Who Did It Better

Stevie OR Kirk?

Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder 1976

Sir Duke

Written by Stevie Wonder

Music is a world within itself
With a language we all understand

What's this song about ↓

Stevie Wonder's love letter to the musicians who shaped him. He wrote it as a tribute to Duke Ellington, but the song expands beyond any single figure to become a celebration of the entire tradition of Black American music. Sir Duke is not just Ellington. He is Basie, he is Satchmo, he is everyone who ever picked up an instrument and found a way to make it say something new. The horn chart that drives the song is a marvel, Stevie's way of proving that he could write for brass as well as anyone who came before him. The joy in the track is infectious, a master musician paying his respects to the masters who cleared the path.

That same tribute gets a gospel transformation in

Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin 2002

Variation A — side column

Stevie Wonder 1976
Kirk Franklin 2002

I already know

Play me a sample

Stevie Kirk

I need to be convinced

Variation B — left & right edges

Stevie Wonder 1976

I already know

Play me a sample

Stevie Kirk

I need to be convinced

Kirk Franklin 2002

Variation C — filled color-coded buttons

Stevie Wonder 1976
Kirk Franklin 2002

I already know

Play me a sample

Stevie Kirk

I need to be convinced

The Sunday Drop
One song. One story. Every Sunday.

No algorithms. No trending sections. Just a song someone loved and the story behind it. Delivered Sunday morning.

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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).

Full attribution breakdown →

Who Did It Better

Stevie OR Kirk?

Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder 1976
Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin 2002

Sir Duke

Written by Stevie Wonder

Music is a world within itself
With a language we all understand

What's this song about ↓

Stevie Wonder's love letter to the musicians who shaped him. He wrote it as a tribute to Duke Ellington, but the song expands beyond any single figure to become a celebration of the entire tradition of Black American music. Sir Duke is not just Ellington. He is Basie, he is Satchmo, he is everyone who ever picked up an instrument and found a way to make it say something new. The horn chart that drives the song is a marvel, Stevie's way of proving that he could write for brass as well as anyone who came before him. The joy in the track is infectious, a master musician paying his respects to the masters who cleared the path.

That same tribute gets a gospel transformation in

Variation A — side column

Stevie Wonder 1976
Kirk Franklin 2002

I already know

Play me a sample

Stevie Kirk

I need to be convinced

Variation B — left & right edges

Stevie Wonder 1976

I already know

Play me a sample

Stevie Kirk

I need to be convinced

Kirk Franklin 2002

Variation C — filled color-coded buttons

Stevie Wonder 1976
Kirk Franklin 2002

I already know

Play me a sample

Stevie Kirk

I need to be convinced

The Sunday Drop
One song. One story. Every Sunday.

No algorithms. No trending sections. Just a song someone loved and the story behind it. Delivered Sunday morning.

Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

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