Regardless of his personal life and whatever, Michael Jackson did make an impact on pop music. The guy really understood what pop music was all about, and he should be celebrated for his music. This is my tribute to him and to his music. These are the top 20 Michael Jackson songs and why they made it.
1. âBillie Jeanâ – Released in 1983, it is coined as the trigger of M.J.âs success. âBillie Jeanâ received two Grammy Awards in 1984 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best New Rhythm & Blues Song.
2. âThrillerâ – The horror-sci-fi narrative music video was an astonishing 14-minutes long and was the most expensive music video of its time, costing $800,000 to create (equivalent to 1.4 million today).
3. âBeat Itâ – The third single from the multi-platinum selling album Thriller, âBeat Itâ won Jackson two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Rock Performance.
4. âDonât Stop Til You Get Enoughâ – In 1979, Off The Wall was released and hosted this classic single that gave Michael his first solo Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance.
5. âWanna Be Startinâ Somethingâ – This track was the fourth single released off of Thriller. It is the longest song, running just over six minutes long.
6. âBadâ – Michaelâs seventh No. 1 hit single was originally intended to be a duet with Prince. However, Prince decided against at the last minute because Jackson refused to change the first line in the song; âYour butt is mine.â
7. âP.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)â – This hit single off of Thriller was referenced by the President during Michaelâs 1984 visit to the White House. President Ronald Reagan said, âLetâs give some T.L.C. to the P.Y.T.s.â
8. âMan In The Mirrorâ – The music video to the fourth consecutive No. 1 single in the U.S. from the 1988 album Bad features historical events of violence in despair; including the Baker tests of Operation Crossroads, the rescue of baby Jessica McClure, Martin Luther King, the funeral of J.F.K., and the 1984 Famine in Ethiopia.
9. âSmooth Criminalâ – This hit single from Bad was the centerpiece to Jacksonâs hour-long film Moonwalker, which featured Joe Pesci. Eventually, Moonwalker was adapted as an arcade and video game for Sega Genesis.
10. âThe Way You Make Me Feelâ – On Michael Jacksonâs 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Gardens, he performed this song with Britney Spears. Its most memorable performance was at the 1988 Grammy Awards.
11. âBlack or Whiteâ – The first hit single from the 1991 album Dangerous opens with a guitar solo by Slash of Guns ân Roses. The song peaked at No. 1 on charts in more then twenty countries, despite its controversial message.
12. âRemember The Timeâ- This tuneâs mostly remembered for its elaborate music video set in Egypt and featuring Iman, Magic Johnson and Eddie Murphy.
13. “Rock With Youâ – Released in 1979, the original title to this track was âI Want To Eat You Up.â It was changed to âRock With Youâ to better fit Jacksonâs image.
14. âScreamâ – This track featured sister Janet Jackson. It is the only song in which Michael uses vulgar language; in the second chorus Michael sings âstop f*cking with me.â The music video cost $7,000,000 and remains as the most expensive video ever made.
15. âWill You Be Thereâ – Michael walked away with a MTV Movie Award in 1994 for this single, which was featured on the soundtrack of Free Willy.
16. âShake Your Body (To The Ground)â – Recorded with The Jackson 5, this hit was iconic of the Disco-era. Selling over two-million copies, the single attained double-platinum status.
17. âThey Donât Care About Usâ – One of Jacksonâs most controversial songs, the original lyrics brought accusations of Jackson being anti-Semitic. He cleared up the allegations by pulling the album, History, off of shelves and changing the lyrics.
18. âHeal The Worldâ – In 2001, Michael Jackson told his fans through an internet chat that âHeal The Worldâ is the song he is most proud of producing. It also inspired the creation of the Heal The World Foundation, used to teach children how to better the world around them.
19. âYou Are Not Aloneâ – Written by R. Kelly, this was the first single in history to debut in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The video sparked controversy when Michael appeared almost completely nude with his then-wife Lisa Marie Presley.
20. âHuman Natureâ – Steve Porcaro of Toto and John Bettis wrote this song. Jackson and Quincy Jones agreed that âHuman Natureâ was the most beautiful melody they had ever heard.
Happy Listening đ
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