‘Superstition’: The UK’s all-time favourite Motown single
It might have begun life as a relatively run-of-the-mill soul label, but Motown quickly snowballed into a global empire, the likes of which would make any of history’s imperialist dictators blush. From Michigan to Milton Keynes, nobody had such an unwavering grasp on the pop charts as Berry Gordy back in his 1960s heyday.
That is not to say, however, that Motown’s world domination happened overnight. Although it didn’t take overly long for Gordy’s label to achieve its first US hits, in the form of Barrett Strong’s ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ or the inaugural number-one ‘Please Mr. Postman’ by The Marvelettes, it took a little while longer for that success to traverse the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, it took a concerted effort from the likes of The Beatles and Dusty Springfield to help establish the Motown sound on the streets of Blighty.
Particularly during the early part of the 1960s, Motown soul was already infecting the underground nightclubs and dancehalls of the mod subculture in Britain, but that relatively niche scene didn’t garner much in the way of commercial success. Still, it did alert the likes of The Beatles to the sounds of Detroit, and their subsequent cover versions of tracks like ‘You Really Got A Hold On Me’ and ‘Money’ were essential in giving Motown a sonic presence in the UK, so much so that Berry Gordy himself offered the Fab Four reduced royalty rates for covering any of his tracks.
Then, it was the blue-eyed soul mastery of Dusty Springfield who properly introduced Motown’s roster to the perpetual drizzle of this sceptred isle, on a special edition of Ready, Steady, Go. It was only then that the record-buying public started to pay attention to Motown’s output, and the very first Motown hit in the UK came in 1964 with Mary Wells’ legendary ‘My Guy’, followed closely by the chart-topping ‘Baby Love’ by The Supremes. After that, there was no going back.
Countless subsequent Motown hits came and went from the pop charts, stretching from the velvet tones of Mary Wells all the way through to the pop-centric stylings of Lionel Richie a few years later. What’s more, the northern soul scene, which blossomed in the towns and cities of northern England during the early 1970s, was endlessly indebted to the Motown sound, even if the songs spun at Wigan Casino were typically far more obscure than anything released under Gordy’s tenure.
So, what is the UK’s favourite Motown song?
Throughout their empirical pop reign of the 1960s and 1970s, Motown produced a wealth of utterly iconic names and enduring anthems. Inevitably, though, the ravages of time have rendered some more enduring than others, and back in 2019 the Official Chart Company sought to uncover which Motown single still holds the title of being the UK’s favourite.
Among undeniable classics from the likes of Marvin Gaye, The Jackson Five, and that trailblazing hit from Mary Wells, it was Stevie Wonder who topped the list with his 1972 single ‘Superstition’.
Despite only reaching 11 in the UK singles chart upon its initial release, ‘Superstition’ inarguably went on to become one of Wonder’s defining tracks, reflecting his development from the ‘Little Stevie Wonder’ title of his early days with Motown and predicting the profound genius of later records like Songs in the Key of Life.
Whichever way you spin it, then, the 1972 single is a fitting one to top the list of Britain’s favourite Motown anthems.
