The Miracles discography | |
---|---|
Studio albums | 25 |
Live albums | 3 |
Compilation albums | 7 |
Singles | 57 |
The Miracles were the Motown Record Corporation's first group and its first million-selling recording artists. During their nineteen-year run on the American music charts, the Miracles charted over fifty hits and recorded in the genres of doo wop, soul, disco, and R&B. Twenty-six Miracles songs reached the top 10 of the Billboard R&B singles chart, including four R&B number ones. Sixteen charted within the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, with seven reaching the top ten and two – 1970's "The Tears of a Clown" and 1975's "Love Machine" (Part 1) – reaching #1. A third song, the million-selling "Shop Around", reached #1 on the Cash Box magazine pop chart. The Miracles also scored 11 U.S. R&B top 10 albums, including 2-#1's.
According to several websites, the Miracles are one of the most covered groups in recorded history and the most covered Motown group ever. Their music and songs have influenced artists all over the world – in every major musical genre – over the last 50 years. [1] At #32, the Miracles are the highest-ranking Motown group on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time". [2] They also have the distinction of having more songs inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame than any other Motown group. [3] All releases were on Motown Records' Tamla subsidiary label unless otherwise indicated.
In the 1960s, Motown Record Corporation, like many independent labels, did not register sales figures through the RIAA, the organization that certifies and awards Gold Records. So it is difficult to determine the full number of Miracles songs and recordings that sold a million or more records. Also, with the passing of decades of time, some songs that did not sell a million records initially may have indeed done so over the years. However, several reference works, such as the books Hits of the '60s: The Million Sellers by Demitri Coryton & Joseph Murrells, [4] as well as The Book of Golden Discs by Joseph Murrells, [5] point out that the Miracles had several million-selling records during their career, including "Shop Around" (1961), "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" (1962), "Mickey's Monkey" (1963), "The Tracks of My Tears" (1965), "Going To A Go-Go", (single and album) (1965), "I Second That Emotion" (1967), "Baby Baby Don't Cry" (1969), "The Tears of a Clown"* (1970), "Do It Baby" (1974), "Love Machine"* (1975), and the platinum album City of Angels (1975). This is quite probably an incomplete list, since Miracle Pete Moore stated on his corporate website, that the Miracles actually had 12 million-selling records to their credit by 1967, including 1965's "Ooo Baby Baby". [6]
Year | Album | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
US [7] | US R&B [7] | ||
1961 | Hi... We're the Miracles | — | — |
Cookin' with the Miracles | — | — | |
1962 | I'll Try Something New | — | — |
1963 | The Fabulous Miracles | 118 | — |
The Miracles Recorded Live on Stage | 139 | — | |
Christmas with The Miracles | — | — | |
The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey | 113 | — | |
1964 | I Like It Like That | — | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Year | Album | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
US [7] | US R&B [7] | ||
1965 | Going to a Go-Go | 8 | 1 |
1966 | Away We a Go-Go | 41 | 3 |
1967 | Make It Happen (re-issued as The Tears of a Clown in 1970) | 28 | 3 |
1968 | Special Occasion | 42 | 1 |
1969 | Smokey Robinson & the Miracles LIVE! | 71 | 7 |
Time Out for Smokey Robinson & The Miracles | 25 | — | |
Four in Blue | 78 | 3 | |
1970 | What Love Has...Joined Together | 97 | 9 |
A Pocket Full of Miracles | 56 | 10 | |
The Season for Miracles (Christmas album) | — | — | |
1971 | One Dozen Roses | 92 | 17 |
1972 | Flying High Together (last studio album with Smokey Robinson) | 46 | 31 |
1972 | Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: 1957–1972 (live; final concert/double album) | 75 | 14 |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Year | Album | Peak chart positions | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
US [7] | US R&B [7] | AUS [8] | ||
1973 | Renaissance | 174 | 33 | — |
1974 | Do It Baby | 41 | 4 | — |
1975 | Don't Cha Love It | 96 | 7 | — |
City of Angels | 33 | 29 | 81 | |
1976 | The Power of Music | 178 | 35 | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Year | Album | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
US [7] | US R&B [7] | ||
1977 | Love Crazy | 117 | 31 |
1978 | The Miracles | — | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Year | Album | Peaks |
---|---|---|
US [7] | ||
1965 | Greatest Hits from the Beginning (double-album) | 21 |
1968 | Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 | 7 |
1974 | Anthology (re-released in 1986, 1995 and 2002 with different track-listings) | 97 |
1977 | Greatest Hits (with Billy Griffin) | — |
1994 | The 35th Anniversary Collection [9] [10] | — |
1998 | The Ultimate Collection | — |
1999 | Lost and Found: Along Came Love (1958–1964) | — |
2002 | Ooo Baby Baby: The Anthology | — |
2009 | Depend on Me: The Early Albums | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||
Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US R&B [7] | |||||
1958 | "Got a Job" b/w "My Mama Done Told Me" | 5 | Greatest Hits from the Beginning | ||
"I Need Some Money" b/w "I Cry" | — | ||||
1959 | "I Need a Change" b/w "All I Want Is You" | — | |||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [7] | US R&B [7] | CAN | UK [11] | ||||
1959 | "It" b/w "Don't Say Bye Bye" | — | — | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
"Bad Girl" b/w "I Love Your Baby" | 93 | — | — | — | Greatest Hits from the Beginning | ||
"The Feeling Is So Fine" b/w "(You Can) Depend on Me" (from Hi, We're the Miracles) | — | — | — | — | Non-album track | ||
1960 | "Way Over There" b/w "(You Can) Depend on Me" (second version) | 94 | — | — | — | Hi, We're the Miracles | |
"Shop Around" b/w "Who's Lovin' You" | 2 | 1 | — | — | |||
1961 | "Ain't It Baby" b/w "The Only One I Love" | 49 | 15 | — | — | Cookin' with the Miracles | |
"Mighty Good Lovin'" / | 51 | 21 | — | — | Non-album track | ||
"Broken Hearted" | 97 | — | — | — | Cookin' with the Miracles | ||
"Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues" b/w "I Can't Believe" | 52 | 11 | — | — | |||
"What's So Good About Goodbye" / | 35 | 16 | — | — | I'll Try Something New | ||
I've Been Good to You" | — [upper-alpha 1] | — | — | — | |||
1962 | "I'll Try Something New" b/w "You Never Miss a Good Thing" (from Cookin' with the Miracles) | 39 | 11 | — | — | ||
"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" b/w "Happy Landing" | 8 | 1 | — | — | The Fabulous Miracles | ||
1963 | "A Love She Can Count On" / | 31 | 21 | — | — | ||
"I Can Take a Hint" | — [upper-alpha 2] | — | — | — | |||
"Mickey's Monkey" b/w "Whatever Makes You Happy" (from The Fabulous Miracles) | 8 | 3 | — | — | Doin' Mickey's Monkey | ||
"I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying" b/w "Such Is Love, Such Is Life" (from The Fabulous Miracles) | 35 | 17 | — | — | |||
"The Christmas Song" [upper-alpha 3] b/w "Christmas Everyday" | — | — | — | — | Christmas with the Miracles | ||
1964 | "(You Can't Let the Boy Overpower) The Man in You" b/w "Heartbreak Road" (from The Fabulous Miracles) | 59 | 12 | — | — | Non-album track | |
"I Like It Like That" b/w "You're So Fine and Sweet" (Non-album track) | 27 | 10 | 37 | — | Greatest Hits from the Beginning | ||
"That's What Love Is Made Of" b/w "Would I Love You" | 35 | 9 | — | — | |||
"Come On Do the Jerk" b/w "Baby Don't You Go" (Non-album track) | 50 | 22 | — | — | Greatest Hits Vol. 2 | ||
1965 | "Ooo Baby Baby" b/w "All That's Good" | 16 | 4 | 17 | — | Going to a Go-Go | |
"The Tracks of My Tears" b/w "A Fork in the Road" | 16 | 2 | 5 | 9 [upper-alpha 4] | |||
"My Girl Has Gone" b/w "Since You Won My Heart" | 14 | 3 | — | — | |||
"Going to a Go-Go" / | 11 | 2 | — | 44 | |||
"Choosey Beggar" | — | 35 | — | — | |||
1966 | "Whole Lot of Shakin' in My Heart (Since I Met You)" b/w "Oh Be My Love" | 46 | 20 | 53 | — | Away We a Go-Go | |
"(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need" b/w "Save Me" | 17 | 4 | 12 | 13 [upper-alpha 5] | |||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||
(Same members, name changed to spotlight lead singer)
Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [7] | US R&B [7] | CAN | UK [11] | ||||
1967 | "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage" b/w "Come Spy with Me" (Non-album track) | 20 | 10 | 36 | — | Make It Happen | |
"More Love" b/w "Swept for You Baby" (from Away We a Go-Go) | 23 | 5 | 8 | — | |||
"I Second That Emotion" b/w "You Must Be Love" (from Make It Happen) | 4 | 1 | 13 | 27 | Greatest Hits Vol. 2 | ||
1968 | "If You Can Want" b/w "When the Words from You Heart Get Caught Up in Your Throat" (Non-album track) | 11 | 3 | 17 | 50 | Special Occasion | |
"Yester Love" b/w "Much Better Off" | 31 | 9 | 28 | — | |||
"Special Occasion" b/w "Give Her Up" | 26 | 4 | 29 | — | |||
1969 | "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" b/w "Your Mother's Only Daughter" (from Special Occasion) | 8 | 3 | 8 | — | Time Out for Smokey Robinson & The Miracles | |
"Here I Go Again" / | 37 | 15 | 53 | — | |||
"Doggone Right" | 32 | 7 | 40 | — | |||
"Abraham, Martin and John" b/w "Much Better Off" (from Special Occasion) | 33 | 16 | 56 | — | |||
"Point It Out" / | 37 | 4 | 38 | — | A Pocket Full of Miracles | ||
"Darling Dear" | 100 | — | — | — | |||
1970 | "Who's Gonna Take the Blame" b/w "I Gotta Thing for You" (Non-album track) | 46 | 9 | 79 | — | ||
"The Tears of a Clown" b/w "Promise Me" (Non-album track) | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| One Dozen Roses | |
1971 | "I Don't Blame You at All" b/w "That Girl" | 18 | 7 | — | 11 | ||
"Crazy About the La La La" b/w "Oh Baby Baby I Love You" | 56 | 20 | 67 | — | |||
"Satisfaction" b/w "Flower Girl" (from A Pocket Full of Miracles) | 49 | 20 | 74 | — | |||
1972 | "We've Come Too Far to End It Now" b/w "When Sundown Comes" (from One Dozen Roses) | 46 | 9 | — | — | Flying High Together | |
"I Can't Stand to See You Cry" b/w "With Your Love Came" | 45 | 21 | — | — | |||
1976 | "The Tears of a Clown" b/w "The Tracks of My Tears" | — | — | — | 34 [upper-alpha 6] | Anthology | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||
Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [7] | US R&B [7] | CAN | AUS [8] | UK [11] | ||||
1973 | "What Is A Heart Good For" b/w "Wigs and Lashes" | — | — | — | — | — | Renaissance | |
"Don't Let It End ('Til You Let It Begin)" b/w "Wigs and Lashes" | 56 | 26 | — | — | — | |||
"Give Me Just Another Day" b/w "I Wanna Be with You" (from Renaissance) | — [upper-alpha 7] | 47 | — | — | — | Do It Baby | ||
1974 | "Do It Baby" b/w "I Wanna Be with You" (from Renaissance) | 13 | 4 | 21 | 96 | — | ||
"Don't Cha Love It" b/w "Up Again" (from Do It Baby) | 78 | 4 | 45 | — | — | Don't Cha Love It | ||
1975 | "Gemini" b/w "You Are Love" (from Do It Baby) | — [upper-alpha 8] | 43 | — | — | — | ||
"Love Machine" – Part 1 b/w Part 2 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 89 | 3 |
| City of Angels | |
1976 | "Night Life" b/w "Smog" | — | 60 | — | — | — | ||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||
Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) | Peak chart positions | Year | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [7] | US R&B [7] | UK [11] | |||
1977 | "Spy for Brotherhood" b/w "The Bird Must Fly Away" | — [upper-alpha 9] | 37 | — | Love Crazy |
"I Can Touch the Sky" b/w "Women (Make the World Go 'Round)" | — | — | — | ||
1978 | "Mean Machine" b/w "The Magic of Your Eyes (Laura's Eyes)" | — | 55 | — | Miracles |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief songwriter and producer. He led the group from its 1955 origins, when they were called The Five Chimes, until 1972, when he retired from the group to focus on his role as Motown Records vice president. Robinson returned to the music industry as a solo artist the following year. He left Motown in 1999.
The Miracles were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential groups in pop, rock and roll, soul and R&B music history.
"Baby I Need Your Loving" is a 1964 hit single recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song was the group's first Motown single and their first pop Top 20 hit, making it to number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number four in Canada in the fall of 1964. It was also their first million-selling hit single.
"The Tears of a Clown" is a song written by Hank Cosby, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder and originally recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Tamla Records label subsidiary of Motown, first appearing on the 1967 album Make It Happen. The track was re-released in the United Kingdom as a single in July 1970, and it became a number-one hit on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending September 12, 1970. Subsequently, Motown released a partially re-recorded and completely remixed version as a single in the United States as well, where it quickly became a number-one hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B Singles charts.
"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, which became a 1962 Top 10 hit single for the Miracles. One of the Miracles' most covered tunes, this million-selling song received a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame Award. It has also been selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was recorded by the Beatles for their second album, With the Beatles (1963). Many other musicians also recorded versions.
"Shop Around" is a song originally recorded by the Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla subsidiary label. It was written by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. It became a smash hit in 1960 when originally recorded by the Miracles, reaching number one on the Billboard R&B chart, number one on the Cashbox Top 100 Pop Chart, and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was the Miracles' first million-selling hit record, and the first-million-selling hit for the Motown Record Corporation.
"Ooo Baby Baby" is a song written by Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore. It is a classic 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla (Motown) label. The song has inspired numerous other cover versions by other artists over the years, including covers by Ella Fitzgerald, Todd Rundgren, The Escorts, The Five Stairsteps, Linda Ronstadt, and many others. The Miracles' original version of "Ooo Baby Baby" is listed as number 266 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
"The Tracks of My Tears" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, and Marv Tarplin. It is a multiple award-winning 1965 hit R&B song originally recorded by their group, The Miracles, on Motown's Tamla label. The Miracles' million-selling original version has been inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame, has been ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America and The National Endowment for the Arts at No. 127 in its list of the "Songs of the Century" – the 365 Greatest Songs of the 20th Century, and has been selected by Rolling Stone as No. 50 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", among many other awards. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked the Miracles' original recording of "The Tracks of My Tears" as "The Greatest Motown Song of All Time".
"I Second That Emotion" is a 1967 song written by Smokey Robinson and Al Cleveland. First charting as a hit for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on the Tamla/Motown label in 1967, "I Second That Emotion" was later a hit single for the group duet Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations, also on the Motown label.
"Love Machine" is a 1975 single recorded by Motown group the Miracles, taken from their album City of Angels. The song was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and the biggest-selling hit single of the Miracles' career. This single was one of two Billboard Hot 100 top-20 hits recorded by The Miracles with Billy Griffin as lead vocalist; the other is 1973's "Do It Baby". Griffin had replaced Miracles founder Smokey Robinson as lead singer in 1972. The song features a growling vocal by Miracle Bobby Rogers, with group baritone Ronnie White repeating "yeah, baby" throughout the song.
"Going to a Go-Go" is a 1965 single recorded by The Miracles for Motown's Tamla label.
"More Love" is a 1967 hit single recorded by the American soul group The Miracles for Motown Records' Tamla label. The single, included on the group's 1967 album Make It Happen, later reissued in 1970 as The Tears of a Clown. Kim Carnes's 1980 cover of the song reached the Top 10 of Billboard's Adult Contemporary and Hot 100 charts.
"Floy Joy" is a song written by Smokey Robinson and released as a single in December 1971 by popular Motown female singing group The Supremes.
One Dozen Roses is a 1971 album by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, issued on Motown Records' Tamla label. The penultimate album before lead singer Smokey Robinson departed the group for a solo career, One Dozen Roses features the Top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit single "I Don't Blame You at All". Also included is the group's number-one smash hit "The Tears of a Clown", which was also made available through the reissue of the 1967 Miracles LP Make It Happen as The Tears of a Clown. Both of these songs were also huge hits in the UK, reaching #11 and #1 respectively.
City of Angels is an album by the Motown soul group The Miracles, released on Motown Records' Tamla label in September 1975. The group's fourth album recorded after replacing lead singer Smokey Robinson with Billy Griffin in 1972, City of Angels is a concept album, depicting of a man from "Anytown, U.S.A." who follows his estranged girlfriend Charlotte to Los Angeles, where she has gone in hopes of becoming a star. All of the tracks on the album were written by Billy Griffin and Miracles bass singer Pete Moore. Freddie Perren and Moore served as the album's producers.
"Baby, Baby Don't Cry", released in December 1968, is a single recorded by The Miracles for Motown Records' Tamla label. The composition was written by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson, Motown staff writers Al Cleveland and Terry Johnson, a former member of The Flamingos. Robinson, Johnson, and Miracles member Warren "Pete" Moore were the song's producers.
"My Girl Has Gone" is a 1965 R&B single recorded by The Miracles for Motown's Tamla label. Included on their 1965 album Going to a Go-Go, "My Girl Has Gone" was the follow-up to the group's number 16 Billboard Hot 100 million-selling hit "The Tracks Of My Tears".
"Mickey's Monkey" is a 1963 song recorded by the R&B group the Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. It was written and produced by Motown's main songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland, who later went on to write two more Miracles hit singles, the Top 40 "I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying", and the Top 20 "(Come 'Round Here) I'm The One You Need". This was an unusual writing situation for the Miracles, as most of their songs were composed by the group members themselves.
"Do It Baby" is a 1974 single recorded and released by the Motown R&B group The Miracles. The song was taken from the album of the same name, and written by Motown staff songwriters Freddie Perren and Christine Yarian and produced by Perren.
"Choosey Beggar" was a 1965 song recorded by Motown R&B group the Miracles on its Tamla label subsidiary. It was issued as the B-side of the group's top-20 million-selling single, "Going to a Go-Go", and was taken from the group's Billboard Top 10 Pop album of the same name.