The Temptations' 'My Girl' Ranks No. 3 in Billboard's Best Pop Songs of All Time
The best songs are the ones that leave a lasting impact for years to come. In the case of "My Girl" by The Temptations, the Motown classic remains a musical fixture more than 60 years after it debuted.
Released in late December 1964, "My Girl" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 6, 1965. Nearly 50 years later, Billboard would christen the love song one of the best pop songs ever.
"My Girl" still legendary after all these years
In Billboard's 2023 ranking of the 500 Best Pop Songs of All Time, "My Girl" checks in at No. 3, with only ABBA's "Dancing Queen" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston ahead of it.
Written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White of the Miracles, "My Girl" was inspired by Robinson's wife and fellow group member Claudette Rogers Robinson. It was also a gender-reversed version of Mary Wells' No. 1 hit "My Guy," also penned by Robinson.
"The song is immediately recognizable from the opening bass line (played by the great James Jamerson): "Bah bum-bum, bah bum-bum, bah bum-bum," Billboard's Paul Grein said in 2023. "The lyric speaks of feeling secure and comfortable in a solid love relationship: "I don't need no money, fortune, or fame/ I've got all the riches baby one man can claim." Even little touches add a lot, like the bright horn fills that follow the lines "I've got so much honey, the bees envy me" and "I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees." Nearly 60 years later, "My Girl" still sounds classy, but not the least bit stodgy or old-fashioned."
Interestingly, as Robinson explained in a 2025 interview with Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the iconic opening bass line was serendipitous, as Jamerson and White came about it accidentally while warming up before recording.
"My Girl" has gotten its due
In addition to Billboard ranking it the No. 3 pop song of all time, "My Girl" also landed at No. 43 on Rolling Stone's 2024 list of the greatest songs ever, regardless of genre.
That same year, the song received a resurgence thanks to New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, who used it as his walk-up music while helping the team reach the National League Championship Series. Home crowds at Citi Field even took to singing the opening lyrics before Lindor at-bats, and The Temptations performed "My Girl" live before Game 5 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 10:00 AM.