What’s Going On

"What's Going On" is a 1971 soul song by Marvin Gaye, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Al Cleveland, the title track of Gaye's album of the same name. This page has the What's Going On chords and a backing track you can slow down, speed up and transpose.

Who wrote "What's Going On"

Renaldo Benson of the Four Tops brought the first idea for the song, and he, Al Cleveland and Marvin Gaye finished it together. Gaye recorded it for Tamla in 1970 against the wishes of Motown's management; released as a single in 1971, it became one of the biggest hits of his career.

Recordings that made it a standard

• Marvin Gaye — What's Going On (Tamla, 1971).