Marvin Gaye released the Grammy-winning single “Sexual Healing” in the 1980s.
The song was released in 1982 as the lead single from Gaye’s album Midnight Love. It marked a major comeback after a difficult period in his personal and professional life, and its sensual lyrics were matched by a distinctive blend of soul, funk, electronic rhythm, and synthesizer-driven production. The recording was made partly in Belgium after Gaye relocated there.
“Sexual Healing” became one of Gaye’s best-known later songs and reached the top of the Billboard R&B chart as well as the Billboard Hot 100. At the 1983 Grammy Awards, it won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Instrumental Performance. The Grammy ceremony occurred in 1983, but the single itself belongs to the 1980s because it was released in 1982.