Superstition (song)

Last updated

"Superstition"
Stevie wonder-superstition single.jpg
Single by Stevie Wonder
from the album Talking Book
B-side "You've Got It Bad Girl"
ReleasedOctober 24, 1972
Recorded1972
Studio Electric Lady, New York City
Genre
Length
  • 4:26 (album version)
  • 4:07 (7" single version)
Label Motown
Songwriter(s) Stevie Wonder
Producer(s)
Stevie Wonder singles chronology
"Keep on Running"
(1972)		"Superstition"
(1972)		"You Are the Sunshine of My Life"
(1973)
Music video
"Superstition" (Official Audio) on YouTube

"Superstition" is a song by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder. It was released on October 24, 1972, as the lead single from his fifteenth studio album, Talking Book (1972), by Tamla. [7] The lyrics describe popular superstitions and their negative effects. [8]

Contents

"Superstition" reached number one in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in January 1973 [9] [8] and on the soul singles chart. [10] It was Wonder's first number-one single since "Fingertips, Pt. 2" in 1963. [11] It peaked at number eleven in the UK Singles Chart in February 1973. In November 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song number 74 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was re-ranked number 73 on its 2010 list, [12] and number 12 on its 2021 list. [13] At the 16th Grammy Awards, the song earned Wonder two Grammys: "Best Rhythm & Blues Song" and "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male". In 1998, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. [14]

Writing and recording

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"Superstition"
A sample from "Superstition", the song contains a funk-oriented sound with a bassline and riff played by Wonder
Problems playing this file? See media help.

In the early 1970s, Wonder was playing most of the instruments on his songs by himself. But he preferred to let other guitarists play on his records, and after he learned that Jeff Beck was an admirer of his, an agreement was quickly made for Beck to become involved in the sessions that became the Talking Book album, in return for Wonder writing him a song.

Between the album sessions, Beck came up with the opening drum beat. Wonder told Beck to keep playing while he improvised over the top of it. He improvised most of the song, including the riff, on the spot. Beck and Wonder created a rough demo for the song that day. [15] [16]

For the recording, Wonder sang and performed the funky clavinet riff on a Hohner Clavinet model C. Co-producers Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff programmed the Moog synthesizer bass, Steve Madaio played the trumpet, and Trevor Lawrence played the tenor saxophone. [17] While Wonder is also credited for drums on the track, Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos has stated that Cozy Powell, the drummer of The Jeff Beck Group from 1970 to 1972, had intimated to him that the drum track used on the final version was actually his. [18]

After finishing the song, Wonder decided that he would allow Beck to record "Superstition" as part of their agreement. Originally, the plan was for Beck to release his version of the song first, with his newly formed power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice. But after the trio's debut album was delayed and Motown CEO Berry Gordy predicted that "Superstition" would be a huge hit that would drive sales of Talking Book, Wonder released the song as the Talking Book lead single on October 24, 1972, months before Beck's version was issued in March 1973 on the Beck, Bogert & Appice album. [19]

Reception

Cash Box described it as "one of [Wonder's] most impressive releases to date" with an "accent...on funk." [20] James Perone described the clavinet riff as "probably [Wonder's] most memorable" use of the minor pentatonic scale. [21]

Personnel

From the album’s liner notes [22] :

Chart performance

Certifications

Certifications for "Superstition"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [33] Gold45,000‡
Italy (FIMI) [34] Platinum50,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [35] 4× Platinum120,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [36] 3× Platinum1,800,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other recorded versions

Wonder appeared in Bud Light commercials that debuted during Super Bowl XLVII in 2013. As part of the "It's only weird if it doesn't work" campaign, which showed superstitious fans acting compulsively in an effort to guide their teams to victory, Wonder appeared as a witch doctor in New Orleans, where the game took place. The fans perform superstitious acts to receive good luck charms from him. The instrumental intro of "Superstition," before Wonder's vocals kick in, plays throughout the commercials. [16]

The song is used in 1982 John Carpenter's movie The Thing .[ citation needed ]

Sting and Stevie Wonder performed the song on January 30, 2025, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, for FireAid to raise money for relief efforts for the January 2025 Southern California wildfires. [39] [40]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Huey, Steve. "Stevie Wonder | Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  2. ↑ Considine, J.D. (2004). "Stevie Wonder". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 885–886. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  3. ↑ McFerrin, John. "Stevie Wonder- Talking Book" . Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  4. ↑ Pitchfork Staff (August 22, 2016). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s". Pitchfork . Retrieved October 13, 2022. The drums came first: one of pop's most instantly recognizable intros tapped out on one of the tightest-ever snares leading into an indelible funk groove of swung 16th notes.
  5. ↑ Breihan, Tom (March 20, 2019). "The Number Ones: Stevie Wonder's "Superstition"". Stereogum . Retrieved June 17, 2023. And yet "Superstition" is still a soul song, with its perfectly timed horn stabs...
  6. ↑ Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 165. ISBN   0-452-26305-0.
  7. ↑ "Superstition: Stevie Wonder". Rolling Stone . December 9, 2004. Archived from the original on October 23, 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2008.
  8. 1 2 Dean, Maury (2003). Rock N' Roll Gold Rush . Algora. p.  276. ISBN   0-87586-207-1.
  9. ↑ "This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 1973, Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' Soared to No. 1 on the Hot 100". Billboard .
  10. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 635.
  11. ↑ "Stevie Wonder Top Songs". MusicVF.com. Music VF, US & UK hits charts. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Superstition ranked #73 on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs List in 2010". Rolling Stone. December 11, 2003. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Superstition ranked #12 on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs List". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  14. ↑ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com.
  15. ↑ "Jeff Beck's 'Happenings Ten Years Time Ago,' 'People Get Ready,' others". Something Else! Reviews. June 24, 2014.
  16. 1 2 "Superstition by Stevie Wonder". Songfacts.com.
  17. ↑ "AllMusic page on Superstition". AllMusic .
  18. ↑ Earnshaw, Daniel. "Official Cozy Powell Facebook page". Official Cozy Powell Facebook page. Facebook. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  19. ↑ Giles, Jeff (January 27, 2016). "The History of 'Superstition,' the No. 1 Song Stevie Wonder Stole From Jeff Beck". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  20. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 11, 1972. p. 20. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  21. ↑ Perone, James E. (2006). The Sound of Stevie Wonder: His Words and Music. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. p. 17. ISBN   027598723X.
  22. ↑ Wonder, Stevie. “Talking Book” (Liner Notes). Tamla Motown. 1972.
  23. ↑ Fessier, Bruce (February 13, 2019). "Steve Madaio, trumpeter for Stevie Wonder, Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, remembered in song". Palm Springs Desert Sun.
  24. ↑ Best Classic Bands Staff (January 18, 2019). "Steve Madaio, Trumpeter for Wonder, Stones, Dies". Best Classic Bands.
  25. 1 2 3 "Stevie Wonder – Superstition". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  26. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  27. ↑ "Superstition – Stevie Wonder". Official Charts Company . Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Stevie Wonder Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard . Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Stevie Wonder Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard . Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Stevie Wonder Chart History: Adult Contemporary". Billboard . Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  31. ↑ Canada, Library and Archives (December 26, 2017). "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada .
  32. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1973/Top 100 Songs of 1973". Music Outfitters.
  33. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Stevie Wonder – Superstition". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  34. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Stevie Wonder – Superstition" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  35. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Stevie Wonder – Superstition". Radioscope. Retrieved April 25, 2025.Type Superstition in the "Search:" field.
  36. ↑ "British single certifications – Stevie Wonder – Superstition". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Stevie Wonder Visits Sesame Street In 1973". JamBase . August 4, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  38. ↑ Hornbach, Jean-Pierre (February 11, 2012). Whitney Houston: We Love You Forever. p. 427. ISBN   9781471631795.
  39. ↑ Stevens, Matt; Sisario, Ben (January 30, 2025). "Joni Mitchell, Billie Eilish and More Sing Love Letter to L.A. at FireAid" – via NYTimes.com.
  40. ↑ Mier, Ethan Millman,Tomás (January 31, 2025). "FireAid: Inside the Star-Studded Benefit Show For Los Angeles".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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