals are just in perfect harmony with each other. It's all so subtle to allow Gaye to increase the tone and intensity of the lyrics when needed. Brilliant track. 2. What's Happening Brother - 8 Love the line about the ball club winning the pennant in on this track. Lyrically it's really good. Instrumentally it's right in line with What's Going On. Fun track. 3. Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky) - 5 I'm not as big a fan of this track as the others. It's very mellow but the whole track just feels like a bridge between What's Happening Brother and Save The Children. 4. Save The Children - 3 Listen I love the message but the track is just not great. It's speaking and singing and the tempo, pace, and pitch change too much to really get into the groove of enjoying the song. 5. God Is Love - 9 Great song. Great message, great lyrics, great instrumentals. It is a little bit like an interlude, especially give its short length, but its so enjoyable. 6. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - 4 Instrumentally it's good but it is quite a filler/pass over track. It's just too simple and not really in line with how great the rest of the album has been so far. 7. Right On - 7 Great soul track. Instrumentally it's brilliant. Lyrically it's very strong in the opening part verse or two. The last about three minutes where it changes tone I didn't enjoy as much, but overall it's a fantastic track. 8. Wholy Holy - 2 It's not really a great track. Very spritiual and religious track but lyrically it's not as good as anything else on the album and the fun instrumentals are gone for a more melancholy taste that doesn't strike a great sense of rousing enjoyment. 9. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) - 8 Classic Marvin Gaye. This is exactly the kind of track you come to an album like this for. Absolutely awesome listen. Average Rating: 6.22 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 3.11 Rounded Down: 3 Stars

Pues en general bien, no es mi estilo, pero no me desagrado en ningún momento, al contrario, creo que el instrumental me hizo adentrarme

I'm not musical, so I can only speak to the vibes, which this album has. Enjoyed the smoothness of the songs.

me gustaron los sonidos y creo que es evidente q tiene una temática… algunas veces no distinguí el cambio d canción estuvo bien pero no me encantó

Habe ich 2005 als Gratisbeilage der Samstagszeitung bekommen.

Groovy, lovely.

Not what I expected, but again, was pleasantly surprised. A lot softer than I thought.

Couple of classic songs that deserve the praise but a the rest doesn't grab my attention. Owned the album for probably 30 years and listened to it a maybe a handful of times.

lo escucharía más a menudo si donde vivo lloviese pero estamos a riesgo de sequia asi que no

Not my thing, but I see how people would like him! Very vibey music

Kinda boring not gonna lie sorry Mr. Gaye. Also a lot of love and god in these songs so loses a star cause of that too.

Everything sounds the same. Is that the point?

Album No. 0119 on my list. I was really, really looking forward to finally listening to "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye. I had only ever known the title track (which I thoroughly enjoy), but was aware that this is considered to be one of the greatest albums of all time. I had really high hopes and expectations to be honest... ... well, and I can't deny that I'm just a little bit disappointed, frankly. My love for the title track has certainly not decreased, but honestly, there was not much more going on on the album (lol). It's not bad - really not at all. The thing is groovy, sexy, somewhat political, and sounds pretty good. But I've really expected more to be honest. Groovier, sexier, more political. None of the tracks really stood out or was memorable (I've listened to the album three times now, and still...). I think I get why this album is considered to be important and why people like it, but I'm afraid it's not really my cup of tea. I really want to like it very much and I guess it would look good on my album wall, but I just don't love it I guess... I'm sorry! "What's Going On", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" will be added to my playlist. 3/5 stars.

Obviously the song "What's Going On" is a 10/10, but on average the songs are meh.

it was pretty good i had never heard of him before

Had heard of this artist in name only, and upon first listen soul music is not my typical style, but this was enjoyable enough. Upon second listen and closer review of the lyrics I was able to follow the narrative, but after 4-5 songs in a row around love/God it started to feel less interesting (as compared to the opening and closing tracks). Overall I recognize and appreciate the significance of this artist/album, the statements made, and was glad for the exposure.

Zuhause, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Ganz okay.

Listened casually as I wrote and generally enjoyed!

Veel christelijke verwijzingen

This is a difficult one to rate. It’s considered by many to be one of the greatest albums of all time. It’s pretty great, yes, but it’s far from the best Soul album I’ve heard so far. I don’t know, I can see why people love it. The most important thing I can do here at this point is at least recognize its greatness, which I do. The singing voice is the big draw here, in my opinion. If we’re talking about voice alone, it’s a 5. Damn, this man can sing beautifully, and does. Everything else is pretty good too, but after about 10 minutes you’ve really got the gist of the entire album already. It all starts sounding the exact same song to song and you don’t even know which song you’re on at parts. It’s great as a whole, and I can see why people consider this so good, but I can’t say I’d personally return to it, which is ok. My favorite song on this one is the titular opener, “What’s Going On”. This is the first of 3 Marvin Gaye albums I have rolled for this project, and I’m going to guess prematurely that if I gave this one a 3, they’re all likely to end up getting 3’s as well. I get the striking suspicion that the important messages this album provide are better than the music itself. Not a bad thing, just an observation. The themes are all moving and powerful, that much is true, but a lot of the music itself is forgettable and even a tad repetitive. It’s not really for me but I definitely respect it, and I would happily listen to it again if it came up naturally.

The rest of the album couldn't live up to the title track. Good listen just expected more.

167/1089 such a stunning opening/title track. His voice is so rich and smooth, accompanied by some complex and deep production/instrumentation. The album as a whole was pretty good and enjoyable but didn’t quite hold up to the first track for the full time imo Mercy Mercy Me and What’s Happening Brother were my other faves 69/100

Smooth and smooth say listening

I like it a bit, don't like the christianity in it, some songs are reallyyy good though so 6/10, might change my mind though I'm very subjective

what a hopeful album. also his voice? damn

I want to be the sort of guy who loves Marvin Gaye, but every time I listen to anything beyond one of his timeless classic, mega-hit songs, I’m just bored, even as he’s trying to preach important messages that he clearly feels passionately. “Save the Children” is a tedious drag. “God Is Love” feels completely empty. The musicianship here is incredible. The horns, the drums, the bass guitar (oh my GOD the bass guitar!), and of course the voice. It’s all great, it all melds incredibly well…and I’m just not that into it.

I enjoyed the lyrical composition of the album. I enjoyed the conversation surrounding social injustices and having a relationship with God. Overall I enjoyed the instrumentals, but felt the album was a bit "one note"

I wanted to give it higher, but the overtly religious tones in the middle were rough, and it just really falls flat at the end of the album. Can't go higher than 3 stars, and most of that is coming from the title track.

Still pretty solid! Much like his other album (Let's Get It On), I can tell it's pretty good, but it's just not really my style of music.

Smooth as hell, definitely no *bad* songs, and a good album overall, but I just do not understand its ranking as the best album of all time. Right On, however, is an awesome song.

This is perfectly fine. The transitions between songs are a joy, and you can't get much smoother than Marvin Gaye on the mic, but musically it does very little for me. Personally, I'm learning I prefer my Soul with a bit more Funk. I frankly don’t see what gets this to "best album of all time" status for so many. Countless 5* reviews on here bring up Marvin's social commentary as the key to its importance, and one even describes it as 'visceral' -- in its release context, sure, but it feels way overstated for what I'm hearing today. I respect Gaye's message immensely, but it just doesn’t land with the same punch on a fresh listen, and as a result I do not see the timelessness others see in it. I realize that, by writing this, I'll have to respect the opinion of someone saying the same about To Pimp a Butterfly in 50 years' time. I'll have to live with that. Let’s Get It On remains my favorite Marvin project. Standouts: What's Going On • Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) • Right On • Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)

Perfectly cromulent album that is pretty good with some highlights here and there but definitely not the best album of all time. Stevie Wonder did more interesting social commentary during this period imo.

3.5. Nothing special

getting thee sacred souls vibes, mr. gaye i was unfamiliar w ur game

Swirling magical cyclic dreamsoul. 'A mind torn between apocalypse, sex, personal disaster·and reverie'. Favourite track; inner city blues for obvious reasons

Its definitely above average but the music itself gets a bit boring quickly. The mastering is impeccable though.

not my favorite, for sure a classic and some good songs on there that i enjoyed!

I love the flute! Very easy listen/ soul music. I had heard of Marvin Gaye but couldn't have told you what type of music he sang. Very soulful, though I don't much care for the religious undertones.

It's nice music to listen to. Really nice voice, the music is fine too, but half the time I miss more intensity, trumpets, guitars,.. more passion! It feels just too chill out for me. 3/5.

Not bad - i liked it mostly however the sounds were generally the same throughout so as i got halfway through i got a bit bored of it but the first few songs were fresh!

It was alright, I liked the first track the best. It was very smooth and classy. I can imagine a classy, jazzy character playing this in the background of a romantic, happy scene in a movie. Most of the album blended together. There was only one song that had a weird sound in the background that I really didn't like, which made me skip that song. Good otherwise and I'm glad I tried it out but I don't think I'll be reaching for it. It doesn't quite "sing" to me but feels pleasant to hear in the background. 3/5

Não entendo a fascinação em torno deste disco. Um hit e duas faixas interessantes: "Right On" e "Inner City Blues", apenas. No restante aquela chatice de cordas melosas e vocais lascivos cheios de yeah, yeah, yeah. Mesmo no universo da soul music existem discos bem mais interessantes.

We enjoyed the album but did only realised the song changed at the last song and the album was over!

Kind of weird to hear these socially conscious lyrics in a made for loving voice. I don't think this is as great as its reputation would suggest.

Best Song: Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler). There is a darker, more interesting energy here than in the rest of the album. Worst Song: Save The Children. I can't say I was a big fan of this call and response between the lyrics being spoken and then being sung. I can't help but feel the song would have worked better with just the sung parts. Overall: Not his best album. Everything feels like it comes and goes too quickly to really institute any sort of "vibe". Pleasant listening, but easily forgotten.

Whilst the many talents of Marvin Gaye are fully evident, listening to this album unfortunately just confirms that I simply do not like the majority of his work.

didn't caught my attention

This was good R&B I could chill with. Not my top genre, but I’m slowly finding more and more things I like, and What’s Going On has a few songs I think everyone enjoys. Solid album length, good vibes.

Slightly disappointed … It wasn’t bad but I expected more from such a classic album

I don't know if I've ever heard this version of 'What's Going On' before, which seems insane, but it's not familiar to me! I've definitely heard something other than the A Perfect Circle cover, though.... maybe one of the charity ones? This version is way more peppy and wispy than what I'm used to. It's a good song, but not what I expected! 'God Is Love' has a weirdly abrupt ending. I like that this album is so lyrically different (broadly: "global issues") from the other Marvin Gaye album we had (broadly: "getting it on"). Sometimes it's hard to tell if you're dealing with a concept album if you've only ever heard one album from an artist! Musically it's still, like, christian jazz(?), which is mellow and pleasant (modulo occasional weird percussion), but nothing all that revelatory. Highlights: 'Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)', the title 'Wholy holy'

Classic, and definitely has historical significance…but not something I’d venture back to often.

Decent. I know it gets a lot of love but I only found it alright. Can only give 3 stars

i love let's get it on but this album doesn't do much for me although i do like mercy mercy me

Broo, I actually thought the album was cool. I'm into soul music, but this particular album has some songs that are totally out of place, despite its fame. Now, if you want a top-notch experience listening to Marvin Gaye, I recommend another album of his, Let's Get It On. That one is fucking amazing

Two to three absolute belters not sure about the god songs so 3

An astoundingly beautiful voice in a horrifically prophetic context.

I can see why it's appreciated but a bit too smooth for me

I am a huge soul/R&B lover. I love motown, quiet storm, blue eyed soul and even new jack swing. I am a huge fan of Marvin Gaye and this album does have some bangers on it, but I have to say that I am not as impressed with the totality of this album as many others are. I know this often ranks high, if not at the very top, of many greatest album lists, but to me there is a lot of filler on this record that cannot be balanced out by stellar tracks like "What's going on", "Mercy, Mercy me" and "Inner city blues." I personally feel "Let's get it on" is an overall better album. I know this put's me in a small minority but her I am.

Soulful and with a message... BUT a bit repetitive. What's going on is a banger.

Pretty good . Better than I was expecting, but not good enough to enter my rotation

First listen

nöd wük aktiv glost aber relativ meh vo dem woni glost ha

The sentiment behind this album and Gaye's voice are beautiful. Musically I'm not into it, so while I can appreciate the album, I didn't really enjoy it. I just don't like this genre of soul/motown. The two hit songs are not much different than the rest of the album, which speaks to the cohesiveness of the concept.

Ha Gaaaaaaaaye

The title track is an absolute HEATER and is one of my favorite songs. The rest of this album………. Is maybe not great? There is far too little structure in most of these songs. Mercy mercy me is fine, inner city blues is fine. Rest is really forgettable. WOKE rolling stone said in their 2020ish reranking that this is the greatest album of all time, which I assume must be a sociopolitical statement because the message is ham-fisted and the music is boring.

Maybe the strongest contrast between the dark subject matter and music I've heard. Flows better than hot syrup. Marvin's voice is up there as an all time great.

not my kind of thing

The king of Gaye. Smooth as fuck. With a solid song list, I enjoyed this a fair bit. Like 7/10.

Smooth and easy to listen to. Enjoyable for sure.

Not bad. I like his voice. The music isn't right up my alley, but I try not to punish artists unless they make my ears bleed. Marvin does not. Would I seek this out? No. Would I get mad if it was on? No. 3.

Amazing voice and compositions, but it got just a tad boring after a while.

Not really my thing, but obviously still a great listen

Essential? Yeah, probably. Great listening? Far from it. What's going on Marv? This album drags.

Not my favorite Marvin Gaye album but decent

Pas mon album pref de sa part, ni le plus abouti selon moi (alors même qu’il est souvent classé comme son meilleur album, voire meilleur album de la décennie/de tous les temps, dans certains cas). J’aime bien le côté un peu floaty, un peu suspendu qui est une caractéristique commune des morceaux—et ressort surtout dans Save the children que j’ai vraiment apprécié (j’irais même jusqu’à dire qu’il s’agit de mon son préféré de l’album). Les paroles m’ont un peu rappelé l’incipit de La Peste de Camus, for some reason, avec ce petit côté poétique/dystopique sur fond calme. Une belle proposition qui pour moi vaut un 3,6 arrondi en-dessous : un album très agréable à écouter, un énorme projet derrière qui a laissé sa marque dans le paysage de la soul music, mais qu’il va me falloir réécouter pour arriver à plus l’apprécier que d’autres de ses albums. Ceci dit, je recommande d’aller lire un super article qui explique pourquoi cet album devrait être un 5 automatique (je me suis presque laissée convaincre) : “Why Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” may be the greatest album ever” (sur Medium).

Some bangers here, but pretty mid.

Calm and kinda chill. Relaxing

Not his best album

Feel like my reviews are slowly getting worse, but I just don’t have too much to say about it. Can appreciate that this is probably a top album for fans of this style, but just doesn’t really move me the same.

Der US-amerikanische Soul-Sänger Marvin Gaye veröffentlichte 1971 mit What’s Going On ein Werk, das sich deutlich von der bis dahin üblichen Motown-Ästhetik abhob. Die Aufnahmen entstanden in den Detroiter Studios Hitsville U.S.A., Golden World Studio und United Sound Systems sowie teilweise in den Sound Factory Studios in Los Angeles. Gaye produzierte das Album erstmals selbst und formte daraus eine zusammenhängende Suite aus Soul-, R&B- und Jazz-Elementen. Thematisch greift er Krieg, soziale Ungleichheit, Umweltfragen und Spiritualität auf. Zu den prägenden Titeln gehören „What’s Going On“, „Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)“ und „Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)“. Das Album verbindet elegante Streicherarrangements mit einem fließenden Rhythmusgefühl, das den introspektiven Ton der Texte unterstützt. What’s Going On gilt als künstlerischer Wendepunkt in Gayes Laufbahn. Seine Produktion ist ausgewogen und atmosphärisch dicht, ohne Pathos oder Übertreibung. Ein nachdenklich-menschliches Werk, das auch heute noch Relevanz besitzt.

good

This sound is so timeless, but I couldn’t help but feel like this record was just missing a little extra something in every song. Best Track: Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)

5/10 Oof- I bought this on CD 20 years ago based on it's reputation. Didn't get it then, still don't get it. Just fiddly meandering, with songs that are instantly forgettable to mine ears. Marvin Gaye is one of my top three most overrated artists. At least it was better than Here, My Dear...

Controversial opinion,but Marvin Gaye is just alright. Estate of Marvin Gaye please don't sue me.

Pretty good

Is there a greater state of nihilism than not loving a Marvin Gaye record? I’m sorry world. But I suspect I might be in good company with my brother in song reviewing. It’s a protest record I suppose, but he sings about the wrongs of the world in such vague language that it feels meaningless. I feel like I’d legit enjoy the instrumentals somewhat more. All that said, I like the trifecta of tracks 6, 7 and 9. I’d give a higher rating to an EP that dispenses with the vague whingeing about the wrongs of the world and leans in to the groove of Mercy Mercy Me and Inner City Blues.

Behagelickt. Musikk fra ein legende Beste sang: What's going on

Fine. Another one that's easy listening without any real standouts. Almost want to drop it to a 2 for that but it's still probably a 3. Nothing really to dislike.

La verdad que me parece muy relajante melodicamente, y para que mentirnos, anima al folleteo, pero el de un dia fresco de lluvia que se vive lento.

So smooth it should come with a warning about operating heavy machinery.

It pains me to call this a three-star album... the title track and "Mercy, Mercy Me" are two of the greatest soul songs ever written and recorded, and the entire album has such a chill, sweet, spiritual, peaceful, joyous vibe... but the other songs are just largely not doing much for me. Kind of sounds like they just continued to play the "big" songs for another few minutes and Marvin vamped in some lyrics on other topics. These also-rans would surely be highlights for a lesser artist, but there you go, for me this is a couple of jaw-dropping singles and a bunch of filler.

Vocally superb, but not my cup of tea.

How about What’s Going On? Released in 1971, it wasn’t just Marvin Gaye’s masterpiece, it was a miracle it existed at all. Motown didn’t want it. Berry Gordy thought protest songs would tank sales. But Marvin had just lost his singing partner (Tammi Terrell), his brother had come back from Vietnam traumatized, and America was coming apart at the seams. He wasn’t interested in pop anymore. He wanted truth. So he made an album that felt like a single, continuous thought. The songs flow into each other like chapters in a sermon or movements in a suite. He’s mourning, questioning, and pleading, but he’s also making you move. That’s the trick: the groove saves the grief. Even “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)”—a lament for the planet—sways like it belongs at a summer block party. It’s protest you can dance to. Philosophy you can sing along with. And over 50 years later, it still sounds like the most beautiful cry for help ever pressed to vinyl. Spin it. Stream it. Listen to it or just dance. You’re rewarded any way it happens.

Solid

3,2/5

Dans le brouhaha et le fouillis de saint lazare j’ai pas trop réussi à me concentrer sur l’écoute

Sonically the album is perfect, the funky base lines, the jazz drums, and the gospel/soul vocals in the background blend perfectly together. Combined with the political lyrics about Vietnam War, Police Brutality, Poverty, Systemic Racism and Environmental Degradation, i think this album shows how you can blend mellow music with political decisions and that’s the beauty of humanity

This is a cool, soulful record with some gorgeous production. Not the sort of thing I'd listen to regularly and perhaps quite sonically similar overall, but it's decent for sure. Favourite tracks: What's Happening Brother, Wholy Holy, Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).

Well I was expecting more of this album. There are some great songs in here (What's Going On/ Inner City Blues/Mercy Mercy Mercy) but the album feels a little bit all over the place. I can understand why this is on the list but it's a 3 for me

The titular track was one of mom's favourites so this hits a bit different. Very mum music. Would pair well with some Kennny G or Simply Red.

Not a bad album, it was pretty chill, enjoyed having it in the background while I was doing stuff.

This is one album that I’ve never quite been able to get. Not bad by any means, just now what I enjoy listening to.

Such an amazing voice but the album felt pretty uneven to me.

A legend and I know this one is top, but I love his older motown records more

Sings great. Good band. But it's a little boring.

Ja wat moet ik hier nou van zeggen, ik weet het niet zo goed. Opzich wel lekker, maar niet helemaal mijn genre. Wel een heerlijke stem en emotie.

This was good, but I wouldn't say it was better than that. It had soothing parts, fun parts, and deep parts. That said, much of it was just kinda boring/bland to me. Nothing here was bad, I just didn't find it very interesting as a whole. Right On was probably the track that stood out the most due to what it did with the instrumentation. Having more like that would've made me like it more. Overall, I enjoyed it but can't rate it super highly. Overall: 3.1/5

Some loungey hours that I looked. Quite preachy but it's his style. Best songs at the end that are less hits and more soul.

The most chilled political album of all time? Some great songs on here but also some filler. Save The Children is nothing short of awful and other tracks all pass you by without impact. Inner City, Mercy and the title track are excellent .

Decent album, but not much going on.

malo slabije od prošlog gejovog albuma, tu ima nekih brija, al i dalje solidno

Voice like honey, beautiful arrangements, and lyrics so vague as to be meaningless. Maybe this hit harder in 1971, but in 2025 it's too broad to work as protest music.

Listened Before: N This album was a strange one. There's a decent amount of good songs here - but the ones in between are terrible. Slow and boring. I can't believe the same album that contains a banger like Mercy Mercy Me contains a song like Right On. Rating this one a 4 for the good songs and a 2 for the bad. Averages out to a 3 I suppose. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: What's Going On

Such a classic voice. While not my favorite genre how can you not get pulled in by his smooth singing?

Pretty enjoyable.

Listenable.

Oh, I'm kinda excited to give this one a go. I mean, I was excited because it's nice to close a musical knowledge gap. and this was fine and I get why people like it but it's just not for me.

Still relevant today 5/10

As I read in another review on here: I can recognize a nicely made cup of tea, but I still prefer coffee.

I have mixed feelings about that album. I like some melodies but I don't find it cohesive. And it is so American sorry but I can't relate to it... 2,5/5

Pretty overrated for me but a couple good songs at least

tbh didn't caught me

basically socially aware(na 70tky)modern worship music-vacsina mi evokuje zhudobnene kazne nejakeho americkeho pastora tbh(gospel a soul v jednom,trochu jazzu).miesanie vokalov mi prislo zbytocne "zahmlene". trochu mi pripomina stevieho innervisions.pocuvala som to pri oberani broskyn u babky(nie idealne).sedenie na terase nejakej neo-brutalistickej vily v ZAR je jediny scenar,v ktorom si viem predstavit,ze si to vypocujem este raz

Nevedel som sa do toho ponorit. Paci sa mi velmi kontext vietnamskej vojny. Z albumu som si nedal do savenutych pesniciek nic, to ale neznamena ze celok je zly. Nepustil by som si ho znova, ale viem si predstavit pisat o nom esej na ulohu z hodin na anglicke eseje v prvom rocniku. Na moj vkus velmi religiozne, chapem vsak ze to je pointa albumu a to jedine co zostane vojakovi po navrate domov.

Perhaps this album suffered from high expectations because it always appears on top 5 of all time lists, but I was very excited to listen to it and wound up a bit disappointed. It seemed very meander-y.

I was initially intrigued by this offering. I liked what I knew of Marvin Gaye, and I was excited to listen to an entire album. But man, this has a lot of filler. That's what's going on: Meandering, there-are-a-lot-of-problems-in-the-world stuff that at times borders on comical. "Save the Children" is a prime example. Of course, there are great tunes on here too, but I'll probably stick to the top tracks when listening to Marvin Gaye in the future.

I think I need to listen to this a few more times before it sinks in. But, at first blush, I like it well enough...even with some of the dated 70s studio sound.

7/10

I did not use a private spotify session for this one. Never sat down and listened to a complete Marvin Gaye album but I did know several of the songs off of it. I liked the flow of the album.

This was okay

Standouts What's Going On Mercy Mercy Me Inner City Blues

Toujours agréable à écouter Mais c’est un mindset particulier : Album assez calme

I forgot that the first few songs string together. This is an album that is renowned but I find it good, not great. The title track is tots obvi great but everything seems pretty derivative of that. Top tracks: "What's Going On," "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)," "Inner City Blues"

Good songs on its own. As an album I was bored.

A nice soul offering. No song really stood out for me, but it’s well crafted enough as a whole, the music flows smoothly from start to finish. As usual with Marvin Gaye, it’s oozing with sweetness to the point you sometimes feel like you’re drowning in corn syrup – but since it’s clearly his forte, I can’t really hold it againt him, and anyone probably knows what to expect when playing a Marvin Gaye record. As often with soul music, Jesus is also involved at some point, which I always find a bit weird – but I understand it comes from the gospel roots of the genre, so why not. Not really my kind of soul music (Marvin Gaye has always been a tad too much on the soft & sweet side for me, I like my soul a bit groovier). But it’s still a good record overall.

Again, not one I'll return to, but fun enough.

The love/save the children’s side merges beautifully in the Soul. Shitty lyrics, but overall, quite a nice vibe.

6.5/10 Highlights: Mercy Mercy Me Whats Going On Inner City Blues

Slow soul. Political compared to previous popular soul music. Some jazz elements too in Save the Children. Not my cup of tea but okay. Not many hooks, mostly ballady. Tracks flow together which is nice Best track - Mercy Mercy Me, Right On 3 stars

27/07/2025 The music was just very samey....

Good backround music for web surfing, but not my first choice

I respect the concept and the meaningful lyrics, but I just struggle getting into this style of music.

Good album. I was expecting legendary, and it fell short of my expectations. 6.4/10

Really thought I’d like this more

Classic, no doubt, just not my cup of tea.

Good but very forgettable... I'm writing this after a few hours and already have a hard time to recall anything... I did not hate it, and the bass was cool and overall sound was good, so yeah, it's ok...

I wanted to give it more stars but for some reason I just wasn't feeling it. It's good, but not great. I did like Right On better than the hits on the album.

This is a landmark that you should probably read other people's opinions on. This type of music, and Gaye in particular, is often so smooth and pleasant that it fails to catch on any part of my subconscious attention. This makes it pass right through my brain as if it hadn't been there. Marvin Gaye is like weather so pleasant that you could be convinced that air doesn't exist (which, as a Canadian, is rare; the air is usually biting and occasionally violent). My rating doesn't matter -- you should listen to What's Going On on reputation alone, on someone else's recommendation. For me, this is 3/5, but that's highly personal and probably says more about me than it does about the album.

Good

Best one yet! Definitely recommend

Good

Not exactly what I expected but damn close. I thought it was going to be more about banging. Still good. But won’t listen again. I’d like to give 3.5 but alas just a three.

Heard before. Some nice track. I like the overall feeling of the album more than any specific track. Good for background listening.

Cover 6 Good album. I know some people love this one. I wouldn't say I love it. The theme is consistent throughout but not one I would listen to often. Marvin has a lot of "great" songs spread out over a lot of "good" albums.

Started well, then... Best track-What's Going On

A smoothly glowing album to listen to in the Italian sun. I’ll listen again as I feel it may be a grower!

Lite väl gospel ahh texter för min del. Men nice vibe att ha typ under en middag om det inte var för texterna. Smörigt men ändå bra!

Me imagino que esto voló un par de cráneos en su momento. Meh meh, pero mejor que el anterior. Nota: 2.9

Konačno da me nešto natjera da odslušam ovaj album. Definitivno nisam očekivala ovakvu apokaliptičnu atmosferu, ni da je u pitanju koncept album. Nešto mi fali. Nemam pojma zbog čega, ali nisam oduševljena. Ovo ću morati opet odslušati da odlučim zvaničnu ocjenu. Kao da se sve previše pomiješali zajedno pa nema efekta.