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Motown Records is one of the most celebrated labels in music history. In 1959, an aspiring songwriter and record producer named Berry Gordy Jr. borrowed $800 to start his own record label in Detroit. With over 50 Billboard Hot 100 number one singles, the label’s output was staggering. Yet for every song that sat atop the charts, there were others just as brilliant that somehow slipped through the cracks. These are the forgotten Motown gems that should have ruled the world.
1. “The Tracks of My Tears” – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1965)
“The Tracks of My Tears” arrived in 1965 on the group’s brilliant record Going to a Go-Go and quickly shot up into the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It’s actually confusing as to why “The Tracks of My Tears” didn’t hit #1; the song is one of the smoothest compositions in pop history. Kicking off with a plangent solo introduction by Marv Tarplin, the Miracles’ guitarist from the beginning of their Motown career, this tune about the false public face of a heartbroken lover builds slowly in power, rising on one of Smokey’s most affecting vocal performances. It is the kind of record that feels timeless in the truest sense.
Possibly the most elegant song ever written by Robinson, it failed to reach No. 1 on the R&B charts, cresting at No. 2, and peaked at No. 6 on the pop list. But it has enjoyed a…
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Author : Matthias Binder
Publish date : 2026-03-11 11:40:00
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