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Alex Lester

Alex Lester

On Air Now: 03:00 - 06:00

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Radio 2 celebrates the biggest selling UK singles of three major artists and a hugely influential record label, in four special countdown shows. 

Marvin Gaye
Motown

Thursday 1 Jan 2009
14:00-17:00


The audio for this programme is no longer available.


Formed by Berry Gordy Junior back in January 1959 in Detroit, Michigan, and whose name is a portmanteau derived from the words 'motor' and 'town', 2009 sees the 50th anniversary of one of the most famous record labels ever -- Motown Records.

Kicking off Radio 2’s Motown season, Paul Gambaccini presented a countdown (using data supplied by the Official Charts Company) of the top 30 all time biggest selling Motown singles in the UK to date. As well as the music there were rare archive comments from artists in the chart as well as newly recorded interviews.

THE CHART

    1 I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
    2 Hello - Lionel Richie
    3 One Day In Your Life - Michael Jackson
    4 Three Times A Lady - Commodores
    5 Being With You - Smokey Robinson
    6 All Night Long (All Night) - Lionel Richie
    7 I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
    8 Baby Love - Supremes
    9 I Want You Back - Jackson Five
    10 Happy Birthday - Stevie Wonder

      11 Upside Down - Diana Ross
      12 End Of The Road - Boyz II Men
      13 Master Blaster (Jammin') - Stevie Wonder
      14 The Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
      15 Reach Out I'll Be There - Four Tops
      16 What Becomes Of The Brokenheated - Jimmy Ruffin
      17 Under The Boardwalk - Bruce Willis
      18 I'm Still Waiting - Diana Ross
      19 Lately - Stevie Wonder
      20 Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder

        21 Part Time Lover - Stevie Wonder
        22 Where Did Our Love Go - Supremes
        23 I'll Be There - Jackson Five
        24 I've Never Been To Me - Charlene
        25 Nightshift - Commodores
        26 Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday - Stevie Wonder
        27 Stoned Love - The Supremes
        28 With You I'm Born Again - Billy Preston & Syreeta
        29 Indiana Wants Me - R. Dean Taylor
        30 Easy - Commodores

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