Peak
1
Weeks
12
Score
3,239
Chart Year
1965
This was written by the Motown songwriting team Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland (Holland/Dozier/Holland). Dozier got the idea for the title after an argument with his girlfriend (she caught him cheating). In the heat of battle, he said, "Baby, please stop. In the name of love - before you break my heart." He was trying to diffuse the situation, but it didn't help - she was still going to break up with him. So, he asked her to "think it over." Dozier knew these lines were a bit corny, but thought they would fit well into a song. He was right: "Stop! In the Name of Love" became a huge hit, and when it did, the girl came back to him. In this song, Diana Ross confronts her man, telling him she knows he's been cheating. Instead of threatening violence, she appeals to his morality, reminding him how well she's been treating him and asking him to stop. In the name of love. After reaching just the lower end of the charts with their first several singles, The Supremes broke through with "Where Did Our Love Go," which went to #1. Their next two singles, "Baby Love" and "Come See About Me," also hit the top spot. All of these songs were written by Holland/Dozier/Holland, who in setting out for another #1, used elements of "Come See About Me," including a more confident vocal delivery by Diana Ross on "Stop! In the Name of Love." When the song rose to #1, The Supremes became the first act to land four consecutive singles at the top of the Hot 100. They made it five with their next one, "Back in My Arms Again." The title is a variation on the cliché phrase "stop in the name of the law." The Supremes got a lot of mileage out of the "baby, baby" line. In this song, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard repeat it while Ross sings lead. Report this ad This song received a Grammy nomination in 1966 for Best Contemporary (R&R) Performance - Group (Vocal Or Instrumental); it lost to the Statler Brothers' hit "Flowers on the Wall." >> This song comes strong out of the gate with a Hammond organ lick (played by Earl Van Dyke) followed by Wilson and Ballard singing the forceful title phrase. Ross doesn't come in until the verse. The famous "talk to the hand" choreography the group performed for this song was thought up in a hurry. Soon after it was recorded, The Supremes joined other Motown acts on a tour of Europe, where the first gig was a one-hour TV special called The Sound of Motown, hosted by Dusty Springfield. When The Temptations saw The Supremes rehearsing the song, group member Paul Williams suggested some choreography and came up with the saucy gestures they used on the show and in subsequent performances. The production on this song benefited from some upgrades Motown had recently done to their studios. The musicians were separated by baffles, with a microphone dedicated to each one. This allowed the Holland/Dozier/Holland team, which also produced the track, to put a lot of instruments into the mix without having them get muddy. Lamont Dozier added some detail to the story of how he came up with the title. He was cheating on his girlfriend and having a tryst at a "no-tell motel" when the girlfriend got word and started banging on the door around 2 a.m. Dozier sent his paramour out the bathroom window and opened the door. With his girlfriend "screaming and carrying on," Dozier tried to spin a story that he was working late at the studio and got the motel room because he was tired, but it didn't fly. That's when he said, "Stop, in the name of love." The next day he went to the studio where Brian Holland was playing a slow melody. Dozier had him speed it up, and using his line from the night before as the title, they started putting the song together. Report this ad More songs from The Supremes
Stop! In the name of love Before you break my heart Baby, baby I'm aware of where you go Each time you leave my door I watch you walk down the street Knowing your other love you'll meet But this time before you run to her Leaving me alone and hurt (Think it over) After I've been good to you (Think it over) After I've been sweet to you Stop! In the name of love Before you break my heart Stop! In the name of love Before you break my heart Think it over Think it over I've known of your Your secluded nights I've even seen her Maybe once or twice But is her sweet expression Worth more than my love and affection But this time before you leave my arms And rush off to her charms (Think it over) Haven't I been good to you (Think it over) Haven't I been sweet to you Stop! In the name of love Before you break my heart Stop! In the name of love Before you break my heart Think it over Think it over I've tried so hard, hard to be patient Hoping you'd stop this infatuation But each time you are together I'm so afraid I'll be losing you forever Stop! In the name of love Before you break my heart Stop! In the name of love Before you break my heart Stop! In the name of love
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 20, 1965 | 80 | 46 |
| 2 | Feb 27, 1965 | 41 | 85 |
| 3 | Mar 6, 1965 | 13 | 113 |
| 4 | Mar 13, 1965 | 3 | 123 |
| 5 | Mar 20, 1965 | 2 | 124 |
| 6 | Mar 27, 1965 | 1 | 125 |
| 7 | Apr 3, 1965 | 1 | 125 |
| 8 | Apr 10, 1965 | 2 | 124 |
| 9 | Apr 17, 1965 | 2 | 124 |
| 10 | Apr 24, 1965 | 5 | 121 |
| 11 | May 1, 1965 | 10 | 116 |
| 12 | May 8, 1965 | 30 | 96 |