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Our Top 10 Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell Songs list looks at a dynamic duo of the Motown Era. When you think of famous duos they are probably one of the first pairs that come to mind. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell recorded three albums together. The duo had several hit songs together. They are responsible for singing some of the greatest love songs in music. In fact, some of us might have been conceived to one or more of their songs. Now that we have that sick image in your head, we will move on from that. Some of their hit songs include “You’re All I Need to Get By,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” “You’re Precious Love” as well as many others.
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell have contributed to singing some of the best duets in music. They have inspired other r&b duos to create music, but none compare to these two singers. Tammi Terrell dealt with a lot of health problems because she suffered from a brain tumor, but she pushed through and sang her heart out. Marvin Gaye was there to support her through everything. They are the true makings of a dynamic duo because they were there for each other. Our Top 10 Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell Songs list will feature their best songs.
# 10 – You Got What It Takes
The first song on our Top 10 Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell Songs list is “You Got What It Takes” from the album United. The song has an r&b sound. The unconditional love song is about loving someone despite their flaws. They love each other even though they aren’t perfect. They don’t have a lot of money. They don’t live in a beautiful place. None of those shortcomings matter because they are deeply in love with each other. They don’t want anyone else because they want each other. The couple will love each other no matter what happens. The song is relatable to people who are in relationships like this one.
If you have insecurities because you aren’t perfect, it’s good to know that your lover will still want to be with you. The dynamic duo describes how it feels to have unconditional love perfectly. They nailed the feeling exactly how it should be. They make you believe that you can have a love like this. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell sound like they were made to work together. This isn’t one of the first songs you think of when you think of this duo, but they put their hearts and souls into this song. They stay in character throughout the song. You can tell they are having a good time on this track. If they are having a good time, we are too.
# 9 – What You Gave Me
The next song on our Top 10 Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell Songs list is “What You Gave Me” from the album Easy. The song has an r&b beat. The heartbreaking song is about a couple who are no longer together. They believe in their hearts that they will get back together at some point. Neither one of them are happy apart so they want to work their way back to each other. They express how much the love they gave each other was enough to last. They will hold on to that until they are reunited. The former couple is choosing to be optimistic about getting back together. This is a good way to accept a breakup because there’s always a chance that you may get back together.
The song has an upbeat sound considering the couple isn’t together anymore. It has that classic Motown sound. It has the Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson stamp on it. You can hear small samples of their other songs echoing throughout the song. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell work their magic on this song. They make you feel the pain they are talking about in the song. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell make you want to see them reunite. Their tones are flawless on the track. Their voices blend well with the music. Their chemistry is off the charts.
# 8 – Good Lovin’ Ain’t Easy to Come By
The reflective song is from the album Easy. The song has an r&b beat. The memorable song is about how hard love is to find. You have to hold on to it because it’s not easy to find. They give you instructions on what you should do to hold on to love. People lose love all of the time for one reason or another. The dynamic duo gives you tips on what you can do to hold on to it. If you’re not sure if the one you love is worth fighting for, you should listen to this song. It will inspire you to hold on tight to that love.
Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson wrote a fantastic song about not taking love for granted. They insist you hold on to it because it’s not easy to find it. People are having trouble finding love so it’s not a good idea to throw it away. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell do an excellent job conveying the message that Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson were trying to convey. They wrote the right words for them to sing. The melody is similar to the other tracks they have written for Motown acts.
You might find yourself thinking about some of the other songs they have written for Motown acts. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell do an amazing job singing the lyrics. They bring the lyrics to life. They sound like a couple in love. Here is some trivia about the song. Tammi Terrell was dealing with a brain tumor while she recorded a lot of their songs. She had trouble recording this song without help. She proved that she was a trooper because you would never know that by listening to her angelic voice on this track.
# 7 – The Onion Song
The philosophical song is from the album Easy. The song has an r&b beat. The social song is about bad things going on in the world. They talk about the terrible things going on in the world. They talk about hate and violence that’s going on in the world. They use onion as a metaphor to change the world. The duo wants you to peel the onion to make the pain go away. They insist that the world plants love seeds. They want everyone to work together to get rid of the problems in the world. This is similar to the types of songs Marvin Gaye would go on to sing in his solo career.
Don’t let the title fool you. This is a deep song with a good message. The music is upbeat and it sounds like it’s a romantic track. Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson came up with a creative way to talk about making changes in the world. You would never know by the title what this song is about. It will give you something to think about while you’re listening to this song. We can’t stress enough how great Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell sound together. They truly are a dynamic duo. You can tell they are passionate about changing the world. They make you want to change the world and make it a better place. Here is some trivia about the song. The song was meant for Diana Ross before they were going to record it. They made the right decision to record it themselves because they did an amazing job on it.
# 6 – If I Could Build My Whole World Around You
The unrequited song is from the album United. The song has a soul and pop sound. The forlorn song is about a couple that wants to build their worlds around each other. They wonder what their relationship would be like if they could do that. They tell each other what they would do if they could build their worlds around each other. He tells her everything he would do for her and she does the same thing for him. They would tell each other sweet nothings about what they would do for each other. They want to make the world better for each other.
You can tell when you hear the first couple of bars that you are listening to a Motown jam. It has the same flair as the other Motown hits that have been released from the label. This is the type of song that won’t get old. It will always be a classic jam. They make you believe that they would do anything for each other. It’s easy to hear in their voices how much they care about each other. They have a back and forth throughout the song without ever missing a beat. They keep up with each other. This song helped paved the way for other r&b duets. This song is like a how-to guide on how to sing a duet in a way that allows both singers to shine.
# 5 – If This World Were Mine
The next song on our Top 10 Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell Songs list is “If This World Were Mine” from the album United. The song has a soul and r&b sound. The idealistic song is about what they would do if the world were theirs. They would give each other anything. They would make sure they were with each other forever. They call each other their inspiration. The duo expresses how much they love each other and would do anything for each other. The song is similar to our previous entry “If I Could Build My Whole World Around You.” The song has the same theme as that one. Once again they would do anything for their partner if the world were theirs.
The song will touch your heart and soul. This is the perfect song to play when you are with your lover. This song is excellent to use for a wedding or a proposal. You are most likely going to get the answer you want if you play this song. “If This World Were Mine” is the type of track that will bring tears to your eyes. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell do a splendid job with this track. There may not be a dry eye in the house when your hear their soul stirring vocals. The song became so popular that other artists have covered it. Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s version gave this song a new lease on life.
# 4 – You’re Precious Love
The heartfelt song is from the album United. The song has a soul and blues sound. The affectionate song talks about a couple in love. They believe their love came from up above. They express how much they love each other. Love songs don’t get much better than this. They believe that their lovers came from Heaven. They talk about how their love is rare. They want to show their appreciation for each other through this song. You will fall in love with the lyrics once you hear them. The lyrics describe a special type of love that comes around once in a lifetime.
The music is very romantic. The melody of the song is similar to Aretha Franklin’s song “Giving Him Something He Can Feel.” Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell sound like they are singing the lyrics to each other. There were reports that they loved each other when they recorded together. It makes sense if they were in love with each other because they sound like they are in love. The chemistry between the duo is impeccable. There couldn’t be a better pair that could record the song this way. Other people have tried, but none of them compare to their version of the track. They give each other room to shine on the track. The singers never try to step on each other’s toes in order to look better in the song.
# 3 – Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing
The longing song is from the album of You’re All I Need to Get By. The song has a soul and pop sound. The touching song is about two people who can’t be together the way they want to be. The song describes the feeling of how someone would feel when they aren’t with the person they love. They are miserable without the person they love. They look at the pictures on their walls and want to call out to them. They are disappointed when they don’t get answers. They talk about how they feel when the other one isn’t around them. They are unhappy when they are alone.
The song is written to make you think about your relationship. This will make you wish you were in love or want to hold on to it forever. Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson knew how to make you believe in love. The lyrics are moving without being too sappy. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell know how to make their lyrics come alive. They supported each other throughout the track. They shine bright like diamonds while they are singing together. You can fall into a trance listening to them sing. The title can describe their singing style. They are the real thing. They wrote the book on how to sing duets.
# 2 – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
The alluring song is from the album You’re All I Need to Get By. The song has a soul and pop beat. The uplifting song is about a couple who will do anything for each other. There’s nothing that would stop them from getting to each other. They said no mountain is high enough, no valley is low enough and no river is wide enough to keep them apart. He said that he set her free, but he promised he would get back to her no matter what happens. She lets him know that no bad weather would keep her away from him. She said her love is alive and well for him.
If you weren’t able to express how much you loved someone, these lyrics would be the best way to do it. They express how much they would do anything to get near each other. They make you believe in love. They bring joy to the song while they are singing. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell have explosive chemistry. You can forget they aren’t a couple while they are singing this song. Here is some trivia about the song. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell didn’t record this track together. They had separate recordings of their vocals. You would never know it because they sound like they recorded it at the same time.
# 1 – You’re All I Need to Get By
The number one song on our Top 10 Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell Songs list is “You’re All I Need to Get By” from the album of the same name. The song has a soul sound. The moving song is about a pair who finds strength in each other. They insist they are all they need to get through life. If you are a fan of Motown music or of the two artists on our list, then you are familiar with this jam. This song is just as popular today as it was when it was recorded. In fact, this song can still be heard on the radio.
The music will touch your heart. The vibe of the song is laidback. The music is perfect for slow dancing. Once again Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson captured the Motown sound perfectly. The music doesn’t dominate the song, but it’s just as good as the singing. It’s time to get to the vocals. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell struck gold on this track. They start the song off softly and they belt in the song. They sing their hearts out on this track. They leave nothing behind while they are singing the song.
They command you to sing along with them especially when they get to the catchy chorus. Unfortunately, this was a tough session for the duo. Tammi Terrell was battling illness because of a brain tumor. She recovered from surgery while they recorded this song. You would never know she was suffering in such a way while she was singing. Method Man and Mary J Blige used this song as a sample for their single “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By.” Their song helps keep this song alive.
Top 10 Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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