Happy Birthday

Wonder wrote, produced and performed it as part of his campaign for a national holiday on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. He laments that anyone would oppose the idea of a holiday where peace is celebrated, and sings the chorus to King himself. The sleeve of Hotter than July carries a portrait of King and a message from Wonder asking the public to join him in observing 15 January 1981 as a national holiday.

It was released as the album's fourth single in June 1981. It was not released in the United States, but it reached number two in the UK. Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law on 2 November 1983, and the first official Martin Luther King Jr. Day was held on 20 January 1986, with a large concert headlined by Wonder. The song has since become a standard for birthdays in general, particularly among African Americans. In June 2026 CBS News included it in its list of 250 essential American songs.

Wonder plays piano, Fender Rhodes, vocoder, drums, bass Melodian and Fairlight synthesizer, with a large chorus of backing vocalists.

Live

He performed it at Nelson Mandela Day at Radio City Music Hall on 19 July 2009, slightly changing a line to thank Mandela and King, and at the Diamond Jubilee Concert in London.