Forty years later, “What’s Going On” still spins true

40 years ago, Motown Records, the sonic factory of lighthearted love songs and spirited soul, released Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” a departure for both the label and the singer. The album, a song cycle that tells the story of a Vietnam vet returning home to a nation in chaos, brought social consciousness to soul — and the airwaves.

Motown Museum CEO Audley Smith, interviewed for the piece, said Marvin’s musical transformation was an inspiration to him and a generation of young Detroiters.

Excerpt:
He says the song “What’s Going On” served as an anthem of social awareness. “It
was important to be a part of what was happening in terms of social
activism in the city of Detroit,” Smith says. “And to have Marvin Gaye
come out with a song that reinforced that necessity to be conscious, to
be active, was a wonderful thing.”

Mercy, mercy me. Listen to the story here.