Heaven Help Us All

{{Infobox song

| name = Heaven Help Us All

| cover = heavenhelpusall.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Stevie Wonder

| album = Signed, Sealed & Delivered

| B-side = "I Gotta Have a Song"
"Give Your Love"

| released = 29 September 1970{{Cite web|url=https://www.45cat.com/record/54200|title = Stevie Wonder - Heaven Help Us All}}

| format =

| recorded = 1970

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

  • Soul
  • pop
  • gospel{{cite book|first=Dave|last=Marsh|title=The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5t5DYDniSHEC|date=1989|publisher=Plume|isbn=0-452-26305-0|page=410}}

| length = {{Duration|m=03|s=13}}

| label =

| writer = Ron Miller

| producer = Ron Miller, Tom Baird

| prev_title = Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours

| prev_year = 1970

| next_title = We Can Work It Out

| next_year = 1971

}}

"Heaven Help Us All" is a 1970 soul single composed by Ron Miller and first performed by Motown singer Stevie Wonder. The song continued Wonder's string of Top 10 singles on the pop charts reaching #9 on the Hot 100 singles chart{{cite web |title=Stevie Wonder Chart History (Hot 100) |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/stevie-wonder/chart-history |publisher=Billboard |access-date=10 July 2020}} and #2 on the R&B chart, the latter causing it to be his first runner-up since "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday".{{cite web |title=Stevie Wonder Chart History (Hot R&b/Hip Hop Songs) |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/stevie-wonder/chart-history/bsi/ |publisher=Billboard |access-date=10 July 2020}} It was one of four hits Wonder scored from his Signed, Sealed & Delivered album. The song has since been covered dozens of times in a variety of styles.{{Cite web|url=https://secondhandsongs.com/work/28761/versions#nav-entity|title = Cover versions of Heaven Help Us All written by Ron Miller [US1] | SecondHandSongs| website=SecondHandSongs }}

Background

"Heaven Help Us All" showcased a departure from Wonder's earlier works by displaying an earthier, gospel-infused sound. Cash Box reviewed the song stating that "Super Wonder surges back with another step into the total performer portrait that he has been cultivating" and that he "turns up with another all-format effort that will win across the board acceptance" and that "excellent contemporary lyric and Wonder's delivery wrap up blockbuster results."{{cite news|title=CashBox Record Reviews|date=October 10, 1970|page=28|accessdate=2021-12-09|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1970/CB-1970-10-10.pdf|newspaper=Cash Box}} Record World called it the "top cut" from the album and said that it "is sure to deliver in a heavy way."{{cite magazine|title=Single Picks of the Week|magazine=Record World|date=October 17, 1970|page=109|accessdate=2023-04-24|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/70/RW-1970-10-17.pdf}}

Chart history

class="wikitable sortable"
Chart (1970)

!Peak
position

Australia (Kent Music Report)

| style="text-align:center;"|88

Canada RPM Top Singles

| style="text-align:center;"|14

UK Singles{{cite web|title=officialcharts.com|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/5543/stevie-wonder/|website=officialcharts.com|accessdate=January 10, 2023}}

| style="text-align:center;"|29

U.S. Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}

| style="text-align:center;"|9

U.S. Billboard R&B{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=635}}

| style="text-align:center;"|2

U.S. Cash Box Top 100{{Cite web |url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19701212.html |title=Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 12, 1970 |access-date=November 14, 2021 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204080330/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19701212.html |url-status=dead }}

|align="center"|9

References

{{reflist}}