History Creator / Motown

* MusicIsPolitics: Taking into account Gordy's iron-handed control over the company, Motown was absolutely awash with it. For example, Diana Ross was never thought of as the best singer in the Supremes, but she ''was'' the most marketable as a leader, so she was brought to the front and given the big solo push when the group broke up.

* MusicIsPolitics: Taking into account Gordy's iron-handed control of the company, Motown was absolutely awash with it. For example, Diana Ross was never thought of as the best singer in the Supremes, but she ''was'' the most marketable as a leader, so she was brought to the front and given the big solo push when the group broke up.

* IconicLogo: The [[https://thevinylfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/motown-2.png "map"]] label with the rainbow-colored "Motown", then later, the [[https://www.udiscovermusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/M_MotownLogo630_062612.jpg stylized "M"]].

* LeadBassist: James Jamerson, routinely considered one of the best bass players in history.

!!Motown performers with Wiki/TVTropes pages:

* NewMediaAreEvil: They were infamously slow to embrace [=CDs=] in TheEighties, figuring they wouldn't overtake vinyl. They were similarly dismissive of [[NotableMusicVideos music videos]] as well in the same time frame.

->''"Once upon a time in a kingdom known as UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}}, there lived a young warrior named Berry … [who] took on the ways of the minstrel, and he began to write songs for others to sing. And a local celebrity, Sir Jackie of Wilson, heard some of the songs and put them on circular platters called “discs.” And the townspeople liked the sounds that emanated from the pressed discs, and turned them into something called “hits.” … So Berry went out on a great quest, and he found Miracles and [[Music/StevieWonder Wonders]] and Marvelettes. And he brought the discoveries to a secret place called Hitsville, and there he taught them wondrous things. There was young Smokey of Robinson, and Mary of Welles, and Martha of the Vandellas. [[Music/MarvinGaye Marvin of the Gaye]] and Tammi of Terrell. And there were Pips and Knights named Gladys. And [[Music/TheTemptations Temptations]] and Tops, Contours and Spinners. And before anyone realized what was happening, it happened: Hitsville became like its name."''

Finally, Motown was famous for the sheer number of hugely successful acts they signed. At one time or another, Music/MarvinGaye, Music/StevieWonder, [[Music/MichaelJackson Michael]] [[Music/TheJacksonFive Jackson]], Music/LionelRichie, Music/BoyzIIMen and Music/RickJames were artists signed to one of Gordy's Motown labels, while famous acts from the glory days of the label like Music/TheTemptations, the Music/FourTops, Music/TheSupremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, and Martha Reeves and The Vandellas quickly became household names.

Finally, Motown was famous for the sheer number of hugely successful acts they signed. At one time or another, Music/MarvinGaye, Music/StevieWonder, [[Music/MichaelJackson Michael]] [[Music/TheJacksonFive Jackson]], Music/LionelRichie, Music/BoyzIIMen and Music/RickJames were artists signed to one of Gordy's Motown labels, while famous acts from the glory days of the label like Music/TheTemptations, the Music/FourTops, Music/TheSupremes, and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas quickly became household names.

Finally, Motown was famous for the sheer number of hugely successful acts they signed. At one time or another, Music/MarvinGaye, Music/StevieWonder, [[Music/MichaelJackson Michael]] [[Music/TheJacksonFive Jackson]], Music/LionelRichie, Music/BoyzIIMen and Music/RickJames were artists signed to one of Gordy's Motown labels, while famous acts from the glory days of the label like Music/TheTemptations, the Four Tops, Music/TheSupremes or Martha Reeves and the Vandellas quickly became household names.

* Music/BoyzIIMen

Second, Motown labels were noted for their factory-like production process. Berry Gordy was very keen to see black musicians getting into the upper reaches of the pop charts, so songs were tailored with crossover appeal in mind. Much of the production work was centered around staff songwriters and songwriting teams, the most famous of which was Holland-Dozier-Holland. New tunes were written during the week and then presented at Gordy's quality-control meetings on Fridays, where they were played in a sequence of the top five singles of that week. If Gordy felt that the song lacked promise, he wielded an executive veto. It could be overcome only by artists with enough clout and determination, mostly famously when Music/MarvinGaye butted heads with Gordy over the socially conscious song, ''Music/WhatsGoingOn'', which proved a critically hailed smash hit when Gaye got his way and had it published.

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/motown_50th.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:An image celebrating the label's golden anniversary in 2009.]]

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/motown_50yrs_6055.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:An image celebrating the label's golden anniversary.]]

* Music/BruceWillis

* Music/RickJames

* TheRival: Creator/StaxRecords qualified stylistically, because it specialized in tougher, harder-edged soul music in contrast to the more commercial pop sound produced by Motown. Ironically, although Stax specialized in music that sounded more "black" than what Motown offered, the label was actually owned by a white businessman, Jim Stewart, and featured several white musicians, including ace guitarist Steve Cropper and bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, on its recordings (both featured in ''Film/TheBluesBrothers''), not to mention distributing Music/BigStar through its subsidiary, Ardent. Creator/AtlanticRecords, a New York-based jazz and blues label (and erstwhile Stax distributor) that eventually released other genres such as [[RockMusic rock]] and [[CountryMusic country]], is another commonly cited rival.

Second, Motown labels were noted for their factory-like production process. Berry Gordy was very keen to see black musicians getting into the upper reaches of the pop charts, so songs were tailored with crossover appeal in mind. Much of the production work was centered around staff songwriters and songwriting teams, the most famous of which was Holland-Dozier-Holland. New tunes were written during the week and then presented at Gordy's quality-control meetings on Fridays, where they were played in a sequence of the top five singles of that week. If Gordy felt that the song lacked promise, he wielded an executive veto.

* TheRival: Creator/StaxRecords qualified stylistically, because it specialized in tougher, harder-edged soul music in contrast to the more commercial pop sound produced by Motown. Ironically, although Stax specialized in music that sounded more "black" than what Motown offered, the label was actually owned by a white businessman, Jim Stewart, and featured several white musicians, including ace guitarist Steve Cropper and bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, on its recordings, not to mention distributing Music/BigStar through its subsidiary, Ardent. Creator/AtlanticRecords, a New York-based jazz and blues label (and erstwhile Stax distributor) that eventually released other genres such as [[RockMusic rock]] and [[CountryMusic country]], is another commonly cited rival.

The early years of the label, and the career of Music/TheSupremes in particular, were the inspiration for the musical and movie ''Theatre/{{Dreamgirls}}''. The long-overlooked contribution of The Funk Brothers is illustrated in the documentary/concert film, ''Film/StandingInTheShadowsOfMotown''

The early years of the label, and the career of Music/TheSupremes in particular, were the inspiration for the musical and movie ''Theatre/{{Dreamgirls}}''.

* Music/{{Akon}}

* ''98°''