I Heard It Through the Grapevine topped the charts

December 28, 1968
Marvin Gaye’s song I Heard It Through the Grapevine hit number #1 on this date.

The song was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Strong came up with the idea and asked Motown writers Holland-Dozier-Holland to work on it with him. They refused to credit another writer, so Strong took it to Whitfield, who helped put it together. The song eventually became a Motown classic, but it had a rough start, as executives at the company thought it was too bluesy and lacked hit potential.

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