Stevie Wonder - The Definitive Collection

Stevie Wonder | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 29, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 1963
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Motown
• ASIN: B00006JSS8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (126 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #365 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #1 in Music > R&B > Motown
  • #5 in Music > R&B > Classic R&B
  • #7 in Music > Music Deals > Box Sets at 30% Off

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Like the Beatles' The Beatles 1, this rundown of Stevie Wonder chestnuts is merciless in cutting a huge list of classic tracks down to a single disc's worth of the most recognizable. Anyone who's treasured even one or two of these songs and yet never bought a Wonder record will be more than pleased with the acquisition of The Definitive Collection. These records continue to ring with importance and history, but more important, all except two or three remain fresh and capable of surprising even veteran fans. Those listeners may note, though, that Wonder is among the few performers who could release a retrospective containing 15 No. 1 R&B hits and still invite the complaint that the album felt incomplete--not least in explaining how the man transformed himself from a multitalented teenage hitmaker into the funk-pop visionary of Talking Book, Innervisions, and Songs in the Key of Life. --Rickey Wright

Product Description

Compact Selection of Great Early Hits from the Former Boy Wonder of the Keyboard and Resident Genius of Berry Gordy's Motown Records.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this, May 5, 2007

By 

Joseph M. Siegler (Garland, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stevie Wonder - The Definitive Collection (Audio CD)

This is another in the list of CD's in my collection that you wouldn't expect a metalhead to have. I mean, the guy who runs Black Sabbath's website - liking Stevie Wonder?!? To be honest, before I bought this, when I thought of Stevie Wonder, I thought of three things. First, he's blind. Second, Eddie Murphy used to parody him on Saturday Night Live. Third, his song "Superstition", which I loved. That was it.

In April 2007, my stepfather died, and due to that, I had to head over to Men's Wearhouse to buy a suit for the funeral. While I was in there, I was getting fitted, and a song came on. I thought it was Will Smith's "Wild Wild West" from the (bad) movie of the same name. However, as it went along, I realized "Hey, that's not Will Smith". Listened some more, and said "That sounds like Stevie Wonder". Turns out it was, it was his song "I Wish". I was quite amazed. Not only did Will lift the main "riff", there was a lot of the same song structure. I then realized I was quite deficient in Stevie Wonder music.

Then I listened to it. I was quite amazed at how much of Stevie Wonder's music I actually knew! As I listened to more of the music, I realized I knew just about all of this stuff, just not by name. To be honest, when I sat down to listen, I thought this would be one of these knee jerk purchases I make, which I later go "Why did I buy this?" Not this one, I enjoyed it a lot, especially the more I realized I knew. It's hard to quantify his music - some might say "funk", but that doesn't seem right. I just know it's good music. Worth picking up.

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Single Disc Collection of Stevie Wonder's Hits, October 4, 2006

By 

Marc Axelrod (Potter, Wi USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stevie Wonder - The Definitive Collection (Audio CD)

It needs to be stated at the outset that Stevie Wonder has more than just 21 hits. But this cd brings together the best hits from the 1960s through the 1980s. They are also remastered with the best possible sound. You get "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)," "Superstition," "Living for the City," "Higher Ground, the anti Nixon "You Haven't Done Nothing," "I Wish," "Do I Do," "My Cherie Amor," and many more on one disc. Completists will wish the cd had room for "Isn't She Lovely, Frontline, Ribbon in the Sky, and a few others, but no one can quibble with what IS contained on this disc. You can always download the ones that are missing.

Stevie Wonder was the most soulful and funky singer of the 1970s. Your pop/rock collection isn't complete without this cd.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Music, November 1, 2002

By 

Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stevie Wonder - The Definitive Collection (Audio CD)

Stevie Wonder has had many greatest hits packages released during his forty year career. This new collection is the first single disk set that takes into consideration his earliest work until his final days as a major chart force in the mid 1980's. Most fans of Mr. Wonder will already have all of these songs, but no one can ever complain about the quality of the music. Some of these twenty-one songs are among the best songs ever recorded including the epic "Living For The City", the jazzy "Sir Duke" and reggafied "Master Blaster" and the rocking "Superstition". While Mr. Wonder was at his ultimate peak in the 1970's, the 80's tracks are very strong including the overlooked classic "That Girl" and the gorgeous "Overjoyed". Stevie Wonder was dubbed the 12-year-old genius, but through the years, his age may have changed, but his genius hasn't.