# Characters (Stevie Wonder album)

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Chicago Tribune | (favorable) |
| Robert Christgau | A− |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| MusicHound | |
| New Musical Express | 9/10 |
| Q | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Rolling Stone | |
| The New York Times | (favorable) |
Characters is the twenty-first studio album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, released in late 1987 on Tamla Records. The album features six singles including the Grammy-nominated "Skeletons" (No. 19) and "You Will Know" (No. 77), which both reached number one on the Billboard R&B Singles chart (the former being the most-recent American top-40 hit of Wonder's career). The album also contained a duet with Michael Jackson, "Get It" (No. 80), that was a minor hit.

## Overview

Highly anticipated like his last album, 1985's In Square Circle, Characters debuted at number one on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums chart for seven weeks. While peaking at No. 17 on the US Billboard 200. With this Characters became Wonder's first album since Music of My Mind not to reach the top ten of the charts. In the UK, it also fared less well, reaching only #33, the first album to miss the top 20 since Music of My Mind, which failed to chart in 1972.
What's more, Characters featured three singles that charted on the Billboard Hot 100. As in "Get It" (#80) (duet with Michael Jackson), "Skeletons" (#19) and the ballad "You Will Know" (#77). With each of these songs being hits on the Billboard R&B singles charts. Along with two other singles "My Eyes Don't Cry" (#6, R&B) and "With Each Beat of My Heart" (#28, R&B). The album's final single, "Free", hit #49 on the UK Pop Singles chart.

## Critical reception

With a A- Robert Christgau of the Village Voice wrote "Nine lines in, he assumes the voice of God to assure sufferers that everything's gonna be all right, and instantly you lose heart. But then his chronic self-importance disappears--the worst it gets is spacy, and Stevie can make spacy a trip when he's on. Which he definitely is--melodically, rhythmically, emotionally, politically, sonically."
Lynn Van Matre of the Chicago Tribune claimed "There are no big surprises here, just plenty of the polished, assured mix of pop, soul and funk that has kept Wonder on the charts for nearly 25 years...Wonder wrote, arranged and produced all of the songs with the exception of ”Dark `n` Lovely,” about the situation in South Africa, which features lyrics by Gary Byrd. While there is the occasional lush ballad, more of the songs are uptempo, with lots of percussive punch."

## Awards and nominations

The album earned Wonder three Grammy Award nominations in 1988–89. The album's first single, "Skeletons" received two nominations for Best R&B Song and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 30th Grammy Awards, losing to Bill Wither's "Lean On Me" and Smokey Robinson's "Just to See Her" respectively. Characters received a nomination at the 31st Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, losing to Terence Trent D'Arby's debut Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby.
To promote the album, Wonder performed a one-hour Characters special on MTV, in which he also performed unreleased material as well as a duet with Stevie Ray Vaughan.

## Track listing

All songs written by Stevie Wonder, except where noted.

### Side one

* "You Will Know" – 5:00
* "Dark 'n' Lovely" (Gary Byrd, Stevie Wonder) – 4:39
* "In Your Corner" – 4:30
* "With Each Beat of My Heart" – 5:28
* "One of a Kind" – 5:10

### Side two

* "Skeletons" – 5:24
* "Get It" (duet with Michael Jackson) – 4:33
* "Galaxy Paradise" – 3:51
* "Cryin' Through the Night" – 5:48
* "Free" – 4:12

### CD bonus tracks

* "Come Let Me Make Your Love Come Down" (featuring B.B. King & Stevie Ray Vaughan) – 5:20
* "My Eyes Don't Cry" – 7:05

## Personnel

* Stevie Wonder – synthesizers (tracks 1–4, 6–7, 9, 11), bass synth (1, 9), synth horns (12), piano (9–10), keyboards (including harpsichord – 10), lead vocals (all tracks), background vocals (tracks 1–2, 4, 7), bass (tracks 2, 7–8, 11–12), drums (1–2, 4–9), percussion (1–2, 4, 6–7), strings (1), bells (1), drum machine (3), harmonica (5)
* Michael Jackson – lead vocals (track 7)
* Stevie Ray Vaughan – guitar (track 11)
* B.B. King – guitar (track 11)
* Mary Lee Evans – backing vocals (7, 9)
* Ben Bridges – electric guitar (track 7)
* Gary Olazabal – engineer, associate producer, mixing, keyboard programming (all tracks)

## Charts
### Weekly charts

| Chart (1987–88) | Peak position |
| Australian Kent Music Report | 23 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 21 |
| Canadian RPM Albums Chart | 31 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 53 |
| Japanese Oricon Albums Chart | 13 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 16 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 23 |
| UK Albums Chart | 33 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 17 |
| West German Media Control Albums Chart | 55 |

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| France (SNEP) | Gold | 100,000$^*$ |
| Japan (Oricon Charts) | — | 73,000 |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 100,000$^^$ |
| United States (RIAA) | Platinum | 1,000,000$^^$ |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||