Motown: A Tale of Two Cities – The Untold Story Behind the Hits

Berry Gordy outside Motown Records HQ in Detroit

The Origins of Motown: A Cultural Revolution Begins

We all know the Motown sound. We recognize the iconic voices and timeless melodies. But do we really know how it all began? Nestled in a modest two-story house at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan, Motown Records was born in 1959. Founded by Berry Gordy Jr., with an $800 loan and an entrepreneurial spirit shaped by years in the Detroit automotive industry, Motown quickly became one of the most influential record labels in music history.

Dubbed the “Sound of Young America,” Motown revolutionized pop, soul, and R&B music, crafting a sound that crossed racial boundaries and captivated audiences worldwide. Young, talented Black artists such as Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Temptations, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles were transformed from unknown neighborhood singers into global superstars—almost overnight. But behind the hits and glitz was a complex, and sometimes controversial, machine driving their success.

The Supremes performing on stage during Motown’s golden era

Behind the Music: Motown Myths, Truths, and Business Tactics

Motown Contracts: Control Behind the Curtain

Berry Gordy was a brilliant businessman—strategic, ambitious, and unwavering in his control over every detail of the Motown empire. From an artist’s image and interviews to the songs they sang, Motown Records managed it all. Many of Motown’s acts were young and inexperienced in the music industry. Most had little understanding of the contracts they signed, and legal counsel was rarely, if ever, present during negotiations.

Standard Motown practice at the time was to never allow artists to take contracts home—a strategy intended to prevent outside influence. Contracts were presented as take-it-or-leave-it deals. Once signed, artists were prohibited from writing or producing their own music. Instead, they were assigned to Motown’s in-house songwriting and production teams, who crafted songs tailored to the famous Motown Sound.

Royalty Disputes: Fame Without Fortune

Mary Wells, Recorded Live on Stage, 1964

One of the most controversial aspects of Motown’s legacy lies in its royalty structure. At the height of the label’s success, the standard artist royalty rate was just 2.7%, regardless of group size or seniority. Acts like The Four Tops and The Temptations had to split this percentage among four and five members, resulting in minimal payouts—even as their records topped charts worldwide.

These royalty rates rarely increased over time, leading to decades-long legal battles between Motown and its artists. In many cases, artists sacrificed royalties just to break free from their restrictive contracts. To make matters worse, performers were often required to pay for their own recording sessions—released or not.

The Jackson 5, signed in 1968, are a prime example. Their father, Joseph Jackson, signed a seven-year deal with Motown without fully reviewing its terms. Among the clauses: Motown had no obligation to record or promote the group for five years, and recordings were only compensated if released. Between 1969 and 1975, the group recorded 469 tracks—only 174 were ever released. When they broke contract in 1975, the Jackson 5 were forced to pay $2 million in damages, including costs for unreleased songs.

Name Ownership: The Price of Branding

Motown was notorious for controlling its branding. Artists didn’t just sign over their music—they often lost rights to their names and group identities. One tragic case is Florence Ballard, an original member of The Supremes. After being forced out of the group, she attempted a solo career but was forbidden from using the Supremes name due to Motown’s ownership. At the time of her death in 1976, Ballard was living in poverty despite being part of one of the most successful girl groups in history.

Similarly, the Jackson 5 name was owned by Motown, even though the group had coined it themselves, prior to signing with Motown. After their departure, they were legally required to rebrand as “The Jacksons” when signing with CBS Records. This was just one of many consequences of a contract signed without full legal review.

The situation was further complicated when Jermaine Jackson chose to remain at Motown, largely due to his marriage to Hazel Gordy, Berry’s daughter. Positioned as Motown’s new leading male star, Jermaine's solo career struggled due to a lack of promotional support—demonstrating once again how tightly Motown controlled its narrative.

The Move to los angeles: the Motown Empire Shifts

Motown Corporate Headquarters, Hollywood California

By 1975, Berry Gordy shifted his focus from music to film, moving Motown’s headquarters from Detroit to Los Angeles. His ambition centered largely around launching Diana Ross’s film career, including her breakout role in Lady Sings the Blues. While this move marked a new era for Motown, it also signaled the decline of the label’s classic roster.

Artists like The Miracles, The Four Tops, and The Supremes (without Ross) saw their careers stall as Motown reallocated resources and attention. Unless you were Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder—both of whom fought for and won creative control—many veteran Motown acts were left behind.

As newer trends in soul, funk, and disco emerged, many of the older Motown artists often sought refuge in other major labels like Atlantic or RCA, only to find that they were now considered “legacy acts,” assigned to underfunded “Black Music” divisions and lacking the “rock star” treatment they once received at Motown.

The Legacy of Motown: Innovation, Exploitation, and Influence

The Sound of Young America

While Motown created legends and shaped American music history, it did so with a heavy hand. The contracts, royalty structures, and branding control are now cautionary tales in the modern music industry. But they also reflect a time when Black musicians had few paths to mainstream success and were often forced to make difficult choices in pursuit of fame.

Motown’s influence is undeniable. From chart-topping hits to social change, the label helped redefine what it meant to be young, Black, and successful in America. But the stories behind the music reveal a deeper narrative—one that includes sacrifice, control, and hard-won freedom.

Motown is more than just a sound. It’s a story of opportunity and exploitation, talent and turmoil, and above all, a lasting symbol of Black excellence, resilience, and creativity in the face of adversity.