The 4 Stevie Wonder Songs We Weren’t Supposed to Hear

After nearly 50 years locked in the Motown vaults, Stevie Wonder has officially released 4 unheard songs from the legendary 1976 'Songs in the Key of Life' sessions. In this breakdown, Professor Stringer explores why Motown gave Stevie the biggest record contract in music history ($37 million in 1975), how these 4 master recordings stayed hidden for five decades, and what makes these newly unearthed tracks so special. As someone who had the honor of performing live on stage with Stevie Wonder, this story is deeply personal. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 The $37M Motown Mystery 0:30 Performing With Stevie Wonder 0:46 The Hits: Songs in the Key of Life 1:17 Coolio & Gangsta's Paradise Connection 2:05 Child Prodigy to Creative Freedom 3:00 The Near-Fatal Crash & $37M Deal 3:30 Vault Song 1: "It's Easier" 4:08 Vault Song 2: "I Can See the Sun in Late December" 4:30 Vault Song 4: "I'm Into Living" 4:50 Why Stevie Released These 4 Songs Now 5:15 Helping Rick James With His Name 5:28 Addressing the "Can Stevie See?" Rumors 5:50 Stevie Wonder in His Own Words 6:30 The 50th Anniversary World Tour 7:10 1976 Interview: How He Wants to Be Remembered 8:15 The Secret Vaults of Michael Jackson, Prince & Tupac 🎤 ABOUT YOUR MUSIC REPORT I'm Professor Stringer, a Grammy-winning performing musician, four-time nominee across four different categories, and co-writer of a #1 album on Europe's world music charts. I've been in the rooms and on the stages. Your Music Report is music history and music news for people who want to understand what they're hearing. 🔔 Subscribe for music history that changes how you hear the music. 🧺 My family business, Crafty Cloth washcloth sets (this video is not sponsored): https://www.amazon.com/stores/CraftyC... ☕ Enjoy the channel? Buy me a coffee: https://cash.app/$Stringerwon 📚 SOURCES Stevie Wonder, Cardiff concert remarks on blindness (July 2025): https://www.goldradio.com/news/music/... https://www.fox5ny.com/news/stevie-wo... https://www.aol.com/stevie-wonder-rea... 2024 DNC speech and teleprompter coverage: PBS NewsHour https://www.wpbstv.org/?p=123455 Note: Some figures, including contract terms, come from reporting and interviews, not published documents. Where something is uncertain, I say so in the video. All footage and audio used for purposes of commentary, criticism, and education under fair use. #StevieWonder #songsinthekeyoflife #musichistory #motown #motownmusic #YourMusicReport #ProfessorStringer #music #musicdocumentary #musicvideo #musician