10 Greatest Songs About Other Musicians
2. Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke
Wonder’s double album Songs In The Key Of Life contains some of the most joyful music on record, and it doesn’t get much more downright rapturous than this cut. “Sir Duke” was written from a slightly melancholic perspective, but its hero worship, bouncy melody, and Stevie’s vocal make it soar.
Wonder penned “Sir Duke” in tribute to pianist and band leader Duke Ellington, a hero to the soul star who had died before the two could collaborate. To that end, the track is a reminder to remember and cherish what we have while we’re in a position to do so. It’s an upbeat message derived from a place of sadness or regret.
More importantly, it’s a song about the sheer magic of music, how a good song or piece can lift the spirit like nothing else. Wonder, 18 albums deep but somehow just 26 years old, dedicates a verse to all of his musical heroes - Count Bassie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong - but particularly Duke Ellington, whose inspiration can be heard in Stevie’s buoyant piano playing.
By 1976 Wonder was a megastar, but such is his reverence for his idols that he dedicates one of the biggest singles to those who paved the way.