Editing Stevie Wonder (section)

== Career ==
=== 1960s: Singles as a youth ===
[[File:Stevie Wonder 1967 (1).jpg|thumb|Wonder rehearsing for a performance on Dutch television in 1967|alt=|273x273px]]

In 1961, at the age of 11, Wonder sang his own composition, "Lonely Boy", to [[Ronnie White]] of [[the Miracles]];<ref name="Werner-2004">{{cite book|first= Craig |last= Werner|title= Higher Ground|publisher= Crown Publishers|year= 2004}}</ref><ref name=Icon313/> White then took Wonder and his mother to an audition at [[Motown]], where CEO [[Berry Gordy]] signed Wonder to Motown's Tamla label.<ref name="blindfaith"/> Before signing, producer [[Clarence Paul]] gave him the name '''Little Stevie Wonder'''.<ref name="incubator"/><ref name="rsweek">{{cite web |first= Stacey |last= Anderson|magazine= Rolling Stone |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/week-in-rock-history-elvis-dies-at-graceland-95357|title=Week in Rock History: Elvis Dies at Graceland |date=August 15, 2011}}</ref> Because of Wonder's age, the label drew up a rolling five-year contract in which royalties would be held in trust until Wonder was 21. He and his mother would be paid a weekly stipend to cover their expenses: Wonder received $2.50 ({{Inflation|US|2.5|1961|r=2|fmt=eq}}) per week, and a private tutor was provided when Wonder was on tour.<ref name=Icon313>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YNae0zmGow4C&pg=PA313 |page=313|title=Icons of R&B and Soul|last=Gulla| publisher=Greenwood Publishing|year= 2008|isbn=9780313340468}}</ref>

Wonder was put in the care of producer and songwriter Clarence Paul, and for a year they worked together on two albums. ''[[Tribute to Uncle Ray]]'' was recorded first, when Wonder was still 11 years old. Mainly covers of [[Ray Charles]]'s songs, the album included a Wonder and Paul composition, "Sunset". ''[[The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie]]'' was recorded next, an instrumental album consisting mainly of Paul's compositions, two of which, "Wondering" and "Session Number 112", were co-written with Wonder.<ref name=Icon314>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YNae0zmGow4C&pg=PA314 |page=314|title=Icons of R&B and Soul|last= Gulla|publisher=Greenwood Publishing|year= 2008|isbn=9780313340468}}</ref> Feeling Wonder was now ready, a song, "Mother Thank You", was recorded for release as a single, but then pulled and replaced by the Berry Gordy song "I Call It Pretty Music, But the Old People Call It the Blues" as his début single;<ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VXSaGI4-SZ8C&pg=PA26 |page=26|title=Stevie Wonder: Rhythms of Wonder|first= Sharon |last= Davis| publisher= Robson| year= 2006|isbn=9781861059659}}</ref> released summer 1962,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8JRHnCMUVb8C&pg=PA194 |page=194|title=Motown: The Golden Years|first= Bill |last= Dahl|publisher=Krause Publications|date= February 28, 2011|isbn=9781440227837}}</ref> it almost broke into the ''Billboard'' 100, spending one week of August at 101.<ref>{{cite book|title=Sophomore slumps|page=176|first= Christopher |last=Golden|publisher=Carol Pub. Group|year= 1995}}</ref> Two follow-up singles, "Little Water Boy" and "Contract on Love",  both had no success, and the two albums, released in reverse order of recording—''The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie'' in September 1962 and ''Tribute to Uncle Ray'' in October 1962—also met with little success.<ref name=Icon314/><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V6Cu3SEKObkC&pg=PA27 |page=27|title=Stevie Wonder|first= Tenley |last= Williams|publisher=Infobase Publishing|date= January 1, 2002|isbn=9781438122632}}</ref>

{{quote box
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| quote = Most of these songs hit the charts in a big way before Stevie turned twenty-one [in 1971]. Because he's grown up fast, the love lyrics are less teen-specific than a lot of early [[Smokey Robinson|Smokey]], say, but the music is pure [[puberty]]. Stevie's rockers are always one step ahead of themselves—their gawky groove is so disorienting it makes you pay attention, like a voice that's perpetually changing. The ballads conceive [[coming of age]] more conventionally, and less felicitously. But he sure covered [[Tony Bennett]] better than [[the Supremes]] or [[the Temptations|the Tempts]] could have, now didn't he?
| source = —Review of ''Stevie Wonder's Greatest Hits Vol. 2'' in ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]'' (1981)<ref>{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=[[Ticknor & Fields]]|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: W|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=W&bk=70|access-date=March 9, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com|title-link=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies}}</ref>
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At the end of 1962, when Wonder was 12 years old, he joined the [[Motortown Revue]], touring the "[[Chitlin' Circuit]]" of theatres across America that accepted black artists. At the [[Regal Theater, Chicago|Regal Theater]], Chicago, his 20-minute performance was recorded and released in May 1963 as the album ''[[Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius]]''.<ref name=Icon314/> A single, "[[Fingertips]]", from the album was also released in May, and became a major hit.<ref name=Tenley>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V6Cu3SEKObkC&pg=PA28 |page=28|title=Stevie Wonder|last= Williams|publisher=Infobase Publishing|date= January 1, 2002|isbn=9781438122632}}</ref> The song, featuring a confident and enthusiastic Wonder returning for a spontaneous encore that catches out the replacement bass player, who is heard to call out "What key? What key?",<ref name=Tenley/><ref name=Gilliland>{{cite web |author-link=John Gilliland|first= John |last= Gilliland |work=[[Pop Chronicles]] Show 25 – The Soul Reformation: Phase two, the Motown story [Part 4] |title=Track 5-Stevie Wonder|publisher= UNT Digital Library |url=http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19780/ |date=February 1969}}</ref> was a No. 1 hit on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] when Wonder was aged 13, making him the youngest artist ever to top the chart.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5740767/lordes-royals-crowns-hot-100|title=Lorde's 'Royals' Crowns Hot 100|first= Gary |last= Trust|magazine=Billboard|date=October 2, 2013}}</ref> The single was simultaneously No. 1 on the R&B chart, the first time that had occurred.<ref name=Tenley30>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V6Cu3SEKObkC&pg=PA30 |page=30|title=Stevie Wonder |last=Williams|publisher=Infobase Publishing|date= January 1, 2002|isbn=9781438122632}}</ref> His next few recordings were not successful; his voice was changing as he got older, and some Motown executives were considering cancelling his recording contract.<ref name=Tenley30/><ref name=McFerrin>{{cite web|accessdate=May 6, 2025|url=https://johnmcferrinmusicreviews.org/wonder.htm|title=Stevie Wonder:I'm Just Saying, For A Blind Guy He Sure Really Likes To Watch NBA Games|first=John|last=McFerrin|work=John McFerrin's Reviews of Music|date=July 13, 2018}}</ref> During 1964, Wonder appeared in two films as himself, ''[[Muscle Beach Party]]'' and ''[[Bikini Beach]]'', but these were not successful either.<ref>{{cite book|title=Stevie Wonder: Musician|first= Jeremy K. |last=Brown|page=36|publisher=Infobase Publishing|year= 2010}}</ref> Motown producer/songwriter [[Sylvia Moy]] persuaded label owner Berry Gordy to give Wonder another chance.<ref name=Tenley30/>

Dropping the "Little" from his name, Moy and Wonder worked together to create the hit "[[Uptight (Everything's Alright)]]",<ref name=Tenley30/> and Wonder went on to have a number of other hits during the mid-1960s, including "With a Child's Heart", and "[[Blowin' in the Wind]]",<ref name=Gilliland/> a [[Bob Dylan]] song, co-sung by his mentor, producer Clarence Paul.<ref name=pc50>{{Pop Chronicles|50|2}}.</ref> He also began to work in the Motown songwriting department, composing songs both for himself and his label mates, including "[[The Tears of a Clown]]", a No. 1 hit for [[Smokey Robinson and the Miracles]] (it was first released in 1967, mostly unnoticed as the last track of their ''[[Make It Happen (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles album)|Make It Happen]]'' LP, but eventually became a major success when re-released as a single in 1970, which prompted Robinson to reconsider his intention of leaving the group).<ref name=Tenley36>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=V6Cu3SEKObkC&pg=PA36 |page=36|title=Stevie Wonder |last= Williams|publisher=Infobase Publishing|date= January 1, 2002|isbn=9781438122632}}</ref>
[[File:I Was Made to Love Her - Billboard ad 1967.jpg|thumb|''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' advertisement, June 17, 1967]] 
In 1968, Wonder recorded an album of instrumental soul/jazz tracks, mostly harmonica solos, under the title ''[[Eivets Rednow]]'', which is "Stevie Wonder" spelled backward.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HISHiLVxVnIC&pg=PA13 |page=13|title=The Sound of Stevie Wonder: His Words and Music|first= James E. |last= Perone|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|date= January 1, 2006|isbn=9780275987237}}</ref> The album failed to get much attention, and its only single, a cover of Burt Bacharach's and Hal David's "[[Alfie (Burt Bacharach song)|Alfie]]", only reached number 66 on the U.S. Pop charts and number 11 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary charts. Nonetheless, he managed to score several hits between 1967 and 1970 such as "[[I Was Made to Love Her (song)|I Was Made to Love Her]]",<ref name=pc50/> "[[For Once in My Life]]" and "[[Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours]]". A number of Wonder's early hits, including "[[My Cherie Amour (song)|My Cherie Amour]]", "I Was Made to Love Her", and "Uptight (Everything's Alright)", were co-written with [[Henry Cosby]]. The hit single "[[Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours]]" was his first-ever self-produced song.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/aug/02/readers-recommend-playlist-songs-inspired-by-india|title=Readers recommend playlist: songs inspired by India|last=Boyland|first=George|date=August 2, 2018|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=August 7, 2018}}</ref>

In 1969, Wonder participated in the [[Sanremo Music Festival]] with the song "Se tu ragazzo mio", in conjunction with [[Gabriella Ferri]]. Between 1967 and 1970, he recorded four 45 rpm singles<ref>{{Cite web|title=Discografia Nazionale della canzone italiana|url=http://discografia.dds.it/scheda_titolo.php?idt=4174|website=discografia.dds.it|access-date=May 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Discografia Nazionale della canzone italiana|url=http://discografia.dds.it/scheda_titolo.php?idt=3971|website=discografia.dds.it|access-date=May 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Stevie Wonder – Se Tu Ragazza Mia / Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Da Day|url=https://www.discogs.com/it/Stevie-Wonder-Se-Tu-Ragazza-Mia-Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day/release/3684899|website=Discogs|year=1969 |language=it|access-date=May 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Stevie Wonder – Il Sole È Di Tutti|url=https://www.discogs.com/Stevie-Wonder-Il-Sole-Di-Tutti/release/1218611|website=Discogs|year=1967 |language=en|access-date=May 13, 2020}}</ref> and an Italian LP.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Discografia Nazionale della canzone italiana|url=http://discografia.dds.it/scheda_titolo.php?idt=4229|website=discografia.dds.it|access-date=May 13, 2020}}</ref>

Wonder's appearance at the 1969 [[Harlem Cultural Festival]] opens the 2021 music documentary, ''[[Summer of Soul]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://greenpleasantland.com|title=This Green and Pleasant Land|author=Greene, Bryan|publisher=Poverty and Race Research Action Council|date=June 2017}}</ref> Wonder plays a drum solo during his set.

=== 1970s: Classic albums period ===

[[File:Oberheim 4-voice prototype.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The first prototype of the [[Oberheim Four Voice]] synthesizer, as used by Wonder. The front panel still shows the [[braille]] labeling.]]

In September 1970, at the age of 20, Wonder married [[Syreeta Wright]], a songwriter and former Motown secretary. Wright and Wonder worked together on the next album, ''[[Where I'm Coming From]]'' (1971), Wonder writing the music, and Wright helping with the lyrics.<ref name=Davis>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VXSaGI4-SZ8C&pg=PA72 |page=72|title=Stevie Wonder: Rhythms of Wonder|last= Davis|publisher=Pavilion Books|year= 2006|isbn=9781861059659}}</ref> Around this time, Wonder became interested in utilizing synthesizers after hearing albums by [[electronic music|electronic]] group [[Tonto's Expanding Head Band]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stubbs |first1=David |title=Future Sounds: The Story of Electronic Music From Stockhausen to Skrillex |date=2018 |publisher=Faber & Faber |location=London|pages=177–179 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oa0wtAEACAAJ |access-date= May 10, 2019|isbn=9780571346974 }}</ref> Wonder and Wright wanted to "touch on the social problems of the world", and for the lyrics "to mean something".<ref name=Davis/> The album was released at around the same time as [[Marvin Gaye]]'s ''[[What's Going On (album)|What's Going On]]''. As both albums had similar ambitions and themes, they have been compared; in a contemporaneous review by [[Vince Aletti]] in ''Rolling Stone'', Gaye's was seen as successful, while Wonder's was seen as failing due to "self-indulgent and cluttered" production, "undistinguished" and "pretentious" lyrics, and an overall lack of unity and flow.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/where-im-coming-from-19710805 |title=Review: Where I'm Coming From and What's Going On |date=August 5, 1971|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|author-link=Vince Aletti|first= Vince |last= Aletti}}</ref> Also in 1970, Wonder co-wrote (and played numerous instruments on) the hit "[[It's a Shame (The Spinners song)|It's a Shame]]" for fellow Motown act [[The Spinners (U.S. band)|the Spinners]]. His contribution was meant to be a showcase of his talent and thus a weapon in his ongoing negotiations with Gordy about creative autonomy.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=The Very Best of Spinners |others=The Spinners |year=1993 |first=Kevin|last= Phinney |page=3 |type=CD booklet |publisher= Rhino Records}}</ref> Reaching his 21st birthday on May 13, 1971, Wonder allowed his Motown contract to expire.<ref>{{cite book|last=Posner|first=Gerald|author-link=Gerald Posner|title=Motown: Music, Money, Sex and Power|date=2003|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-0-375-50062-6|page=254}}</ref>

During this period, Wonder independently recorded two albums and signed a new contract with Motown Records. The 120-page contract was a precedent at Motown and gave Wonder a much higher [[Music Royalties|royalty]] rate.<ref name="rshrr80"/> He returned to Motown in March 1972 with ''[[Music of My Mind]]''. Unlike most previous albums on Motown, which usually consisted of a collection of singles, [[B-side]]s and covers, ''Music of My Mind'' was a full-length artistic statement with songs flowing together thematically.<ref name="rshrr80"/> Wonder's lyrics dealt with social, political, and mystical themes as well as standard romantic ones, while musically he began exploring overdubbing and recording most of the instrumental parts himself.<ref name="rshrr80"/> ''Music of My Mind'' marked the beginning of a long collaboration with [[Tonto's Expanding Head Band]] ([[Robert Margouleff]] and [[Malcolm Cecil]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tontosexpandingheadband.com/ |title=Tonto's Expanding Head Band |access-date=October 18, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00w7bly |title=Radio 4 Programmes – Stevie's Wonder Men |publisher=BBC |date=November 30, 2010 |access-date=September 13, 2011}}</ref> and with lyricist [[Yvonne Wright]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/writer/76500582/WRIGHT%20YVONNE%20LOWRENE |title=ACE Repertory |website=Ascap.com |date= |access-date=September 20, 2021}}</ref>

Released in late 1972, Wonder's album ''[[Talking Book]]'' featured the No. 1 hit "[[Superstition (song)|Superstition]]",<ref name="rsrg833">{{cite book|title=The New Rolling Stone Record Guide|title-link=The New Rolling Stone Record Guide|publisher=[[Random House]]/[[Rolling Stone Press]]|year=1983|isbn=0-394-72107-1|editor1-last=Marsh|editor1-first=Dave|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstoner00mars/page/556 556–557]|editor2-last=Swenson|editor2-first=John}}</ref> which is one of the most distinctive and famous examples of the sound of the Hohner [[Clavinet]] keyboard.<ref>{{cite web|title=The history of the Hohner Clavinet|url=http://www.clavinet.de/en/history.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090101090102/http://www.clavinet.de/en/history.html|archive-date=January 1, 2009|access-date=October 18, 2008|work=World of Clavinet}}</ref> ''Talking Book'' also featured "[[You Are the Sunshine of My Life]]", which also peaked at No. 1. During the same time as the album's release, Wonder began touring with the [[Rolling Stones]] to alleviate the negative effects from being pigeonholed as an R&B artist in America.<ref name="Werner-2004"/> His touring with the Stones was also a factor behind the success of both "Superstition" and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life".<ref name="rshrr80"/><ref>{{cite encyclopedia| title = Stevie Wonder – Biography| access-date = October 13, 2008 | encyclopedia = The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/steviewonder/biography/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060216164954/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/steviewonder/biography| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 16, 2006}}</ref> Between them, the two songs won three [[Grammy Awards]].<ref name="Grammy">{{cite web|title=Stevie Wonder – Artist Profile|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/stevie-wonder|access-date=January 13, 2020|work=Grammy.com}}</ref> On an episode of the children's television show ''[[Sesame Street]]'' that aired in April 1973,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1046111/ |title="Sesame Street" Episode 4.109 (1973) |work=IMDb.com |date=April 12, 1973 |access-date=October 13, 2008 }}</ref> Wonder and his band performed "Superstition", as well as an original called "Sesame Street Song", which demonstrated his abilities with television.
[[File:Stevie Wonder 1973.JPG|thumb|left|Wonder performing in 1973, during the early years of his "classic period"]]
Wonder's studio album ''[[Innervisions]]'', released in 1973, featured "[[Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder song)|Higher Ground]]" (No. 4 on the pop charts) as well as the trenchant "[[Living for the City]]" (No. 8).<ref name="rsrg833"/> Both songs reached No. 1 on the R&B charts. Popular ballads such as "Golden Lady" and "All in Love Is Fair" were also present, in a mixture of moods that nevertheless held together as a unified whole.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.rocksbackpages.com/article.html?ArticleID=3869 | title=Stevie Wonder: Innervisions | last=Kaye|first= Lenny | magazine=Rolling Stone | date=September 27, 1973 | author-link=Lenny Kaye}}</ref> ''Innervisions'' generated three more Grammy Awards, including [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]].<ref name="Grammy" /> The album is ranked No. 34 on ''Rolling Stone''{{'s}} [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/stevie-wonder-innervisions-1063199/ 
|title=''Innervisions'' ranked 34th greatest album by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=September 22, 2020|access-date=December 7, 2020}}</ref> Wonder had become the most influential and acclaimed black musician of the early 1970s.<ref name="rshrr80" />

On August 6, 1973, Wonder was injured in a serious automobile accident while on tour in [[North Carolina]], when a car in which he was riding hit the back of a truck.<ref name="rshrr80">[[John Rockwell|Rockwell, John]], "Stevie Wonder", in Miller, Jim (ed.), ''The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll'', [[Random House]]/[[Rolling Stone Press]], Revised Edition, 1980, pp. 364–368, {{ISBN|0-394-73938-8}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spinner.com/2008/08/29/twisted-tales-stevie-wonder-loses-two-more-senses-in-severe-car/ |title=Twisted Tales: Stevie Wonder Loses Two More Senses in Severe Car Crash |publisher=Spinner |date=August 29, 2008 |access-date=April 27, 2010}}</ref> This left him in a coma for four days and resulted in a partial loss of his sense of smell and a temporary loss of sense of taste.<ref>{{cite web | title = I heard that Stevie Wonder lost his sense of smell. Is that true? | access-date = October 22, 2008 | first = Gavin | last = Edwards | work = Rule Forty Two | url = http://rulefortytwo.com/secret-rock-knowledge/chapter-1/stevie-wonder-lost-his-sense-of-smell | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090106030029/http://rulefortytwo.com/secret-rock-knowledge/chapter-1/stevie-wonder-lost-his-sense-of-smell/ | archive-date = January 6, 2009 }}</ref> Despite orders from his doctor to refrain from performing, Wonder performed at a homecoming benefit for [[Shaw University]] in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], in November 1973.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ledbetter|first=Les|date=November 16, 1973|title=The Pop Life|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/11/16/archives/wonder-basks-anew-in-sunshine-of-fans-the-pop-life.html|access-date=July 19, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Shaw was facing financial difficulties, so Wonder, who was a member of the university's board of trustees, rallied other acts including [[Exuma (musician)|Exuma]], [[Labelle|LaBelle]], and [[the Chambers Brothers]] to join the concert, which raised more than $10,000 for the school's scholarship fund.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=December 13, 1973|title=Stevie Wonder's Friends Rally To Support Shaw U.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V7EDAAAAMBAJ&q=stevie+wonder+shaw+university+trustee&pg=PA25|journal=Jet|pages=25}}</ref>

Wonder embarked on a European tour in early 1974, performing in France at the [[Midem]] convention in [[Cannes]], in England at the [[Rainbow Theatre]] in London, and on the German television show ''[[Musikladen]]''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Stevie Wonder |first=Constanze |last=Elsner |year=1977 |page=[https://archive.org/details/steviewonder00cons/page/242 242] |publisher=Popular Library |url=https://archive.org/details/steviewonder00cons|url-access=registration |isbn=9780445043244 }}</ref> On his return to the United States, he played a sold-out concert at [[Madison Square Garden]] in March 1974, highlighting both up-tempo material and long, building improvisations on mid-tempo songs such as "[[Living for the City]]".<ref name="rshrr80" /> The album ''[[Fulfillingness' First Finale]]'' appeared in July 1974 and set two hits high on the pop charts: the No. 1 "[[You Haven't Done Nothin']]" and the Top Ten "[[Boogie On Reggae Woman|Boogie on Reggae Woman]]". The Album of the Year was again one of three Grammys won.<ref name="Grammy" />

The same year, Wonder took part in a Los Angeles [[jam session]] with ex-[[Beatles]] [[John Lennon]] and [[Paul McCartney]] that would become known as the bootleg album ''[[A Toot and a Snore in '74]]''.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.bootlegzone.com/album.php?name=mm9225&section=2| title = John Lennon & Paul McCartney – A Toot and a Snore in 74| access-date = February 18, 2007| work = BootlegZone| publisher = BootlegZone & François Vander Linden| archive-date = September 28, 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928141313/http://www.bootlegzone.com/album.php?name=mm9225&section=2| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first = Christopher |last = Sandford |author-link=Christopher Sandford (biographer) |title = McCartney | year = 2006 |publisher = Carroll & Graf |isbn = 978-0-7867-1614-2 |pages = [https://archive.org/details/mccartney00sand/page/227 227–229] |url = https://archive.org/details/mccartney00sand/page/227 }}</ref> He also co-wrote and produced the 1974 Syreeta Wright album ''[[Stevie Wonder Presents: Syreeta]]''.<ref>{{cite web| title = Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta | access-date = October 30, 2008 | work = allmusic | url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r68098|pure_url=yes}}}}</ref>

On October 4, 1975, Wonder performed at the historic "[[Wonder Dream Concert]]" in [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]], Jamaica, a benefit for the Jamaican Institute for the Blind.<ref>[[Timothy White (editor)|White, Timothy]] (2006), ''Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley''. Macmillan. {{ISBN|0-8050-8086-4}}. p. 275.</ref> In 1975, he played harmonica on two tracks on [[Billy Preston]]'s album ''[[It's My Pleasure]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/its-my-pleasure-mw0000874017#credits | title=It's My Pleasure - Billy Preston &#124; Album &#124; AllMusic | website=[[AllMusic]] }}</ref>

By 1975, at the age of 25, Wonder had won two consecutive [[Grammy Award]]s: in 1974 for ''Innervisions'' and in 1975 for ''Fulfillingness' First Finale''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hq1f922xR3MC&pg=PT56 |page=56|title=Awesome African-American Rock and Soul Musicians|first= David |last=Aretha|publisher=Enslow Publishers, Inc.|date= August 1, 2012|isbn=9781598451405}}</ref> In 1976, when [[Paul Simon]] won the Album of the Year Grammy for his ''[[Still Crazy After All These Years]]'', he wryly noted: "I'd like to thank Stevie Wonder, who didn't make an album this year."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wild |first1=David |title=Wild At The GRAMMYs: Joking With Stevie |url=https://www.grammy.com/news/wild-at-the-grammys-joking-with-stevie|website=GRAMMY.com |publisher=Recording Academy |access-date= May 7, 2022|date=December 2, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Paul Simon Wins Album Of The Year |url=https://www.grammy.com/videos/18th-annual-grammy-awards-album-of-the-year?page=14 |website=GRAMMY.com |publisher=Recording Academy |access-date= May 7, 2022|date=January 5, 2010 }}</ref>

The double album-with-extra-[[Extended Play|EP]], ''[[Songs in the Key of Life]]'', was released in September 1976. Sprawling in style and sometimes lyrically difficult to fathom, the album was hard for some listeners to assimilate, yet is regarded by many as Wonder's crowning achievement and one of the most recognizable and accomplished albums in pop music history.<ref name="rshrr80"/><ref name="rsrg833"/> The album became the first by an American artist to debut straight at No. 1 in the ''[[Billboard charts|Billboard]]'' charts, where it stood for 14 non-consecutive weeks.<ref>{{cite book|first= Zeth |last= Lundy |title=Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life |series=33 1/3|publisher=Continuum|year= 2007| isbn= 978-0-8264-1926-2|page= 16}}</ref> Two tracks became No. 1 Pop/R&B hits: "[[I Wish (Stevie Wonder song)|I Wish]]" and "[[Sir Duke]]". The baby-celebratory "[[Isn't She Lovely]]?" was written about his newborn daughter Aisha, while songs such as "[[Love's in Need of Love Today]]" and "Village Ghetto Land" reflected a far more pensive mood. ''Songs in the Key of Life'' won Album of the Year and two other Grammys.<ref name=Grammy/> The album ranks 4th on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/stevie-wonder-songs-in-the-key-of-life-2-1063229/
|title='Songs in the Key of Life' ranked 4th greatest album by Rolling Stone magazine|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=September 22, 2020|access-date=December 7, 2020}}</ref>

Also in 1976, Wonder heard about the demonstration of the Kurzweil Reading Machine, the first multi-font [[Optical character recognition|reading machine]] for the blind, on ''[[Today (U.S. TV program)|The Today Show]]'', and later became the user of the first production unit, beginning a long-term association between himself and [[Ray Kurzweil]].<ref name=raybio08>{{cite web  |title=A Brief Career Summary of Ray Kurzweil |url=https://www.kurzweiltech.com/aboutray.html |website=Kurzweil Technologies |date=2008 |access-date=16 July 2024}}</ref>

Until 1979's ''[[Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants"]]'', his only further 1970s release was the retrospective three-disc album ''[[Looking Back (Stevie Wonder album)|Looking Back]]'' (1977), an anthology of his early Motown period.

=== 1980s: Commercial albums period ===
The mainly instrumental soundtrack album ''[[Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants"]]'' (1979), was composed using an early music sampler called a [[Computer Music Melodian]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/sep/28/whats-that-sound-sampler| first=David |last= McNamee | date = September 28, 2009 | title =Hey, what's that sound: Sampler | newspaper =The Guardian }}</ref> It was also his first [[digital recording]], and one of the earliest popular albums to use the technology, which Wonder used for all subsequent recordings. Wonder toured briefly with an orchestra in support of the album, and used a [[Fairlight CMI]] sampler onstage.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Andy |last=Stewart|title=The Name Behind the Name: Bruce Jackson – Apogee, Jands, Lake Technology|url=http://www.audiotechnology.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/AT40_NBN_Bruce_Jackson.pdf |journal=Audio Technology |issue=40|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314212533/http://www.audiotechnology.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/AT40_NBN_Bruce_Jackson.pdf |archive-date=March 14, 2012 }}</ref> In this year Wonder also wrote and produced the dance hit "[[Let's Get Serious (song)|Let's Get Serious]]", performed by [[Jermaine Jackson]] and ranked by ''Billboard'' as the No.&nbsp;1 R&B single of 1980.

''[[Hotter than July]]'' (1980) became Wonder's first platinum-selling single album, and its single "[[Happy Birthday (Stevie Wonder song)|Happy Birthday]]" was a successful vehicle for his campaign to establish [[Martin Luther King Jr.]]'s birthday as a [[Martin Luther King, Jr. Day|national holiday]]. The album also included "[[Master Blaster (Jammin')]]", "[[I Ain't Gonna Stand for It]]", and the sentimental ballad, "[[Lately (Stevie Wonder song)|Lately]]".

In 1982, Wonder released a retrospective of his 1970s work with ''[[Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I|Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium]]'', which included four new songs: the ten-minute [[funk]] classic "[[Do I Do]]" (which featured [[Dizzy Gillespie]]), "[[That Girl (Stevie Wonder song)|That Girl]]" (one of the year's biggest singles to chart on the [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] side), "[[Front Line (song)|Front Line]]", a narrative about a soldier in the [[Vietnam War]] that Wonder wrote and sang in the first person, and "[[Ribbon in the Sky]]", one of his many classic compositions. He also gained a No. 1 hit that year in collaboration with [[Paul McCartney]] in their paean to racial harmony, "[[Ebony and Ivory]]".

Also in 1982, Wonder invited Raymond Kurzweil to his Los Angeles recording studio, Wonderland,<ref name="TheSynth">{{Cite book|title=The Synthesizer|last=Vail|first=Mark|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=2014|isbn=978-0195394894|page=76}}</ref> and asked if "we could use the extraordinarily flexible computer control methods on the beautiful sounds of acoustic instruments?" In response, and with Wonder as musical advisor, Kurzweil founded [[Kurzweil Music Systems]], which unveiled the [[Kurzweil K250]] in 1984.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kurzweil|first=Ray|title=The Age of Spiritual Machines|publisher=Penguin Books|isbn=978-0140282023|date=2000|page=127}}</ref><ref name=raybio08/>

In 1983, Wonder performed the song "Stay Gold", the theme to [[Francis Ford Coppola]]'s film adaptation of [[S. E. Hinton]]'s novel ''[[The Outsiders (film)|The Outsiders]]''. Wonder wrote the lyrics. In 1983, he scheduled an album to be entitled ''People Work, Human Play''. The album never surfaced and instead 1984 saw the release of Wonder's soundtrack album for ''[[The Woman in Red (1984 film)|The Woman in Red]]''. The lead single, "[[I Just Called to Say I Love You]]", was a No. 1 pop and R&B hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom, where it was placed 13th in the list of best-selling singles in the UK published in 2002. It went on to win an [[Academy award for best song]] in 1985. Wonder accepted the award in the name of [[Nelson Mandela]] and was subsequently banned from all South African radio by the [[Government of South Africa]].<ref>{{Cite news|title = Stevie Wonder Music Banned in South Africa|url = https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/27/arts/stevie-wonder-music-banned-in-south-africa.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = March 27, 1985|access-date = October 5, 2015|issn = 0362-4331}}</ref>

Incidentally, on the occasion of his 35th birthday, Stevie Wonder was honored by the [[United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1761|United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid]] for his stance against racism in South Africa that same year (1985).<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=abADAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13 |title=Wonder honored at U.N.|magazine=Jet|date=May 27, 1985|language=en}}</ref> The album also featured a guest appearance by [[Dionne Warwick]], singing the duet "It's You" with Stevie and a few songs of her own. Following the success of the album and its lead single, Wonder made an appearance on ''[[The Cosby Show]]'', in the episode "A Touch of Wonder", where he demonstrated his ability to sample.

The following year's ''[[In Square Circle]]'' featured the No. 1 pop hit "[[Part-Time Lover]]". The album also has a Top 10 Hit with "Go Home". It also featured the ballad "[[Overjoyed (Stevie Wonder song)|Overjoyed]]", which was originally written for ''Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants"'', but did not make the album. He performed "Overjoyed" on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' when he was the host. He was also featured in [[Chaka Khan]]'s cover of [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]'s "[[I Feel For You]]", alongside [[Melle Mel]], playing his signature harmonica. In roughly the same period he was also featured on harmonica on [[Eurythmics]]' single "[[There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)]]" and [[Elton John]]'s "[[I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues]]".

Wonder was in a featured duet with [[Bruce Springsteen]] on the all-star charity single for African Famine Relief, "[[We Are the World]]", and he was part of another charity single the following year (1986), the [[AIDS]]-inspired "[[That's What Friends Are For]]". He played harmonica on the album ''[[Dreamland Express]]'' by [[John Denver]] in the song "If Ever", a song Wonder co-wrote with Stephanie Andrews; wrote the track "I Do Love You" for [[the Beach Boys]]' 1985 [[The Beach Boys (album)|self-titled album]]; and played harmonica on "[[Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man|Can't Help Lovin' That Man]]" on ''[[The Broadway Album]]'' by [[Barbra Streisand]].

In 1987, Wonder appeared on [[Michael Jackson]]'s ''[[Bad (album)|Bad]]'' album, on the duet "Just Good Friends". Jackson also sang a duet with him entitled "Get It" on Wonder's 1987 album ''[[Characters (Stevie Wonder album)|Characters]]''. This was a minor hit single, as were "Skeletons" and "You Will Know". Wonder played harmonica on a remake of his own song, "Have a Talk with God" (from ''[[Songs in the Key of Life]]'' in 1976), on [[Jon Gibson (Christian musician)|Jon Gibson]]'s album ''Body & Soul'' (1989).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/body-soul-mw0000921534|title = Body & Soul – Jon Gibson &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |website = [[AllMusic]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/podcast_frontline-records_rewind-44-jon-gibson-talks-ab_1000336528628 | title=REWIND 44: Jon Gibson talks about songs from his latest album "Storyteller" and plays a few of them live for us. Jon tells of his father's near death conversion experience and is joined by his two boys for a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Have a Ta | date=February 27, 2015 |author=Frontline Records}}</ref>

=== 1990s: ''Jungle Fever'' and 1996 Olympics ===
[[File:StevieWonderGrammyAwards.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright|Wonder backstage at the [[1990 Grammy Awards]]]]
[[File:Stevie Wonder 1994.jpg|thumb|upright|Wonder in 1994]]

Wonder continued to release new material, but at a slower pace. He recorded a soundtrack album for [[Spike Lee]]'s film ''[[Jungle Fever]]'' in 1991. From this album, singles and videos were released for "Gotta Have You", "Fun Day" (remix only), "These Three Words" and "Jungle Fever". The B-side to the "Gotta Have You" single was "Feeding Off The Love of the Land", which was played during the end credits of the movie ''Jungle Fever'' but was not included on the soundtrack. A piano and vocal version of "Feeding Off The Love of the Land" was also released on the ''[[Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal]]'' compilation. ''[[Conversation Peace]]'' and the live album ''[[Natural Wonder]]'' were released in the 1990s.<ref name="Pete Lewis">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/333/stevies_in_town/ |title=Stevie Wonder interview by Pete Lewis |magazine=Blues & Soul |date=March 1995 |access-date=September 18, 2010 |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107080549/http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/333/stevies_in_town/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1992, Wonder went to perform at [[Panafest]], a new international festival of music held biennially in [[Ghana]]; it was during this trip that he composed many of the songs featured on ''Conversation Peace'', and he would describe in a 1995 interview the powerful impact his visit to that country had: "I'd only been there for 18 hours when I decided I'd eventually move there permanently."<ref name="Pete Lewis" /><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c1U2WpNdn8MC&pg=PA78|title=Stevie Wonder: Musician|first=Jeremy K. |last=Brown|publisher=Infobase Publishing|date= 2010|isbn=9781438134222|pages=78–79}}</ref> In 1994, as co-chair of Panafest that year,<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p43DLXc4A8oC&q=Panafest+1994+&pg=PA197|title=Controversies in Tourism|editor-first=Omar|editor-last=Moufakkir|editor2=Peter M. Burns|chapter=The Golden Jubilee of Independence and Panafest in Ghana: 'All that glitters is not Gold'|first=E.|last=Addo|publisher=CABI (CAB International)|date=2012|isbn= 9781845938130|page=197}}</ref> he headlined a concert at the [[National Theatre of Ghana|National Theatre]] in [[Accra]], capital city of Ghana.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/213814898.pdf|title=Gateway To Africa: The Pilgrimage Tourism of Diaspora Africans to Ghana|page=72|first=Ann|last=Reed|publisher=Department of Anthropology, Indiana University|date=July 2006|access-date=May 7, 2022}}</ref>

Among his other activities, Wonder played harmonica on the track "[[Deuce (song)|Deuce]]" (sung by [[Lenny Kravitz]]) for the 1994 tribute album ''[[Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved]]'';<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RQgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12 |magazine=Billboard|title=Stars Kiss Up on Forthcoming Mercury Tribute Compilation|first=Jim |last= Bessman|author-link=Jim Bessman|date=April 23, 1994|page=12}}</ref> sang at the [[1996 Summer Olympics closing ceremony]];<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/olympics/daily/aug/05/close5.htm |title=A Curtain Call in Atlanta|access-date=November 17, 2008 |first= Jennifer |last=  Frey|author-link=Jennifer Frey|date=August 5, 1996 |work=WashingtonPost.com}}</ref> collaborated in 1997 with [[Babyface (musician)|Babyface]] on "[[How Come, How Long]]", a song about domestic violence that was nominated for a Grammy Award;<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bT1jf8PcqAUC&pg=PA995 |page=995|title=Icons of Black America: Breaking Barriers and Crossing Boundaries, Volume 1|first= Matthew C. |last= Whitaker|author-link=Matthew C. Whitaker|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year= 2011|isbn=9780313376429}}</ref> and played harmonica on [[Sting (musician)|Sting]]'s 1999 "[[Brand New Day (Sting album)|Brand New Day]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tower.com/brand-new-day-sting-cd/wapi/105943193 |title=Brand New Day (Import) (CD) |access-date=November 17, 2008 |work=Tower.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104235831/http://www.tower.com/brand-new-day-sting-cd/wapi/105943193 |archive-date=January 4, 2009 }}</ref> In early 1999, Wonder performed in the [[Super Bowl XXXIII halftime show]].<ref>{{cite web |title=26 Super Bowl Halftime Shows Ranked, Including Lady Gaga (Videos) |url=https://www.thewrap.com/26-super-bowl-halftime-shows-ranked-gaga-timberlake/ |website=[[TheWrap]] |first=Jeremy |last=Fuster|access-date=14 February 2020 |date= February 4, 2018}}</ref>

In May 1999, [[Rutgers University]] presented Wonder with an [[Doctor of Fine Arts|honorary doctorate degree in fine arts]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Newman |first1=Andy |title=Commencements; At Rutgers, a Graduate Is Not That Young at 15 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/20/nyregion/commencements-at-rutgers-a-graduate-is-not-that-young-at-15.html |access-date=August 23, 2020 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 20, 1999}}</ref> In December 1999, Wonder announced that he was interested in pursuing an [[visual prosthesis|intraocular retinal prosthesis]] to partially restore his sight.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stevie Wonder hoping for experimental eye surgery |url=http://archives.cnn.com/1999/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/03/stevie.wonder/ |access-date=June 4, 2007 |date=December 3, 1999 |publisher=CNN |archive-date=April 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411215941/http://archives.cnn.com/1999/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/03/stevie.wonder/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Into the 21st century: Later career and collaborations ===
In 2000, Wonder contributed two new songs to the soundtrack for [[Spike Lee]]'s ''[[Bamboozled]]'' album ("Misrepresented People" and "Some Years Ago").<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r500165|pure_url=yes}}|title=Bamboozled – Overview|work=allmusic|access-date=November 17, 2008}}</ref> Wonder continues to record and perform; though mainly occasional appearances and guest performances, he did do two tours, and released one album of new material, 2005's ''[[A Time to Love (album)|A Time to Love]]''. In June 2006, Wonder made a guest appearance on [[Busta Rhymes]]' album ''[[The Big Bang (Busta Rhymes album)|The Big Bang]]'', on the track "Been through the Storm". He sings the refrain and plays the piano on the [[Dr. Dre]]- and [[Sha Money XL]]–produced track. He appeared again on the last track of [[Snoop Dogg]]'s 2006 album ''[[Tha Blue Carpet Treatment]]'', "Conversations". The song is a remake of "Have a Talk with God" from ''[[Songs in the Key of Life]]''. In 2006, Wonder staged a duet with [[Andrea Bocelli]] on the latter's album ''[[Amore (Andrea Bocelli album)|Amore]]'', offering harmonica and additional vocals on "Canzoni Stonate". Wonder also performed at Washington, D.C.'s 2006 ''[[A Capitol Fourth]]'' celebration.

His other key appearances include performing at the opening ceremony of the [[2002 Winter Paralympics]] in [[Salt Lake City]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://2002.ksl.com/news-6822i.php?p=0/ |title=Opening Ceremony Kicks Off Paralympics |access-date=October 12, 2008 |date=March 7, 2002 |work=KSL.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927132237/http://2002.ksl.com/news-6822i.php?p=0%2F |archive-date=September 27, 2011 }}</ref> the 2005 [[Live 8 concert, Philadelphia|Live 8 concert in Philadelphia]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedp.com/article/2005/07/philadelphia_basking_in_afterglow_of_live_8 |title=Philadelphia basking in afterglow of Live 8|first=Marissa |last=Montenegro |access-date=June 8, 2023 |date=July 7, 2005 |work=[[The Daily Pennsylvanian]]}}</ref> the pre-game show for [[Super Bowl XL]] in 2006,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/showtime-at-the-super-bowl/|title=Showtime At The Super Bowl|website=CBS News|date=February 5, 2006|access-date=December 2, 2023}}</ref> the [[We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial|Obama Inaugural Celebration]] in 2009,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2009/scene/markets-festivals/we-are-one-the-obama-inaugural-celebration-1200473270/|title=We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration|access-date=December 2, 2023|date=January 18, 2009|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|last=Gallo |first=Phil}}</ref> and the opening ceremony of the [[2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games]] in [[Athens]], Greece.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoERPM45M8I |title=Stevie Wonder & Vanessa Willliams in Athens Special Olympics 2011.mp4 |publisher=BestOfGreeceOfficial |access-date=December 2, 2023|via=YouTube|date=June 26, 2011 }}</ref>

[[File:Stevie Wonder 2.jpg|alt=Wonder speaking into a microphone|thumb|Wonder in 2006]]

Wonder's first new album in 10 years, ''[[A Time to Love (album)|A Time to Love]]'', was released in October 2005 to lower sales than previous albums, and lukewarm reviews—most reviewers appearing frustrated at the end of the long delay to get an album that mainly copied the style of Wonder's "classic period" without doing anything new.<ref>{{cite book|page=87|title=Stevie Wonder: Musician|first= Jeremy K. |last= Brown|publisher=Infobase Publishing|year= 2010}}</ref> The first single, "[[So What the Fuss]]", was released in April. A second single, "[[From the Bottom of My Heart (Stevie Wonder song)|From the Bottom of My Heart]]", was a hit on adult-contemporary [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] radio. The album also featured a duet with [[India Arie]] on the title track "A Time to Love".

Wonder did a 13-date tour of North America in 2007, starting in [[San Diego]] on August 23; this was his first U.S. tour in more than 10 years.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/stevie-wonder-announces-thirteen-date-tour-with-surprise-los-angeles-concert-20070802|title=Stevie Wonder Announces Thirteen-Date Tour|last=Wood|first=Mikael|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=August 2, 2007}}</ref> On September 8, 2008, he started the European leg of his Wonder Summer's Night Tour, the first time he had toured Europe in more than a decade. His opening show was at the [[National Indoor Arena]] in [[Birmingham]], in the [[English Midlands]]. During the tour, he played eight UK gigs; four at the [[The O2 arena (London)|O2 Arena]] in London (filmed in HD and subsequently released as a live-in-concert release on DVD and Blu-Ray, ''Live At Last''),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.steviewonder.org.uk/discography/dvd/live_at_last.html|title=Stevie Wonder – Live At Last DVD|website=www.steviewonder.org.uk}}</ref> two in Birmingham and two at the [[M.E.N. Arena]] in [[Manchester]].<ref name="tours"/>

Wonder's other stop in the tour's European leg also found him performing in the Netherlands ([[Rotterdam]]), Sweden ([[Stockholm]]), Germany ([[Cologne]], [[Mannheim]] and [[Munich]]), Norway ([[Hamar]]), France ([[Paris]]), Italy ([[Milan]]) and [[Denmark]] ([[Aalborg]]). Wonder also toured Australia ([[Perth]], [[Adelaide]], [[Melbourne]], [[Sydney]] and [[Brisbane]]) and New Zealand ([[Christchurch]], [[Auckland]] and [[New Plymouth]]) in October and November.<ref name="tours">{{cite web|url=http://www.steviewonder.org.uk/tours.htm|title=Stevie Wonder – Tours/Appearances|work=steviewonder.org.uk|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224142944/http://steviewonder.org.uk/tours.htm|archive-date=December 24, 2008 }}</ref> His 2010 tour included a two-hour set at the [[Bonnaroo Music Festival]] in [[Manchester, Tennessee]], a stop at the [[Hard Rock Calling]] festival in [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]], London, and appearances at England's [[Glastonbury Festival]], Rotterdam's [[North Sea Jazz Festival]], a concert in [[Bergen]], Norway, and a concert in [[Dublin]], Ireland, at [[3Arena (Dublin)|The O<sub>2</sub>]] on June 24.<ref name="tours" />

[[File:Barack Obama presents Stevie Wonder with Gershwin Award crop.jpg|alt=Barack Obama smiling and holding a medal and presenting it to Wonder|thumb|[[Barack Obama]] presenting Wonder with the [[Gershwin Prize]] in 2009|250x250px]]

Wonder's harmonica playing can be heard on the 2009 Grammy-nominated "Never Give You Up", featuring CJ Hilton and [[Raphael Saadiq]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Dodds|first=Dan|date=November 17, 2008|title=Call me Stevie!|url=http://www.souljonespresents.com/heroes_raphael.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416194457/http://www.souljonespresents.com/heroes_raphael.html|archive-date=April 16, 2009|quote=Raphael Saadiq talks to ''Soul Jones''}}</ref>

Wonder sang at the [[Michael Jackson memorial service]] in 2009,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newsroom.mtv.com/2009/07/07/michael-jackson-memorial-live-blog/|title=Michael Jackson Memorial Service: The Live Blog|work=mtv.com|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20090709060354/http://newsroom.mtv.com//2009//07//07//michael-jackson-memorial-live-blog//|date= July 7, 2009|archive-date=July 9, 2009|url-status=dead|access-date=July 7, 2009 }}</ref> at [[Etta James]]' funeral, in 2012,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/28/showbiz/etta-james-funeral/index.html|title=Etta James remembered as an authentic voice at funeral|last=Martinez|first=Michael|date=January 28, 2012|publisher=CNN|access-date=January 29, 2012}}</ref> a month later at [[Whitney Houston]]'s memorial service,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://idolator.com/6189781/whitney-houstons-funeral-stevie-wonder-sings-ribbons-in-the-sky|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709130655/http://idolator.com/6189781/whitney-houstons-funeral-stevie-wonder-sings-ribbons-in-the-sky|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 9, 2012|title=Whitney Houston's Funeral: Stevie Wonder Sings 'Ribbons In The Sky'|last=Alexander|first=X.|date=February 19, 2012|newspaper=[[Idolator (website)|Idolator]]|access-date=February 19, 2012}}</ref> and at the funeral of [[Aretha Franklin]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2018/08/31/aretha-franklins-funeral-celebrities-pay-tribute-queen-soul/1146846002/|first=Maria |last=Puente|title=Aretha Franklin's funeral: Ariana Grande, Bill Clinton, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder pay tribute|work=USA Today|date=August 31, 2018|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kennedy |first1=Gerrick D. |title=Aretha Franklin's funeral: Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder offer stirring final tributes |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-entertainment-news-updates-2018-aretha-franklin-s-funeral-gladys-1535755921-htmlstory.html |date=August 31, 2018|access-date=September 1, 2018 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

Wonder appeared on singer [[Celine Dion]]'s studio album ''[[Loved Me Back to Life]]'', performing a cover of his 1985 song "Overjoyed".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.radio.com/2013/03/14/celine-dion-new-album-stevie-wonder-adele-procuers-ne-yo/|title=Celine Dion's New Album Features Stevie Wonder, Ne-Yo, Adele Producers|first=Shannon|last=Carlin|website=radio.com|date=March 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728154408/http://news.radio.com/2013/03/14/celine-dion-new-album-stevie-wonder-adele-procuers-ne-yo/|archive-date=July 28, 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=August 11, 2013 }}</ref> The album was released in October 2013. He was also featured on two tracks on [[Mark Ronson]]'s 2015 album ''[[Uptown Special]]'', and the track "[[Stop Trying to Be God]]" on [[Travis Scott]]'s 2018 album ''[[Astroworld (album)|Astroworld]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Leight|first=Elias|date=August 7, 2018|title=How Travis Scott (and His A&R) Got John Mayer, Drake and Stevie Wonder on the Same Album|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/travis-scotts-ar-thinks-astroworld-should-win-a-grammy-706064/|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|language=en-US}}</ref>

In October 2020, Wonder announced that he had a new [[vanity label]] released via [[Republic Records]], So What the Fuss Records, marking the first time his music was not released through Motown Records. The announcement was paired with the release of two singles: "[[Can't Put It in the Hands of Fate]]", a "socially-conscious" funk track, and "Where Is Our Love Song", whose proceeds will go towards the organization [[Feeding America]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=October 13, 2020 |access-date=October 13, 2020 |last=Havens |first=Lyndsey |title=Stevie Wonder Returns with New Music on His Own Republic Records Imprint |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9464244/stevie-wonder-leaves-motown-releasing-new-songs-what-fuss/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/oct/13/stevie-wonder-new-songs-music|title=Stevie Wonder rejects 'all lives matter' in first new music in four years|first=Ben |last=Beaumont-Thomas|newspaper=The Guardian|date=October 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|
url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/stevie-wonder-signs-with-republic-two-new-songs-1234801631/|title=Stevie Wonder Partners With Republic for New Label, Releases Two New Songs|first1=Jem |last1=Aswad|first2= Chris|last2= Willman|work=Variety|date=October 13, 2020}}</ref>

In June 2021, Wonder appeared in the documentary ''[[Summer of Soul]]'', directed by Ahmir "[[Questlove]]" Thompson, showing the [[Harlem Cultural Festival]] of 1969. In never-before-seen footage, a young 19-year-old Stevie Wonder is seen performing in front of thousands of people in Harlem. His performance shown in the documentary included "[[It's Your Thing]]" by [[the Isley Brothers]] and a drum solo. Wonder talks about the turning point made in his career during this time and how this helped him get out of being seen as just a child star.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/jul/11/on-stevie-wonder-and-the-summer-of-soul/|title=CRITICAL MASS: On Stevie Wonder and the 'Summer of Soul'|first=Philip|last=Martin|work=Arkansas Democrat Gazette|date=July 11, 2021}}</ref>

In October 2022, Wonder celebrated his 50th anniversary of his project ''[[Talking Book]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/27/arts/music/stevie-wonder-talking-book.html|title=50 Years Ago, Stevie Wonder Heard the Future|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 27, 2022}}</ref>

On August 30, 2024, Wonder released his first new song in four years, "Can We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/stevie-wonder-can-we-fix-our-nations-broken-heart-stream-1235764955/|title=Stevie Wonder Calls for Unity in New Song 'Can We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart'|newspaper=Billboard|first=Rania|last=Aniftos|date=August 30, 2024}}</ref>

=== Future projects ===
By June 2008, Wonder was working on two projects simultaneously: a new album called ''The Gospel Inspired by Lula'', which will deal with the various spiritual and cultural crises facing the world, and ''Through the Eyes of Wonder'', an album he has described as a performance piece that will reflect his experience as a blind man. Wonder was also keeping the door open for a collaboration with [[Tony Bennett]] and [[Quincy Jones]] concerning a rumored jazz album.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Graff|first=Gary|date=June 24, 2008|title=Stevie Wonder Pressing On With New Albums|magazine=Billboard|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1044994/stevie-wonder-pressing-on-with-new-albums|access-date=January 13, 2020}}</ref> Bennett and Wonder recorded a rendition of "For Once in My Life" which earned them a Grammy for best pop collaboration with vocals in 2006;<ref name="Grammy" /> Bennett died in 2023 and Jones died in 2024.

In 2013, Wonder revealed that he had been recording new material for two albums, ''When the World Began'' and ''Ten Billion Hearts'', in collaboration with producer [[David Foster]], to be released in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gibsone|first=Harriet|date=October 30, 2013|title=Stevie Wonder confirms first new albums in eight years|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/30/stevie-wonder-new-album-release|access-date=December 1, 2013}}</ref> The albums have not seen release.

In October 2020, while promoting his two recent singles, Wonder mentioned both ''Through the Eyes of Wonder'' and ''The Gospel Inspired by Lula'' as projects in development (the former as an album that may feature both singles, and the latter as a future album he may record with his former label Motown).<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 13, 2020|title=Stevie Wonder shares two new songs and leaves Motown Records after nearly 60 years|url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/stevie-wonder-shares-two-new-songs-and-leaves-motown-records-after-nearly-60-years-2783456|access-date=January 28, 2021|website=NME |first=Damian|last= Jones|language=en}}</ref>