What's Going On

Well I think this has to be full marks as a cultural touchstone alone. The songs do have a similar kind of sound but the lyrics and vocals and sentiment are spot on.

Cooler than a poor bear in sunglasses. Great from start to finish. Inner City Blues, Right On, and Mercy Mercy Me are the highlights.

He's done it again. Favorite track: Inner City Blues

Obra maestra

A classic

Inner city blues

Beautiful music and vocals accompanied with such a poignant and deep message. Every song connects to the next and leads you on a groovin', socially conscious ride. What's Going On and Mercy Mercy Me are all timers.

- Heard this before - One of the most important albums of all time - Not something I listen to very often, but when I do I can easily see why it's considered one of the best of all time - Fav songs: What's Going On, Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler), Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)

I don’t think there’s a top 10 list out there where this album isn’t present. It’s simply the best at everything it’s doing; best Motown record, best protest record, best vocal performance, etc. Of course you have to mention the lyrics, which are unfortunately, timeless. But what this manages to capture most is the world Gaye saw that was worth fighting for in the midst of all the chaos.

Maybe we’ll never find the answers to Marvin’s musings, as the injustices of the past bleed into modern day, but as much as our revolving reality makes us want to cry, you just have to remember, always, to try.

Classic album, all of the songs are what’s goin on

The pinnacle of 70s soul? If not, then at least one of the peaks. Despite the meandering religiosity of the middle of the album, this thing sings true.

Marvin Gaye's ”What's Going On” is a masterpiece that transcends the boundaries of time and genre. Released in 1971, the album tackles issues of social justice, war, poverty, and police brutality, making it an album that resonates with people even today. Gaye's smooth, soulful vocals and jazzy instrumentation make the album a joy to listen to from start to finish. Songs like ”What’s Going On”, ”Mercy Mercy Me” and ”Inner City Blues” are truly powerful and showcase Gaye’s brilliant artistry. Whilst it’s not the greatest album of all time like Rolling Stone claims, it’s certainly one of those albums that feel really special and easily fits into the debate for top 30.

Clear contender in my opinion of the best album about social justice ever produced. Gaye, a beloved son of Washington DC, was taken away far too young in the tragic shooting by his father. Who knows what he may have achieved and it is a poignant reminder that sometimes those who burn the brightest also burn the shortest. There's nothing I can say about this album that won't have been better said elsewhere. One thing I will mention is that Gaye's family released a new album posthumously called "Your the Man". It truly is worth your time to go and give *that* album a listen if you haven't heard it. Really beautiful and there are some showstoppers on it, especially 'Piece of Clay' if you have time for only one song with its piercing guitar and glorious organ. In that song, he speaks of the relationship between a father and son with respect to the false expectations of a father. Heartbreaking.

This is a great album, but I’ve always felt that it’s missing something to put it over the top. 9/10

GOATED

incredibly soulful and catchy music with protest lyrics that feel incredibly heartfelt and real. the combo of funky easy listening with hard-hitting lyrics of love and war is an excellent vibe. 4.5/5 4.5/5

Lyrical and musical masterpiece

Marvin Gayes masterpiece. Just an absolute beautiful album, which sadly a lot of the themes are still true today, over 50 years later.

Ok, I've never actually listened to this before. It's a concept album, each track into the next. I knew the themes it was going to deal with, but I had no idea this was the way it was going to be told. So good in its story, it's writing, and just overall vibe. I completely understand why this hits best ever lists. I'll be giving this one another spin

Makes me wanna give 5 stars, throw up my hands.

Naturally this is going to be five stars - it's Marvin Gaye for crying out loud.

Great bitta bass playing

One of the best !

REally blown away by this one. Easily my favorite so far. FLows so well all the way through

Good album to chill too but also has some the greatest vocals, lyrics, and bass lines of all time. Whole album flows well and doesn’t really have any misses.

Amazing album, feels spiritual, like I’m floating on a cloud, but at the same time there’s a pain in it too. Lyrics make it a masterpiece. 3/1001 best album yet

One of the best albums ever made. Marvtastic

This album is simply one of the greatest albums of all time. Marvin Gaye explores themes of racism, war, poverty etc. and does it all with a striking sense of empathy. The vocals are melodies are top notch and the music is soothing yet has an air of movement and restlessness that underscores the severity of the social issues. This album is always in heavy rotation for me.

LP

Classic, enduring album - a true great.

The song; What's Going On is a stone cold classic. The album deserves four stars for that track alone. The question is does the rest of the album push it to a 5? The answer for me is Yes! THe overriding themes of war and inner-city strife, the environment and a loving and benevolent God are delivered with heartfelt soul and honesty as to be dissarming. Gaye's singing is incredible. I am not a fan of strings / orchestration in pop music, I feel like it clouds the musical threads in general and I feel that that part is the weak element of this album but I can live with it when the performance is this honest and true. The songs are able to cut through that fog and deliver thier messge with still great imact. 5 stars

Beautiful weaving of some meaningful songs by the man himself

Best ever!

4.5 Really really good

I expected this album to be smooths and soulful and it delivered, but I didn't expect it to be so political and religious too. It's great how these topics and folded into a neat 35 minute album. Really enjoyed it but didn't fall in love with it. Favourites: What's Going On Mercy Mercy Me Right On

Save the babies

This is a sweet album with some unusual tunes and a lot of groove / rap, I like it a lot but while I can see it was transformative for the time, it may not have the same appeal that would give it a 5 now to me

Smooth & soulful. Great album, though not one I can see myself listening to very often.

First time ive heard this album I thought it was good but overrated. But I want to listen to it again. Damn I find it way better now. The hooks are great, the album is so chill and groovy. Marvin Gaye voice sounds great. Its a really nice album all around and I loved the vibes of it. 4/5

Chill, soulful, groovy. An experience.

It’s a very curious clash between the depressing/angry lyrics and the sweet voice. Wonderful album.

4.5/5

I always held this album in high regard, but in retrospect the only songs that are clear 5s are What's Going On, Mercy Me and of course the perfect Inner City Blues. These songs are well placed in the album and are so great they outweigh the meh moments, but not as perfect a project as I once thought. 3.6/5 -> 4/5

Zu viele transitions für mich, sobst banger

Desde una postura humanista, Marvin Gaye se preocupa por las problemáticas de se tiempo y que hoy en día sigue siendo el pan de cada día en todo el mundo, acompañado por una banda que toca formidablemente y que goza con una producción impecable. Lo que sí este álbum hay que separarlo de lo que fue el artista en su vida privada, porque se podría tildarlo de hipocrita o que no aplicó en su vida personal lo que critica en este álbum, pero siento que en la posición que se pone al hablar en las canciones viene de una preocupación genuina o hasta de un papel que no es su persona, sino que podría estar hablando por cualquiera de nosotros.

A classic with amazing instrumentals

Вроде бы это лучший его альбом. Очень часто встречал его во всяких подборках типа "мои любимые альбомы". Как по мне, есть скучноватый вещи, которые хочется скинуть. Но есть и то что хочется переслушивать. Ну и конечно главный хит.

nice

Always thought this album was a little too "self righteous," and I still feel that way about all the "save the children" stuff. But there's no denying this is a damn good listen. "Mercy Mercy Me" is a clear standout. So when it hits, it really hits. 3.5/5 for me personally.

There are very few albums I would agree are “important” and this is definitely one of them.

One of the all-time great R&B records, great voice and musicians. Love the songwriting, very socially conscious record. A bit to slow and preachy in some parts but the big songs are just great.

Fantastic soul album whose themes (unfortunately) still ring true today. Only downside is the album starts with a strong opener, but the rest of the album doesn't live up to the title track. That doesn't mean the others are bad songs, What's Going On is just a really really good song. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fav song: What’s Going On

A real pleasure to listen too. The man's got a great voice and the songs are timeless

Wheeeeeew. This is a tough one. Great album with all the weight of the world on its shoulders. "What's Going On?" is the sound of a man in a deep crisis over the direction of his life, career, and country. The 60s have ended and we find Gaye - and America - dealing with the death of innocence and the post-Vietnam and post-Civil Rights era. This album is infused with bewilderment and sorrow at how things have turned out so badly despite all the best intentions of so many people to make things better. This is one of the few albums I can think of where such a simple cover matches so neatly with the music. And in the gloom of post-Obama world, this music fits neatly into today's world too. It turns out, Marvin, that nothing has really changed. I really wonder what the hell is going on too.

Not bad as a bg music

Soul i världsklass.

A lovely, unusual album that exudes a kind of gentle melancholy through what might superficially seem to be a contradiction: its laidback rhythms and smoothly soaring vocals on the one hand, and its minor tonalities and politically conscious lyrics on the other. Gaye's consistent commitment to this juxtaposition throughout the entire album demonstrates that there is no contradiction at all, that the product of this juxtaposition is much more substantive than a mere case of "a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down," and that at this point in his career he has total mastery over the kind of music he wants to be making. All that being said: Is it a masterpiece and one of the greatest albums ever? Smarter people than I have said so, and you should probably listen to them instead of me. At the moderate level of attention I typically provide when listening to an album, this album is very elegant and very pleasant, complicated by its veil of darkness, but overall I find it to be a little too ethereal to linger long in my memory (outside of the title track), and for me that is more or less a requirement before I can declare something a masterpiece. Maybe next time I listen to this album I'll think that this August 2026 version of myself was crazy, but for now, a very strong 4 stars.

I don’t listen to a lot of Marvin Gaye and I have to say this one was kind of a trip. It was a good album with smart intelligent lyrics but an interesting dichotomy between the lyrics. It was kind of like listening to 70’s folk rock protest songs with Kenny G playing in the background. I joked that I wasn’t sure if I should be taking a bubble bath or protesting in the streets.

Groovy, love me some Marvin. Not a lot of the ones I know surprisingly

Unreal sunday morning pick

Soooo cool to listen to I really enjoyed it 8/10

This is, of course, a classic and the message speaks loudly to me. I have tried to really get into this album over the years but it never quite clicked. Listening to it again, I can safely confirm that it's a beautiful, lush, ambitious effort, where Gaye was able to have more control over his music. He decided, at the recommendation of his friend Renaldo "Obie" Benson, to sing more politically focused songs after witnessing the violence of police brutality in Berkeley during infamous "Bloody Thursday" events in 1969. Berry Gordy Jr., executive of Motown at the time, was apparently not too hot about this new direction, but still gave him the green light. In addition to contracting mostly outsider players (as opposed to only Motown session musicians), he also recorded this at his place, and decided to take an experimental approach to the compositions, making it not quite soul, not quite gospel, not quite jazz, but something quite new for the time. Contrary to Gordy's fears, it sold very well - people DO want to listen to music about issues and stories that they cam relate to, after all. The USA was a mess in the early 70s. The Vietnam War was still happening, heroin was on the streets, lots of inner city violence prevailed, and the economic situation was affecting many ordinary Americans beyond people of color. On this album, Gaye sings mainly about sociopolitical issues, and even has one about ecology (!) which might have been the first on a mainstream label in history: "Oh, things ain't what they used to be, no, no Where did all the blue skies go? Poison is the wind that blows from the North and South and East "What about this overcrowded land? (Have mercy, Father, oh, have mercy, Father) How much more abuse from man can she stand?" I enjoy how all of the songs segue into one another - it allows for a fully immersive, atmospheric experience. The vocals are just unbelievable, especially how the backing vocals intertwine with Gaye's, to the final track where his voice is dubbed over, making the experience sound divine. With that said, why do I not give this one the perfect score? I feel that the melodies and grooves are often sparce throughout, in favor of ambiance and experimentation. It feels more like vignettes rather than fully fledged songs, but I think that's the point. I asked my wife how this music made her feel, and she said, unfamiliar with the album, that it gave her hope. I think that's what we need sometimes, instead of beats that distract us from the real thing. I love the title track, "Right On", and the closing track, though. I appreciate Gaye's message and sincerity in what he did here. Over time, it may become more and more in rotation in my collection. 4.5 stars.

I mean, it’s Marvin Gaye.

An all time classic. Mercy Mercy Me and What's Goin On are hard not to love.

Album 291. What's Going On — Marvin Gaye (1971) Nice, it's Marvin Gaye again. Well-known fantastic soul that sounds ultimately good decades later. I can't say which album is better: this one or Let's Get It On They're all great enough for... 4/5 Liked: — What's Going On — Save The Children — Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) — Right On

Retomamos la semana con éste capo, del cual ya ha habido un disco (o dos, no recuerdo) en éste reto. Discazo de principio a fin, con la particularidad de tener canciones con letras muy personales y un mood como si fuera una sola canción. Muchas gracias y hasta mañana

Iconic album with some monster hits. I did find some of the music very similar one song to the next.

8/10

Soulful with a light and delicate sound but powerful lyrics.

Whoa! That's good squishy.

pretty sick, great to work to but i didn't save any songs

Excellent stuff. The guy has some voice and there are some great tracks on here. Worth revisiting. With a tiny caveat that there is some 'hype' around the album itself and it's message. Don't let that put you off though.

Beautiful album and top notch album cover. Wasn't a huge fan of a couple songs, but his voice is so good you kind of forget the lyrics. 4/5

Smooth as butter. First track is the strongest and it all sounds pretty similar but that doesn’t matter when it sounds this good

No one Marvin Gaye's clueless ass: Альбом, ныне располагается на первом месте Rolling Stone "500 лучших альбомов". Отношение к современному Rolling Stone у меня крайне скверное, в частности, по подобным причинам. Потому ли что Марвин Гей - плохой исполнитель? Нет. Потому ли что What's Going On - плохой альбом? Неет, вообще нет. Но все то время, что мы видели другие альбомы в списке, вдруг ПО ВСЕМ ИЗВЕСТНЫМ ПРИЧИНАМ (известным всем, но в слух никем не проговариваемым) он становится на первом месте. Сомнительно. А так, Marvin Gaye очень талантливый исполнитель с печальной судьбой. Альбом приятный, изобилующий соуловыми гармониями, приятным вокалом и мелодиями. Можете понять, откуда ваши любимые Tyler the Creator, Фрэнк Оушен и прочие черпали вдохновение. Right On и Mercy Mercy Me показались мне особенно красивыми. Буду переслушивать дальше.

Marvin is great. I prefer Let's Get it On though so I'll give this one a 4.

Évidemment plein plein de choses géniales mais je n’ai pas noté en même temps que l’écoute. Le “mother, mother” au début de “what’s going on” toujours aussi efficace

Giving a 4 on that amazing singing voice, the reputation, and those two mega hits What's Going On and Mercy Mercy Me. Yet, somehow I was expecting more and feel that full potential wasn't reached.

A couple of high quality tunes

I'll be honest, it was a little depressing listening to this in 2026 when things don't seem much different... Can't deny the music is great though, even if I don't come back to it much personally.

Relaxing, but lively. His voice is so soothing, and the musical arrangements are top notch.

It was good.

I love the message, but I don't love every single song, so this is a low 4, with the stellar production saving a lot of it.

marv

Beautiful album. Such a talented singer and the message of each song is amazing. Theme of Love, togetherness, struggling through hard times, Jesus. While listening, I thought, what if black artists continued to make music with messages like this instead of modern rap idolizing killing people and selling drugs

The album was good, just not as good as I was expecting from a lot of places having this as one of their top 100 albums of all time. The lyrics and vocals are amazing though. Some of the songs seemed like they were ahead of their time and almost sounded like some 90s R&B.

8+ / 10

Love how this flows so seamlessly between tracks.

As someone who dabbled in drug misuse/abuse, I get that hair standing up on my neck feeling when I listen to Flying High. “I go crazy when I can’t find it in the morning. I’ll be alright, my friend. But soon the night will bring the pains. The pain, oh the pain.” The cracking of his soulful voice, and how it ends on his falsetto with the final “pain” … goosebumps. There’s some great songs about the monkey on the back phenomenon of addiction- like heroin by Velvet underground and Under the bridge by the chili peppers. There’s also some real gritty songs about withdrawal and tolerance, like Cold turkey by John Lennon or Pool shark by Sublime. But Flying High covers the devastation of addiction with a smooth, subtle breeze. The way this album covers police brutality or the Vietnam war. It’s palatable- the way older, white Democrats seem to prefer their politics. Less combative, less angry, more commercial … but if you’re paying attention, the sweating and loneliness, paranoia and pain are all still there. Rumor has it that the head of Motown hated this album, thought it was too political. And it IS political. Just in a quieter, more subtle way. But knowing that Gaye died in his 40’s, during a domestic dispute with his father- after decades battling cocaine addiction and depression, and all the financial/emotional ruin it caused in his life, only makes the lyrics of Flying High that much sadder. This album came out in 1971. And the monkey was already firmly on his back.

Joda, det va omtrent som forventa, det.

Strings combine with Gaye's soulful singing while he ruminates on the very 70s themes of war and love. This is an album which must be listened to in order, with each song flowing on from the other. And, apart from a weird tape/clicking percussion sound on "Right On", Gaye successfully achieves the introspective sound he is looking for.

good shtuff

8.31.26 really enjoyable. incredible voice Favorite Song: Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) Rating: 4/5

Great album that sadly feels really relevant. It's fun that Marvin gay who is really known for his sexy music is on this list for an album about social justice and faith and how humanity can be the best of itself. Duality baby.

Classic R&B from an amazing voice! Love the "Mercy Mercy Me Ecology version - - sadly it is still so relevant 50+ years later....

been a while since i last listened to marvin gaye so im glad to find his music is as good as i remember. this album is pretty damn solid. gaye's voice is great and together with the instrumentals it's an incredibly smooth listening experience. if anything its maybe even too smooth, as im struggling to think of much else to say about it. its very good tho. way more relaxing than u might expect from a concept album about returning from war and realising everything is fucked back home as well. truly some chill beats to lament the state of the world to......

Soul-trip

Soulful and smooth. Some just wonderful tracks on here (mercy mercy me). Works less as an album and not Gaye’s absolute best, but it’s still Marvin Gaye.

Great voice and a great vibe. However some of the lyrics are a bit twee especially the one about children and god. Being a heathen the god thing just dosent hit with me. Right along with the civil rights messages not so much the god thang

My second Marvin Gaye album but still no Beatles is suprising. Once again, very enjoyable though

A timeless classic. Ultimate soul music.

Absolute classic. So full of soul, and heart, and still politically and socially relevant today.

Perfectly smooth. What's Going On will always be one of my favourite songs. Hard not to love this album

I'll be honest, it's not my favorite Marvin work. But the soul is still undeniably there. The production and Marvin's voice are strong and excellent. It's beautiful work, even if I can't fully connect with it.

ta bueno para el rato

Obviously great

Tää on ollut jo pitkään tarkoitus kuunnella kokonaisuudessaan, ja nyt VIIMEINKIN koitti se päivä. Sanotaan kuitenkin näin, että olisin toivonut pitäväni tästä vähän enemmän, varsinkin kaiken sen hypen jälkeen, mitä oon tästä nähnyt. Alussa noi kappaleet sulautui yhteen vähän liikaa ja kuulosti paikoitellen aika samalta. Loppua kohden aloin tykkäämään taas enemmän, kun biisitkin oli selvästi erilaisia. Sanat on totta kai tällä levyllä huomionarvoiset, ja monet niistä kuvastaakin maailmantilannetta valitettavan hyvin vielä nykypäivänä. En oo kuitenkaan maailman suurin lyriikkaihminen, niin ehkä senkin takia tää jäi mulla vähän puolitiehen. Vaikka onhan tässä hyvää tarinankerrontaa ja Marvinilla erittäin soulful ääni. Mercy Mercy Me ja Inner City Blues oli lempparit!

I'll tell you what's going on! This is a fantastic album

Love that some of the songs are connected so it feels like a big song tgt and the 7min sounds like a 3 min and this album is really fast paced

Este álbum representa la tranquilidad que nos brinda rendirnos ante la idea de que hay algo más grande que nosotros. Tema Favorito: Mercy Mercy Me (The ecology).

peak!! alegre, bailable y buenas vibes. las canciones son todas similares pero ninguna falla

Super cool but transitions wasn’t smooth between songs

4★/5 07.02.2026

I do still think the subject matter does not cohere with the stylistic choices but Gahdamn does bro have a soothing voice

Although there's not a lot of musical variety on this classic album, it's hard to imagine a better way to kick it off than the title track. And nice too to see it was the first album to explicitly credit the timeless Funk Brothers. I think I kind of expected too much from this political concept album, as I kind of felt like the non-singles tracks largely fell flat as songs, even if the overall themes of compassion and disillusionment in Vietnam-era America is pretty compelling. It'll be interesting to see what the third Marvin Gaye album has in store.

He’s got a good voice, and the first song is a classic.

This album wasn't what I expected. The songs glide into each other, so it's hard to separate them. Which is very cool artistically! But because the title track is so popular on its own, listening to the full album for the first time is almost jarring. It's like there's an extended cut of What's Going On (the song) and it's not the version you're used to. Does that make sense? Nevertheless! Once I get past that, I know that I just love Marvin Gaye's voice, passion, musicality. This dude was the real deal.

While I personally enjoy Marvin more in his self produced era this album is a beautiful representation of his ability to ask hard questions and lead with love. He always cuts straight into social topics and does so with beautiful vocals and incredibly strong instrumentation.

V. Good

Iconic record. Applaud the sentiments and 'feel' and Social Commentary more than anything. Not every song is fantastic. But theres a few absolute classics Whats Going On, Mercy Mercy Me and Inner City Blues are great. Was a talented fella 35 mins long wow

Music for people to make love to

This is a good soundtrack to play on Election Day this year. Better yet, a soundtrack to examine one’s actions in an age where we are too easily satisfied to just be outraged at “those people.” But, “Who really cares? Who's willing to try? To save the world That’s destined to die?” Good questions. I wish Marvin Gaye’s questions, offered when I was an infant, brought me back to a different time. Instead, they speak to today. What’s going on?

Have I listened to this album before No How familiar am I with this album I know it’s very highly rated, and I know the title track How do I feel about this artist? I do enjoy Marvin Gaye Pre-Listen Thoughts: This will be a good Monday Favorite track(s): Mercy Mercy Me Post-Listen Thoughts: I honestly kind of feel like it went by too fast, like he had more to say. I can see why this is a classic even though it’s not really my usual genre, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Amazing production. I feel like this is the definition of a timeless album. That being said, I don't think this album is for me. Something about the soul arrangements and singing doesn't really stick for me. But as a meditation, this is a beautiful work of art.

Thoughts before listening: Consistently at the top of the best albums of all time lists. The title track is an all time great song, and this is certainly one of the better r&b/soul records. Thats not necessarily always my favorite genre, but I am excited to listen to this today. Review: The opening title track really is the definition of a classic. Smooth, slow burn r&b with Marvin's soulful vocals over music accented with snaps, strings, and a constant murmur of people in the background making it seem as if Marvin is speaking to his community about the troubles they are facing were facing in the late 60s/early 70s: Vietnam, civil rights, drugs, etc show up throughout this lyrically important album. In general, the vibe on this album remains consistent, with each jazzy, cool track flowing into the next making it difficult to distinguish when one ended and the next began. Certainly a pleasant listen, especially Marvin's iconic vocals, even with some unpleasant subject matter, additional standout tracks include "Mercy Mercy Me" and "Right On". 4-stars

Good album. Liked how it flowed from one song to the next. Maybe a bit slow for me, definitely a mood setter. Good for a slow romantic night.

Great album

Je n’ai pas eu d’orgasme auditif depuis très longtemps Marvin Gaye je t’aime

Not exactly my genre, but i Think it’s a very good piece of R&B history. My favourite song was „Mercy Mercy me” with it’s timeless message.

I'm not a big Marvin Gaye fan, but this was pretty easy listening. Sadly, most of his social commentary still applies 50 years later, especially when you listen closely to the heavy themes of war, systemic poverty, and environmental destruction driving the title track and "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)". The way he blends these deep, urgent political statements with incredibly smooth, lush orchestration is definitely impressive and ahead of its time. The entire album functions like one continuous, flowing piece of music rather than a collection of separate singles, seamlessly bleeding from one track into the next, which makes for a really cohesive and immersive listening experience. Even though his signature style isn't totally my thing, you can't deny the incredible musicianship and the massive cultural impact of this record. It creates a beautiful, jazzy atmosphere with those layered percussions, subtle saxophone lines, and backing vocals that perfectly mimic the feel of a community gathering. It acts as a fascinating time capsule that captures the pain and anxiety of the early 1970s while managing to sound completely timeless. After all these years, it remains a powerful artistic statement that commands respect.

Classic. Stonewall classic

I’m gay for Gaye

Great, one of the best voices ever. Probs would be a 5 if I gave it some more listens

I think this is a bit overrated, it’s not bad or anything, it’s all very enjoyable but I don’t think it’s as special as it’s made out to be Also, how tf are you going to have a song called “Save the Children” and then impregnate your 16 year old niece? Like you’re the one they need saving from bro 3.5

Good and groovy. Classic.

Another great album! Not quite 5 stars though since I find it a bit less interesting than some of his other albums

Ourraid makeet saundit ja kiva meisinki. Ihan ei saanut täyttä otetta hommasta äkkiseltään hittien ulkopuolelta, mut sen verran potentiaaleja, että voi kiittäen arvioida.

No onhan tää nyt ihan saatanan kova! En tunne genreä niin hyvin että osaisin sanoa että onko tää tyylipuhdasta soulia vai jotain soul-motown-r'n'b -mikstuuraa, mutta joka tapauksessa kolisee. On kolissut siitä asti kun näin ekan kerran Jackie Brownin joskus vuosituhannen taitteessa. En välttämättä jatkuvalla syötöllä tätä jaksaisi kuunnella, mutta pieninä annoksina ihan helvetin hyvää kamaa! Oikeastaan silti parasta on melkein se, mitä Spotifyn alkometri on tämän levyn jälkeen ajanut. Tekis mieli antaa vitska näin juhannuksen kunniaksi, mutta ehkä mennään kuitenkin vahvalla nelkulla.

Some great tunes, some that feel more meh, a real product of its times, a snapshot of 1971. I enjoyed listening even though it's not "my kind of music."

Nice soul album, I like it.

This was a childhood album for me. Mans got an incredible voice and just such smooth and tasteful instrumentals. A little too religious for me but overall great.

Makes me wanna hollaaaaaaaaaa

while im not super into the albums politics (I PROMISE IM NOT RIGHT WING I JUST THINK ITS A LITTLE TOO LIBERAL SOMETIMES PLEASE DONT STOP READING) theres no doubt about the damn sound of it all. smooth as hell and revolutionized soul music. marvin gaye you clueless motherfucker

More religious than I thought!

Classic Motown Playlist add: "What's Going On" obviously

It's a vibe

Smooth, soulful, confident, a great listen.

have listened before. just a rock solid soul performance. i love a really short, tight album, doesn't feel like it gets carried by its hits. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) is very pretty, the title track is obv dope, but Right On i really dug on this listen through. strong 4

Hell yeah, man

Everything is great about it, the lyrics, the themes, the production and the flow. The kind of album I like to own on CD and forget about until i stumble upon it on a random day when skiming through the shelves

I like how these songs are calming and great to listen to, but they also spread a powerful and lasting message. 4.5/5 stars, a great listen. I'd really recommend it.

This had some very good musical instruments, and good sounding music. But the lyrics don't match up with the music. I would highly recommend this to musicians listening for some good tone, because it is incredible. But lyricists, it won't be so good if you are more interested with the flow of the music.

The album is pretty good, while it doesn't really fit my tastes exactly, it's still a fantastic album with excellent songs and I highly recommend giving it a listen.

I think this album is good so I'd give it 4 stars because I like the beat and the sound. I also like how it has songs about problems in the world.

I liked this a ton. It had great instrumentation and the backing vocals were stellar. The song lyrics had a great message that still rings true today. I would highly recommend this album.

Cok guzel akti album harika otesiydi hepsini dinlemisim farkinda olmadan hic sikilmadim

Amazing, very harmonious, very instrumental and beautiful vocals

Great music again

Wonderful album! Even though I was unborn when it was released, it is undoubtedly one of my favorite vinyls in my collection! It takes you back to the 70s, the years of questioning , of searching and of redefinition.. PS Back in 1991 first listened to Robert Palmers remake of mercy and through the years that followed it brought me here

8/10 - Purposeful, meaningful, passionate. Fav Tracks: What's Going On, Mercy Mercy me, Inner City Blues Heard before? ---–- ✅ Saved a Song? ----- ✅ Saved Album? --–-- ✅ Will Listen Again? -- ✅ Album Cover -------Classic. The rain as part of the background, on his coat, his hair. The popped collar. Honestly, you could Halloween costume this it's that iconic

A great album except for the song about the children. It can get corny but gotta love the smooth soul love butter.

impossible to dislike this

cuántas cuestiones

Flows like no other album.

It struck me in its opening moments how formative What’s Going On has been, both musically and lyrically, on the soul and hip hop that has come since. It’s not just that it’s been heavily sampled - there is a general attitude and vibe on this LP which has made its way into the broader ecosystem. You’d think that a political soul record would feel more serious than this but artists like Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield were able to reflect on the state of the nation without wearing it too heavily. What they were singing about was serious, the way they were singing was anything but. What makes Gaye stand out from his contemporaries is how singular a focus his most popular records have. To stay fixated on one topic for 30 minutes without a dip in either meaningful commentary or musical excellence is no small achievement.

Major socialism here (which is the point), this is my first Marvin Gaye full album listen. It's scary that its message still hasn't reached this new era, who really is willing to try to save the world that is destined to die?

Beautiful, beautiful album. Truly no one like Gaye. Favorite has to be Mercy Mercy Me, but God Is Love and What’s Going On were some nice discoveries. 7.8/10

good - r&b/soul. perfect for driving around with the windows open on a sunny day. the title track is so good

Dom fem låtar som faktiskt är låtar är alla toppklass, "Inner city blues" är makalöst bra. Men sen är resten en massa "Save the children" monologer över nåt jammigt groove som är lika enerverande som vilka skits som helst pá valfri hiphopplatta. Berry Gordy har också polerat upp den och gjort den vänare med stråkar och dubblerad sång lite väl mycket emellanåt. Har man hört de mixarna som gjordes i LA innan Gordy fick lägga sin hand på dom är det svårt att inte ha det i tanken, i många fall är dom bättre, "Mercy me" särskilt. En klar fyra berättigar dock de fem kanonlåtarna till

Skivans berömmelse har kanske mer att göra med temat än med musiken. Även om Marvin Gaye bytte bana textmässigt med den här skivan är musiken fortfarande till stora delar kvar i sängkammaren. Der rullar på snyggt och silkeslent till texter om polisbrutalitet, utanförskap och fiskar fulla med kvicksilver. Det är bra, men produktionen hade gärna fått vara mörkare och stråkarna kunde ha spolats. What’s going on och Inner city blues sticker ut som de starkaste spåren som som säkrar fyran i betyg.

I feel like such a fanboy when I give Marvin a 5, so I'm going to be objective here. Some of his best songs on here - but this album does get samey in the middle. He had a theme, a concept, but because this was new for the time, perhaps this could have done with some time editing. Still phenomenal vocals as you would expect.

Very much a product of the time it was made, and yet somehow timeless in its message. Marvin Gaye possessed one of the most beautiful voices in pop music history and it’s on full display here. I need to listen to this album again and again. 4 stars (but I can see it being 5 easily after more listens)

What’s Going On - great song, solid album. (4)

it’s great but a bit too sweet-sounding to me 4.5

What’s going on is a critical documentation on the effects of war, economy, community, politics and livelihood pertaining to Black life in America. One of the most important albums of all time by a man who left the earth too soon.

marvin gaye is an enigma and i will always cherish his music.

70's groove!

8/10 It's interesting - I've been aware of this album for decades, but for some reason I always thought it was that loungey, wannabe-sexy style of soul like Barry Manilow. I was very wrong. This is an extremely well-constructed concept album focusing on systemic racism, poverty, fallout from the Vietnam War, and even environmental issues. It's a very smooth, pleasant listen, until you pay attention to the at times harsh lyrics: hearing lyrics like "we're destined to die" put against such groovy music is a fascinating dichotomy. The album's rating does take a hit because the religion-heavy song Wholy Holy is a complete turnoff. Regardless, I enjoy the album overall.

Groovy

great album. iconic. Though, some songs just fade into the background. What's going on is a classic!

excellent

pues solo de pasada me gustó está muy rítmico, me gusta esto del soul, como chill como vibey definitivamente estoy explorando nueva música así que por el momento mi opinión se centra en que es bueno pero no es algo que escucharía normalmente, pero si quisiera sentirme como zoe kravitz en high fidelity, lo haría jajaj igual tengo que poner más atención a las letras pero siento que sí tiene ese feeling de protesta (de lo cual al parecer habla)

pretty & cohesive music. captures the paradox of the 70s trepidation of america and society that still mixed with idealism and hope that people can still be inherently good if we try hard enough.

Favorite Track: Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky)

The pinnacle of an uber talented entertainer. “What’s Going On” and “Mercy, Mercy Me” are two all timers.

Ça fait une coupe de fois que je m'essaye parce que ça l'air que c'est top-top cet album là. Malheureusement le soul et le motown pour moi, ça me fait pas grand chose. Mais j'admets que le groove est bon. L'unité de l'album est impressionnante, c'est court, mais on se tanne pas.

J’aime mais ce n’est pas le meilleur soul qu’on a eu jusqu’à maintenant!

Mother ... mother ...there's too many of you crying ... Brother, brother, brother ... there's far too many of you dying! You know we've got to find a way ... to bring some lovin' here today

- got me groovy - probably deducting one point for the religious songs. maybe in a different life i would enjoy them more - would def revisit, just have to be in a specific mood

Smooth and full of soul! Can see myself revisiting this

Ok

7/10 Good groove, incredible mixing

7/10

i find that with every relisten, this album develops a bit more in complexity and heart. obviously great, but the potential to grow really helps this stand out as a gem. deserves to be one of the 1001? are you fucking high? of course!

I can only imagine how groundbreaking this album was. If Motown didn’t want to release it, you know there was nothing else like it. And that’s kinda still true.

I like it but not that much. Would give 3.5 so 4.

Melodias suaves, voz y coros casi angelicales. Oraciones pop.

I really want to give it five stars but something is just holding it back for me

Got Coldplay yesterday and this banger today. What a difference!

It’s a cool album but some long tracks and repetition

Good stuff, chill, jazzy

Música de altíssima qualidade. Os arranjos são impressionantes e a forma como são usados os instrumentos de sopro e as cordas me deixou impressionado; como diz o próprio artista: "fui ao céu sem sair do chão." Durante a audição do álbum, me peguei pensando no quanto esse projeto reverberou em outros mais atuais e sobre como nenhum cantor "mais contemporâneo" - por assim dizer - conseguiu reproduzir nada parecido, e nessa linha de raciocínio cheguei a pensar que esse é o exato tipo de música que precisamos nos dias de hoje, mas, sinceramente, devido a forma como as coisas tem andado não sei se surtiria qualquer tipo de efeito nas pessoas. Ps.: pensei no solar power o disco inteiro.. é o filho legítimo! Favoritas: Inner City Blues e God is Love

For many this is the greatest album ever. However, I’m a middle aged bloke that grew up in the Welsh valleys and had a deep seated love for Motley Crue. But tastes change. I’m less fond of Motley Crue and deeply fond of this. Whilst the album sees a maturing of songwriting, and complex jazz inflected arrangements the real heart of this is his voice. One of THE great voices. Soulful, controlled and so so smooth. He brings heart and intensity to his pleas for a more sane world. We still haven’t listened

GENRE: R&B, soul (style avec un choeur), un peu vibe jazz, chansons coup de coeur: What's happening brother; Flyin' High (in the friendly sky); Right on; Inner City; Wholy Holy side notes: J'aime trop comment les pièces s'enchaînent. Belle instrumentation. Parle de la guerre du vietnam, de la toxicomanie, de la pauvreté et de la crise climatique.

groovy, chill. I vibe with it. I dont understand how monumental people say this album is though. Is it a lyrics thing thats not usually my forte.

This record flows so nicely. It's great. Favourite Track(s): Inner City Blues Least Favourite Track(s): Wholy Holy

let’s fuck and then talk about how much we HATE the GOVERNMENT (my dream)

Everything in the world is bad except God and the children. Unashamed horns and backing ooo-ooohs, the sounds of the early '70s. Earnest, marvelous and beautiful.

According to Wikipedia this is Marvin's 11th album yet the earliest on on the list. He's a huge artist by this time, surely one of his earlier was influential as well?. Super cool.

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Right On, Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) Pretty powerful music. Sort of bleak too, that Marvin was signing about poverty, war, climate change, etc. going on in the world in 1971 and, despite how far we've come in a lot of aspects of society, we're functionally no closer to solving many of the problems raised in the songs - in some cases we've even gone backwards. And then, its all done up in this ultra-smooth delivery of rhythm and blues, soul and jazz, and excellent singing. Plus, I always love a good concept album.

More depth than I was expecting. After the tremendous loss of his young partner to cancer and the ongoing issue of segregation and the unpopular overseas Vietnam war (echoing on 2026), Gaye recorded a heartfelt album that masterfully weaves together melody, hope, and love. Repeating themes unify it and give it a cohesive feel.

4/5 That is political and religious.

Najs!

when your whole squad has no idea what's happening.

fantastic!! probably the best album to learn jameson's style

A good album; each song on its own could easily be a 5. Maybe what was missing was variety, because the album sounds as if it blends into one long, monotonous track. But I appreciate the craftsmanship. 8/10

"Inner City Blues" is a brilliant song. I really enjoyed the whole music themes in this album, I really enjoy his sound and voice.

Great record. Listened to it at the gym. The squat rack is a wierd place to recieve a record like this. The title track is better than I remembered it. Great record. 4.5/5

this one’s for the people. those string arrangements make the whole thing float. so much compassion in these songs. coulda done without “Save The Children” and “God Is Love” tho I did enjoy the exclamations of SAVE THE BABIES.

Lush instrumentation, beautiful, iconic voice. Maybe an album that's a bit more than the sum of its parts.

Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On is the definitive "woke" masterpiece in its truest sense, trading standard pop formulas for a breathing, jazzy soul suite that remains an essential piece of "workers' music" today. The album functions as a continuous conversation where songs blend seamlessly into one another—highlighted by the distinct, hypnotic percussion on "Right On"—to deliver direct, urgent messaging on anti-war sentiment, environmental protection, and the pressures of capitalism. It is a soulful, atmospheric pillar of social commentary that feels just as relevant to the modern struggle as it did in 1971, proving that high-concept political art can still possess a deep, effortless groove.

Buen álbum me gustó mucho

A somewhat samey masterpiece.

"father father..we don't need to escalate"...

it's about time I get recommended an album I already love so much! Nothing or no one can convince me others—peak music right here.

Not sure what this type of music is, but I liked it. 8/10

I never really cared for concept albums like this but the sounds is so smooth that even some of the songs that really are connectors from ones some to another are easy to listen to. To me the songs are not at the top of my list to listen to by themselves but the whole album together and the smooth vocals make it a great listen

Struggled to rate this one. A couple of incredible songs, and contextually very important. Just a little bit of fill takes it down to a 4, as well as the strange switch from song cycle to a standard album. It's very good, but not quite perfect imo

Socialmente potente. Mezcla perfecta entre música ligera y relajada con letras firmes y políticas. What’s going on, el mejor tema y la profits correcta.

a great album, that’s what!

molto atmosferico

Enjoyed grooving to this.

Solid album, but with a few stinkers. Still better than most records.

This is the first album I am doing this for. The message is clear throughout the whole album and its moving. This is a timeless album not only because of the amazing music but also the way the message relates to today. I really enjoyed this one.

Vackert!

3.56

Actual Rating: 3.5/5

really cute and romantic album love it

Important. Trascendent. Powerful. (1/1001) That's all I catched from this album. Not only did the variety of sounds surprise me, but also how... present it is, especially for such an old album. It's really charged in a good way, a clear message from a voice that was so, sooo needed for the time period; a voice who spoke of mutual love and care, enjoying life despite how many times it treated us harshly and without taking our frustration on others, of the economic, social and psychological consequences that war brings into families and the soldiers that survived... and the importance of supporting and treating each other like human beings it's super trascendental too, it's always crazy to me when a project feels so important even years after, not just from the influence but also from the message... and the fact that we as humans haven't seemed to improve too much since this album dropped is really something to think about i think the album really deserves to be in this list, it's a powerful album that when i first listened to it, i didn't know whether to feel sad or thoughtful, or even both, and I think that Mr. Marvin did a really great job on expressing his feelings and message to the crowd 4.5

Smooth

This was much more enjoyable than the other Marvin Gaye album on the list. Not quite enough for a 5, but definitely a strong 4.

One of the best!

Woke up in the mood for some Rage Against the Machine. Marvin Gaye somehow fit that bill for me anyhow. Great vocals. Strong message. Solid album worth listening to again and again.

Classic Motown, led by Gaye's extraordinary voice(s) and passionate lyrics, and underpinned by the mighty bass of two legends, James Jamerson and Bob Babbitt.

oh immediately from the first song i'm obsessed!!!!!! and if i say this is the perfect album to do quite literally anything, then what???

Good concept and thematic exploration. Rich instrumentation and vocals. Similar concept throughout. Favourite tracks: title track, mercy mercy me, what’s happening brother, save the children Least favourite tracks: none

Me gustó! Una re onda

Love this, really puts you in an atmosphere, loose, powerful, captured a moment of time. It does get a little preachy towards the end. I’m sure I’m missing context, but that’s how I feel from this listen.

Déjà écouté. Marvin Gaye s'émancipe de la "formule" Motown pour livrer un pseudo-concept album soul ouvertement politique. Tout n'a pas bien veilli, mais peu de disques peuvent se targuer d'avoir été si importants historiquement. Top : Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) Flop : Save the Children

Great album to chill to

Un álbum muy necesario para los tiempos que corren.

Geile Übergänge Entspannt zum Lernen

Muy bueno

Some classic songs, some very solid songs, and one weird one

Obviously a classic album, but sounds very same-y throughout.

Such a good, easy to enjoy album. Some of the smoothest ballads in soul music history. Fills you in with Marvin's warm angel voice and some simply beautiful and full of life music. Some of the biggest soul bangers ever are on this record.

The production on this album might still be the best of anything I’ve heard on this list so far. Man, maybe culture is so strong… I just have such a hard time taking some of these seriously. “Save the Children” sounds like an SNL skit, while “Right On” and “What’s Going on” feel like stone-cold classics.

Pretty cool

4 star

yeah i can say this genre is not my type, but i still enjoyed it. Or maybe it wasnt until now better said. My favorites were Right on, Inner city blues and Mercy mercy me. And maybe Save the children for the lyrics when I look outside the window.

sweet and short

Absolute classic, maybe a bit kitschy (at least to me), but overall a great listen!

I am very familiar with this album. I've had the CD since the late 80s/early 90s. This album contains 2 of the best songs of all time off any album by any artist - "What's Going On" and "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)". Prior to listening to this I already have 6 of the 9 songs "liked" on Spotify - the 2 mentioned above plus "What's Happening Brother", "Flying High (in the Friendly Sky)", "Right On", and "Inner City Blues". What's crazy (and kind of depressing) is how relevant the lyrical themes are today, in 2026 - 55 years later. We are still sending people off to die in pointless wars started with bullshit justifications and not helping them when they come back. We are still trashing the environment and in the US we are actually rolling back most of the environmental protections. We still have way too many people trapped in a cycle of poverty and drugs. We still have "trigger happy policing" - in the US now we have the largest domestic police force at the national level (ICE) which is running around masked and kidnapping citizens and killing them on the streets of America. My biggest knock on this album is that musically so much of this seems the same. I know they are working on a common musical theme (i.e. "song cycle") but it seems a little like each song is the same music with different lyrics. Not exactly, but sort of. I "liked" one additional song while listening 3 times ("God is Love") - and still absolutely love the ones that I liked before. Liked songs on Spotify: 7/9 Rating: 4/5

so chill, light up my room

Legendarisch, maar iets te eentonig en ouderwets geworden

Smooooooth. Good songwriting on this one. Not quite as well produced as his later work, but in totality it's better than the next Marvin Gaye album on this list. Not super musically diverse, but does what it is well. Should have cut Right On from the release though, that song is tough to get through. 3.6/5

muy intuitivo, buenas sensaciones

Huge vibe, love the sound, but bit too much about Jesus.

3 stars for the music and 1 star for legend status. The first track is the best track.

I didn’t get a chance to listen to all of it but I do plan on it bc I know that it’s a great album

Easy listening but not a heavy rotation for me I don't think

pre-listening: hey, i know that guy and that song! 1971 1: ah man does this song alone constitute 4 stars? beautiful voice and subject matter 2: same vibe as first song. like a part two. like maybe it was the same song LOL 3: gentle but not as inspired 4: well now this not only makes me wanna live for the future but also wonder if it was anti abortion? what a weird combo 5: Proof that God doe imbue some with the power of music 6: Another religious song that bops i fear. 7 & 8: didnt pay much attention nor did they pull me in 9: This one did tho. again speaking to peoples lives. slow heavy beat and beautiful voice. A 4 for me chief.

Super solid album. One that I've always really enjoyed. The only thing that knocks it down a point is that it doesn't really have much in the way of variety. This however adds to its cohesiveness as an album. But I would definitely like it if some of the songs didn't feel like they were just a revisit of a previous one.,

Still a masterpiece all these years later. It hasn’t lost any of its impact. I respect it more than love it is the only criticism I have. 4

Great album. Never realized how religious the album was. Beautiful album structure with songs flowing into the next. Awesome listen

Krasse Banger Krasse Filler Zu lang

Cooles album

A eye opening album that talks about social construct and problems of the of different people and backgrounds an album that raises questions yet provides no answers but creates awareness that was previously banned from airwaves. A big step for the beginning of rap music genre

This was great, I want to spend more time with it but definitely potential for a 5 star if I can sit with it longer.

a great album

The transition from God is Love to Mercy Mercy made me literally cum

Taas sama ilmiö: nimi tuttu, itse musaan ei minkäänlaista kosketuspintaa. Kuitenkin tyylilaji paljolti odotetun kaltaista mutta paljon parempi kuin osasin odottaa! Ennen muuta itse musiikki kaikkine pienine nyansseineen ja ennen muuta percussioineen. Kutumusaa 😉🔥 Positiivinen 4/5

Really needed to revisit this. One of the greats soul wise, there's a lot to love. Brilliant record.

My rating 3.8. An album very much of a time. You can just hear the turbulence in the music with so much change that was happening in the U.S. He captured all of it, the good, the bad , and the ugly in this album.

yep

4 - WHAT A RIDE - I love everything about this album. Although the songs may not individually be single hits, the fluidity of the way it runs through is so much fun to enjoy. Marvin belting out "SAVE THE BABIES" over and over is so funny. Top songs: What's Going On / Save the Children / Right On

-Lebendiges Album -Streicher bis Saxophonparts -visualisiert Unzufriedenheit mit Politik auf entspannte, getragene Weise -wird nicht zu einseitig -7/10 -keine neuen Titel auf Playlist, aber nicht schlecht

Humanity hasn't learned a damn thing since this record came out.

Pleasant, butoccationally too cheesy.

It's pretty great, but too smooth.

GOATEDDDDD HOLY FRICKING GOATED AMAZING BANGER BANGER BANGER LOVE LOVE LOVEEEE

nice

śliczne to jest it sounds like the warmest hug on a lovely day beautiful writing and VOCALS

Good one

lovely, soothing, pleasant listening experience

Classic

'Inner City Blues' is CRAZY. Whole album is great. We love it.

Rentoa soulia. Sellasta kesäpäivän aurinkolasi soulia. Oispa aurinko. Tai kesä. Ja olut. Parhaat: What's Going On, Right On, Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)