Number 1 With A Bullet: Stevie Wonder’s “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life”
Stevie Wonder - "You Are The Sunshine of My Life" (Tamla, 1973)
Stevie Wonder‘s third #1 single, the Grammy Award winning “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” was a 180-degree departure from his previous #1.
Just a few months earlier, Stevie had enjoyed his second #1 hit with the song of jealousy and pettiness called “Superstition.” For his next release from Talking Book, he chose to sing of unconditional love and devotion, “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.”
In an unusual approach, Wonder chose to highlight backup singers Jim Gilstrap and Gloria Barley on the cut before he actually made his vocal contribution. The cut debuted at #76 in March 1973 and nine weeks later spent one single week at #1, the third Wonder single to do so.
The cut also won Wonder a Grammy (for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a guy) and has since become a standard, covered by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Liza Minelli.
Check out more songs that were “#1 with a Bullet.
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