# In Appreciation of Stevie Wonder

- Link: https://www.timprobst.com/2023/02/09/in-appreciation-of-stevie-wonder/
- Published: 2023-02-09T19:43:43-06:00
- Author: Tim Probst

One of the benefits of having children is not being completely ignorant of the newer
artists featured during the Grammys each year. This year’s broadcast had many great
performances, but in this post, I want to focus on Stevie Wonder.

The Grammys tends to trot out older musicians, and yes, Stevie is older, but you
would never know it. The guy is 72, and his voice and piano work are still exceptional
and fresh. He put on a hell of a show and showed all of us how it’s done.

This brings me to the point of this post. I’ve always said that if I went through
with becoming a music teacher instead of studying finance, I would play music constantly
as part of my teaching. I feel like this was a massive failure of the teachers I
had through high school. We have recordings of everything. Why not use them? So,
this is my way of helping share some amazing music while Stevie is still with us
and performing at an insanely high level.

Between 1972 and 1976, Stevie Wonder produced a string of four straight albums that
all can be considered once-in-a-career great albums: “Talking Book,” “Innervisions,”“
Fulfillingness’ First Finale,” and “Songs in the Key of Life.” Seriously, how does
one guy put together a streak like this?

Following are my two favorite songs from each of these albums. Take some time to
listen to the incredible music, and then go back and read the lyrics in the context
of the early ’70’s. Stevie wasn’t just making great grooves. He was trying to tell
us something.