Number 1's: The Temptations

iTunes Review

The Temptations epitomized the Motown male quintet. With their matching tailored suits and synchronized dance moves, they set the template that guided soul groups in the Sixties, Seventies, and beyond. The Temptations also boasted one of Motown’s most memorable vocalists in David Ruffin, whose coarse holler served as the perfect foil to the candy-coated pop of “My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,” and “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep.” The Temptations were often used as a testing ground for new styles, as Berry Gordy adapted his blueprint to changing tastes and trends. Upon Ruffin’s exit in 1968, Gordy allowed visionary producer Norman Whitfield to reinvent the Temps as a psychedelic soul outfit. Even as ambitious productions like “Ball of Confusion” flirted with new textures, there was always a pure pop center within every song. As easily as they had moved towards psychedelia, the group re-invented themselves as a sweet soul group, and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and “Just My Imagination” set the tone for Seventies soul the way “My Girl” had set the tone for the Sixties. Like most in this series, #1s would be more accurately titled “Top Tens,” but the point here is not to prove the band’s hitmaking power as much as their ability to consistently deliver new music in an era of rapidly shifting tastes.