Having released two stellar albums the previous year, Stevie Wonder could have been excused for remaining kicked back throughout 1973. He was just getting started. "Superstition" and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," the last two singles from Talking Book, the latter of those two 1972 full-lengths, kept him hot through the first half of the year. In August, he hit with another classic, Innervisions, as well as its lead single, the uplifting "Higher Ground." By the end of the year, the relevant-as-ever "Living for the City" unseated the Staple Singers' "If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)" at the top of Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart.
Meanwhile, Stevie's contemporaries were cranking out life-enriching jams and ballads by the bucket load. Ex-Temptation Eddie Kendricks found his footing as a solo artist with a stream of relaxed, expansive dancefloor cuts. Through Bobby Womack and Willie Hutch, soundtracks remained the supplier of the genre's most progressive sounds. Upcoming talent bubbled up with early career highlights from Earth, Wind & Fire, the Pointer Sisters, Barry White. Just as notably, there was the emergence of Rufus, who quickly wised up and affixed "Featuring Chaka Khan" to their name. The more established Ohio Players, fronted by the brilliant Junie Morrison, created the year's wildest, funkiest sounds. "Funky Worm" translated across generations with its side-splitting humor and oft-sampled synthesizer lead, but "Ecstasy" is just as remarkable. What must be one of the best screams in recorded history occurs from roughly its 38th second through its 48th.
Here are 40 personal-favorite singles that reached Billboard's Soul Singles chart during 1973, followed by a Spotify playlist and month-by-month top tens:
1. Stevie Wonder - "Higher Ground" [Tamla, 8/18]
2. Stevie Wonder - "Living for the City" [Tamla, 11/10]
3. Eddie Kendricks - "Girl You Need a Change of Mind" [Tamla, 2/17]
4. Bobby Womack - "Across 110th Street" [United Artists, 3/31]
5. Gladys Knight & the Pips - "Midnight Train to Georgia" [Buddah, 8/25]
6. Ann Peebles - "I Can't Stand the Rain" [Hi, 8/11]
7. Willie Hutch - "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" [Motown, 5/5]
8. Kool & the Gang - "Jungle Boogie" [De-Lite, 12/1]
9. Ohio Players - "Ecstasy" [Westbound, 8/11]
10. Eddie Kendricks - "Keep on Truckin'" [Tamla, 8/18]
11. Ike & Tina Turner - "Nutbush City Limits" [United Artists, 8/25]
12. Stevie Wonder - "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" [Tamla, 3/24]
13. Bobby Womack - "Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out" [United Artists, 6/16]
14. Tower of Power - "So Very Hard to Go" [Warner, 6/16]
15. Bloodstone - "Natural High" [London, 4/14]
16. Al Green - "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" [Hi, 7/7]
17. The Isley Brothers - "That Lady" [T-Neck, 7/7]
18. Al Green - "Call Me (Come Back Home)" [Hi, 2/24]
19. Earth, Wind & Fire - "Evil" [Columbia, 7/28]
20. Sly & the Family Stone - "If You Want Me to Stay" [Epic, 6/30]
21. Barry White - "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby" [20th Century, 4/7]
22. Gladys Knight & the Pips - "Neither One of Us" [Soul, 1/27]
23. The O'Jays - "Love Train" [Philadelphia Int'l, 1/20]
24. Roberta Flack - "Killing Me Softly with His Song" [Atlantic, 2/3]
25. Creative Source - "You Can't Hide Love" [Sussex, 8/25]
26. Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes - "The Love I Lost" [Philadelphia Int'l, 9/22]
27. Ohio Players - "Funky Worm" [Westbound, 3/10]
28. The Temptations - "Masterpiece" [Gordy, 3/3]
29. Dr. John - "Right Place Wrong Time" [Atco, 7/21]
30. Pointer Sisters - "Yes We Can Can" [Blue Thumb, 8/25]
31. The Staple Singers - "If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)" [Stax, 10/20]
32. Curtis Mayfield - "Future Shock" [Curtom, 7/14]
33. Foster Sylvers - "Misdemeanor" [MGM, 5/19]*
34. Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s - "Doing It to Death" [People, 5/12]
35. Isaac Hayes - "Joy" [Enterprise, 12/15]
36. First Choice - "Armed and Extremely Dangerous" [Philly Groove, 3/31]
37. Marvin Gaye - "Come Get to This" [Tamla, 11/3]
38. Gladys Knight & the Pips - "I've Got to Use My Imagination" [11/24]
39. Barry White - "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" [20th Century, 10/20]
40. Aretha Franklin - "Until You Come Back to Me" [Atlantic, 11/17]
*This song is not available on Spotify in the U.S. Favorite 41 appears in its place, at the end of the playlist.
January
Gladys Knight & the Pips - "Neither One of Us"
The O'Jays - "Love Train"
James Brown - "I Got Ants in My Pants"
The Main Ingredient - "You've Got to Take It If You Want It"
Cymande - "The Message"
Candi Staton - "Do It in the Name of Love"
The Manhattans - "Back Up"
Black Ivory - "Time Is Love"
The Delfonics - "Think It Over"
The Emotions - "From Toys to Boys"
February
Eddie Kendricks - "Girl You Need a Change of Mind"
Al Green - "Call Me (Come Back Home)"
Roberta Flack - "Killing Me Softly with His Song"
Four Tops - "Ain't No Woman Like the One I've Got"
Aretha Franklin - "Master of Eyes (The Deepness of Your Eyes)"
The Stylistics - "Break Up to Make Up"
Bill Withers - "Kissing My Love"
Ann Peebles - "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down"
Vee Allen - "Can I"
Ronnie Dyson - "One Man Band (Plays All Alone)"
March
Bobby Womack - "Across 110th Street"
Stevie Wonder - "You Are the Sunshine of My Life"
Ohio Players - "Funky Worm"
The Temptations - "Masterpiece"
First Choice - "Armed and Extremely Dangerous"
Sylvia - "Pillow Talk"
The New Birth - "I Can Understand It"
Billy Preston - "Will It Go Round in Circles"
War - "The Cisco Kid"
Tyrone Davis - "Without You in My Life"
April
Bloodstone - "Natural High"
Barry White - "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby"
Mandrill - "Fencewalk"
Billy Paul - "Am I Black Enough for You"
Millie Jackson - "Breakaway"
Spinners - "One of a Kind (Love Affair)"
The Crusaders - "Don't Let It Get You Down"
Soul Searchers - "Think"
The Dells - "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation"
Betty Wright - "It's Hard to Stop"
May
Willie Hutch - "Brother's Gonna Work It Out"
Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s - "Doing It to Death"
Foster Sylvers - "Misdemeanor"
The Manhattans - "There's No Me Without You"
Chairmen of the Board - "Finder's Keepers"
Gladys Knight & the Pips - "Daddy Could Swear, I Declare"
James Brown - "Think"
The O'Jays - "Time to Get Down"
William Bell - "Lovin' on Borrowed Time"
The Ebonys - "It's Forever"
June
Bobby Womack - "Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out"
Tower of Power - "So Very Hard to Go"
Sly & the Family Stone - "If You Want Me to Stay"
Manu Dibango - "Soul Makossa"
Donny Hathaway - "Love, Love, Love"
Donald Byrd - "Black Byrd"
Four Tops - "Are You Man Enough"
Johnnie Taylor - "I Believe in You (You Believe in Me)"
Edwin Starr - "There You Go"
Maxayn - "Check Out Your Mind"
July
Al Green - "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)"
The Isley Brothers - "That Lady"
Earth, Wind & Fire - "Evil"
Dr. John - "Right Place Wrong Time"
Curtis Mayfield - "Future Shock"
Marvin Gaye - "Let's Get It On"
Leroy Hutson - "Love Oh Love"
Joe Simon - "Theme from Cleopatra Jones"
Barry White - "I've Got So Much to Give"
The Chi-Lites - "Stoned Out of My Mind"
August
Stevie Wonder - "Higher Ground"
Gladys Knight & the Pips - "Midnight Train to Georgia"
Ann Peebles - "I Can't Stand the Rain"
Ohio Players - "Ecstasy"
Eddie Kendricks - "Keep on Truckin'"
Ike & Tina Turner - "Nutbush City Limits"
Creative Source - "You Can't Hide Love"
Pointer Sisters - "Yes We Can Can"
Kool & the Gang - "Funky Stuff"
Millie Jackson - "Hurts So Good"
September
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes - "The Love I Lost"
Jackson Sisters - "I Believe in Miracles"
The Dramatics - "Fell for You"
Billy Preston - "Space Race"
Betty Wright - "Let Me Be Your Lovemaker"
Lou Courtney - "What Do You Want Me to Do"
The Persuaders - "Some Guys Have All the Luck"
The Ovations - "Having a Party"
Diana & Marvin - "You're a Special Part of Me"
Ripple - "I Don't Know What It Is, But It Sure Is Funky"
October
The Staple Singers - "If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)"
Barry White - "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up"
Al Wilson - "Show and Tell"
Four Tops - "Sweet Understanding Love"
The Intruders - "I Wanna Know Your Name"
Bobby Blue Bland - "This Time I'm Gone for Good"
Curtis Mayfield - "If I Were Only a Child Again"
The Fatback Band - "Njia (Nija) Walk (Street Walk)"
Leroy Hutson - "When You Smile"
Candi Staton - "Love Chain"
November
Stevie Wonder - "Living for the City"
Marvin Gaye - "Come Get to This"
Gladys Knight & the Pips - "I've Got to Use My Imagination"
Aretha Franklin - "Until You Come Back to Me"
Al Green - "Livin' for You"
Natural Four - "Can This Be Real?"
Rufus - "Feel Good"
Earth, Wind & Fire - "Keep Your Head to the Sky"
Smokey Robinson - "Baby Come Close"
The Independents - "It's All Over"
December
Kool & the Gang - "Jungle Boogie"
Isaac Hayes - "Joy"
Tower of Power - "What Is Hip?"
The Dells - "I Miss You"
Love Unlimited Orchestra - "Love's Theme"
The Moments - "Sexy Mama"
The O'Jays - "Put Your Hands Together"
Eddie Kendricks - "Boogie Down"
The Trammps - "Love Epidemic"
Blue Magic - "Stop to Start"
