# Marvin Gaye — Every Record We Rank

Marvin Gaye appears 3 times in our Soul, The Waxonia Desk — One Subject, and The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred lists, placing as high as No. 1. Hand-curated, with a reason for every pick.

- **Ranked entries:** 3
- **Appears on:** Soul, The Waxonia Desk — One Subject, and The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred
- **Year:** 1971
- **Highest placing:** No. 1 in Soul
- **Updated:** 2026-08-29
- **Canonical page:** https://waxonia.com/artist/marvin-gaye/

## Appears on

### [What's Going On](https://waxonia.com/track/marvin-gaye--whats-going-on/)

*1971 · Tamla · No. 1 in [Soul](https://waxonia.com/genre/soul/)*

Motown's biggest star refused to make another Motown record and was proved right within a month. A protest song that sounds like a conversation at a party, and the label's finest hour was the one it tried to prevent.

Also on: [The Waxonia Desk — One Subject](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-one-subject/), [The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/).

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Marvin%20Gaye%20What's%20Going%20On) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=KDK7TiEiMOI)

### [What's Going On](https://waxonia.com/track/marvin-gaye--whats-going-on/)

*1971 · Tamla · Picked by [The Waxonia Desk — One Subject](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-one-subject/)*

The obvious one, and four decades of broadcasting have made it harder to hear rather than easier. A record everybody agrees about is a difficult thing to keep alive.

Also on: [Soul](https://waxonia.com/genre/soul/), [The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/).

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Marvin%20Gaye%20What's%20Going%20On) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=KDK7TiEiMOI)

### [What's Going On](https://waxonia.com/track/marvin-gaye--whats-going-on/)

*1971 · Tamla · Picked by [The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/)*

A protest record that sounds like a conversation at a party. Its label tried to stop it, which is usually the sign.

Also on: [Soul](https://waxonia.com/genre/soul/), [The Waxonia Desk — One Subject](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-one-subject/).

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Marvin%20Gaye%20What's%20Going%20On) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=KDK7TiEiMOI)

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Hand-curated by Waxonia. We host no audio; all links point to streaming platforms.