Songs in the Key of Life

1976 studio album by Stevie Wonder

Songs in the Key of Life is the eighteenth studio album by American recording artist Stevie Wonder. It was released on September 28, 1976, by Tamla.

Songs in the Key of Life
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 28, 1976 (1976-09-28)
Recorded1974–76
Genre
Length85:21
LabelTamla
ProducerStevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder chronology
Fulfillingness' First Finale
(1974)
Songs in the Key of Life Looking Back – Anthology
(1977)
Singles from Songs in the Key of Life
  1. "I Wish"
    Released: December 1976
  2. "Sir Duke"
    Released: March 1977
  3. "Another Star"
    Released: August 1977
  4. "As"
    Released: October 1977

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]
Christgau's Record GuideA[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music     [3]
The Great Rock Discography8/10[3]
MusicHound5/5[3]
Rolling Stone     [4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide     [5]
Sputnikmusic4.5/5[6]

Songs in the Key of Life received widespread acclaim from critics.

Track listing

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Original vinyl release

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A Something's Extra

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The "A Something's Extra" 7" extended play was included with the special-edition version of the original LP. These tracks are also on most CD versions of the album, as well as the Blu-ray Audio.[7] They were either split between both discs or added to the end of the second disc.

CD release

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No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Love's in Need of Love Today"  Stevie Wonder 7:06
2. "Have a Talk with God"  Wonder, Calvin Hardaway 2:42
3. "Village Ghetto Land"  Wonder, Gary Byrd 3:25
4. "Contusion"  Wonder 3:46
5. "Sir Duke"  Wonder 3:54
6. "I Wish"  Wonder 4:12
7. "Knocks Me Off My Feet"  Wonder 3:36
8. "Pastime Paradise"  Wonder 3:28
9. "Summer Soft"  Wonder 4:14
10. "Ordinary Pain"  Wonder 6:23
11. "Isn't She Lovely"  Wonder 6:34
12. "Joy Inside My Tears"  Wonder 6:30
13. "Black Man"  Wonder, Byrd 8:30
14. "Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing"  Wonder 3:49
15. "If It's Magic"  Wonder 3:12
16. "As"  Wonder 7:08
17. "Another Star"  Wonder 8:28

Personnel

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Singles

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Year Single Chart Position
1976 "Another Star" Club Play Singles 2
1977 Pop Singles 32
Black Singles 18
Adult Contemporary 29
"I Wish" Pop Singles 1
Black Singles 1
Adult Contemporary 23
"Sir Duke" Pop Singles 1
Black Singles 1
Adult Contemporary 3
"Isn't She Lovely" Adult Contemporary 23
"As" Adult Contemporary 24
Black Singles 36
1978 Pop Singles 36

References

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  1. Bush, John. Review: Songs in the Key of Life. AllMusic.
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Stevie Wonder". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 0899190251.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Songs in the Key of Life". Acclaimed Music. Archived from the original on 2010-04-22. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  4. Walters, Barry (June 2, 2005). "none". Rolling Stone. New York.
  5. Considine, J. D. (2004). "Stevie Wonder". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 885–87. ISBN 0743201698.
  6. Arp, Louis. Review: Songs in the Key of Life. Sputnikmusic.
  7. Sinclair, Paul. "Stevie Wonder Songs In The Key Of Life blu-ray audio". Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.