LIFE Magazine – Motown: The Music That Changed America

When Gordy started his little record company in 1959, he saw the possibilities of universal music. He saw the future—that Motown would be America. Today, Motown’s music endures.

Now, the story of Motown is highlighted in LIFE Magazine’s recently released special collector’s issue titled Motown: The Music That Changed America. The pages are filled with iconic and rare photos—plus an exclusive interview with Smokey Robinson—and celebrates the one-of-a-kind record house built by Detroit native Berry Gordy Jr. and the songs he gave the world, from “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” “My Girl,” and “ABC” to “Stop! In the Name of Love” and “What’s Going On.”

LIFE’s new special issue on the music of Motown is available at newsstands and online.

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