What’s Going On

The harmony of 'What's Going On' is a landmark in the evolution of Soul music, moving away from simple triads toward a jazz-influenced vocabulary. While it uses the basic '50s progression' framework (I-vi-ii-V), the specific use of Major 7ths and dominant 11th/sus chords creates a 'floating' harmonic quality. This matches the social commentary of the lyrics—urgent yet peaceful. The bass line by James Jamerson provides a contrapuntal movement that makes the relatively simple two-chord vamps feel harmonically dense and constantly evolving.

Renaldo 'Obie' Benson of the Four Tops witnessed a police brutality incident involving anti-war protesters at Berkeley's People's Park on 'Bloody Thursday'. He wrote the initial song with Al Cleveland, but his fellow Four Tops members declined to record a 'protest song'. Benson presented it to Marvin Gaye, who initially wanted to produce it for The Originals but was eventually persuaded to record it himself. Gaye significantly revised the melody and lyrics to reflect his own perspective on the Vietnam War and social unrest.

Released in 1971, this track signaled Marvin Gaye's transition from a pop hitmaker to a socially conscious auteur. It blends lush orchestral arrangements with legendary bass work and multitracked vocals to address issues of police brutality and war.