I second that emotion: The ultimate Smokey Robinson playlist

One of the band’s more upbeat tracks is the 1965 hit “Going to a Go-Go.” The song became its fifth platinum-selling hit and became a No. 2 hit on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart. It was also deemed a track that encouraged listeners to attend more go-go clubs in the 1960s.

Smokey Robinson’s 10th solo album became one of his highest-charting projects to date. The album’s title track, “Being With You,” is all about Smokey putting the opinions of others to the side. When someone is in a relationship, people will always have some type of criticism about it, but Smokey sings that he doesn’t care about their opinions as long as he’s with the one he loves.

This doo-wop hit is all about showing a man’s vulnerable side. Smokey sings lead, as he digests going through a bad breakup, and he’s trying to hide his pain as he puts on a front of high spirits while he’s with family and friends. However, if people would take a closer look, they could see the tearful pain on his face. "The Tracks of My Tears" became a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

This is when fans can hear Smokey trying to woo a girl from her player ways, the type of girl who wants to date but doesn’t want to be tied down to one person. On “I Second That Emotion,” Smokey is singing “If you feel like loving me / if you’ve got that notion / I second that emotion.” The song went on to be covered by The Supremes and The Temptations.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles were known for writing the majority of their hit songs; however “Mickey’s Monkey” was penned by Motown’s main songwriters, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland. "Mickey's Monkey" was a play-on to the popular "monkey" dance craze and became a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Love was a hot topic for many of the Miracles’ hit songs. “Much Better Off” is all about how a man is a better person since being with his woman. The man can easily see how this new woman is changing him, and his friends and family can see the difference as well. 

When Smokey Robinson went solo, it was also a mirror into how much the sound of music changed between his time with the Miracles. His hit single “Just To See Her” shows how music moved more into a pop-soul sound. The tune earned Smokey his first Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

Stevie Wonder was a co-writer of the music for this fun track. Smokey is sad after his woman left him, and “The Tears of a Clown” expresses how his happy emotions and smiles are an act, similar to that of a circus clown. However, the breakup is causing his emotions to spiral, and yet he doesn't want people to notice the sadness. 

In the '70s, Smokey decided to break away from the group, and one of his most successful singles as a solo artist is “Cruisin.’” The smooth and mellow production helps take listeners to another realm. The song became a top five Billboard hit and garnered covers by artists like D’Angelo who added a neo-soul touch to it.

The Miracles could make listeners fall in love, miss being in love, help get over a love and everything in between. “You Really Got a Hold On Me” was just that: a song realizing how much a lover can have someone hooked. It became one of the group’s most covered songs, being performed by the likes of the Beatles and The Supremes.

In 1960 The Miracles released “Shop Around,” and it became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard R&B chart and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single became the group’s first platinum hit, along with being Motown’s first platinum success. The song tells the story of a young man being scolded by his mother to enjoy his freedom and “shop around” before settling down with marriage. Like the old saying goes, “Mother knows best.”

In the ’70s, disco was a short-lived genre that some artists delved into to bring something different to their sound. Smokey’s “Baby That’s Backatcha” was a mid-tempo dance record that saw success on the R&B and disco charts.

“Ooo Baby Baby” is a song in which a listener can get lost in the melodies. However, if a listener is really paying attention, they will hear the slow jam that has Smokey and his fellow group members begging to get their women back after being apologetic about infidelity. The song became a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was covered numerous times by artists including Linda Ronstadt, Ella Fitzgerald and Musiq Soulchild.

It wouldn’t be surprising if “More Love” was a popular song during wedding receptions. The song has Smokey asking his lover to open her heart just a little bit more to give her more joy and affection. He says “My love will be so sound / It would take a hundred lifetimes / To live it down, wear it down, tear it down.” Kim Carnes' remake was a hit in 1980 and climbed to the Billboard top 10.

Anderson .Paak is one of the brightest stars in hip-hop and R&B today. Although he recruited Smokey Robinson as a feature on his track “Make It Better,” the production is reminiscent of an old-school record with a modern twist. If the song was a slower tempo, it could easily fit into the classic Miracles discography.