Stevie Wonder - Hotter Than July

Hotter Than July is Stevie Wonder's sunny, groove-packed 1980 return to pop form, and one of the warmest records in his remarkable catalogue.

Self-produced and brimming with confidence, the album balanced dance-floor joy with sharp social commentary. It also carried one of Wonder's most important causes, the campaign to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday, championed in the closing song.

Master Blaster (Jammin') is a buoyant reggae tribute to Bob Marley, and Happy Birthday became the rallying anthem of that holiday campaign. Rocket Love floats on lush strings and aching romance, while Lately is one of Wonder's most tender ballads, a quiet, piano-led study of suspicion and heartbreak that has been covered many times since.

Wonder's keyboards, synth textures and harmonica are all over the record, and his vocals move easily from playful to pleading. The grooves are bright and elastic, and even the heavier moments carry a sense of celebration. Coming after the experimental soundtrack that preceded it, the album felt like a joyful homecoming, reconnecting Wonder with radio and dance floors without sacrificing an ounce of his conscience.

It's a generous, big-hearted record that proves soul music can move the body and the conscience at the same time.