There's no Motown sound without Holland-Dozier-Holland. RIP. Lamont Dozier, Motown songwriter behind 'Baby Love' and other hits, dies at 81 (msn.com)
There of course were the Beatles, the Stones, Dylan, the Beach Boys, the Stax-Volt gang, and sui generis James Brown. But take it from one who was there. Motown was the real background music of the '60s, and this man was one massive reason why.
They got into a $$$ dispute and left Motown but HDH started their own label and kept cranking out hits Saw her a few years ago at Detroit Jazz Fest Stunning woman
What's crazy is the covers of their songs that also became hits - many decades later. You Can' Hurray Love (Phil Collins), Heatwave (Rondstadt), How Sweet it Is (James Taylor), Little Darling (Doobies),