re: Sweet Soul Music

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How do you think Marvin Gaye stacks up against some of his contemporaries like David & Jimmy Ruffin, Levi Stubbs, Smokey Robinson, etc. My personal opinion is that he is a little below their level yet he seems to get more play and attention than they do. What say you ?

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I know this is a sports site that insists on rankings and champions ("All real Americans love a winner, and will not tolerate a loser"), but I try to avoid it on things like music and movies.

I like Marvin Gaye -- I would classify him more on the "sweet" side of R&B rather than the "bluesy" side, like most of the Motown singers.

The grittier soul singers generally recorded in the South. IMHO one of the best was the underappreciated Wilson Pickett -- I really like his phrasing; he never seems to make a wrong decision. If you must have a ranking and a controversial opinion, I certainly prefer Pickett to Otis Redding, who I've always found somewhat overrated.