Marvin Gaye's acclaimed 1971 concept album is titled what?

Marvin Gaye’s acclaimed 1971 concept album is titled What’s Going On.

Released by Motown subsidiary Tamla on May 21, 1971, What’s Going On marked a major change in Gaye’s career. Instead of focusing primarily on romantic singles, he created a connected song cycle about war, poverty, racial injustice, drug abuse, environmental damage, and the search for compassion. The album’s narrative follows the perspective of a Vietnam veteran returning home to a troubled United States.

The project began with the title song, written by Renaldo “Obie” Benson, Al Cleveland, and Gaye. Motown executive Berry Gordy initially considered the recording too political, but its success persuaded the label to let Gaye complete an entire album on his own terms. Most of the album was recorded in Detroit, with contributions from Motown’s studio musicians, the Funk Brothers.

Listeners sometimes confuse the album with Gaye’s later titles Let’s Get It On or Midnight Love. Those are separate releases: Let’s Get It On arrived in 1973, while Midnight Love followed in 1982. What’s Going On is widely regarded as a landmark of progressive soul and socially conscious R&B.