I’m fully aware that this article may come across as being a little (or extremely) corny.

Living in the age of the Internet, we’re saturated with overly sentimental fluff that has next to no meaning. Yet, if you can suspend your disbelieve and spend an hour and twenty minutes listening to Songs In The Key Of Life (1976), the following album review will make much more sense.

This album is an emotional journey from start to finish; Stevie Wonder rides highs unlike any singer of his generation while also bringing up hard-to-stomach truths that if explored by any other musician would be too depressing. Stevie is the quintessential counter-Orwellian, doing everything he can to shed light on the darker aspects of our world, while never losing sight of the simple goodness of family, friends, and music. Sentiments aside, Songs In The Key Of Life is also a triumph musically. Stevie is a musical prodigy, and it shows in every harmonica solo, every perfectly orchestrated beat and every note he sung.

Stevie Wonder has put out many great singles: “Superstition,” “My Cherie Amour,” “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” just to name a few, but I can state right here, right now with absolute certainty that the album Songs In The Key Of Life is the pinnacle of his career. While I wait for everyone to wrap their minds around that, I have a brief anecdote:

I saw Stevie Wonder perform on September 11, 2007. The concert was actually supposed to be the day before, but the venue was outdoors and there was a severe thunderstorm that led to the show being postponed. As everyone left the amphitheater the night of the storm, the mood was as ugly as the weather. But the following evening, there was a palpable giddiness in the crowd that bordered on euphoria. From the first word sung, the crowd was hanging on Stevie’s every word and note, and despite the fact that he couldn’t see the crowd itself, Stevie undoubtedly felt the energy and accordingly took his game to another level. What was clear throughout the show, however, was that Stevie Wonder is a completely different kind of human being. He speaks passionately and eloquently, genuinely cares about his fellow man and he has a pure joy in life that even the most callused, cynical people can appreciate.

It is precisely this infectious joy that makes Songs In The Key Of Life so incredible and clearly elevates the album to the forefront of Stevie Wonder’s catalog. If you’re having trouble picturing what I mean by “infectious joy,” listen to the song “Isn’t She Lovely” on Songs. The song is about the birth of Stevie’s daughter and the raw emotion is on full display. Now you might be thinking, “What makes Stevie’s ‘joy’ so different from anyone else’s? Surely, Stevie Wonder can’t have been the first or last musician to be happy while singing.” The answer can be found in other tunes on Songs such as “Saturn” or “Joy Inside My Tears.” Stevie isn’t blindly optimistic like the early Beatles who just sang songs to dance to. Stevie confronts a world transfixed on suffering and violence with the simple, yet profound, ethos that nature of humanity is good. However, Songs In The Key Of Life, wasn’t one big “Kumbaya”; Stevie sung about racial inequality and the brutality of war with a cogency and direction the surpassed all but the best protest songs of 60’s. Songs like “Village Ghetto Land” and “Black Man” embody the commitment to social justice Stevie has had throughout his career.

Musically, this album showcases Stevie Wonder at his very best. Stevie plays almost every instrument on nearly every track, which in and of itself is an achievement, but when you take into account how well he plays coupled with the fact that he’s blind it makes your head spin. “Have A Talk With God” is a great example: Stevie played every sound you hear on the track, besides the backup vocals during the chorus. Stevie’s superb singing talents are also on full display throughout the album. Although there are many gems, I believe the song “As” best showcases his skills, in which he spends seven minutes shifting between the opposite ends of his vocal range.

Songs In The Key Of Life delivers exactly what the title promises. While the songs individually may be highly distinct and venture into countless different genres of music, the piece as a whole is a collective odyssey through life. This album is the Magnus Opus of an artist who has spent nearly his entire career at or near the center of the American zeitgeist and demands to played time and time again. Do yourself a favor: drop the fake, jaded outlook and spend some time seeing the world through the eyes of Stevie Wonder.