On This Date (52 Years Ago): Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On Release

August 28, 1973 — Marvin Gaye released his twelfth studio album Let’s Get It On, one of the most iconic soul records of all time. It reached #2 on the Billboard Top LP’s chart and topped the Billboard R&B Albums chart, later earning a place at #165 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Listen/Buy: Amazon Link

The album marked Gaye’s shift into funk, quiet storm, and romance-themed music, blending smooth grooves with his unmatched vocal expressiveness. Known for its sensual tone and heartfelt delivery, the record established Marvin Gaye as a cultural and musical sex symbol.

Review Highlights

• Title track “Let’s Get It On” is a Motown classic, sensual yet timeless.

• Tracks like “Come Get to This” and “You Sure Love to Ball” pushed boundaries with their raw intimacy.

• “Distant Lover” showed his ability to blend passion with vulnerability.

• Praised for being “one of the most sexually charged albums ever recorded.”

Critics note that while What’s Going On gave voice to social and political issues, Let’s Get It On became the ultimate expression of love, desire, and human connection.

Tracklist

Side One

1. Let’s Get It On – 4:44

2. Please Stay (Once You Go Away) – 3:32

3. If I Should Die Tonight – 3:57

4. Keep Gettin’ It On – 3:12

Side Two

1. Come Get to This – 2:40

2. Distant Lover – 4:15

3. You Sure Love to Ball – 4:43

4. Just to Keep You Satisfied – 4:35

   
   

Legacy

With its irresistible mix of soul, funk, and heartfelt ballads, Let’s Get It On remains one of the most celebrated and influential albums of the 1970s. It defined Marvin Gaye as not just a voice of conscience, but also a voice of desire — a record that continues to inspire R&B artists to this day.