The three songs Stevie Wonder is most proud of writing
Few artists can evoke joy through music quite like Stevie Wonder. Between the soulful ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)’, the twangy ‘Superstition’, and the glorious ‘Isn’t She Lovely’, the Michigan-born singer has transcended genres and generations with his sonic delights, earning a deserved place as one of the most beloved singers of all time.
With a career spanning half a century and 23 albums, picking out your favourite work of Wonder is no easy feat. His hits are as abundant as the genres he covers, so much so that even those who haven’t explored the depths of his discography would struggle to choose between the loveliness of ‘My Cherie Amour’ and the romantic ‘Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing’.
His soulful tones are etched into the hearts of millions, but which is Wonder most proud of? During a conversation with Oprah, the talk show host asked him that very question, asking which compositions he is most pleased to have gifted the world. Perhaps expectedly, Wonder didn’t have a concrete answer, but he did mention three songs in particular.
“I have different songs for different days,” he shared, “One day might be an ‘As’ day, and another might be a ‘Living for the City’ day. Or I might have an ‘If Your Love Cannot Be Moved’ day, which is a song you haven’t heard yet.” Wonder’s picks come from throughout his discography, beginning with ‘As’ from his iconic 1976 record, Songs in the Key of Life.
This album would spawn several of his biggest hits in ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ and ‘Sir Duke’, but Wonder picked out the final single and one of the lengthiest songs from the collection. ‘As’ is a gorgeous love song that promises devotion until dolphins fly and parrots swim. Wonder’s words are accompanied by sublime backing vocals and playful piano.
Wonder’s 1973 single ‘Living for the City’ is just as deserving of his self-commendation, a slightly more subdued soul track that proves the songwriter’s capability for commentary. It follows a boy in “hard time Mississippi,” punctuating his story with samples and synths.
The songwriter’s final pick wasn’t released when he was first speaking to Oprah, but he has since unveiled it on his 2005 record, A Time to Love. ‘If Your Love Cannot Be Moved’ opens the album, finding Wonder collaborating with Kim Burrell to sing of equality and intentionality. It’s a track that stands up just as well almost two decades later.
It’s easy to see how each of his picks might suit different days and moods. Still, even Wonder can’t quite commit to one of his own compositions, concluding, “When Duke Ellington was asked about his favourite song, he’d say, ‘I haven’t written it yet.’ I feel the same.”
Find the full list of songs below.
Stevie Wonder’s favourite songs:
- ‘As’
- ‘Living for the City’
- ‘If Your Love Cannot Be Moved’
