#17: Stevie Wonder — “Village Ghetto Land” (1976)
In a stroke of technical and artistic brilliance, Stevie Wonder simulated a classical string quartet entirely on his Yamaha GX-1 synthesizer. He arranged elegant, Baroque-style string parts that intentionally contrast with lyrics describing severe urban poverty, starvation, and institutional neglect. That stark dissonance between aristocratic musical forms and harsh social reality creates a deeply biting piece of social commentary.
