A Modulation of a Different Kind: How Songs in the Key of Life Redefined the Canon
by Matthew Motley
In 1976, Stevie Wonder released his eighteenth studio album, Songs in the Key of Life. It experienced a great deal of commercial success at the time of its release, evidenced by its lengthy tenure at the top of the Billboard charts. The work has received many of music’s most prestigious accolades, winning Album of the Year and being inducted into both the Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. The album’s significance extends far beyond its diamond status. This essay argues that the album is a seminal work in the musical canon, acting as a culminating point that influenced nascent genres and reinvigorated existing ones. The work operates at an unprecedented scale, fluidly moving across a massive range of disparate genres, all while thoughtfully addressing an equally broad range of social issues. This, coupled with Wonder’s unorthodox and detail-driven approach to music, resulted in one of the most influential albums of all time.
Stevie Wonder, Musical Activism, Motown, Popular Music, African American Composers
Released in 1976, Songs in the Key of Life is Stevie Wonder’s seminal work, displaying his artistic maturity and cementing his transition from wunderkind to titan of the music industry. The work is unprecedented at every level, from the fluency with which Wonder borrows from a massive range of genres to the sheer number of artists involved in its creation. The album also saw Wonder step fully into the role of activist, explicitly tackling social issues through his music. Wonder’s pseudo-manic workflow and attention to detail, thoughtful activism through music, and prodigious fusion of genre came together to create one of the most influential albums of all time.
To understand the impact the album had on the canon, it is helpful to examine the album itself, and what made it remarkable. This line of questioning invariably leads one to inquire about the specifics of its creation, where it quickly becomes apparent that no element of the album’s production was typical. At the heart of this strangeness was the artist himself.
Wonder had developed a reputation for operating in his own world, unbound by troublesome concepts like schedules and deadlines. This aversion to the expected timeline was born out of perfectionism rather than pretension. When it came to his music, Wonder was unwilling to compromise his standards. As he stated in an interview, “You have a goal in mind…and you don’t settle for anything less than that.[1] This tendency to strive for perfection led to an unprecedented two-year wait for the album’s release, which resulted in a strange dichotomy. In the public eye, the easy-going Wonder appeared almost lackadaisical, dragging his feet so severely that the staff at Motown printed T-shirts reading “We’re Almost Finished,” the stock answer given to those inquiring about the record’s status.[2]
In reality, Wonder worked at a frenzied pace, often forgoing sleep if inspiration struck him. Wonder’s band was kept on retainer, and he would regularly summon the musicians at odd hours to realize his vision for a track.[3] Despite this pace, the studio environment was rarely tense, as Wonder’s keyboardist Greg Phillinganes shared: “It’d be three in the morning, you’d have to drive [to the studio], but it was always a hang when you got there.”[4] Wonder’s music reflects this dichotomy, where the intense perfectionism that led to the intricate blend of genres is totally obscured by the sense of ease that had become emblematic of the artist and his music.
The success of Songs in the Key of Life cannot be attributed to Wonder’s exceptional musicianship alone, as he had been displaying that talent for nearly fifteen years by the album’s release. What made this album exceptional was the way it showcased Wonder’s artistic maturity. The songs on the album had a profound emotional weight that, while present in the artist’s previous discography, had not yet been applied with the consistency and nuance seen in Songs in the Key of Life. The emotional spectrum covered by the album is far-reaching, stretching from the joy of childbirth to the everyday heartbreak of “Ordinary Pain.” The album also saw works that were the direct result of Wonder embracing the role of activist and using his platform to address the issues he felt strongly about. A prime example of this is “Village Ghetto Land,” a track which pulls no punches in addressing the “pain and indignity of poverty and homelessness” and denouncing the wealthy’s apparent indifference to plight of people suffering from these issues.[5] This plain presentation of Wonder’s stances imbues his tracks with a powerful sense of authenticity, making the emotional weight of each far more tangible. This honesty clearly resonated with listeners, as the album occupied the number one spot on the Billboard charts for an unprecedented thirteen weeks following its debut.[6]
At the heart of Wonder’s approach to activism is the artist’s unique perspective, rooted in a nonchalant humility not often seen in stars of his stature. The artist is quick to redirect praise, often asserting “God used me as a vehicle” and that he feels “pretty blessed” for his music to have reached as far as it has.[7] As the artist stated in an interview with Billboard, his decision to engage with social issues through his music was a simple choice, informed by a “feeling… [that] it’s the right thing to do.”[8] Songs in the Key of Life is the result of Wonder’s artistry finally reaching its apex and his emotional fluency maturing to match his towering musical ability.
Wonder’s brand of activism parallels his musical style, as both are characterized by his uncanny ability to make intricacies digestible. “Contusion”offers a prime example of this. The track is busy, defined by a virtuosic guitar solo which soars over the dense accompaniment. Despite this, the groove remains the undisputed focal point of the track. At no point is “the pocket” lost; the numerous layers of orchestration and flashy solo playing all slot effortlessly into the groove.[9] This gives the listener an anchor point, allowing them to engage with the more challenging aspects of the track without feeling they are at risk of getting lost.
This same principle is apparent in Wonder’s activism. The tracks address issues in their entirety but do so in a deliberate way, offering “anchor points” throughout and gently guiding the listeners to the necessary conclusions. The tone is never hostile or accusatory, instead placing the onus on the audience, inviting them to introspect and wrestle with uncomfortable truths. Nowhere is this strategy more apparent than in the closing stanza of “Village Ghetto Land” as Wonder challenges the listeners. “Now some folks say that we should be/ Glad for what we have/ Tell me you would be happy in Village Ghetto Land.”[10] Once again, the true genius of his work is evident in its synergy.
Song is uniquely suited to the kind of journey Wonder prescribes, as patience is an inherent part of the medium. Songs are meant to be replayed, each listen offering a deeper understanding. Wonder’s activism leverages this to great effect. The listener need not be swayed by his argument on the first or even 100th time hearing a track. The song is persistent, patiently guiding the listener to its message and inviting them to understand.
The 1970s were fraught, especially in the African American community in which there was a pervading sense of “frustration, despair and helplessness.”[11] The vibrant activism and hard-won victories seen in the civil rights movement of the preceding decades only heightened the pain brought on by the stagnation and lack of agency characteristic of the 70s. As Wonder put it “Everyone promises you everything, but in the end nothing comes out of it.”[12] The artist began to explore different ways of articulating these frustrations in his 1973 work Innerversions, but the fullness of his message would not be realized until Songs in the Key of Life.
The album addresses issues which Wonder had only alluded to in past works, notably his concerns that America was becoming “a society riven.”[13] Songs in the Key of Life tackles the issue head-on, the call for unity present in past albums now brought to the forefront, apparent in every track of the album. “Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing” and “Black Man” are the most blatant examples, the former blending Zulu, Spanish, and English in an exultation of the joys of living, and the latter offering a powerful message outlining how every race has made significant contributions to the world. The call is less overt in the other tracks, which instead offer a more nuanced approach, advocating unity through their radical relatability. “Isn’t She Lovely,” “Another Star,” and “As” feature love as a universal constant, displaying its centrality to the human experience throughout its myriad forms. Even the album’s title elicits a sense solidarity that transcends formal structure. Wonder’s focus on unity rooted in activism resulted in the creation of a profoundly relatable album, allowing his work and its message to reach farther than ever before.
Wonder’s perfectionism, coupled with his apparent immunity to deadlines, had an unintended consequence. The delayed release meant the album would be perfectly poised to become the defining work of pop’s “New Golden Age”.[14] The 60s were dominated by a handful of sounds, with new musical movements struggling to emerge from the long shadows cast by British Invasion rock, Greenwich Village folk, and Brill Building pop.[15] In stark contrast, the 70s were a decade characterized by fragmentation. Subcultures burst into the mainstream, as diverse genres and voices found purchase in the rubble of the homogeneity that characterized the 60s. In an era where so many distinct communities were ravenous for music they could identify with, the incredible diversity present in Songs in the Key of Life was something akin to manna. Each track on the album represented a unique blend of genres, from the fusion of salsa and funk of “Another Star” to the soul and blues influences apparent in “Easy Going Evening (My Mother’s Call).” As the album enjoyed its prolonged stay at the top of the charts, new groups saw the sound of their communities reflected in the mainstream. Songs in the Key of Life encapsulated the changing musical landscape of the decade, catering to a public that increasingly sought out music that spoke to their lived experiences.
This diversity was only made possible by the unprecedented scope of the project coupled with Wonder’s preternatural fluency across disparate genres. One must look no further than the credits to gain an idea of the truly massive scale. More than 130 musicians are listed in the credits; to put that number in perspective, the total number of musicians credited in every other Billboard #1 album of that year is only eighty-two .[16] In addition to a host of talented studio musicians, Wonder’s album also credits Herbie Hancock, George Benson and Minnie Riperton, each stars in their own right. Despite this massive cadre of collaborators, the creative direction of the album never strays from Wonder’s “singular, blazing vision.”[17] This rich palette was integral to the success of the album, endowing Wonder with complete artistic freedom. He used this freedom to great effect, artfully blending genres as though it were as natural to him as breathing.
In addition to the fusion of genres, the album displays Wonder’s tendency to trailblaze, bucking the mold of existing genres altogether in search of a particular sound. This is exemplified in “Pastime Paradise” a notable outlier, even in an album full of tracks that push the envelope. The entire track is built upon the synthesizer, an experimental Yamaha GX-1 which Wonder dubbed “The Dream Machine.”[18] The string section on the track was entirely synthesized, but each section was recorded one at a time and captured “as though it was a string instrument.”[19] In contrast to the rest of the album, the track was recorded “piecemeal” and is left intentionally dry.[20][21] In this absence of reverb, each element seems to exist in its own space, imbuing the track with an ethereal feel. The innovative production techniques resulted in a sound unlike anything else at the time, the track existing in a sort of liminal space between synthetic and natural sound. Although production technology has advanced considerably since the song’s release, the unique sound has proven timeless as the track has been sampled and covered extensively, perhaps most notably in Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise.”
Perhaps more incredible than the breadth of influences the album drew upon is the influence the album has exerted across the increasingly diverse genres that came into existence in the years following its release. The album exists as an extraordinary confluence, drawing together complementary elements from the disparate branches of the canon that preceded it. This diversity created fertile ground for future generations to draw inspiration from. Songs in the Key of Life didn’t merely earn a spot in the musical canon; it fundamentally changed the musical landscape.
It is easy to point to the immediate and tangible aftermath of the album’s release as evidence of its significance, focusing on its dominance on the Billboard charts or how it resulted in Wonder’s third consecutive Grammy for Album of the Year. But the way other stars speak about the album is far more telling. Contemporaries of Wonder such as Elton John and Prince have cited it as their favorite album.[22] Songs in the Key of Life occupies a unique space in music spheres, commanding a sort of reverence that few albums do. This reverence is a useful tool for tracking the extent to which the work has maintained its relevance. In the forty-six years since its release, the uncommon deference paid to the work has been codified into an air of sacrosanctity, something that rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West) alluded to in a 2005 interview: “I’m not trying to compete with what’s out there now. I’m really trying to compete with ‘Innervisions’ and ‘Songs in The Key Of Life.’ It sounds musically blasphemous to say something like that, but why not set that as your bar?”[23] The mere existence of this quote is a testament to the permanence of the album. Furthermore, it provides a tangible throughline to trace the work’s influence. The genre of rap was barely in its nascency at the time of the album’s release. To see the work cited as the standard against which a figurehead of a starkly different genre measures himself is indicative of how profoundly impactful the album was and the extent to which its influence has permeated the music industry.
Wonder’s project was of a scale that has seldom been attempted before or since, and few albums reach its degree of prominence. The album’s impact is exemplified by its longevity and its message of unity continuing to resonate with audiences long after the era it was written for. Painstakingly crafted with Wonder’s breathtaking levels of musical talent and attention to detail, imbued with his radically authentic brand of social activism, and bolstered by a spectacular blend of style and genre, the album redefined the musical canon, exhibiting unprecedented influence and permanently altering the musical landscape.
Bibliography
Berman, Judy. “How the ’70s Dethroned the ’60s as Popular Music’s Golden Age.” Pitchfork, 13 July 2016, https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1225-how-the-70s-dethroned-the-60s-as-popular-musics-golden-age/.
“Billboard 200, 1976” Billboard 200, Accessed November 19, 2022, https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1976-01-03/.
Buskin, Richard. “Stevie Wonder: ‘Pastime Paradise.’” Sound on Sound, December 2007, https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/stevie-wonder-pastime-paradise
Light, Alan. “Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life.” Pitchfork, 2016.
Lodder, Steve. Stevie Wonder: A Musical Guide to the Classic Albums. San Francisco: Backbeat Books, 2005.
Moon, Tom, “The Making of Songs in the Key of Life.” Rolling Stone, 2003, 14.
Murray, Robert, “Stevie Wonder Announces London Show,” Clash, March 14, 2014, https://www.clashmusic.com/live/stevie-wonder-announces-london-show/.
Nathan, David. 1995. “The Billboard Interview: Stevie Wonder.” Billboard, May 13.
Peddie, Ian, All by Myself: Essays on the single-artist rock album, ed. Steve Hameman(Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016), 79–94.
Wonder, Stevie, “Village Ghetto Land,” Track 3 on Songs in the Key of Life. Motown Records, 1976, vinyl
[1] Alan Light, “Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life.” Pitchfork, 2016.
[2] Tom Moon, “The Making of Songs in the Key of Life.” Rolling Stone, 2003, 148.
[3] Moon, “The Making of,” 148.
[4] Moon, “The Making of,” 148.
[5] Light, “Stevie Wonder.”
[6] “Billboard 200, 1976,” Billboard 200, accessed November 19, 2022, https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1976-01-03/.
[7] David, Nathan, “The Billboard Interview: Stevie Wonder,” Billboard, May 13,1995.
[8] David, “The Billboard Interview.”
[9] Musicians can play either in or out of the pocket, the former being desired, as it means the player is locking into the groove.
[10] Stevie Wonder, “Village Ghetto Land,” track 3 on Songs in the Key of Life, Motown Records, 1976, vinyl
[11] Ian Peddie, “Solitary Songs of Social Significance” in All By Myself: Essays on the Single-Artist Rock Album, ed. Steve Hameman (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016), 79-94.
[12] Steve Lodder, Stevie Wonder: A Musical Guide to the Classic Albums (San Francisco: Backbeat Books),159
[13] Ian Peddie, “Solitary Songs of Social Significance.”
[14]Judy Berman. “How the ’70s Dethroned the ’60s as Popular Music’s Golden Age.” Pitchfork, 13 July 2016, https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1225-how-the-70s-dethroned-the-60s-as-popular-musics-golden-age/.
[15] Berman, “Golden Age.”
[16] “Billboard 200, 1976,” Billboard 200, accessed November 19, 2022, https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1976-01-03/.
[17]Light, “Stevie Wonder.”
[18] Richard Buskin, “Stevie Wonder ‘Pastime Paradise,’” Sound on Sound, December 2007, https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/stevie-wonder-pastime-paradise
[19] Buskin, “Pastime Paradise”
[20] Dry in this context refers to a lack of reverberance or “reverb” on the track
[21] Buskin, “Pastime Paradise”
[22] Light, “Stevie Wonder.”
[23] Robert Murray, “Stevie Wonder Announces London Show,” Clash, March 14, 2014, https://www.clashmusic.com/live/stevie-wonder-announces-london-show/.
Citation Style: Chicago