The Supremes become the first all-female music group to attain a No. 1 selling album (The Supremes A' Go-Go).
The Supremes A' Go-Go is the ninth studio album released by Motown singing group The Supremes in 1966. It was the first album by an all-female group to reach number-one on the Billboard 200 album charts in the United States.
Included are two of the Supremes' top ten Billboard Hot 100 singlesthe number-nine hit "Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart" and the number-one hit "You Can't Hurry Love". Also present on the album are covers of songs by The Elgins ("Put Yourself in My Place"), the Four Tops ("Baby I Need Your Loving", "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)", "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)"), The Temptations ("Get Ready"), Martha and the Vandellas ("Come and Get These Memories") Barrett Strong ("Money (That's What I Want)"), The Isley Brothers ("This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)"), Nancy Sinatra ("These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"), and The McCoys ("Hang On Sloopy").
Additional songs recorded for the album, but not included were: Tom Jones "It's Not Unusual", The Miracles "Mickey's Monkey", Stevie Wonder "Uptight (Everything's Alright)", Marvin Gaye "Can I Get a Witness", Martha and the Vandellas "In My Lonely Room", and The Rolling Stones "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."
The Supremes were an American female singing group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful American vocal group, with 12 number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Most of these hits were written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland. At their peak in the mid-1960s, the Supremes rivaled the Beatles in worldwide popularity, and it is said that their breakthrough made it possible for future African American R&B and soul musicians to find mainstream success. Billboard ranked the Supremes as the 16th greatest Hot 100 artist of all time.Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, and Betty McGlown, the original group, were all from the Brewster-Douglass public housing project in Detroit. They formed the Primettes as the sister act to the Primes (with Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, who went on to form the Temptations). Barbara Martin replaced McGlown in 1960, and the group signed with Motown the following year as The Supremes. Martin left the act in early 1962, and Ross, Ballard, and Wilson carried on as a trio.
During the mid-1960s, the Supremes achieved mainstream success with Ross as lead singer and Holland–Dozier–Holland as its songwriting and production team. In 1967, Motown president Berry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross & the Supremes, and replaced Ballard with Cindy Birdsong. In 1970, Ross left to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Jean Terrell and the group reverted to being The Supremes again. During the mid-1970s, the lineup changed with Lynda Laurence, Scherrie Payne and Susaye Greene joining until, after 18 years, the group disbanded in 1977.