Berry Gordy decided the world needed to hear what was happening in the Detroit Music scene. He took the best of the rock 'n' roll sounds of the late '50s and mixed them with soul and blues to create a brand new sound for the '60s. The highlight, though, was the immensely talented musical groups he got to sing. Vocal groups like The Temptations, with hits like "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" and "My Girl," and The Four Tops, with songs like "I Can't Help Myself," helped make Motown the top black-owned music company in American history.
Motown wasn't only for the boys. Girl groups were also formed under the label and became stars. The biggest of these groups was The Supremes. Fronted by Diana Ross, the ladies had huge hits like "Stop in the Name of Love." Martha Reeves and the Vandellas sang "Heat Wave" and the classic "Dancing in the Street." Girl groups outside of Motown enjoyed much success as well. The Ronettes had a big hit with "Be My Baby" and the Shangri-Las sang the hit "Leader of the Pack."
Doo wop vocal groups had tight, complex harmonies and sang in a more straight-forward pop vein than the funky Motown style. The style caught on in the 1950s and was still going strong through the first half of the '60s. The Rivingtons had a big, early '60s hit with "Pa Pa Ooh Mow Mow." The Skyliners hit it big with "Since I Don't Have You" and "This I Swear." Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs didn't have much success beyond their early '60s hit, but their smash "Stay" became a classic and cemented them as doo wop superstars.
Just as rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll influenced each other and meshed in the 1960s, rock 'n' roll and folk music did the same thing. Vocal groups with tight harmonies and catchy pop sounds took on the lyrical complexities and simple melodies of folk music and became '60s superstars. The Mamas and the Papas had a string of hits like "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin'." Peter, Paul & Mary had folk anthems like "If I Had a Hammer" and Simon and Garfunkel sang haunting harmonies on songs that were huge folk hits like "I Am a Rock" and "Scarborough Fair."