The Stevie Wonder Fulfillingness’ First Finale vinyl available here is a Republic Records re-release of one of the most decorated albums in soul and R&B history, the record that swept the 1975 GRAMMY Awards and took home three trophies, including Album of the Year.
About the Album
Fulfillingness’ First Finale arrived as the follow-up to Innervisions, and Wonder delivered an album that felt simultaneously inward and expansive. It draws from soul, funk, and gospel without anchoring itself rigidly to any one of them, moving between tenderness and political directness with real control. The fact that it won Album of the Year at the GRAMMYs the year of its release speaks to how fully it landed, not just as a commercial moment but as a critical one. This was an artist at the height of a remarkable creative stretch, and this record sits squarely in the middle of it.
Why Collectors Want This Stevie Wonder Fulfillingness’ First Finale Vinyl
The Republic pressing brings the album back in a format that does right by the original presentation. The gatefold cover reproduces the original collage artwork depicting Stevie’s life, the kind of detailed visual work that rewards actually holding the record rather than streaming a JPEG thumbnail. Inside, the lyrics are printed in full, and notably, some corrections have been made from earlier pressings, which makes this a more accurate text than what some longtime owners may already have on their shelves. For a record this lyric-forward, that matters. The catalog number is 2629101.
The Format and What It Means
Vinyl rewards albums that were built with space and intention, and Fulfillingness’ First Finale was exactly that. Wonder was producing, writing, and performing with a level of studio precision that translates well to the format. The gatefold packaging gives you room to sit with the artwork and lyrics the way the album deserves, rather than the compressed experience of a single sleeve or a digital file. If your collection focuses on the classic soul and R&B canon and you are filling gaps or upgrading worn copies, this Republic re-release is a clean, well-presented edition worth serious consideration. The corrected lyric sheet alone gives it an edge over some earlier versions you might find elsewhere.
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