Marvin Gaye's hit single "What's Going On?" released | January 20, 1971 | HISTORY

January 20, 1971, sees the release of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" In addition to being a massive hit, the song marked a turning point in Gaye's career and in the trajectory of Motown.

Gaye achieved popularity in the 1960s with songs like "How Sweet it Is (To Be Loved by You)" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," prime examples of the "Motown Sound" which blended soul, rock and pop and is often credited with a leading role in the racial integration of popular music in America. Gaye's record label, Tamla, was an imprint of Motown Records, and as such Gaye's work was guided and supervised by legendary Motown founder Berry Gordy. Gaye's early music, like that of many Motown artists, was innovative and increasingly sensual but hardly political.