Artist · chart history
Smokey Robinson
Solo artist Detroit United States
Smokey Robinson is an artist from Detroit. Smokey Robinson has 4 chart appearances on 3 radio countdowns from 3 stations on RockLists, spanning 2001–2010. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “Tears of a Clown”, which appears on 2 lists with a best position of #278. The station that charted Smokey Robinson most often is WFPK (Louisville, KY), with 2 appearances.
Smokey Robinson, born in Detroit in 1940, had the sweetest, most aching falsetto in soul, and a songwriter's gift to match. He founded and fronted the Miracles, a vocal group that started out in 1955 as the Five Chimes, and he wrote and produced for them too, making them one of Motown's pioneering acts. "Tracks of My Tears" and "Ooh Baby Baby" turn heartbreak into velvet.
In 1972 he stepped away from the group to concentrate on being Motown's vice president, but he couldn't stay off the mic, and by the following year he was back as a solo artist. "Cruisin'" is a slow, dreamy seduction floating on that feathery voice. He finally left Motown in 1999.
The honors have piled up: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, a Grammy Legend Award in 1990, a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1999, the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize in 2016, plus the Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for his solo work in 1983 and one with the Miracles in 2009.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs by Smokey Robinson on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tears of a Clown | 2 | #278 | – | – | |
| 2 | Cruisin' | 1 | #111 | – | – | |
| 3 | Shop Around | 1 | #1014 | – | – |
Featured on
Songs by other artists credited with Smokey Robinson as a guest.
Every countdown appearance
| Year | # | Song | Countdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 111 | Cruisin' | WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) |
| 2007 | 446 | Tears of a Clown | WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time |
| 2001 | 278 | Tears of a Clown | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time |
| 2001 | 1014 | Shop Around | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time |
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