The Anatomy of a Heartache: Celebrating Six Decades of Motown's Most Resilient Anthem and the Responsibility of Preserving Musical Legacy

DETROIT, Feb. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On the 60th anniversary of the writing and recording of Motown's "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," Redemption Music Media (RMM) is highlighting the landmark recording and the work of co-writer and arranger Paul Riser to illustrate its mission of protecting legacy artists' rights and ensuring that the creators behind timeless music are properly credited and compensated.

It was February 1966. Inside a small Detroit studio that would soon become legendary, the Motown team gathered to record a new song. For Riser, it was another day doing what Motown Records did best: chasing honesty, not history. He had no way of knowing the record would still be resonating with listeners six decades later.

As an arranger and co-writer, Riser focused on creating an emotional landscape to shape something that would live beyond the lyrics and melody. His arrangement wasn't meant to overwhelm, but to support the emotion and give space for vulnerability and reflection.

Reflections from Riser are both introspective and textural.

"When we recorded 'What Becomes of the Brokenhearted,' the goal wasn't to impress but to serve the song," he says. "That day in February of '66, the room had a heaviness to it, not sadness exactly, but honesty. I can still feel the mood in that studio—focused, quiet, respectful of what the song was asking for."

"The arrangement was about giving the heartbreak somewhere to sit. I wanted the strings to sound like a question that didn't need an answer. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is not say too much."

The song itself came from a simple, universal question that most people ask themselves at some point in their lives. Lost love. The emotions that follow a breakup, when answers aren't always there.

Released in June 1966, "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" quickly became one of Motown Records' defining successes—reaching No. 1 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart, cracking the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 (peaking at No. 7), and standing as one of the label's most successful crossover records of the decade. It was exactly the balance Motown aimed for: emotional depth with mass appeal.

With Jimmy Ruffin on lead vocals, the song found its voice. Ruffin delivered a performance that was both strong and vulnerable; heartfelt, restrained, and unmistakably human. You could hear the hurt. You could hear the longing. And that emotional honesty was essential.

"Jimmy had a way of singing that made every word feel lived-in," Riser noted. "His voice wasn't just powerful; it carried the weight of heartache and hope all at once. That honesty is what made the performance timeless; you don't just hear it, you feel it."

Sixty years later, the song continues to attract new listeners, appearing in films, television, and retrospectives, and still resonating.

"A song like 'What Becomes of the Brokenhearted' endures because it speaks to something we all feel," Riser says. "The melody, the arrangement, the words capture real emotion. That honesty doesn't age. Heartbreak, longing, and hope are truths that never go out of style. When a performance is rooted in feeling, it stays alive for generations." 

Like much of the music Riser arranged at Motown during the 1960s and 1970s, "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" was created with the purpose and belief that music could cross boundaries and outlast its moment on the charts.

"I'm proud of the song," Riser says. "I'm grateful to everyone who helped bring it to life. And I'm deeply thankful to the listeners who have carried it with them for 60 years and counting."

That enduring impact is why preserving artists' rights matters.

In 2014, recognizing how often legacy creators were disconnected from their rights, Riser began reclaiming and organizing his work as a composer and arranger. He enlisted attorney Jeffrey Thennisch, who was then working independently on behalf of artists seeking long-overdue recognition and royalties. Riser also connected Thennisch with Ruffin to assist him with his own rights. Sadly, Ruffin passed away in near obscurity before the work could be completed.

The commitment to ensuring artists receive proper credit and compensation for their work has since evolved into Redemption Music Media, with Thennisch as CEO. RMM continues the mission of honoring the architects and voices of Motown's golden era and ensuring their legacies are protected for generations to come.

"What Paul and artists like Jimmy Ruffin created wasn't just music, it was art built to last," says Thennisch. "Our work is to make sure their contributions are properly recognized in how we remember them and ensuring they receive the credit and compensation they've earned."

Noting recent remakes by Bruce Springsteen and a new Japanese cover version released in December 2025, Thennisch adds, "I am honored to play a small role in keeping the song active throughout the world."

Contact:
Kevin Potts/RMM
917-680-5236
[email protected] 

SOURCE Redemption Music Media