Who Did It Better
Blind from birth.
Signed to Motown at 11, had a number one at 13. Renegotiated his contract at 21 for complete creative control. Three consecutive Album of the Year Grammys; the only artist to do it. 25 Grammys total. Survived a coma after a 1973 car accident. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 1989. Kennedy Center Honors 1999.
About this song
Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing
Don't you worry 'bout a thing
'Cause everything's gonna be alright
"Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" is Stevie Wonder's instruction to stop solving problems that have not arrived yet. He wrote it in 1973 as a Latin-infused pep talk to someone who is anxious about a future that may never come. The song tells you to release the grip on outcomes, to trust that things will work out without your constant supervision. Stevie's voice carries the reassurance of someone who has survived enough worry to know that most of it was wasted.
John Legend covered it in 2005 and brought the same message to a generation that needed to hear it again. Stevie sang it with the urgency of a man who just figured something out. Legend sings it with the calm of someone who has been practicing the lesson for years. The reassurance is the same. The voice delivering it has just gotten older and wiser.
Formed in London in 1979.
Jean-Paul Bluey Maunick leads this acid jazz institution. Always There in 1991 was their breakthrough. Dont You Worry Bout a Thing. Their sound blended funk, jazz, and soul. A staple of the UK acid jazz scene for decades. His contributions to music remain essential listening today.
Cover preference
Stevie OR Incognito?
No wrong answer. Just yours.
Song Results
Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing
Image Credits
1,414 artist portraits across 5 genres (Rock, Jazz, Soul, Blues, Folk). 1,363 sourced from Wikipedia (Creative Commons / Public Domain), 50 from Deezer (promotional artwork).
