I hope there’s never a time that our society forgets about the old Motown classics. “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops is definitely one of them.
There are not many songs where you can point to the piccolo as being a real signature in a modern song, but this is one.
The song stood out when it came out in 1966. It was one of the first from Motown to have a more symphonic sound, and it was considered experimental for the key shifts. The Four Tops didn’t want it released as a single at first, but Motown overrode their anxiety about the song and it was quickly a number 1 hit.