Song · Stevie Wonder
“Higher Ground” by Stevie Wonder
From the album Innervisions (1973)
“Higher Ground” by Stevie Wonder appears on 14 radio countdowns from 8 stations between 2001 and 2026. It was first released in 1973 on the album Innervisions. Its best result is #177 on the 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #492 indie & aaa song of all time and #176 of the '70s.
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Stevie Wonder knocked out "Higher Ground" in one three-hour rush of inspiration in May 1973, writing and recording it in a single burst, and it landed on Innervisions that summer. He wrote it, arranged it and produced it himself, and the funk here is tight, rubbery and relentless, a groove that sounds like it could run all night without breaking a sweat.
The song is about reincarnation, about getting another go-round at life and a chance to get it right. Wonder later told The New York Times he'd written it before his accident, yet felt something had been warning him a change was coming, and afterward it seemed to him like his own second chance. The album cut carries an extra verse and runs half a minute longer than the single.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 762 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2001 | 1871 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2007 | 767 | WTMD | WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time | 897 |
| 2009 | 705 | WYEP | WYEP 913 Essential Songs | 913 |
| 2014 | 494 | WXPN | WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) | 885 |
| 2019 | 594 | WYEP | WYEP Big Spring Countdown 2019 | 1017 |
| 2019 | 594 | WYEP | WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019 | 1099 |
| 2020 | 731 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
| 2022 | 177 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s | 908 |
| 2022 | 271 | KEXP | KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) | 491 |
| 2022 | 254 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Colorado Sound Songs of All Time | 1055 |
| 2023 | 911 | WYEP | WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 | 1229 |
| 2025 | 744 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs | 800 |
| 2026 | 833 | KXT | KXT 917 Song Countdown | 917 |
| 2026 | 583 | WYEP | WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time | 1180 |
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