The Wonder of Stevie
The year 1972 saw the beginning of a five-year span in which Stevie Wonder released five groundbreaking, critically acclaimed albums, garnering him over half a dozen Grammys and over 10 million albums sold, securing his place as one of the most important American musicians and songwriters in history. For the first time, uncover the untold story of an extraordinary artistic journey that shaped the greatest creative era in popular music history. Featuring in-depth musical and cultural analysis from legendary artists, critics, and thought leaders, including Barack and Michelle Obama, Questlove, Smokey Robinson, Janelle Monae, George Clinton, and many more, Audible's new, authorized Original invites audiences on an intimate and sweeping journey deeply infused with star-studded contributors’ unique experiences and impassioned fandom. Hosted by New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning culture critic Wesley Morris, The Wonder of Stevie revisits Wonder's iconic creative evolution, his transformative spiritual path, and the profound inspiration he drew from both the beauty and pain of the Black American experience—driving his eventual emergence as his generation’s most unflinching and uplifting artistic voice. With each episode dedicated to a particular album, listeners can follow Stevie Wonder’s classic period chronologically or jump to a favorite record or time period of interest. Set to over 40 of Wonder’s legendary tunes, the series culminates in a final moving episode exclusive to Audible that finds Stevie Wonder in a profound and enlightening conversation with former president Barack Obama. The Wonder of Stevie is the definitive celebration and examination of a towering icon at the absolute height of his creative powers. Sit back and "luxuriate" in his genius, as Morris puts it. It's time to discover the wonder of Stevie—once and for all.
Episodes
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How does Little Stevie Wonder grow into just… Stevie Wonder? Years after signing his first recording deal as a kid with Motown Records, Stevie decides to renegotiate his contract. One of the things on the table? Complete creative freedom. What follows is the beginning of one of the greatest streak of albums in American popular music ever: Music of My Mind.
Featuring Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Babyface, and more.
How do you follow lightning in a bottle? Well, if you’re Stevie Wonder, you go on tour with The Rolling Stones. Now catering to a wider (and whiter) audience, Stevie expresses himself as a Black artist in the best way he knows how: through music. And just months after Music of My Mind, he releases the second album in the streak, Talking Book.
Featuring Barack Obama, Questlove, Deniece Williams, Ray Parker Jr. and more.
What more is there to say? For Stevie Wonder, a lot. He’s got more love songs, sure. But as Stevie takes a hard look at the world around him, he’s itching to address different concerns — drugs, politics, and religion in America. Stevie’s next album isn’t just about him. Innervisions, the third album in the streak, is about the Black American experience.
Featuring Barack Obama, Brittany Luse, George Clinton, and mo...
What’s next? Wesley’s favorite album in the streak. But it’s not everyone’s favorite. Stevie Wonder’s trying to figure something out on this record. It shows a different, moodier, more reflective side. Following an unexpected and life-changing event, Stevie releases the fourth album in the streak, Fulfillingness’ First Finale.
Featuring Yolanda Adams, Alex Pappademas, and more.
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This is everyone’s favorite, right? Sure is and for good reason. Now a master at his own craft and sound, Stevie Wonder drops a double album. More songs. More players. More genius. It’s no wonder it’s everyone’s favorite. On the fifth album of the streak, Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie delivers his ultimate message of love.
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Isn’t the streak over now? Depends on who you ask. After Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder returns with…a left turn. A departure album. Something totally different than his usual sound. Does that end the streak or complicate it? And when the streak is all said and done, does Stevie Wonder get the credit he truly deserves for his genius?
Featuring Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Questlove, Janelle Monae, Mereba and more.
Today we're sharing one of our favorite podcasts, Talk Easy. This episode features Wesley Morris talking about The Wonder of Stevie.
Wesley unpacks Stevie Wonder’s legendary five-album run from 1972-1976, his recent “battleground states” tour in the run up to the election, and how his relationship to Stevie’s music has evolved in the process of making this limited series.
In this bonus episode, Wesley sits down with Stevie Wonder and a superfan named Barack Obama to discuss the politics of optimism, the power of a love song, and what it feels like to break artistic ground. And the best part? Stevie brought his keyboard.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
If you loved The Wonder of Stevie, you cannot miss Higher Ground and Audible's newest music show. In Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, Jad Abumrad—creator of Radiolab, More Perfect, and Dolly Parton's America—tells the story of one of the great political awakenings in music: how a classically trained 'colonial boy' traveled to America, in search of Africa, only to return to Nigeria and transform his sound into a batte...
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