Most frequent collaboratorThe Funk Brothers · 87 tracks
GenresSoulMotownPsychedelic SoulFunk
Singer / Performer
6%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 7 of 116 tracks
Did the Temptations write their own songs?
Mostly no. The Temptations were a vocal group, and their hits were written and produced by Motown's staff writers such as Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield, and Barrett Strong. Individual members occasionally received writing credits, but the group's identity rests on their singing, not their songwriting.
By the Numbers
12
Studio Albums
116
Tracks Credited
6%
Self-Written
66
Years Active
95
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 7 / 116 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 116 tracks: how many The Temptations wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
The Temptations has a writing credit6%
6%
94%
Sole author0tracks0%
Co-written7tracks6%
Outside writers109tracks94%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
The Temptations's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 116 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)6%
Composer (music)3%
Producer0%
Performer99%
Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on
Percentage of all 116 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.
Member
Period
Lyrics
Music
Production
Performance
Otis Williams
1960-present
3%
3%
0%
79%
Melvin Franklin Former
1961-1995
2%
0%
0%
79%
Paul Williams Former
1961-1971
0%
0%
0%
56%
Eddie Kendricks Former
1961-1971
3%
0%
0%
59%
David Ruffin Former
1964-1968
0%
0%
0%
16%
Dennis Edwards Former
1968-1976, 1980-1988
1%
1%
0%
58%
Damon Harris Former
1971-1975
1%
1%
0%
25%
Richard Street Former
1971-1993
1%
1%
0%
25%
Ali-Ollie Woodson Former
1983-1987, 1989-1996
0%
0%
0%
0%
Ron Tyson
1983-present
0%
0%
0%
0%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
The Temptations's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 6%
17%
0%
17%
8%
10%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
11%
1964Meet the Temptations
1965The Temptations Sing Smokey
1966Gettin' Ready
1967The Temptations with a Lot o' Soul
1969Cloud Nine
1969Puzzle People
1970Psychedelic Shack
1971Sky's the Limit
1972Solid Rock
1972All Directions
1973Masterpiece
1975A Song for You
Early · 10% written
Mid · 3% written
Late · 3% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
9%
1960s
Meet the Temptations, The Temptations Sing Smokey +4 more
2%
1970s
Psychedelic Shack, Sky's the Limit +4 more
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where The Temptations sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
The Temptations
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Written by Smokey Robinson, Bobby Rogers, William Robinson, Robert Rogers
Outside writers
My Girl
The Temptations Sing Smokey
Written by Smokey Robinson, Ronald White, William Robinson
Outside writers
It's Growing
The Temptations Sing Smokey
Written by Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, William Robinson, Warren Moore
Outside writers
Get Ready
Gettin' Ready
Written by Smokey Robinson, William Robinson
Outside writers
Ain't Too Proud to Beg
Gettin' Ready
Written by Eddie Holland, Norman Whitfield, Edward Holland Jr., Norman Jesse Whitfield
Outside writers
(I Know) I'm Losing You
The Temptations with a Lot o' Soul
Written by Norman Whitfield, Eddie Holland, Cornelius Grant, Norman Jesse Whitfield, Edward Holland Jr.
Outside writers
All I Need
The Temptations with a Lot o' Soul
Written by Frank Wilson, Eddie Holland, R. Dean Taylor, Edward Holland Jr., Richard Dean Taylor
Outside writers
You're My Everything
The Temptations with a Lot o' Soul
Written by Norman Whitfield, Cornelius Grant, Roger Penzabene, Norman Jesse Whitfield
Outside writers
Cloud Nine
Cloud Nine
Written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Norman Jesse Whitfield
Outside writers
Run Away Child, Running Wild
Cloud Nine
Written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Norman Jesse Whitfield
Outside writers
I Can't Get Next to You
Puzzle People
Written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Norman Jesse Whitfield, Barrett Strong Jr.
Outside writers
Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down
Puzzle People
Written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Norman Jesse Whitfield, Barrett Strong Jr.
Outside writers
Psychedelic Shack
Psychedelic Shack
Written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Norman Jesse Whitfield, Barrett Strong Jr.
Outside writers
Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World)
Sky's the Limit
Written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Norman Jesse Whitfield, Barrett Strong Jr.
Outside writers
Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)
Sky's the Limit
Written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Norman Jesse Whitfield, Barrett Strong Jr.
Outside writers
Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)
Solid Rock
Written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Norman Jesse Whitfield
Outside writers
Take a Look Around
Solid Rock
Written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Norman Jesse Whitfield
Outside writers
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
All Directions
Written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Norman Jesse Whitfield
Outside writers
Mother Nature
All Directions
Written by Dino Fekaris, Nick Zesses
Outside writers
Masterpiece
Masterpiece
Written by Norman Whitfield, Norman Jesse Whitfield
Outside writers
Plastic Man
Masterpiece
Written by Norman Whitfield, Norman Jesse Whitfield
Outside writers
Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)
Masterpiece
Written by Norman Whitfield, Norman Jesse Whitfield
Outside writers
Happy People
A Song for You
Written by Lionel Richie, Jeffrey Bowen, Donald Baldwin
Outside writers
Shakey Ground
A Song for You
Written by Eddie Hazel, Alphonso Boyd, Jeffrey Bowen
Outside writers
Glasshouse
A Song for You
Written by Charlemagne, James Anthony Carmichael, Ronald Miller, Kathy Wakefield
Outside writers
None of the signature songs above fall in this category.
Discography 12 albums
Covers a twelve-album core of the Temptations' classic Motown era, from Meet the Temptations (1964) through A Song for You (1975), spanning the Smokey Robinson period, the Norman Whitfield psychedelic-soul run, and the group's Grammy-winning peak. The Temptations released roughly fifty studio albums across six decades; the remaining titles, including the later 1970s-2000s records, are tracked in TODO.md under Incomplete Catalog.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. TF The Funk Brothers · NW Norman Whitfield · NJ Norman Jesse Whitfield
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
The Temptations are the model of a Motown interpreter: a great vocal group whose catalog was written by the label's staff songwriters, not by the singers. The early hits belong to Smokey Robinson and his Miracles collaborators, so 'My Girl' and 'The Way You Do the Things You Do' credit William Robinson and co-writers like Ronald White and Bobby Rogers. From Cloud Nine onward the writing shifts almost entirely to Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, who authored 'Cloud Nine,' 'I Can't Get Next to You,' 'Just My Imagination,' and 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone,' with Whitfield also producing. The group members appear in the composer column only occasionally and mostly on later albums. What the Temptations supply is the performance: the rotating lead vocals of David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, and later Dennis Edwards over the Funk Brothers' backing. The composer column carries the writers' legal names, so Robinson is William Robinson and Whitfield is Norman Jesse Whitfield, which keeps authorship consistent across the catalog.
Quick Facts
Rock and Roll Hall of FameInducted in 1989.
Motown milestoneFirst Motown act to win a Grammy Award.
Chart recordFour Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and fourteen R&B number-one singles.
GrammysWon four competitive Grammy Awards plus a 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Constant memberFounder Otis Williams is the only original member still in the group and its sole survivor.
LongevityOne of the longest-running and most successful acts to come out of Motown.
Creative Fingerprint
A vocal group who interpreted songs written by Motown's staff writers - Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield, and Barrett Strong - rather than writing the hits themselves.
The Story
The Temptations are an American vocal group formed in Detroit in 1960 and one of Motown's defining acts, led through every lineup change by founder Otis Williams. The Classic Five lineup of Williams, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, and David Ruffin cut the group's early run of hits, and after Dennis Edwards replaced Ruffin in 1968 the group moved into the psychedelic soul of Cloud Nine and Papa Was a Rollin' Stone. Like most Motown acts, the Temptations were interpreters rather than songwriters: their songs came from the label's staff writers, chiefly Smokey Robinson in the early years and the team of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong from the late 1960s. They won Motown's first Grammy for Cloud Nine in 1969 and took three more for Papa Was a Rollin' Stone in 1973. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, they remain one of the most successful and longest-running vocal groups in popular music.
Awards & Recognition
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1989)
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2013)
Vocal Group Hall of Fame (1999)
Grammy Award for Best R&B Group Vocal Performance, 'Cloud Nine' (1969)
Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone' (1973)
Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance, 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone' (1973)
Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, 'Ear-Resistible' (2001)
Frequently Asked Questions The Temptations
Did the Temptations write their own songs?
Mostly no. The Temptations were a vocal group, and their hits were written and produced by Motown's staff writers such as Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield, and Barrett Strong. Individual members occasionally received writing credits, but the group's identity rests on their singing, not their songwriting.
Who wrote 'My Girl'?
Smokey Robinson and Ronald 'Ronnie' White of the Miracles wrote 'My Girl.' Robinson also produced the 1964 recording, which gave the Temptations their first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single with David Ruffin on lead.
Who wrote 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone'?
Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong wrote 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone,' and Whitfield produced it. The 1972 recording won three Grammy Awards, including honors for the group's vocal performance and for the instrumental version.
Who wrote 'Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)'?
Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong wrote 'Just My Imagination,' with Whitfield producing. It was a 1971 number-one hit and one of Eddie Kendricks's last lead vocals before he left the group.
Who were the members of the Temptations?
The best-known lineup is the 'Classic Five': Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, and David Ruffin. Dennis Edwards replaced Ruffin in 1968 and sang lead on many of the group's later hits.
Who is the only constant member of the Temptations?
Otis Williams, born Otis Miles Jr., founded the group and is its only original member still performing. He is also the last surviving member of the classic lineup and owns the rights to the Temptations name.
Who was Norman Whitfield and why does his name appear so often?
Norman Whitfield was a Motown producer and songwriter who, with lyricist Barrett Strong, wrote and produced much of the Temptations' 'psychedelic soul' era. Their credits include 'Cloud Nine,' 'Ball of Confusion,' 'Just My Imagination,' and 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone.'
Did any Temptations members write songs for the group?
Rarely. The group's authorship belongs almost entirely to Motown's professional writing and production staff. Members are credited on the recordings as performers, so the songwriting on their catalog is attributed to writers like Robinson, Whitfield, and Strong rather than to the singers.
Was 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg' written by the Temptations?
No. 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg' was written by Norman Whitfield and Edward Holland Jr. and produced by Whitfield. The 1966 hit later gave its name to the Broadway musical about the group's history.
What is the difference between the Temptations and their songwriters on a credits site?
On songwriting credits the Temptations appear as the performing artist, while the authorship line points to the Motown writers who composed each track. A credit for 'My Girl' names Smokey Robinson and Ronald White as writers, with the Temptations listed as the act that recorded it.
The Temptations
