Marvin Gaye

USA, 1961–1984

American singer and songwriter (1939-1984) at Motown. What's Going On (1971), which he wrote and produced against label resistance, moved soul towards continuous, socially direct album-length work.

MusicRoots documents 5 artists who influenced Marvin Gaye and 15 artists Marvin Gaye influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Marvin Gaye?

• Sam Cooke — Sam Cooke was Gaye's primary vocal model — the same sweetness, the same crossover from gospel to pop.
• Nat King Cole — Nat Cole was Gaye's model for elegance and crossover vocal style in his early career.
• Jackie Wilson — Jackie Wilson was Gaye's model for stage mastery and vocal virtuosity.
• Curtis Mayfield — Mayfield opened the road What's Going On travelled: Curtis (September 1970) put extended social commentary at the centre of a soul album months before Gaye's.
• The Moonglows — Harvey Fuqua of The Moonglows was Gaye's first personal mentor and brought him to Motown.

Which artists did Marvin Gaye influence?

• Maroon 5 — Marvin Gaye's smooth soul is part of the R&B foundation of Maroon 5's sound, and among the band's cited influences.
• Usher — Marvin Gaye's confessional soul is one of the older catalogues Usher studied when learning to sing, and its intimacy shapes his ballad writing.
• The Rascals — One of the three soul voices Cavaliere set out to sing like.
• Michael Jackson — Gaye's blend of sensual soul and social commentary shaped Jackson's lyrical ambition on albums like 'Off the Wall' and 'Thriller'.
• Johnny Hates Jazz — Marvin Gaye's Motown soul was another of the touchstones Datchler cited for the group's sophisti-pop.
• Climie Fisher — Simon Climie's soul orientation reached back to Motown voices like Marvin Gaye — the R&B core beneath the duo's glossy pop.
• James Taylor — Early soul singers like Marvin Gaye shaped Taylor's warm, understated phrasing.
• Janet Jackson — For Rhythm Nation, Janet took cues from socially-conscious soul like Marvin Gaye.
• Sade — Marvin Gaye's late soul is one of the models for the band's unhurried arrangements.
• D'Angelo — D'Angelo carried on directly from Marvin Gaye - the layered falsetto harmony and the sexual seriousness of Voodoo are built on What's Going On and Here, My Dear.
• Jodeci — Marvin Gaye is the older model behind Jodeci's slow, explicit ballads.
• 2Pac — Marvin Gaye was one of Tupac's favourite artists; the socially engaged soul of What's Going On is directly referenced in 'Keep Ya Head Up'.
• Average White Band — Marvin Gaye was among the R&B heroes Average White Band cite behind their smooth, soulful funk.
• Foreigner — The American half of a deliberately mid-Atlantic band. Jones set out to put blues and R&B inside British rock, and Motown is what both he and Gramm were listening to.
• The Band — One of Levon Helm's named influences — the R&B he heard on WLAC.