The Four Tops

The Four Tops

The Four Tops are an American Motown vocal group from Detroit, United States, formed in 1956. The group begins as The Four Aims and becomes one of the acts associated with the Motown sound, with a repertoire that spans doo-wop, jazz, soul, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, showtunes and psychedelic rock.

Line-up and history

The classic line-up includes lead singer Levi Stubbs, Abdul “Duke” Fakir, Renaldo “Obie” Benson and Lawrence Payton. Stubbs sings baritone, which sets the group apart from many of the other major Motown acts of the 1960s, where tenors are more often in front. Fakir, Benson and Payton remain together for more than four decades.

The line-up changes after Payton dies in 1997. Theo Peoples joins the group, later replacing Stubbs when Stubbs falls ill with cancer, and Ronnie McNeir then takes Peoples’ place. Benson dies in 2005, with Payton’s son Roquel stepping in. Fakir, McNeir, Payton and Peoples continue performing as The Four Tops, and Fakir retires in 2024. Stubbs dies in 2008.

Motown recordings and later labels

The Four Tops serve as the main male vocal group for the songwriting and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, who write and produce a run of hit singles for them. Among these are two number one songs: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There”.

After Holland-Dozier-Holland leave Motown in 1967, the group works with a number of producers, mainly Frank Wilson. When Motown moves from Detroit to Los Angeles in 1972, the group stays in Detroit and signs to ABC Records, continuing to place singles on the charts into the late 1970s. From the 1980s, they record at different times for Motown, Casablanca Records and Arista Records.

Musical style and place in Motown

The Four Tops are among the groups that help define Motown in the 1960s, alongside The Miracles, The Marvelettes, The Temptations and The Supremes. Their work is rooted in soul and R&B, but their catalogue also reaches across pop soul, funk and smooth soul, matching the wider range of styles attached to the group.