What's Going On — Marvin Gaye (1971)

The title track from Marvin Gaye's 1971 concept album -- which Berry Gordy initially refused to release, calling it the worst thing he had ever heard -- spent 5 weeks at number one on the R&B chart and became the defining work of socially conscious soul music, addressing the Vietnam War, poverty, and police brutality with a musical sophistication unprecedented in popular music. Rolling Stone ranked the album number one on its Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020.