"Stop! In the Name of Love" is a 1965 song recorded by
the Supremes for the
Motown label.
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 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]
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
ABCvariety programShindig! which aired on Wednesday, February 24, 1965.[12]
^Joseph Murrells (1984). Million Selling Records from the 1900s to the 1980s: An Illustrated Directory. London:
B.T. Batsford. pp. 214–215.
ISBN0-7134-3843-6.
Chronology(The band's name history: The Primettes 1959–1961 / The Supremes 1961–1967 / Diana Ross & The Supremes 1967–1970 / The Supremes 1970 / Diana Ross & The Supremes 1970 / The Supremes 1970–)