The Tracks of My Tears

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"The Tracks of My Tears"
Hitsville USA (Studio A)
GenreSoul[1]
Length2:55
LabelTamla
T 54118
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Smokey Robinson
The Miracles singles chronology
"Ooo Baby Baby"
(1965) 		"The Tracks of My Tears"
(1965) 		"My Girl Has Gone"
(1965)

"The Tracks of My Tears" is a song written by

R&B song originally recorded by their group, The Miracles, on Motown's Tamla label. The Miracles' million-selling original version has been inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame, has been ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America and The National Endowment for the Arts at No. 127 in its list of the "Songs of the Century" – the 365 Greatest Songs of the 20th Century, and has been selected by Rolling Stone as No. 50 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", among many other awards.[2]
In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked the Miracles' original recording of "The Tracks of My Tears" as "The Greatest Motown Song of All Time".[3][4]

The Miracles original version

Background

"The Tracks of My Tears" was written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson (lead vocalist), Pete Moore (bass vocalist), and Marv Tarplin (guitarist).

In the five-LP publication The Motown Story, by Motown Records, Robinson explained the origin of this song in these words: "'Tracks of My Tears' was actually started by Marv Tarplin, who is a young cat who plays guitar for our act. So he had this musical thing [sings melody], you know, and we worked around with it, and worked around, and it became 'Tracks of My Tears'." Tarplin's guitar licks at the song's intro are among the most famous in pop music history.[5][6]

"The Tracks of My Tears" was a No. 2 hit on the

Cash Box described it as "a slow-shufflin’ pop-r&b tearjerker about a gal who has several regrets about losing her guy."[10]

The Miracles can be seen performing "The Tracks of My Tears" on their 2006 Motown DVD release, The Miracles' Definitive Performances.

Awards and accolades

"The Tracks of My Tears" is the Miracles' most honored and most covered song. It has been ranked at, or near the top of many "best of" lists in the music industry over the last 50 years, and has won numerous industry awards and accolades. The Miracles' original recording of "The Tracks of My Tears" ranked at No. 50 on

ASCAP) for Miracles members/composers Pete Moore, Marv Tarplin, and Smokey Robinson.[11]

Ranked by the

Jerry Leiber, and others as reported to Britain's Mojo music magazine.[12]
In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked The Miracles' original recording of "The Tracks of My Tears" as "The Greatest Motown Song of All Time."[13]

Personnel

The Miracles

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "The Tracks of My Tears"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Linda Ronstadt version

"The Tracks of My Tears"
Single by Linda Ronstadt
from the album Prisoner in Disguise
B-side"The Sweetest Gift"
ReleasedDecember 1975
Recorded1975
StudioThe Sound Factory, Los Angeles
GenreRock, country rock
Length3:12
LabelAsylum
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Peter Asher
Linda Ronstadt singles chronology
"
Heat Wave
"
(1975) 		"The Tracks of My Tears"
(1975) 		"That'll Be the Day"
(1976)

Background

In 1975,

UK Singles Chart.[19]

Ronstadt later scored another of her biggest hits with her 1978 single "

Ooh Baby Baby" which was a remake of the Miracles' hit single release precedent to "The Tracks of My Tears". Ronstadt and Smokey Robinson performed both "The Tracks of My Tears" and "Ooh Baby Baby" on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever
special broadcast on May 16, 1983.

Chart performance

Other versions

References

  1. ISBN 9781493064601
    .
  2. ^ a b "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. December 9, 2004. Archived from the original on June 21, 2008. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
  3. ^ "Rolling Stone picks Smokey Robinson and the Miracles track as greatest Motown song". March 30, 2021.
  4. ^ "The 100 Greatest Motown Songs". Rolling Stone. March 30, 2021.
  5. ^ "We Remember Marv Tarplin: Miracles Guitarist Dies at 70". EURweb.com. September 30, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  6. ^ "The Tracks of My Tears by The Miracles". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  7. ISBN 1-904994-10-5
    .
  8. ^ "WBMM The Miracles Facts". Gbelv.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  9. ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. July 10, 1965. p. 16. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  10. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 10, 1965. p. 14. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  11. ^ "WBMM Pete Moore Awards". Gbelv.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  12. ^ Gregg, Jonathan (July 12, 2000). "So, What Are Your Ten Best Songs of All Time?". Time.com. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  13. ^ "The 100 Greatest Motown Songs". Rolling Stone. March 30, 2021.
  14. ^ "RPM Top 40 Singles - September 5, 1965" (PDF).
  15. ^
    ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  16. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 8/28/65". Tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  17. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1965/Top 100 Songs of 1965". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  18. ^ "British single certifications – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – The Tracks of My Tears". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  19. ISBN 1-904994-10-5
    .
  20. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - March 13, 1976" (PDF).
  21. ^ "RPM Top 50 AC - February 28, 1976" (PDF).
  22. ^ a b "Song artist 414 - Linda Ronstadt". Tsort.info. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  23. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 2/28/76". Tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  24. ^ "Top Singles – Volume 26, No. 14 & 15, January 08 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  25. ISBN 0-89820-142-X
    .
  26. ^ Top 50 Adult Contemporary Hits of 1976
  27. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - July 15, 1967" (PDF).
  28. ISBN 0-646-11917-6
    .
  29. ISBN 1-904994-10-5
    .
  30. ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. September 18, 1993. p. 25. Misprinted as September 13.
  31. ISBN 1-904994-10-5
    .
  32. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (07.10–13.10)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). October 7, 1993. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  33. ^ "RPM 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. February 28, 1994. Retrieved August 7, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.

Bibliography

Coryton, Demitri; Joseph Murrells. Hits of the Sixties: The Million Sellers. p. 131.

External links

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