© Getty Images

The spirit of Motown -

The advent of Motown, not only as a record label but also as a genre, irrevocably changed the face of music in the mid-20th century onwards. The work of only a few dozen individuals steered the United States and the world towards a new era of music.

© Getty Images

Where is "Motown"? -

The name "Motown" is an homage to the city where it was born: Detroit, Michigan, otherwise known as the Motor City, or Motor Town.

© Getty Images

Soul, Detroit style -

Soul and R&B weren't inventions of the Motown record label, but the work of the Detroit businessmen and artists involved changed the face and popularity of what was considered "Black music."

© Getty Images

Why is Motown so important? -

Motown was born from a tumultuous era in the history of the United States, galvanized by the civil rights movement and inspired by the experiences that defined it. The incredible financial and cultural success of Motown Records is a testament to the ingenuity and perseverance of Black artists of 20th-century America.

© Getty Images

The Great Migration -

In the wake of the Jim Crow South, the first half of the 20th century saw an unprecedented move of African Americans from the Southern states to the North. Escaping oppressive legislation and cultural persecution, over six million Black Americans traveled northwards in search of a better life between 1910 and 1970.

© Public Domain

Music before Motown -

During the first half of the 20th century, numerous genres of music that can trace their origins to the Black diaspora steadily rose in popularity across the United States. Jazz and the blues, specifically, became favorites in not only Black communities, but the areas around them as well.

© Getty Images

The rise of Black music -

Just before and during the advent of rock and roll, in the 1950s, the demand for traditionally Black music and its offshoots rose exponentially. Makers of rhythm and blues, not to mention the blues and swing progenitors of rock and roll, became some of the most popular artists in America.

© Getty Images

Peacock Records -

Peacock Records, founded in Houston, Texas, in 1949 by one Don Robey (pictured, middle), was the premier distributor of rhythm and blues for decades. 'Hound Dog,' penned by Big Mama Thornton, was popularized as one of the first rock and roll songs in history by Elvis Presley. Other notable artists who found fame through Peacock Records include Little Richard and James Booker.

© Getty Images

Vee Jay Records -

The Chicago-based Vee Jay Records was founded in 1953 by the husband-and-wife duo Vivian Carter and James Bracken. The predominately R&B label that championed stars such as Memphis Slim and Gladys Knight has survived up to the present day.

© Getty Images

Berry Gordy Jr. -

Raised in Detroit, Berry Gordy Jr. was intensely dedicated to music from a young age. The child of two business owners, Gordy Jr.'s parents instilled in him a strong sense of entrepreneurship.

© Getty Images

Berry Gordy Jr. -

After a military tour during the Korean War, Gordy Jr. returned to Detroit and began ghostwriting for early soul stars such as Jackie Wilson and Etta James.

© Getty Images

The birth of Motown Records -

Using the royalty money accumulated from his songwriting, along with an additional US$800 loan from his family, Berry Gordy Jr. founded Tamla Records in 1958. Two years later, Gordy Jr. incorporated the label under the name Motown Records.

© Getty Images

An independent, African-American smash hit -

Standing as one of a small handful of Black-owned record labels, Motown Records grew into a national story of success almost overnight. The label invented a unique style of soul music that had its roots in Detroit, and offered a novel, accessible shade of the genre.

© Getty Images

Hitsville U.S.A. -

The headquarters of Motown was quickly nicknamed Hitsville U.S.A., referencing the incredible chart-topping success that its contracted artists found in the 1960s.

© Getty Images

The Motown hitmakers -

The unmistakable sound of the songs, lyrics, and production value of Motown Records was thanks in no small part to one dream team of songwriters: Holland-Dozier-Holland. Lamont Dozier and the brothers Brian and Eddie Holland wrote and produced songs for Motown's biggest stars between 1962 and 1967, championing no less than 25 chart-topping hits, including Marvin Gaye's 'How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)' and the timeless Supremes track 'You Can't Hurry Love.'

© Getty Images

The stars of Motown -

Countless faces have become inextricably linked to the Motown name, faces that are remembered today as the ushers of a new era of modern music, laying the groundwork for funk, disco, neo-soul, and hip hop.

© Getty Images

The Marvelettes -

One of Motown Records' first successes came in the form of an all-girl recording act known as the Marvelettes. This group of Michigan high school friends released the label's very first number one single, and one of the first number one singles of any female group in the country, in 1961. That song, 'Please Mr. Postman,' was covered by The Beatles in 1963, and again later on by The Carpenters in 1975, when it once again became a chart-topping hit.

© Getty Images

Marvin Gaye -

Arguably the most celebrated name from Motown's body of work is Marvin Gaye. The mastermind behind some of the best songs and records of the 20th century, including 1971's 'What's Going On,' started as a session musician and songwriter for Motown Records. Before Gaye became a star in his own right, he played drums on numerous early Motown hits and co-wrote songs for the label's earliest acts.

© Getty Images

Stevie Wonder -

Stevie Wonder is recognized as one of the most successful singer-songwriters of all time. Wonder was one of the first stars of Motown, and certainly the youngest, signing a record deal in 1961 when he was only 11 years old.

© Getty Images

The Jackson 5 -

The Jackson 5, the family act that led to the meteoric rise of pop icon Michael Jackson, first signed to Motown Records in 1968. There the group of brothers, including a 10-year-old Michael, became the first Motown artists to start their career with four consecutive number one hits. The Jacksons also made history by becoming one of the first all-Black music groups in the United States to receive widespread critical crossover acclaim.

© Getty Images

Smokey Robinson -

Legendary singer Smokey Robinson was actually one of Motown's first top songwriters and producers, before passing the baton to the likes of Holland-Dozier-Holland. In 1962, Robinson was named vice president of Motown Records by Gordy Jr., a position he held until stepping down in 1988.

© Getty Images

The Miracles -

When Robinson first signed to Motown, it was as one fifth of The Miracles, a quintet that would become the label's very first success. The group signed to Gordy Jr.'s Tamla Records, two years before it was reincorporated as Motown Records.

© Getty Images

The Temptations -

Known for their fantastic dress sense and dancing skills, The Temptations proved to be one of Motown's greatest successes. The group, responsible for timeless and genre-defining hits such as 1965's 'My Girl' (co-written by Smokey Robinson) and 1968's 'Cloud Nine,' signed with Motown in 1961.

© Getty Images

The Isley Brothers -

The Isley Brothers are famous for their impossibly long, successful, and diverse career that has spanned both numerous decades and labels. Although the Isley Brothers didn't stay with Motown for long, their time spent with the label between 1965 and 1968 helped land the group their second top 40 single and paved their way to true stardom.

© Getty Images

The Supremes -

By far, Motown's greatest success was The Supremes. The girl group that truly showed how influential and successful girl groups could be, headed by the one and only Diana Ross, was responsible for no less than 15 number one singles and 23 top 40 hits.

© Getty Images

Lionel Richie -

One of the label's greatest post-1960s successes started with a charismatic and successful soul-funk group called The Commodores. One member in particular, Lionel Richie, broke out on his own in 1982, eventually releasing 'Can't Slow Down,' which has remained one of the best-selling albums of all time.

© Getty Images

Erykah Badu -

The godmother and reigning queen of neo-soul, Erykah Badu released her second album, 2000's 'Mama's Gun,' through Motown Records. The record quickly went platinum, and was one of Motown's final glorious successes as an independent record label.

© Getty Images

The end of independence -

In 2005, Motown Records was swallowed up by label behemoth Universal Music Group after over four decades of independence and earth-shattering success. Although at times under the umbrellas of MCA Records or PolyGram, Motown retained its independent spirit and autonomous creativity until the Universal buyout, after which they oversaw bands from unfamiliar genres like pop-punk and heavy metal.

© Getty Images

Motown's chart-topping legacy -

Motown Records helped define the sounds of more than one generation, and the label has had a lasting impact on music that still makes itself known in the new sounds of today.

See also: The greatest hits of Aretha Franklin's life

© Getty Images