The Best Stevie Wonder Love Songs

Stevie Wonder has been spreading musical gospel for over 60 years. He was a musical prodigy who (under the name “Little Stevie Wonder”) burst onto the Motown scene at 12 with “Fingertips.” His ongoing legacy cannot be overstated; he’s completely rejiggered the musical genres of funk, soul, gospel, rock and R&B.

Wonder is also a philanthropist/activist who writes songs about the pursuit of peace, the power of God, the sin of bigotry…even a tribute to the music makers who came before him (the effervescent classic “Sir Duke”). Though he went blind shortly after birth, Wonder sees more than the rest of us and expresses himself in an otherworldly yet grounded way. His love songs are an endless source of pleasure.

“For Once in My Life” (For Once in My Life, 1968)

Stevie didn’t write this one. It was a creation of Ron Miller and Orlando Murden. But 17-year-old Stevie utterly revamped it. Intended as a mellow track about emerging from the depths of loneliness, Stevie cranked the tempo, added his signature harmonica riffs, and exposed the bliss of finding shared love with a partner.

Even a visionary like Berry Gordy wasn’t sure it worked and didn’t release the Stevie version for over a year. When he did, it shot to #2 on the charts and became a beloved standard that celebrates the pure joy of requited love.

“Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours),” (Signed, Sealed & Delivered, 1970)

Wonder co-wrote this soul anthem with ex-wife Syreeta Wright, Motown songwriter Lee Garrett, and his mom, Lula Hardaway. From the “Please-take-me-back” genre, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” opens with a zingy sitar, followed by soaring vocals from Wonder and his backup singers.

He acknowledges unspecified sins (“Like a fool I went and stayed too long/Now I’m wondering if your love’s still strong” and “I did a lot of foolish things/that I didn’t really mean…”) and offers himself back to his lost love. Filled with funk, gospel glow and that great snail mail metaphor (which came from his mama), it’s a soul-altering track.

“You Are the Sunshine of My Life,”  (Talking Book, 1972)

The “sunshine” in question? Syreeta, Wonder’s wife at the time and frequent collaborator. “Sunshine” is a tour de force of tuneful simplicity, a grateful ode to marital/familial devotion. One of the sweetest tracks in pop music history and recorded in Greenwich Village’s Electric Lady Studios, it topped the charts in 1973 and remains a forever favorite.

“Boogie On, Reggae Woman” (Fulfillingness’ First Finale, 1974)

This naughty tune is neither boogie nor reggae. It’s a Grammy-winning blend that charted at #3 on the pop charts and topped the soul charts for a couple of weeks. Stevie leans into the carnal side of love, admiring the moves of a woman with whom he can’t quite keep up, as she’s “too fast” for him. Embellished with suggestive lyrics, an  A-flat blues harp, and a Moog synthesizer bassline (not to mention his repeated calls of “Can I play? Can I play?”), it’s an engaging combo of cool and hot.

“As” (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976)

It’s mind-bending that Wonder’s double album masterpiece Songs in the Key of Life is a half-century old. Odder still is the fact that “As,” a track that addresses universal love and a plea for the world to be good to and for one another, hasn’t been around forever. Such is the timeless glory of “As,” which opens as a gentle love song that would stand on its own merits:

“As around the sun the earth knows she’s revolving/And the rosebuds know to bloom in early May

Just as hate knows love’s the cure/You can rest your mind assure/That I’ll be loving you always”

“As” crescendos from there, evolving into a powerhouse about universal love. It moves from gospel “call and response” to guttural growls and a repeating outro that elevates the spirit. A work of staggering beauty, “As” works powerfully in every context, from a wedding to a memorial service. It’s eternal love conjured up in 7 minutes.

“Ribbon in the Sky” (Original Musiquarium 1, 1982)

Grammy-nominated for “Best Male R&B Vocal Performance” at the 25th Grammy Awards in 1983, here’s an homage to predestined romance triumphing through adversity. “Ribbon in the Sky” celebrates the divine promise between a couple,  something uniquely blessed. Essence magazine deemed it among their “25 Best Slow Jams of All Time.” It’s a ballad that packs a beautiful message of eternal love within its borders.

Wonder is so prolific, we’re pretty sure we’ve missed some great love songs of his; drop your  picks in the comments!

-Ellen Fagan

Photo: public domain