# 3 Motown Songs From 1971 That Still Make Me Want to Dance Today

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/3-motown-songs-from-1971-that-still-make-me-want-to-dance-today/
- Published: 2026-11-14T22:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T22:24:05+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/3-motown-songs-from-1971-that-still-make-me-want-to-dance-today/
- Topics: Americas, Entertainment, Music, World

## Key points

- Three 1971 Motown tracks still invite listeners to dance.
- Stevie Wonder gave a Beatles song a funkier arrangement.
- Marvin Gaye’s danceable hit reflected political unrest and police brutality.

## Summary

An article highlights three Motown songs released in 1971 that it says still inspire dancing: Stevie Wonder’s “We Can Work It Out”, the Jackson 5’s “Never Can Say Goodbye” and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”. Together, they show the range of Motown recordings from that year, from buoyant grooves to a song whose upbeat sound carries a more serious message.

Wonder recorded the Beatles song, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, for *Signed, Sealed & Delivered* after hearing it at 15 and deciding to give it a funkier arrangement. The Jackson 5’s track, written by Clifton Davis, became their last R&B chart-topper for two years; Gloria Gaynor later took it into the US Top 10 in 1974. Gaye wrote “What’s Going On” with Al Cleveland and Renaldo Benson; the five-week No. 1 title track was inspired by political unrest, police brutality and violence in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.