What's Going On
Company5 list appearances
Genesis from Social Unrest: Renaldo "Obie" Benson of the Four Tops conceived the song with Motown staffer Al Cleveland after witnessing police violence against anti-war protesters, before presenting the composition to Marvin Gaye Personal Grief & Artistic Pivot: Following the March 1970 death of duet partner Tammi Terrell from a brain tumor and amid a turbulent marriage to Anna Gordy, Gaye reshaped the track to channel private anguish alongside Vietnam War and civil rights themes Motown Resistance: Motown founder Berry Gordy initially hesitated to release the single, fearing its political tone and unconventional jazz-inflected arrangement were uncommercial for the Motown brand Thematic Shift in 1970s Soul: Unlike Motown's upbeat 1960s singles, "What's Going On" signaled a darker, socially conscious turn in Black popular music, empowering artists such as Stevie Wonder to pursue creative independence
1-Tap Primary Ranking Ballot
Overview#1 Full List
Does What's Going On deserve the #1 spot on “Deep Feeling: 10 Soul Albums That Reach You Where You Live”?
#1 What's Going On?
Verified Entity DossierRanked #1 in Deep Feeling: 10 Soul Albums That Reach You Where You Live
Best Rank
#1
top 3 in 2 lists
Avg Position
#3.6
across 5 lists
Community
Divisive Pick
ranked #1 to #6
Most divisive on “Top 10 Greatest Albums of All Time” — ranked #6 there
Community Weigh-In & Debate
Should What's Going On rank Top 3 in Deep Feeling?
Ranked #1 on "Deep Feeling: 10 Soul Albums That Reach You Where You Live". Cast your vote to back or challenge this spot.
Be the first to vote on this ranking.
Most Argued About
“Top 10 Greatest Albums of All Time”
Ranks as high as #1 on some lists — but only #6 here. Fans are divided.
See the debate →The Internet's Surprise Pick
“Deep Feeling: 10 Soul Albums That Reach You Where You Live”
Climbed to #1 — a narrowly contested win.
See the full ranking →Frequently Asked Questions
What is What's Going On's highest community ranking?⌄
What's Going On is ranked #1 on "Deep Feeling: 10 Soul Albums That Reach You Where You Live" — its best placement across 5 lists on top10grid.com.
How many top-10 lists feature What's Going On?⌄
What's Going On appears in 5 lists on top10grid.com, spanning categories including MUSIC.
Is What's Going On a controversial ranking?⌄
Yes — community opinion on What's Going On varies widely. It ranks as high as #1 on some lists and as low as #6 on others, a spread of 5 positions, making it one of the more debated picks on top10grid.com.
What the internet says
Structured Facts & Specifications
Verified highlightsEntity Name
What's Going On (song)
allmusic.comOfficial allmusic.com ↗
Ontology Nodetype
MusicRecording
allmusic.comOfficial allmusic.com ↗
Ontology Subclass
Soul / Rhythm & Blues Single
allmusic.comOfficial allmusic.com ↗
Ontology Schema Org Domain Tags
schema:MusicRecording, schema:CreativeWork, top10grid:Song, soul, motown, protest-music
grammy.comOfficial grammy.com ↗
Batch Source
Top10Grid v4 Verified Dossier (BATCH24)
Primary Reference Url
Ontology — Node Type
MusicRecording
Ontology — Subclass
Soul / Rhythm & Blues Single
Ontology — Schema.org / Domain Tags
schema:MusicRecording, schema:CreativeWork, top10grid:Song, soul, motown, protest-music
Appears in 5 lists Divisive Pick
Frequently Ranked Alongside What's Going On
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