I know Wikipedia gets a bad rap, but I love it. It’s definitely been a valuable resource when compiling a lot of these Song of the Day posts, especially the Motown ones. The wealth of information about Billboard charts, authorship and behind-the-scenes drama (all meticulously footnoted) is extraordinary.

For instance, the entry on the 1965 Supremes hit ‘I Hear a Symphony’ details how the band had hit a slump (comparatively speaking) when their previous release, ‘Nothing But Heartaches,’ peaked at #11 on the Billboard charts. This upset Motown guru Berry Gordy and prompted him to write the following memo:

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