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the Supremes originally consisted of Diane (later Diana) Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Betty McGlown (later replaced by Barbara Martin, who left the group a trio by 1964). Upon graduation from high school, the group, originally called the Primettes, were signed to Berry Gordy's upstart musical label, Motown. Over the course of 1962-64, the Supremes released a string of unsuccessful singles, working with different songwriters and alternating lead vocalists. In 1964 Gordy teamed them with Holland-Dozier-Holland and they released the melodic thumper "Where Did Our Love Go." It shot to #1 on the Pop and Soul charts and established the prototype for their run of five consecutive number-one hits in 1964-1965 (also including "Baby Love," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "Come See About Me," and "Back in My Arms Again"). As the hits kept coming and Ross became the de facto lead singer of the group, tensions arose behind the scenes. The other Supremes themselves felt increasingly pushed to the background. In mid-1967, as a result of what was deemed increasingly unprofessional behavior, Ballard was replaced by Cindy Birdsong (from Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles), after which the group would be known as Dina Ross & the Supremes. . The group had a big year in 1967, even incorporating some mild psychedelic influences into "Reflections," and later scored hits with "Love Child" and "Someday We'll Be Together," By this time the group was Motown's superstars, and the most successful girl group to date.



In November 1969, Ross' imminent departure for a solo career was announced, although she played a few more dates with them, the last in Las Vegas in January 1970. Jean Terrell replaced Ross after which the Supremes continued to have hits for a few years, including "Stoned Love," "Nathan Jones," and the Supremes-Four Tops duet "River Deep -- Mountain High," but they would never achieve the star power they had during Ross's tenure. After more lineup changes, the group officially disbanded in 1977. In 2004, Rolling Stone placed the group at number 97 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time," solidifying their place in music history.