Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye came to Motown as a session drummer and reluctant pop star, and spent the 1960s delivering consistent hits (“Stubborn Kind of Fellow,” “How Sweet It Is,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” duets with Tammi Terrell) that made him one of the label’s most reliable acts. But he chafed against Motown’s assembly-line approach and the reluctance to engage with what was happening outside the studio.

“What’s Going On” (1971) was his insistence. Inspired by reports from his brother Frankie returning from Vietnam and from the atmosphere of protest, he wrote a concept album — Motown initially refused to release it — that addressed war, pollution, poverty and faith in a sustained, flowing suite of song. It became one of the defining records of the decade and opened the door for artists including Stevie Wonder to take the same kind of artistic control.

“Let’s Get It On” (1973) explored erotic love with equal depth; “I Want You” (1976) continued the exploration. He was shot and killed by his father on April 1, 1984, the day before his 45th birthday. For this graph, Gaye is the Motown artist who made the move from pop to psychedelic soul — the connecting bridge between the Motown sound and the more exploratory music of the 1970s.