Album

ReleaseArtistFormatTracksCountry/DateLabelCatalog#Barcode
Official
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×12" Vinyl + 7" Vinyl9 + 8 + 4
  • US1976-09-28
TamlaT13-340C2[none]
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder3×Vinyl10 + 7 + 4
  • US1976-09-28
TamlaT13-31062, T340 EP
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×12" Vinyl + 7" Vinyl10 + 7 + 4
  • GB1976-09-30
Motown0C 158-98 261-3, TMSP 6002[none]
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×12" Vinyl + 7" Vinyl10 + 7 + 4
Motown1C 190-97 900/01[none]
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×12" Vinyl + 7" Vinyl10 + 7 + 4
Motown3C 164-98261/63[none]
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×Cassette10 + 11
Motown0C 262-98 231-3, TC-TMSP 6002, TC-TMSP 60021[none]
Songs in the Key of Life (Collectors Album Includes 2 Record Set & 24 Page Lyric Booklet)Stevie Wonder2×12" Vinyl10 + 7
MotownSTML 60021
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×12" Vinyl9 + 8
Motown2-48.001/2[none]
Songs in the Key of Life (reissue)Stevie Wonder2×12" Vinyl + 7" Vinyl9 + 8 + 4
MotownZF72131, ZL72131(2)0035627213113
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×CD12 + 9
MotownZD721310035627213120
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×CD12 + 9
Motown37463034020731453003422
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×CD12 + 9
TamlaTCD06115TD-2
Songs In The Key Of LifeStevie Wonder2×CD12 + 9
MotownR30M-1001~024988017001301
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×CD12 + 9
Motown530 034-2731453003422
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×CD10 + 11
  • US2000-05-02
Motown012 157 357-2601215735727
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×CD10 + 11
  • XE2000-05-16
Motown157 357-2601215735727
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×CD10 + 11
Tamla Motown (for non-US releases only)157 357-20601215735727
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×SHM-CD10 + 11
  • JP2009-01-28
Tamla Motown (for non-US releases only)UICY-93936/74988005546265
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie WonderSHM-SACD21
  • JP2011-02-23
MotownUIGY-90544988005639608
Songs in the Key of Life (audio fidelity remaster)Stevie Wonder2×HDCD10 + 11
  • US2011-04-19
Audio FidelityAFZ2 096780014209629
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×SHM-CD10 + 11
  • JP2012-09-19
MotownUICY-20354, UICY-203554988005723659
Songs in the Key of Life (192kHz/24bit)Stevie Wonder2×Digital Media10 + 11
Motown602537004720
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie WonderBlu-ray21
Motown France0600753406403600753406403
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×SHM-CD10 + 11
  • JP2013-12-18
MotownUICY-40044, UICY-400454988005798435
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder2×Digital Media10 + 11Motown602537004737
Songs in the Key of Life (2018 MQA x UHQCD)Stevie Wonder2×HQCD10 + 11
  • JP2018-06-20
Motown, Universal Music (plain logo: “Universal Music”)UICY-40214/154988031277584
Songs in the Key of Life Vol. 2Stevie WonderCD9Motown3746303402[none]
Songs in the Key of Life (Remastered) (Xbox Music release)Stevie WonderDigital Media21Universal Music Group (has logo with just “Universal Music Group”)

Relationships

included in:The Complete Stevie Wonder
part of:Discothèque Idéale Qobuz / Qobuz Ideal Discography
Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2020 edition (number: 4) (order: 4)
Absolute Radio's The 100 Collection (number: 12) (order: 12)
The Guardian 100 Best Albums Ever (number: 38) (order: 38)
Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2003 edition (number: 56) (order: 56)
Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2012 edition (number: 57) (order: 57)
Grammy Award: Album of the Year nominees (number: 1977 winner) (order: 74)
Discothèque Idéale Qobuz / Qobuz Ideal Discography (order: 110)
anniversary tours:Songs in the Key of Life Tour
Discogs:https://www.discogs.com/master/87440 [info]
reviews:https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/j5p2 [info]
other databases:https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/stevie_wonder/songs_in_the_key_of_life/ [info]
Allmusic:https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000607481 [info]
Wikidata:Q845040 [info]

CritiqueBrainz Reviews

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Most Recent

By 1972, Steveland Hardaway Judkins was sick of the soubriquet 'Little' Stevie Wonder. Having showered Berry Gordy's Motown label with chart gold dust throughout the 60s the wunderkind finally took a leaf from the civil rights-related empowerment of black people in the USA and decided to make a stand (much as labelmate Marvin Gaye had). It was a blow for both personal freedom and the right to say something more than just "I love you'' through the medium of music. Threatening to leave the label, he gained the right to self-production (something that came easy to the musically precocious 22-year-old) and to make 'proper' albums. What followed was a stream of unsurpassed masterworks including Music Of My Mind (1972), Talking Book (1973), Innervisions (1974), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1975) and culminating with this sprawling double: The album that Stevie (and most of his fans) still regard as his defining statement.

Critical discourse often labels SITKOL as 'experimental'. And while 21st century ears may struggle to grasp what this collection of funk, soul, fusion and pop has that makes it deserve the tag, once you contextualise it becomes clear. Wonder's work, especially with the electronic pioneers, Tonto's Expanding Head Band (Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil), had been edging towards new forms of expressing black consciousness as well as eroding the boundaries of what 'soul music' could mean. But it was here that Stevie really pushed the envelope. The fecundity of his musical imagination simply beggars belief. While he grapples (and wins!) with just about every genre under the sun here it's never at the expense of the song and never gives the impression for a second that he's showing off. To this end, rather than doing it all himself, SITKOL has a massive supporting cast of stellar names to help him in the joyous task of simply making music; from Herbie Hancock to Minnie Riperton and George Benson, as well as less obvious session legends like pedal steel player, 'Sneaky' Pete Kleinow.

To sum up the breadth of this album (which also came with an extra EP to show how overflowing was the man's muse at this point) would take an essay. In short it contains the Weather Report-like fusion of Contusion, the classical spoofery and wry social commentary of Village Ghetto Land, the gospel progeny of As and Love's In Need Of love Today, the pure pop of Summer Soft...etc. etc. And as if to effortlessly demonstrate that he could still straddle the artistic/commercial divide, the album gave us a slew of hit singles including the boisterous Sir Duke , I Wish and possibly the only cloying moment on the whole album, Isn't She Lovely.

It's Elton John's and George Michael's favourite album. Without it there'd be no Prince. It's continually listed as one of the best things in popular music. EVER. How much more do you need? If you don't own it, buy it tomorrow. Life, literally, isn't complete without it.