The ultimate Marvin Gaye playlist

Marvin Gaye was unafraid to share his true feelings through his music, even when it comes to intimacy. His single "Sexual Healing" showcased his thoughts on how much he wanted to be satisfied sexually. 

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell will go down as one of the most magical duos in music history. Their duet "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" was a major success for Motown, as the two sing about how distance will never keep two lovers apart. 

Arguably one of Marvin Gaye's most notable songs is his hit "What's Going On." His lyrics on anti-war, police brutality and ending violence still ring true today for a song that was released nearly five decades ago. 

By this time, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell were on to their second album and continuing to work with their hit collaborators Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Marvin Gaye always made sure to leave a message with listeners, even if people disagreed with his thoughts. On "Mercy, Mercy Me," he stresses how much the environment and animal life were being destroyed due to industrialization. 

On "I Want You," Marvin Gaye made sure to speak his mind on love. He knew he was giving his all to a lover but could tell the love wasn't being returned at the same rate. However, he was determined to change his lover's mind. 

By the time Marvin Gaye released "Let's Get It On," he established his pop culture status as a sex symbol. He pleaded about sexual liberation and arguably encouraged other artists to do the same. 

Another hit for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell was the Ashford & Simpson-penned song "You're All I Need To Get By." The song was sampled nearly 30 years later from another iconic duo — Method Man and Mary J. Blige. 

People will always have an opinion on one's relationship; however there is nothing worse than hearing rumors about it. Marvin Gaye knew that all too well on "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," as he sings about how he heard people talking about his lover cheating on him, ultimately hurting him in the end. 

Marvin Gaye's "After The Dance" is a groovy mid-tempo track in which he sings about spotting someone on the dance floor and is ready to make his move. He dances with her and wants to see if they could take things further. 

Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up" is an ode to shy wallflowers who need to just let loose. He sings about going to parties and being too nervous to dance, until he finally gets the courage to get down on the dance floor. 

On "Distant Lover," Marvin Gaye is pleading for his loved one to come back into his life. He reminisces on the good times they shared and longs to have them back. 

On "Inner City Blues" Marvin Gaye stresses the message of trying times in urban cities. Gaye is fed up with people in his community dealing with crime and poverty, to a point where he says "Make me want to holler / The way they do my life." 

Hearing Marvin Gaye's discography could make a listener think he had a lot of ups and downs in his love life. On "Ain't That Peculiar," he's trying to understand how his lover can lie to him and do him so wrong, but that makes him love her even more. 

"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" is one of Marvin Gaye's most relatable songs. He tells a story of having eyes for someone and knows that his life would be even sweeter if that person felt the same way about him. His love life comes to fruition, as the love he once longed for is actually reciprocated.