Stevie Wonder Hits Major Milestone with 100 Million Records Sold Over Six Decades

Musical giant Stevie Wonder has reached the 100 million mark in sales. His work spans 60 years, with 30 of his songs reaching the top charts.

At age 11, he began his music career when he signed with Motown in 1961 as Little Stevie Wonder. Berry Gordy once said, "When I first met Stevie, I knew he was a wonder, and he proved me right over and over again. One of the most brilliant people I have ever seen. It has been wonderful to watch him mature as a person and musically from 'Little' Stevie Wonder to the musical genius and humanitarian he is today."

Wonder made history in 1971. He became the first Motown artist with full control of his work. His albums from the 1970s, including Talking Book, Innervisions, and Fulfillingness First Finale, brought him waves of success and earned him multiple awards.

Even today, his music still pulls big numbers. On Spotify, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" gets 264,656 daily plays. "Superstition" draws another 218,564 listeners each day.

Born blind, Wonder mastered many instruments, including piano, drums, bass, and harmonica. His sound mixes soul with catchy pop beats.

His work goes past just making music. His song "Happy Birthday" from 1980 pushed for change. It helped turn Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday into a national day off. In an interview with Rolling Stone in 1986, Wonder shared: "I had a vision of the Martin Luther King Birthday as a national holiday. I wrote about it because I imagined it, and I saw it, and I believed it. So I just kept that in my mind till it happened."

In recognition of his contributions, the White House awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014. They praised his unique mix of rhythm and blues with rock and reggae sounds.

New stars still draw from his work. John Legend said in a statement with The Grio, "Stevie is my favorite overall musician because he was producing and writing great original material for so long."

In 2024, Wonder received the George Peabody Medal for his impact on American music and dance. He still fills big venues across America and Europe with his shows.