Stop! In the Name of Love

"Stop in the Name of Love" redirects here. For the La Toya Jackson album, see Stop in the Name of Love (album).

Not to be confused with Step in the Name of Love.

"Stop! In the Name of Love" is a 1965 song recorded by the Supremes for the Motown label.

"Stop! In the Name of Love"
Artwork for US vinyl single
Single by the Supremes
from the album More Hits by the Supremes
B-side	"I'm in Love Again"
Released	February 8, 1965
Recorded	January 5, 7, 11, 1965
Studio	Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A)
Genre	Pop, R&B, soul
Length	2:52
Label	Motown
Songwriter(s)	Holland–Dozier–Holland
Producer(s)	Brian Holland Lamont Dozier
The Supremes singles chronology
"Come See About Me" (1964) "Stop! In the Name of Love" (1965) "Back in My Arms Again" (1965)
More Hits by The Supremes track listing
12 tracks Side one "Ask Any Girl" "Nothing but Heartaches" "Mother Dear" "Stop! In the Name of Love" "Honey Boy" "Back in My Arms Again" Side two "Whisper You Love Me Boy" "The Only Time I'm Happy" "He Holds His Own" "Who Could Ever Doubt My Love" "(I'm So Glad) Heartaches Don't Last Always" "I'm In Love Again"
Lyric video
"Stop! In the Name of Love" by the Supremes on YouTube

Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Stop! In the Name of Love" held the number 1 position on the Billboard pop singles chart in the United States from March 27, 1965, through April 3, 1965,^[1][2] and reached the number 2 position on the soul chart.

Billboard named the song number 38 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.^[3] The BBC ranked "Stop! In the Name of Love" at number 56 on The Top 100 Digital Motown Chart, which ranks Motown releases by their all time UK downloads and streams.^[4]

In 2001, the 1965 recording of "Stop! In the Name of Love" by The Supremes was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.^[5]

In 2021, it was listed at No. 254 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".^[6]

History

The song was written by Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Brian Holland.^[7] Dozier said that he got the idea after he got cheated on by his girlfriend. In the heat of the argument, he said, "Baby, please stop. In the name of love- before you break my heart."^[8]

The Supremes recorded "Stop! In the Name of Love"^[9] in January 1965 and released as a single on February 8. The song was included on the Supremes' sixth album, More Hits by The Supremes, and was nominated for the 1966 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Rock & Roll Group Vocal Performance, losing to "Flowers on the Wall" by the Statler Brothers.

Cash Box described it as "a rousing, shufflin’ pop-blues romancer about a gal who cautions her boyfriend to go a little bit slower" that should "continue in [the Supremes] fantastic chart-riding ways."^[10] Record World said "These girls can't be stopped. And so they have another one that is on its way to the top spot. Diana, Florence and Marie have the knack and so does their home base, Motown Records."^[11]

The Supremes' choreography for this song involved one hand on the hip and the other outstretched in a "stop" gesture. They performed it on an episode of the ABC variety program Shindig! which aired on Wednesday, February 24, 1965.^[12]

Personnel

• Lead vocals by Diana Ross
• Backing vocals by Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and the Andantes: Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow and Louvain Demps
• All instruments by the Funk Brothers
  • Johnny Griffith – organ
  • James Gittens – piano
  • Joe Messina – guitar
  • James Jamerson – bass
  • Benny Benjamin – drums
  • Jack Ashford – vibraphone
  • Mike Terry – baritone saxophone^[13]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1965) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[14] 42 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[15] 12 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[16] 16 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[17] 3 Germany (Official German Charts)[18] 3 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn)[19] 10 Luxembourg (Billboard)[20] 4 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[21] 21 UK Singles (OCC)[22] 7 US Billboard Hot 100[23] 1 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[24] 2 US Cashbox Top 100[25] 1 US Cashbox R&B[26] 1 US Record World 100 Top Pops[27] 1 US Record World Top 40 R&B[28] 1 Chart (1989) Peak position UK Singles (OCC)[22] 62

Year-end charts Chart (1965) Rank Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[29] 63 Japan Foreign Hits (Billboard)[30] 24 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[31] 100 UK Singles (OCC)[32] 93 US Billboard Hot 100[33] 20 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[34] 14 US Cashbox Top 100[35] 24 US Cashbox R&B[36] 16

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[37] Sales since 2005	Silver	200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[38]	Gold	1,000,000[39]
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notable cover versions

• The Hollies' version in 1983 peaked in the US at number 29 and in Canada at number 31, from the album What Goes Around...^[40]
• Scottish singer Barbara Dickson released her version in 1983 from the album Heartbeats, peaking at number 29 in Belgium.^[41]

See also

• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1965 (U.S.)

References

1. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Vol. 77, no. 13. Nielsen Company. 1965. p. 32. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
2. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Vol. 77, no. 14. Nielsen Company. 1965. p. 28. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
3. "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
4. "The Top 100 Digital Motown Chart". BBC. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
5. https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#s ^{[bare URL]}
6. "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
7. "the Supremes | Members, Songs, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
8. "ShieldSquare Block". validate.perfdrive.com. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
9. Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 26 – The Soul Reformation: Phase two, the Motown story. [Part 5]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
10. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. February 20, 1965. p. 12. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
11. "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. February 20, 1965. p. 1. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
12. "Supremes/Barbarians/Neil Sedaka/Stan Getz/Ruth Price". Shindig!. Season 1. Episode 29. Los Angeles. February 24, 1965. ABC. KABC.^{[permanent dead link]}
13. Sullivan, Steve (2017). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Vol. 3. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 383.
14. "Every Unique AMR Top 100 Single of the 1965". Top 100 Singles. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
15. "The Supremes – Stop! In the Name of Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
16. "The Supremes – Stop! In the Name of Love" (in French). Ultratop 50.
17. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5672." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
18. "The Supremes – Stop! In the Name of Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
19. "Vísir - 103. Tölublað (08.05.1965)". Vísir (in Icelandic). May 8, 1965. p. 2. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
20. "Billboard HITS OF THE WORLD". Billboard. May 15, 1965. p. 28. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
21. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Supremes The" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
22. "Supremes: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
23. "The Supremes Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
24. "The Supremes Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
25. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles". Cashbox. March 27, 1965. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
26. "The CASH BOX Top 50 In R&B Locations". Cashbox. April 10, 1965. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
27. "100 TOP POPS: Week of April 10, 1965" (PDF). Record World. worldradiohistory.com. April 10, 1965. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
28. "TOP 40 R&B: Week of March 13, 1965" (PDF). Record World. worldradiohistory.com. March 13, 1965. p. 18. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
29. "Jaaroverzichten 1965". Ultratop. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
30. "FOREIGN HITS IN JAPAN 1960-1969". Billboard. December 19, 1970. p. J-32. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
31. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1965". Dutch Top 40 (in Dutch). Retrieved January 30, 2022.
32. "Top 100 1965 – UK Music Charts". Uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
33. "Top 100 Hits of 1965/Top 100 Songs of 1965". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
34. "TOP R&B SINGLES OF 1965 (Ratings are based on chart action from Jan. 30 to Oct. 30.)" (PDF). Billboard. p. 40. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via worldradiohistory.com.
35. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1965". Cashbox. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
36. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1965". Cashbox. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
37. "British single certifications – Supremes – Stop in the Name of Love". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
38. "American single certifications – Diana Ross & The Supremes – Stop, In The Name Of Love". Recording Industry Association of America.
39. Joseph Murrells (1984). Million Selling Records from the 1900s to the 1980s: An Illustrated Directory. London: B.T. Batsford. pp. 214–215. ISBN 0-7134-3843-6.
40. "The Hollies". Billboard.
41. "Ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS". Ultratop.be.

External links

• List of cover versions of "Stop! In the Name of Love" at SecondHandSongs.com
• The Supremes - Stop! In the Name of Love on YouTube