UGaye wabanegalelo elikhulu ekubundukeni isandi samacwecwe ase Motown eengoma ngeminyaka yoo1960s iingoma ezazinesandi esitshisayo, zibandakanya i""How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)"" kunye ne""I Heard It Through the Grapevine"", kwakunye nengoma apho acula kunye noMary Wells, Kim Weston kunye noTammi Terrell, kamva wafuna itayitilewangu ""Prince of Motown"" nezithi ""Prince of Soul"". ngeminyaka yoo1970, washicilela oobhazabhaza abathi What's Going On kunye nethi Let's Get It On waza waba ngomnye wabadlali abaphambili bokuqala eMoton ukuqhephuka kwinkampani yayo evelisa umculo. ee Amacwecwe kaGaye amva enza ifuthe kwiingoma ezininzi eeR&B neesubgenre, ezifana noquiet storm kunye noneo-soul. Emva kwethuba ebhacele irhafu eYurophu tax exile ekuqaleni kweminyaka yoo1980s, uGaye ukhuphe ingoma etshisayo ngo1982 eyamtsho waphumelela iimbasa ekuthiwa yiGrammy Award-winning kubhazabhaza wakhe wecwecwe ngenxa yengoma yakhe ethi""Sexual Healing"" kunye nethi Midnight Love.