🎵 1960s Classic Soul & Motown Wedding Songs
Celebrate timeless love and energy on the dance floor with these soulful anthems and romantic grooves.
Welcome to a new 1960s Wedding series:
1960s Soul & R&B
1960s Pop
1960s Rock & Pop-Rock
1960s Doo-Wop
1960s Folk & Country
1960s Jazz & Easy Listening
The 1960s marked a golden era for R&B and soul music. A time when Motown reigned supreme, and love songs were filled with emotion, rhythm, and sincerity. These timeless hits continue to fill wedding dance floors, cocktail hours, and slow-dance moments with unmatched energy and romance.
From Etta James’ At Last to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, these songs transcend generations, making them perfect additions to any classic-inspired wedding playlist.
Table of Contents
Cocktail & Dinner Songs – 14 songs
Dance Floor Favorites – 20 songs
Slow & Romantic Songs – 5 songs
Spotify Playlist – 39 songs
1960s Soul & Motown Wedding Songs
Cocktail & Dinner Songs
These smooth classics set a romantic, soulful tone for mingling and conversation.
Baby I Love You – Aretha Franklin
1967 - The song hit #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the R&B chart. Aretha’s sisters, Carolyn and Erma Franklin, provided the powerful and soulful backing vocals on the track, along with Aretha herself overdubbing on the chorus. It was featured in the 1990 film ‘Goodfellas’.
Baby I Need Your Loving – Four Tops
1964 - The song became their first Top 20 hit (peaking at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100) and their first million-selling single. A 40-piece string section from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra was brought in to give it a massive, lush sound.
Bring It On Home to Me – Sam Cooke
1962 - The song peaked at #3 on the R&B chart and #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Uncredited backing vocals were provided by then-unknown singer Lou Rawls. The track was originally released as the B-side to the single, “Having a Party”.
For Once in My Life – Stevie Wonder
1968 - Wonder’s producer radically changed the previously released ballad into the now-famous up-tempo, exuberant soul vibe. It peaked at #2 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts.
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) – Marvin Gaye
1964 - The song became Gaye’s biggest hit to date. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart. The song was successfully covered by James Taylor in 1975.
I Say a Little Prayer – Aretha Franklin
1968 - The song was originally written by the legendary team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David and was a major hit for Dionne Warwick in late 1967. Franklin’s cover gave it a gospel-like intensity that made it a soul standard.
L-O-V-E – Nat King Cole
1964 - The song peaked at #81 on the Billboard Hot 100. For the international release of the album, Nat King Cole recorded “L-O-V-E” and several other songs in multiple foreign languages, including Japanese, Italian, German, Spanish, and French.
My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder
1969 - Interesingly, the song was first titled “Oh My Marsha”, a girlfriend. “My Cherie Amour” is French for “My Dear Love”. It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wonder also recorded the song in several other languages, including Spanish (”Mi Querido Amor”) and Italian.
(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
1968 - The song was recorded just three days before Otis Redding’s tragic plane crash. It became the first posthumous single in U.S. history to reach #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts.
The Way You Do the Things You Do – The Temptations
1964 - After eight previous singles that failed to gain traction, “The Way You Do the Things You Do” was their first charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #11, and their first #1 on the R&B Singles Chart.
This Magic Moment – The Drifters
1960 - The lead singer on the song is none other than Ben E. King. The Drifters’ original version peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was covered by the group Jay and the Americans in 1968, which reached #6 on the Hot 100.
Wonderful World – Sam Cooke
1960 - The song was originally composed by Lou Adler and Herb Alpert. Cooke’s song made it to #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1986, it was used in a famous British TV commercial for Levi’s 501 jeans and went to #2 on the UK Charts.
You’re All I Need to Get By – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
1968 - The song was written and produced by the legendary songwriting and production team Ashford and Simpson, who also sang background vocals. It went to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent five weeks at #1 on the R&B Singles chart.
You’ve Made Me So Very Happy – Blood, Sweat & Tears
1967 - This song is actually a Motown original! It was first recorded in 1967 by soul singer Brenda Holloway. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.