Ain't No Mountain High Enough: Diana Ross's 1970 Hit
Ain't No Mountain High Enough was a modest hit in 1967 and a number one smash in 1970.
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell took it to number 19, then Diana Ross took her version to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
Her record spent three weeks at number one in September and October 1970.
Below are the writers, the original, the spoken intro Berry Gordy hated, the chart run and the covers.
Diana Ross in a 1976 Motown publicity photo.
Image credit: Motown Records, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Ain't No Mountain High Enough: From Ashford and Simpson to Diana Ross
Written in 1966 for Tamla
According to Wikipedia, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson wrote the song in 1966 for Tamla, a division of Motown.
Dusty Springfield wanted to record it.
The duo held it back to gain entry to Motown instead.
The Gaye and Terrell Original
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell recorded the first version between December 1966 and February 1, 1967.
Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol produced it, and Tamla released it on April 20, 1967, from the album United.
It reached number 19 on the Hot 100 and number 3 on the R&B chart.
You can follow Gaye's solo career in our post on Marvin Gaye.
Ross Recasts It in 1970
Diana Ross recorded her version in March 1970 at Hitsville USA in Detroit.
Ashford and Simpson produced it themselves, with Paul Riser arranging.
The album cut runs 6:18, long enough for a slow, spoken build before the chorus lifts.
That build is the part that made Berry Gordy wince.
He disliked the record on first hearing, especially the spoken-word passages, and wanted the chorus up front.
Ashford and Simpson persuaded him to release an edited three-minute single after radio stations made their own edits.
The Record at a Glance
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Writers | Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson |
| Performer | Diana Ross |
| Producers | Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson |
| Arranger | Paul Riser |
| Label | Motown |
| Album | Diana Ross (1970) |
| Recorded | March 13 to 18, 1970 |
| Length | 3:32 (single), 6:18 (album) |
| B-side | Can't It Wait Until Tomorrow |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 19, 2026.
Hear Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Press play and listen for the slow spoken opening before the chorus arrives.
You can also hear Ain't No Mountain High Enough on our Listen Now jukebox.
On the Charts: Three Weeks at Number One
Ross's First Solo Chart-Topper
This site's weekly Hot 100 data has the song at number one for the chart weeks starting September 19, September 26 and October 3, 1970.
That is three weeks, and it was Ross's first number one as a solo act after leaving the Supremes.
Wikipedia also lists it at number one on the Cash Box Top 100 and the Billboard soul chart.
It beat the Gaye and Terrell version by eighteen places on the Hot 100.
Her whole run is in our list of Diana Ross songs.
Chart Peaks for the Ross Version
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | No. 1 |
| US Best Selling Soul Singles | No. 1 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | No. 1 |
| UK Singles | No. 6 |
| US Adult Contemporary | No. 6 |
| Canada (Billboard) | No. 4 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | No. 11 |
| Ireland | No. 14 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | No. 25 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 19, 2026.
A 1970 Year-End Rank
This site's Billboard year-end Hot 100 for 1970 ranks the song at number 6.
Wikipedia agrees, and also lists it at number 24 on the year-end R&B chart.
For the rest of that list, see our top songs of 1970.
Anthony Perkins photographing Diana Ross in a still from the 1975 Mahogany trailer.
Image credit: Paramount Pictures, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Honors, Covers and Revivals
Grammy Recognition
Wikipedia lists these honors across the two recordings:
- Diana Ross version: nominated for the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
- Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell version: inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
Notable Covers and Remixes
Wikipedia lists these later versions:
| Version | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Boys Town Gang (medley with Remember Me) | 1981 | No. 5, US Dance |
| Inner Life | 1981 | No. 20, US Dance |
| Jimmy Barnes | 1992 | No. 28, Australia |
| Michael McDonald | 2003 | No. 5, US Adult Contemporary |
| Jimmy Somerville | 2004 | No. 88, Germany |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 19, 2026.
A 2017 remix of the Ross recording by Eric Kupper, StoneBridge, Chris Cox and others reached number one on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart, according to Wikipedia.
On Screen
Wikipedia says the Gaye and Terrell version appears in Stepmom, Remember the Titans and Guardians of the Galaxy.
If a warm Motown mood is what you want, the Mood Song Matcher can find more songs like it.
For another random pick from the decade, try the Random 70s Song Generator.
The song is one more reason Diana Ross sits near the center of Music of the 70s.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Ain't No Mountain High Enough?
Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson wrote Ain't No Mountain High Enough in 1966, according to Wikipedia.
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell released the first version on April 20, 1967.
Diana Ross recorded her own version in March 1970, with Ashford and Simpson producing.
Did Ain't No Mountain High Enough reach number one?
Diana Ross's version of Ain't No Mountain High Enough reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, according to Wikipedia.
This site's weekly chart data shows it on top for three weeks, from September 19 to October 9, 1970.
The Gaye and Terrell original peaked at number 19.
Who sang Ain't No Mountain High Enough first?
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell sang Ain't No Mountain High Enough first, on a single released April 20, 1967, according to Wikipedia.
Their version reached number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 on the R&B chart.
Diana Ross recorded it three years later.
Why did Berry Gordy dislike Diana Ross's Ain't No Mountain High Enough?
Berry Gordy disliked Diana Ross's Ain't No Mountain High Enough on first hearing, according to Wikipedia, especially its spoken-word passages.
He wanted it to open with the chorus and bridge.
Ashford and Simpson persuaded him to release an edited three-minute single after radio stations made their own edits.
What awards did Ain't No Mountain High Enough receive?
Diana Ross's Ain't No Mountain High Enough was nominated for the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, according to Wikipedia.
The earlier Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell recording, released in 1967, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, long after its original run.
Sources
- Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Wikipedia, for the writers, both recordings, Gordy's reaction, chart peaks, honors, covers and remixes.
- United (Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell album), Wikipedia, for the album the song appears on.
- Marvin Gaye, Wikipedia, for background on the artist.
- Tammi Terrell, Wikipedia, for background on the artist.
- List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1970, Wikipedia, which confirms the issue dates of September 19, September 26 and October 3, 1970.
- This site's weekly Hot 100 data, for the three weeks at number one starting September 19, 1970, and its Billboard year-end Hot 100 data, for the 1970 rank of 6.
