It started with a beating. On May 7, 1969, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, a member of the Four Tops, watched from a tour bus as police attacked anti-war protestors in Berkeley’s People’s Park. He was horrified. He saw the violence, the confusion, and the sheer lack of empathy, and he asked a simple, devastating question: "What’s going on?"
That question eventually landed in the lap of Marvin Gaye.
At the time, Marvin was a mess. He was the "Prince of Motown," a hit-maker who sang about "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," but his world was falling apart. His singing partner Tammi Terrell had recently died of a brain tumor, collapsing in his arms during a performance. His marriage to Anna Gordy was crumbling. He was tax-poor, depressed, and tired of being Berry Gordy’s puppet. He didn't want to sing "baby baby" songs anymore. He wanted to talk about the world.
When we talk about whats going on by marvin gaye, we aren't just talking about a song. We’re talking about a seismic shift in American culture that almost never happened because the head of the biggest Black-owned record label in the world thought it was "the worst thing" he’d ever heard.
The Battle with Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy was a genius, but he was a businessman first. He had a formula. Motown was the "Sound of Young America," and that sound was supposed to be polished, upbeat, and safe. Gordy wanted hits that would play on white radio stations without causing a stir.
Marvin brought him "What's Going On."
Gordy hated it. He called it "political" and "jazz-heavy." He famously told Marvin that the song was too experimental and that nobody wanted to hear a protest record from a sex symbol. Honestly, the standoff was legendary. Marvin went on strike. He literally refused to record anything else for the label until Gordy agreed to release the single.
Think about the guts that took. In 1970, Gaye was Motown's golden boy. He walked away from the money and the fame because he felt a spiritual calling to tell the truth. He told Gordy, "I’ll give you my best, but you have to let me do it my way."
Eventually, a Motown executive named Barney Ales sneaked the single out to radio stations while Gordy was away. It sold 100,000 copies in the first day. Gordy, realizing he was sitting on a gold mine, gave Marvin thirty days to finish a whole album.
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A Record That Sounds Like a Conversation
One of the weirdest and most beautiful things about whats going on by marvin gaye is the atmosphere. If you listen closely, you hear people talking in the background. That wasn't some high-concept studio trick planned months in advance. Marvin invited his friends—including Detroit Lions football players Mel Farr and Lem Barney—into the studio. They were just hanging out, drinking, and chatting.
Marvin told the engineer to keep the tapes rolling.
He wanted the album to feel like a neighborhood street corner. He wanted it to feel like the community he lived in. This wasn't a "produced" pop record; it was a documentary in sound.
The title track features a multi-layered vocal. Legend has it that this was actually a mistake. An engineer accidentally played two different lead vocal takes at the same time. Marvin heard the overlap—the way his voice seemed to be arguing and agreeing with itself—and loved it. He decided to use that "dual-voice" technique throughout the entire album. It became his signature sound, giving the music a haunted, internal quality that felt like a man praying to himself.
Mercy Mercy Me and the Ecology
Most protest albums of the 70s were focused on the Vietnam War. Marvin did that, too, especially with "Hitch Hike" and "What's Happening Brother," which was written from the perspective of a veteran returning home to find a country that didn't want him.
But then he did something truly radical. He wrote "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)."
In 1971, "ecology" wasn't a buzzword. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had only been around for a year. Nobody in R&B was singing about "oil wasted on the ocean" or "mercury hanging in the clouds." Marvin was seeing the pollution in Detroit and the industrial decay of the American landscape and he put it into a Top 40 hit.
It’s a chilling track. It’s soulful, but it feels like a funeral march for the planet. The fact that those lyrics are even more relevant in 2026 than they were in 1971 is a testament to how far ahead of the curve he was.
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The Funk Brothers' Secret Sauce
You can't talk about this album without mentioning the Funk Brothers. They were the anonymous studio band behind almost every Motown hit, but on this record, they were allowed to play. James Jamerson, perhaps the greatest bassist to ever live, played the bass line for "What's Going On" while lying flat on his back on the floor because he was too drunk to sit up in a chair.
Yet, his playing is perfect. It’s melodic, fluid, and driving.
The music isn't standard 4/4 pop. It’s got a jazz heartbeat. It flows from one song to the next without stopping, a "suite" format that was revolutionary for soul music. Marvin was influenced by Miles Davis and the sprawling compositions of classical music. He wanted the listener to get lost in the groove for thirty-five minutes.
Why This Album Still Ranks as Number One
Rolling Stone famously named What's Going On the greatest album of all time in their revised 500 Greatest Albums list. People argued about it. They said Sgt. Pepper or Pet Sounds deserved it more.
But here is why whats going on by marvin gaye holds that spot: it is the perfect intersection of art, message, and commercial success.
It wasn't just a "protest" record. It was a spiritual awakening. Marvin was grappling with his faith, his father (a strict minister), and his own demons. You can hear the pain in "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)." When he sings about "money we make / before we see it, you'll take," he’s talking about the cycle of poverty that still traps millions.
It’s an album that doesn't offer easy answers. It just asks the question. It invites the listener to look at their neighbor and see a human being instead of an enemy.
The Tragic Irony of Marvin's Life
It is impossible to listen to this album today without thinking about how Marvin’s life ended. He was a man who sang about "Brother, brother, brother / There's far too many of you dying," only to be shot to death by his own father in 1984.
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The softness of the record—the plea for peace—stands in stark contrast to the violence Marvin dealt with throughout his life. He struggled with drug addiction, paranoia, and a deep-seated feeling that he wasn't worthy of the love his fans gave him.
But for those weeks in the studio in Detroit and Los Angeles, he was tapped into something higher. He felt like he was a "conduit" for God. Whether you believe that or not, the music carries a weight that most pop records simply don't have. It feels heavy. It feels important.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lyrics
A common misconception is that "What's Going On" is a happy, "feel-good" anthem. It’s not.
If you actually read the lyrics to "Inner City Blues" or "Flyin' High (In the Friendly Sky)," you realize Marvin was describing a society on the brink of collapse. "Flyin' High" isn't about planes; it's about his burgeoning heroin addiction. "Inner City Blues" is about the desperation of the working poor.
He used beautiful, lush arrangements to "sugarcoat" some very bitter pills. He knew that if he made the music too harsh, people would turn it off. By making it beautiful, he forced you to listen to the tragedy.
How to Truly Appreciate the Record Today
If you want to understand the impact of this work, you have to do more than just stream the title track on a "70s Hits" playlist. To get the full experience, follow these steps:
- Listen to the "Detroit Mix": There is a raw, early version of the album known as the Detroit Mix. It’s less polished and has more of the street-level grit that Marvin originally heard in his head.
- Read the credits: Look up the Funk Brothers. Look up David Van DePitte, the arranger who helped Marvin translate his "head arrangements" into actual sheet music for the orchestra.
- Listen in one sitting: This is a concept album. The songs are linked. The transition from "Save the Children" into "God is Love" is one of the most seamless moments in music history.
- Contextualize the 1970s: Remember that when this came out, the Vietnam War was still raging, and the Civil Rights movement was mourning the loss of MLK and Bobby Kennedy. The optimism of the 60s had curdled into something dark.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Listener
To get the most out of your journey into whats going on by marvin gaye, don't treat it like a museum piece.
- Analyze the "Multi-Tracking": Use high-quality headphones. Try to isolate the different vocal tracks Marvin laid down. You’ll notice he often sings a low, grumbling part and a high, falsetto part simultaneously. This created a "wall of Marvin" that changed R&B production forever.
- Compare to Modern Protest Music: Listen to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly or D’Angelo’s Black Messiah immediately after. You will hear the DNA of Marvin Gaye in every bar. These artists aren't just copying him; they are speaking the language he invented.
- Support Local Music Education: Marvin Gaye was a product of a robust musical culture in DC and Detroit. Many of the programs that fostered talent like his have been cut. If you're moved by his genius, look into supporting organizations that keep instruments in the hands of kids in inner cities.
- Practice "Active Listening": Turn off your phone. Sit in a dark room. Let the record play from start to finish. In an age of 15-second TikTok clips, the 35-minute experience of this album is a form of meditation.
The world hasn't stopped asking "What's Going On?" We are still dealing with war, environmental decay, and systemic inequality. Marvin didn't solve these problems, but he gave us a soundtrack for the struggle. He proved that you could be a "pop star" and a prophet at the same time. He gave us permission to be vulnerable, to be angry, and most importantly, to be soulful in the face of chaos.