Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
The Temptations
1973
Annual listening list: initial release cycle, with recent carryovers; not an original-release-date field. Release chronology remains partly unverified.
Reported release: 1972
Reported release: 1972Date needs verification | Recent carryover
Reported in supplied material; independent release-date verification remains open.
The large badge identifies this listening list, not a newly issued recording. Later reissues and renewed chart popularity do not replace an original release date. How years are assigned.
Owner-supplied release annotations
Reported dates in 1972.html. Not independently established; neighboring dates can reflect album/single or regional differences.
Inspiration and background
Researched recording background
The song appeared on All Directions. Motown credits Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong and arranger Paul Riser in its account of the record's Grammy success.
Evidence scope: New 1.7 source-specific paraphrase; not a claim of complete song-history review.
Sources for this information
The Temptations - Classic Motown
Only the recording/background facts in this paragraph; reviewed 2026-10-12.
Other appearances and versions
catalog version unspecified
Original release date and exact pressing/version are not independently established.
An annual chart year and an original release date are different. Similar titles may be covers or different masters; no audio fingerprint has been performed.
Sources and scope
Source-backed annual association (secondary source; not a complete discographic review)
Editorial artist-repertoire classification
Billboard year-end 1973 table (Wikipedia transcription)
Secondary transcription reviewed 2026-10-11: title, artist and annual chart association; not original release date or complete recording metadata.
Browse by year
1960-2025. Each year contains 150 selections.