(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)
Stevie Wonder - You Are the Sunshine of My Life"
Hit Number 1: May 19, 1973
Stay at Number 1: 1 Week
Stevie Wonder married his wife, Syreeta Wright, in 1970. Wright started out as a secretary at Motown Records, where Wonder had been recording and releasing all his material since he burst onto the scene with the improvised banger "Fingertips" in 1963. The two met sometime in the mid to late '60s, before marrying in 1970, and Wright began to co-write songs with Wonder. The first Wright/Wonder composition was the bright "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", which made it to #3 in 1970. (It's a 7) Wonder then wrote "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", which was supposed to be an ode to his wife.
The song is noted for not being entirely sung by Wonder. Two session musicians, one male and one female, also sing on the track with Wonder. The song has a great, fun feel to it, similar to what you hear on "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours". Wonder is an obvious man in love, and he delivers his message warmly. I also like the two other singers being featured on the song. To me, it's like Wonder needs others to express how he feels before he finally has the nerve to express how he really feels himself. I love the horn blares around the time Wonder starts singing, and the drum pattern is a great fiery crackle underneath everything else, which is what helps the song to become so "warm." It's optimistic and it slaps hard. Future Hit Hammer topic, Ray Parker Jr., plays guitar on the track too. Along with "Superstition", "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" was featured on the Talking Book album, and they were both the only singles released by Wonder for the album. Since Wonder was on top of the world in the 1970s, they both hit #1 of course.
The story doesn't have that happy of an ending though. Wonder and his wife would divorce later on, with some accounts saying that happened in 1972, before "Sunshine" hit #1, but other accounts, including Wright herself, claiming that the divorce happened in 1975. She said the two were always working, making their marriage difficult, and she also said she was tired of living in Wonder's shadow. Despite that, I think the song has aged very well. It's not in the company of an amazing masterpiece like "Superstition", and it's also not among Wonder's best material, but it's a nice song for what was supposed to be a great, long-lasting thing in Wonder's life. The song moves.
GRADE: 8/10
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