For my celebration of Black History Month, last Thursday, Feb. 27, I went with my dad to the Palladium and saw the legendary Motown vocal groups The Temptations and The Four Tops. Although only one original member remained in each group, both sets of singers stayed true to their roots by performing their classic hits and their original dance routines. I could see the joy on my dad’s face as he remembered hearing the same songs that he heard on the radio when he was a kid.

Although the young music listeners of today, like myself, were not present in the 1960s and did not experience firsthand the heyday of Motown, we can appreciate how important the development of these groups were on popular music as a whole. And for those of you who don’t listen to the tunes of yesteryear, I would highly encourage looking back towards older artists, as you might find something you love.

Before The Temptations came about in the early 1960s, most male vocal groups were of the doo-wop style, which is vastly different from the singing styles of today. By comparison, however, The Temptations, along with The Four Tops, The Miracles, The Supremes, The Vandellas and countless others are more inline with pop music of the day and to some extent, were a template of today’s vocal groups.

But don’t think that Motown was just a factory for cookie-cutter R&B groups. Many of the most innovative artists in history began their careers at Motown, like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye. Between Gaye’s trailblazing in political music, Wonder’s use of synthesizers and Franklin’s gospel-charged vocals, the acts of Motown shaped the sounds of black musicians for years to come.

As much as these incredible legends should be remembered for their musical achievements, what they did for our country is perhaps even more significant. Some of the earliest breakers of racial barriers were musicians. The popularization of black artists at this time created a common culture for both whites and blacks, one that they could enjoy together. So next time you hear the song “My Girl,” think fondly about how far we’ve come as a people because of the power of music.