The No. 1 Song On August 26, 1964 Sounds Even More Bittersweet Today

As much as the Motown sound relied on tight, pop construction and sweeping arrangements, it was always carried by the raw emotion of the singing. When "Where Did Our Love Go" reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts in August, 1964, the Supremes proved to the world and their label that they had the voices to captivate audiences and capture their hearts. In particular, the breakthrough hit showcased Diana Ross's sometimes smooth, sometimes searing vocals; the first of many times the iconic singer captured the spotlight. No doubt a love song that gets boomers crying into their coffee, it's only grown more bittersweet, heartbreaking, and gorgeous with time.

Even though it took several years of trying, it isn't surprising that "Where Did Our Love Go?" became the Supremes' breakthrough. The song remains a shining example of Motown's assembly-line approach to pop writing and recording, capturing it as it matured into the '60s and '70s hit factory we recognize today. In that way, it helped make Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson's native Detroit the capital city of soul, R&B, and pop music, and — against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement — confirmed that Black musicians could appeal to all Americans. 

But as much as it's a document of its time, this No. 1 is timeless. There are countless songs about love fading away, but there's nothing like the way the Supremes give voice to heartache and pain, while beckoning us to slow dance.

"Where Did Our Love Go" was the foundational hit for the Supremes, kicking off a nearly unparalleled run of chart dominance, including five No. 1s in a row from 1964 to 1965. And yet, that success didn't come overnight for Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson. They were signed to Motown Records in 1961, becoming part of the label's impressive roster of artists, musicians, songwriters, and producers.

The Supremes — still in high school when they were signed —were overshadowed by their peers. With Ross and Ballard rotating as lead singer, their recordings often flopped. Prior to "Where Did Our Love Go?," they scored just one Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hit with "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes." It was tough; around the Motown offices, they were even nicknamed "the no-hit Supremes." 

The songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland originally penned "Where Did Our Love Go?" for the Marvelettes, who'd scored the first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 for Motown,  but they passed. The Supremes were a second choice. "They were low on the totem pole," Dozier explained in "The Billboard Book of No. 1 Hits," "and they couldn't give us any lip because they couldn't afford to." The Supremes weren't thrilled to record a hand-me-down, but it changed everything. When "Where Did Our Love Go?" started to chart in June of 1964, they were openers on Dick Clark's "Caravan of Stars" tour; by August, they'd become headliners. 

The fourth verse of "Where Did Our Love Go?" lays everything on the line: "Now that I surrender (Baby, baby) / So helplessly (Where did our love go?) / You now wanna leave (Baby, baby) / Ooh you wanna leave me (Baby, baby, ooh, baby, baby)." To be in love with someone is to give in to your emotions and make yourself vulnerable. And there's nothing like a lover walking away to remind you of the power they have over you; how they once made you ecstatic, and how now they own your misery.

"I've got this burning, burning, yearning / Feelin' inside me," Ross goes on to sing, "Ooh, deep inside me / And it hurts so bad." The Supremes had the rare and priceless gift of taking raw, aching emotions — pain, heartache, grief, and joy — and spinning them into gorgeous and expansive tapestries of sound, and that's what you hear on "Where Did Our Love Go?" The Supremes — and Diana Ross in particular — stayed just this side of cool and sweet, while burning and brimming with anguish and emotion. The group may have lost their magic after Ross went solo, yet over 60 years on, "Where Did Our Love Go?" remains just as exquisite and aching, and just as ready to tantalize and bum us out again.