10 Most Iconic Music Albums Turning 50 In 2023
9. Innervisions - Stevie Wonder
An album perfectly illustrating Stevie Wonder’s unparalleled songwriting abilities, exploring topical themes of society and politics with innovative elements of funk, R&B and jazz, Innervisions stands as a masterpiece not only in Stevie’s discography but also in the 1970s canon of influential records.
With an impressive 15 albums already under his belt, this record demonstrated Wonder’s leap into more experimental styles and set out to prove his musical integrity by challenging Motown convention with the help of the then-cutting edge of synthesizer technology, the T.O.N.T.O (The Original New Timbral Orchestra).
Moving away from his previous signature sound of love ballads and commercial pop tunes, Wonder expressed his views on the post-idealism of the 1960s and the systemic racism amidst an America that was crumbling from the Nixon scandal, skyrocketing inflation, and deep rooted inequality. To no surprise, Innervisions received high praise from critics and fans from the get-go. With hit singles including Higher Ground and Living for the City, this record won Album of the Year at the 16th Grammy Awards, with Living for the City also winning Best R&B Song.
50 years later, listeners are transported back to a time of ground-breaking innovation in Wonder’s career, solidifying his legendry status indefinitely.