"What's Going On" is the eleventh studio album by the revered American soul vocalist Marvin Gaye. Released on May 21, 1971, under Motown Records' subsidiary label Tamla, the album was a culmination of recording sessions spanning from 1970 to 1971. These sessions took place at various renowned studios including Hitsville U.S.A., Golden World, United Sound Studios in Detroit, and The Sound Factory in West Hollywood, California. Notably, this album marked Gaye's debut as a credited producer and showcased Motown's esteemed in-house session musicians, famously known as the Funk Brothers.
 
A conceptual masterpiece, "What's Going On" seamlessly weaves its songs together, earning its classification as a song cycle. Through its narrative lens, the album delves into the poignant journey of a returning Vietnam veteran confronting the specters of hatred, suffering, and injustice in his homeland. Gaye's introspective lyrics traverse themes of drug abuse, poverty, and the Vietnam War, while also shedding light on burgeoning ecological concerns, as evident in the timeless anthem "Mercy Mercy Me."
 
The impact of "What's Going On" reverberated through the charts, with the album maintaining a steadfast presence on the Billboard Top LPs for over a year. It clinched the top spot on Billboard's Soul LPs chart for nine consecutive weeks, marking Gaye's second number-one album in that realm. The titular track, released as the lead single in January 1971, soared to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 while dominating the pinnacle of Billboard's Soul Singles chart for five consecutive weeks. Notably, the follow-up singles "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" both ascended to the top 10 of the Hot 100, solidifying Gaye's status as the first male solo artist to achieve three top ten singles from a single album.
 
Beyond its commercial success, "What's Going On" garnered widespread critical acclaim and swiftly earned its place in the annals of music history. Regarded as a quintessential masterpiece of 1970s soul, the album has been hailed by critics, musicians, and audiences alike as one of the greatest records of all time. Its enduring legacy persists, with accolades such as being voted the best album of all time by writers at the British music weekly NME in 1985, and securing the top spot on Rolling Stone's esteemed list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2020.