Motown developed from gospel and soul sounds as artists sang of love and other human concerns with which people of all races, religions, and political beliefs could identify. One of Motown’s first important groups was The Miracles, with William “Smokey” Robinson as their lead singer. The Supremes, another influential Motown group, sang of love and lost relationships to a mature audience. One of Motown’s most popular male groups was The Temptations. They signed in 1962, but their recordings did not achieve any success until 1964, a whole two years later. The Jacksons, with today’s king of pop Michael Jackson, was another notorious Motown group. With considerably recognizable names yet today, one can see that Motown had a grand influence on rock music (Charlton).

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