It was released on October 24, 1972, as the lead single from his fifteenth studio album, Talking Book (1972), by Tamla.

The song features Steve Madaio on trumpet and Trevor Lawrence on tenor saxophone.

But after the trio's debut album was delayed and Motown CEO Berry Gordy predicted that "Superstition" would be a huge hit that would drive sales of Talking Book, Wonder released the song as the Talking Book lead single on October 24, 1972, months before Beck's version was issued in March 1973 on the Beck, Bogert & Appice album.

"[19] James Perone described the clavinet riff as "probably [Wonder's] most memorable" use of the minor pentatonic scale.

As part of the "It's only weird if it doesn't work" campaign, which showed superstitious fans acting compulsively in an effort to guide their teams to victory, Wonder appeared as a witch doctor in New Orleans (where the event took place).

These fans would perform numerous superstitious acts in order to receive good luck charms from him.