You Are the Sunshine of My Life
1973 single by Stevie Wonder
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"You Are the Sunshine of My Life" is a 1973 single released by Stevie Wonder. The song became Wonder's third number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and his first number-one on the Easy Listening chart.[6] It won Wonder a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and was nominated for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.[7] This song was the second single (following "Superstition") released from the 1972 album entitled Talking Book, which stayed at number one on the R&B albums chart for three weeks.[7]
| "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by Stevie Wonder | ||||
| from the album Talking Book | ||||
| B-side | "Tuesday Heartbreak" | |||
| Released | March 10, 1973[1] | |||
| Recorded | Summer 1972[2][3] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:58 | |||
| Label | Tamla | |||
| Songwriter | Stevie Wonder | |||
| Producer | Stevie Wonder | |||
| Stevie Wonder singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" on YouTube | ||||
Rolling Stone ranks the song at number 183 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[8] Billboard called it "a soft, haunting ballad with outstanding electric piano runs and outstanding production work."[9]
In 2002, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[10]
Background
The first two lines of the song are sung, not by Wonder, but by Jim Gilstrap; Lani Groves sings the next two.[11] Gilstrap and Groves, together with Gloria Barley, also provide backing vocals. The single version of the song differs from the album version with the addition of horns to the mix; this version is also included in the greatest hits compilation album Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I (1982).
Reception
Cash Box said that Wonder "changes the pace [from 'Superstition'] and delivers a stirring ballad performance that is also certain to go gold instantly."[12] Record World said that the "tune that's been covered many times is done best by the originator."[13]
Personnel
Source: Talking Book, Tamla: T 319L, October 27, 1972 (album cover)
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocals, background vocals, Fender Rhodes piano, drums
- Jim Gilstrap – first lead vocals, background vocals
- Lani Groves – second lead vocals, background vocals
- Gloria Barley – background vocals
- Scott Edwards – electric bass
- Daniel Ben Zebulon – congas
- unknown — horns
Chart performance
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[28] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| Spain (Promusicae)[29] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[30] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||