Innervisions cover art

  Studio Album · No. 16

Innervisions Songwriting Credits by Stevie Wonder

1973 Tamla/Motown 9 tracks 44 min

Produced by Stevie Wonder, Robert Margouleff, Malcolm Cecil  ·  Engineered by Robert Margouleff, Malcolm Cecil

Tamla/Motown Progressive soulFunkSoulJazz
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 9 of 9 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 9 / 9 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 9 tracks with documented writers, by whether Stevie Wonder carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
9 trackswritten by Stevie Wonder 0 tracksoutside writers
Stevie Wonder's roles on this album

Share of the 9 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

9
Tracks
1
Lyricists
3
Producers
1973
Released

Awards & Recognition 3

Grammy Award for Album of the Year (1974)
Grammy Award for Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical (1974)
Grammy Award for Best R&B Song - "Living for the City" (1974)
Data Insight

Innervisions is written entirely by Stevie Wonder, who also produced it alongside Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil and played the bulk of the instruments himself, layering Moog and ARP synthesizers, clavinet, drums, and piano through the TONTO synthesizer system. The album extends the self-contained approach Wonder began on his earlier 1972 records, where he writes, arranges, and performs nearly every part. It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1974, the first of three Wonder albums to take that prize across the decade. The record balances socially conscious narratives like "Living for the City" with intimate ballads, all framed around his own production.

Innervisions is the seventeenth studio album by Stevie Wonder, released in August 1973 on Tamla/Motown and produced by Stevie Wonder, Robert Margouleff, and Malcolm Cecil. Often cited as his greatest artistic achievement, the album is a cohesive and deeply political statement that confronted drug addiction ('Too High'), urban poverty and racism ('Living for the City'), religious hypocrisy ('He's Misstra Know-It-All'), and the corruption of American institutions with a clarity and emotional power unmatched in 1970s pop music. 'Higher Ground' became a major hit and remains one of Wonder's most beloved funk tracks. Just weeks after the album's release, Wonder was involved in a near-fatal car crash that left him in a coma for four days, the fact that this masterpiece was completed before that trauma adds a retrospective poignancy to its existential themes. Innervisions won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Track Listing & Credits 9 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Too High
Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevie WonderRobert MargouleffMalcolm Cecil Stevie Wonder (Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Multi-Instrumentalist)
2
Visions
Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevie WonderRobert MargouleffMalcolm Cecil Stevie Wonder (Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Multi-Instrumentalist)
3
Living for the City #8
Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevie WonderRobert MargouleffMalcolm Cecil Stevie Wonder (Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Multi-Instrumentalist)
4
Golden Lady
Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevie WonderRobert MargouleffMalcolm Cecil Stevie Wonder (Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Multi-Instrumentalist)
5
Higher Ground #4
Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevie WonderRobert MargouleffMalcolm Cecil Stevie Wonder (Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Drums, Multi-Instrumentalist)
6
Jesus Children of America
Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevie WonderRobert MargouleffMalcolm Cecil Stevie Wonder (Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Multi-Instrumentalist)
7
All in Love Is Fair
Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevie WonderRobert MargouleffMalcolm Cecil Stevie Wonder (Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Multi-Instrumentalist)
8
Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing #16
Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevie WonderRobert MargouleffMalcolm Cecil Stevie Wonder (Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Multi-Instrumentalist)
9
He's Misstra Know-It-All
Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevie WonderRobert MargouleffMalcolm Cecil Stevie Wonder (Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Multi-Instrumentalist)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 3 contributors

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Frequently Asked Questions Innervisions

Who wrote the songs on Stevie Wonder's Innervisions?
Stevie Wonder wrote every track on Innervisions himself. He also produced the album with Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil and performed most of the instruments across the record.
Did Innervisions win a Grammy Award?
Yes. Innervisions won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the 16th Annual Grammy Awards in 1974. The album also won Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical, and its single "Living for the City" won Best R&B Song.
What is the song "Living for the City" about on Innervisions?
"Living for the City" tells the story of a Black family migrating from Mississippi to New York and the hardship and injustice they face. The full album version stretches past seven minutes and includes a dramatized spoken interlude depicting the protagonist's arrest.
How high did "Higher Ground" chart from Innervisions?
"Higher Ground" reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Billboard Soul Singles chart. It was the album's lead single, released in 1973.
What singles were released from Innervisions?
Three singles were released: "Higher Ground" (Hot 100 number 4), "Living for the City" (Hot 100 number 8), and "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" (Hot 100 number 16). The first two also reached number 1 on the Billboard Soul Singles chart.
When was Innervisions by Stevie Wonder released?
Innervisions was released on August 3, 1973, on the Tamla label, part of Motown. It was one of the records from Wonder's celebrated early-to-mid 1970s creative run.
Did Stevie Wonder play the instruments on Innervisions himself?
Yes, largely. Wonder played most of the instruments on the album, including synthesizers, clavinet, drums, and piano, using the TONTO synthesizer setup. A small group of session musicians, including guitarists David T. Walker and Dean Parks and bassist Willie Weeks, contributed parts on select tracks.
Is Innervisions certified by the RIAA?
Yes. Innervisions is certified Gold by the RIAA in the United States, representing shipments of 500,000 units.

Sources