(Credits: Far Out / Motown Records / Album Covers)
It’s hard to define art or put some kind of formula in place that would ensure success within music; however, Motown came pretty close to doing just that.
When Berry Gordy set up Motown, he did so with the intention of making great music for the masses. The plan was to run the record label in the same way Ford made cars, having an assembly line, constantly churning out good quality products that the public at large could enjoy. It took some time before the label well and truly took off, but once it did, there was no stopping it.
When you look back at the funk and soul scene of the ’70s, most of the big names probably walked through Motown’s doors at some point. Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and Michael Jackson – they all kicked things off there. Sure, there were bust-ups along the way – Marvin clashed over wanting to go political, and Michael was desperate to go solo – but let’s be honest, without Motown giving them that first leg up, they might never have reached those dizzy heights.
The label wasn’t male dominated either, there were plenty of women who worked there, launching their own careers or helping out with instrumentation and backing vocals. Granted, as seems to be the case with a lot of the music industry, when you look at popular artists throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, it was the male artists who tended to chart more. That being said, that doesn’t mean there weren’t some great female artists attached to the label.
The main difference is that a lot of the women on Motown were members of groups as opposed to performing as a solo artist. There are a few exceptions to this rule, some of which went on to have incredibly successful careers and are still considered legends to this day. It begs the question, which female solo artist had the most success with Motown?
So, who was the best-selling female solo artist on Motown?
Your original suspicion was correct, it’s Diana Ross.
There were plenty of great female artists attached to Motown, but without a doubt, the most successful was Diana Ross. Her exceptional voice, paired with her ability to make songs distinctly her own, meant that the public was completely enamoured with every note she uttered.
No matter what decade you’re looking at, since Ross has started making music, in one way or another, she has left her stamp on that specific moment in time. She was dubbed the ‘Queen of Motown’ for a reason, as so many of her songs charted well, but equally stood the test of time.
Go to any dancefloor around America now and play ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, ‘Upside Down’ or ‘Touch Me in the Morning’ and the quick feet of music lovers will hurry over and start grooving.
Has Diana Ross always been a solo artist?
Diana Ross’s success doesn’t just pertain to her being a solo artist, either. She also had a great deal of success with her band, The Supremes.
She was a member of The Supremes before she was performing solo, and they equally had a great deal of success, with one of their tracks, ‘I Hear A Symphony’, being one of Berry Gordy’s favourite Motown songs of all time.
Ross left The Supremes in 1970 as she was keen on doing things on her own. Jean Terrell replaced her as the lead singer, which worked to some extent, but not as much as embarking on a solo career worked for Ross.
Not only was she the most successful female solo artist in Motown’s history, but she remains one of the most successful solo artists of all time. Every song is a symphony when you have a voice like Diana Ross.
Related Topics
