Motown specialized in creating soul music with a mass market appeal and referred to this as "The Motown Sound." The sound is characterized by prominent beats and bass guitar lines, distinctive melodic structures and a call-and-response singing style heavily influenced by traditional gospel music. In addition, catchy choruses and simple production techniques made the sound accessible to audiences better acquainted with pop music.
The Golden Age of Motown Records came in the 1960s. The label's first star was Smokey Robinson, who later became vice president of the company. During this time Motown produced hit singles for artists including Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, The Temptations and The Four Tops. The label's first hit was Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)" which reached No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart in 1959. A year later, Motown scored its first U.S. No. 1 single with The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman." From 1961-1971 the label had 110 top-10 singles. In 1972, Motown Records moved to Los Angeles and continued to work with artists such as Diana Ross and the Jackson 5. In the '90s Motown worked with acts such as Boyz II Men before becoming a part of the Universal group in 2005.
During the 1960s, Motown Records released hit singles with the regularity of a factory production line. They did this from their Detroit studios which became known as "Hitsville USA." A group of talented writers worked for the label including the brothers Brian and Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson and Frank Wilson. Motown artist also got in on the act with the likes of Robinson, Wonder, Gaye and Strong writing songs for other acts. In addition, Gordy used a select bunch of house musicians to help record new tracks. These musicians became known as "The Funk Brothers."
The label was divided into three subdivisions during its early years and later diversified into other areas. Motown Records was the dominant division while Tamla Records (founded a year earlier in 1959) and Gordy Records (established in 1962) became major subsidiaries for R&B and soul acts. The company later experimented with labels dedicated to gospel, jazz, hip-hop, rock and world music. Despite this, Motown remains most widely associated with R&B and soul.
The R&B and soul output that best defines Motown music has had a lasting influencing on popular culture, despite the label never again recapturing the glories of its 1960s heyday. Artists from the Beatles through the R&B and hip-hop performers of today owe an audible debt to Motown. The label broke down racial barriers with music accessible to all during the Civil Rights era and went on to achieve international cultural significance.