File format: MP3
Frequency: 44,100 khz
Genre: Soul, Psychedelic Soul, Funk
The Temptations are an American vocal group who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s; their work with producer Norman Whitfield, which started with the Top 10 hit single "Cloud Nine" in October 1968, pioneered psychedelic soul, and was significant in the evolution of R&B and soul music. The band members are known for their choreography, distinct harmonies, and flashy wardrobe. Having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are one of the most successful groups in music history.
Featuring five male vocalists and dancers (save for brief periods with fewer or more members), the group formed in 1960 in Detroit, Michigan under the name The Elgins. The original founding members were originally members of two rival Detroit vocal groups: Otis Williams, Elbridge "Al" Bryant, and Melvin Franklin of Otis Williams & the Distants, and Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams of the Primes. In 1964, Bryant was replaced by David Ruffin, who was the lead vocalist on a number of the group's biggest hits, including "My Girl" (1964), "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (1966), and "I Wish It Would Rain" (1967). Ruffin was replaced in 1968 by Dennis Edwards, with whom the group continued to record hit records such as "Cloud Nine" (1969) and "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" (1970). The group's lineup has changed frequently since the departures of Kendricks and Paul Williams from the act in 1971. Later members of the group have included singers such as Richard Street, Damon Harris, Ron Tyson, and Ali-Ollie Woodson, with whom the group scored a late-period hit in 1984 with "Treat Her Like a Lady".
Over the course of their career, the Temptations have released four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and fourteen R&B number-one singles, and their material has earned them three Grammy Awards. The Temptations were the first Motown recording act to win a Grammy Award - for "Cloud Nine" in 1969 - and in 2013 received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Six of the Temptations (Edwards, Franklin, Kendricks, Ruffin, Otis Williams and Paul Williams) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Three classic Temptations songs, "My Girl", "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", are among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The Temptations were also ranked at number 68 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of all time.
As of 2017, the Temptations continue to perform with one original member, Otis Williams, still in the lineup (Williams also owns all rights to the Temptations name).
1964 - Meet The Temptations (320 kbps)
1965 - The Temptations Sing Smokey (320 kbps)
1965 - Temptin' Temptations (192 kbps)
1966 - Gettin' Ready (320 kbps)
1966 - Greatest Hits (320 kbps)
1967 - Temptations Live! (320 kbps)
1967 - With A Lot O' Soul (192 kbps)
1967 - In A Mellow Mood (320 kbps)
1968 - The Temptations Wish It Would Rain (320 kbps)
1968 - Live At The Copa (192 kbps)
1969 - Cloud Nine (320 kbps)
1969 - The Temptations Show (192 kbps)
1969 - Puzzle People (320 kbps)
1970 - Psychedelic Shack (320 kbps)
1970 - Live At London's Talk Of The Town (192 kbps)
1970 - Greatest Hits II (320 kbps)
1970 - The Temptations Christmas Card (160 kbps)
1971 - Sky's The Limit (320 kbps)
1972 - Solid Rock (320 kbps)
1972 - All Directions (320 kbps)
1973 - Masterpiece (320 kbps)
1973 - In Japan! (192 kbps)
1973 - 1990 (320 kbps)
1974 - A Song For You (320 kbps)
1975 - House Party (160 kbps)
1976 - Wings Of Love (320 kbps)
1976 - The Temptations Do The Temptations (192 kbps)
1977 - Hear To Tempt You (192 kbps)
1978 - Bare Back (192 kbps)
1980 - Power (192 kbps)
1980 - Give Love At Christmas (192 kbps)
1981 - The Temptations (192 kbps)
1982 - Reunion (192 kbps)
1983 - One Night In London (192 kbps)
1983 - Surface Thrills (192 kbps)
1983 - Back To Basics (192 kbps)
1984 - Truly For You (320 kbps)
1985 - Touch Me (320 kbps)
1986 - Anthology (320 kbps)
1986 - To Be Continued... (320 kbps)
1987 - Together Again (320 kbps)
1989 - Papa Was A Rolling Stone (192 kbps)
1989 - Special (320 kbps)
1990 - 17 Greatest Hits (320 kbps)
1991 - Live In Las Vegas (192 kbps)
1991 - Milestone (320 kbps)
1992 - Motown's Greatest Hits (128 kbps)
1993 - Hum Along And Dance: More Of The Best 1963-1974 (320 kbps)
1994 - Emperors Of Soul (320 kbps)
1995 - The Best Of The Temptations (320 kbps)
1995 - For Lovers Only (320 kbps)
1997 - The Ultimate Collection (320 kbps)
1998 - My Girl (320 kbps)
1998 - Phoenix Rising (320 kbps)
1999 - Lost And Found: You've Got To Earn It 1962-1968 (192 kbps)
2000 - The Millenium Collection (320 kbps)
2000 - Ear-Resistible (320 kbps)
2000 - Psychedelic Soul (128 kbps)
2001 - At Their Very Best (320 kbps)
2001 - Awesome (320 kbps)
2002 - My Girl: The Very Best Of The Temptations (320 kbps)
2003 - Psychedelic Soul (192 kbps)
2004 - Love Songs (128 kbps)
2004 - Legacy (320 kbps)
2005 - The Original Mini-Series Soundtrack (128 kbps)
2006 - Reflections (320 kbps)
2006 - Soul Legends (128 kbps)
2007 - Back To Front (320 kbps)
2008 - Playlist Plus (128 kbps)
2008 - The Complete Collection (128 kbps)
2008 - Playlist Your Way (192 kbps)
2008 - The Definitive Collection (192 kbps)
2009 - Classic (128 kbps)
2009 - Merry Christmas (128 kbps)
2010 - Still Here (320 kbps)
2011 - The Singles Collection 1961-1971 (128 kbps)
2018 - The Origins (320 kbps)
2018 - All The Time (320 kbps)
