Artist Spotlight: Stevie Wonder

Last Updated on March 15, 2026 by Black Sunshine Media

Stevie Wonder is a universal superstar, but he’s got one album that nobody talks about, Music of My Mind (1972), and it might be his best album. Let’s talk about it.

Struggles with Motown

As a child prodigy, Wonder signed with Motown’s Tamla label at age 11 and was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder. After a decade of hits, Wonder allowed the Motown contract to expire in 1971 when he turned 21. Wanting to stay with Motown under more favorable circumstances, Wonder independently recorded two albums as leverage while negotiating with the label and Berry Gordy. One of these albums was Music of My Mind.

Motown eventually agreed to a contract that gave Wonder full creative control, the rights to his songs, and a much higher royalty rate. Wonder returned to Motown in March 1972 with Music of My Mind. Unlike most previous albums on Motown, which usually consisted of a collection of singles, B-sides, and covers, Music of My Mind was a truly unified record, and the work of a one-man band.

New Directions

Music of My Mind was also the first display of Wonder’s increased focus on Moog and Arp synthesizers, which he seamlessly blended with acoustic instruments (drums, piano, organ, harmonica, etc) to maintain an organic sound.

Many observers count Music of My Mind as the beginning of Wonder’s “classic period.” What’s clear is that Stevie’s increasing musical ambitions allowed him to mix different genres of music and utilize longer song forms. Wonder played all the instruments on Music of My Mind except trombone by Art Baron and guitar by Howard “Buzz” Feiten, on one track each.

Commercial Success

Meanwhile, Music of My Mind represents an anomaly in Wonder’s commercial fortunes, climbing to No. 21 on the Pop Albums Chart and No. 6 on the R&B Chart. However, Wonder knew what he was doing, as his next nine albums spanning 1972–1995 cracked the top 5 of the Pop Charts, including two consecutive No.1’s, Fulfillingness’ First Finale and Songs in the Key of Life (1976).

Additionally, Stevie Wonder won an astounding 12 Grammy Awards between 1973–76. In 2008, Wonder was ranked at number five on The Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists, making him the third most successful male artist in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Throughout his career, Wonder has sold an estimated 150 million albums. So, don’t cry for Motown—they made out like bandits. Chart information by Billboard ©VNU eMedia.