Songs in the Key of Life

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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

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.

Critical reception[change | change source]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic5/5 stars[1]
Christgau's Record GuideA[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music5/5 stars[3]
The Great Rock Discography8/10[3]
MusicHound5/5[3]
Rolling Stone5/5 stars[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide5/5 stars[5]
Sputnikmusic4.5/5[6]

Songs in the Key of Life received generally positive reviews from critics.

Track listing[change | change source]

Original vinyl release[change | change source]

A Something's Extra[change | change source]

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[change | change source]

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[change | change source]

Singles[change | change source]

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[change | change source]

  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.