On September 30, 1968, The Supremes released their first socially-conscious single, “Love Child.” Reflecting the changing times, the song topped the charts and proved that audiences welcomed social message music, even from unexpected artists like the Motown super group.
With the heavy subject matter of illegitimacy and the dangers of pre-marital sex and unwanted pregnancy, “Love Child” broke new ground for The Supremes. As Motown’s most successful act with 12 number one singles, the all-female singing group skyrocketed to stardom with Diana Ross as their lead singer in the mid-1960s. When “Love Child” hit number one on the Billboard charts in 1968, it knocked “Hey Jude” by The Beatles from its nine week run at number one.
Known for upbeat songs like “Baby Love” and “Someday We’ll Be Together,” this song was a major thematic departure for the group. In “Love Child,” Diana Ross sings the part of a woman asking her boyfriend not to pressure her into sex to avoid the risk of having a “love child.” The woman reveals that she was born a “love child,” so understands the trauma related to this status. (“I started my life in an old, cold, rundown tenement slum/My father left, he never even married Mom, I shared the guilt my mama knew/So afraid that others knew I had no name.”)
When The Supremes premiered the controversial song on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” they switched up their wardrobe to reflect the gravitas of the lyrics. They replaced their signature glamorous gowns and wigs with more casual clothing. Diana Ross wore a yellow sweatshirt with the words “love child,” the other two Supremes wore late-1960s leisure wear suits, and all three performed in bare feet.
Female pop artists continue to carry on the legacy of The Supremes by comfortably shifting back and forth between entertaining themes to more socially conscious messages in their songs. Artists like Alicia Keys (“Holy War”) and Lady Gaga (“Born This Way”) have taken cues from “Love Child” by leveraging their popularity to raise awareness and understanding through music.