Superstition by Stevie Wonder
What a year to be born, when the brilliance of Stevie Wonder was at its heights, as evidenced by this funky masterpiece which still sounds sparkling and new every time I hear it. Growing up in the '80s, Stevie wasn't associated with cool--he was Ebony & Ivory and I Just Called To Say I Love You and lampooned on Saturday Night Live by Eddie Murphy.
I had no awareness of this song or any of his other work from the '60s and '70s until I tagged along with a friend from work in the mid '90s to a local band playing on campus at University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse (I think). My memory is hazy-I can't tell you that band's name, I can't exactly recall the venue and this was on a night of pure sobriety (okay, it had to be on the UWL campus--where else in Wisconsin would you be able to attend a show and not be able to drink beer, but I'm digressing). What I do distinctly remember is the song that served as the intro to let us know the band was going to be coming on stage soon. While it got everyone in the crowd moving and grooving, ultimately, it overshadowed anything the band played that night and when I discovered it was Stevie Wonder-well, it just about blew my mind. It spurred me on to discover his back catalog of songs and albums and damn if it hasn't been about the most enjoyable journey I've experienced--there's a strong argument that his five consecutive albums from 1972-76 is the best run a modern musical act has ever had.
So, thank you forgettable underground local band for opening my ears to one of the masters of the craft, if not for you, my musical palette would be much less joyful.
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