It’s very rare that someone comes along, and shapes the world in a certain way. Love him or hate him, Michael Jackson shaped the world in his 40 year career. King Michael, as he was dubbed, spent his entire life recording, and touring, making him the most sold artist of all time. No solo artist has sold more records than he has. Since the 1970′s, Michael has released nothing but pure gold.
Being that Michael Jackson died suddenly today, at age 50, I felt it was fitting to do a blog about him. I love Michael Jackson’s music. As a child of the 80′s, I was around it all the time. I remember hearing his songs, and seeing his videos on MTV daily. (Remember, this was a time when MTV was still known for playing nothing but music all day long.) His music has lasted, and still carries depth today. Ask anyone, young or old, and they can name you a Michael Jackson song, and they all probably have a favorite for that matter. I’ve decided to list all my favorite MJ songs here. No particular order, because really, how can you rank the King of Pop. Remember, these are only my favorites, not what I think everyone should love. Everyone should have a favorite, so feel free to comment on yours below.
“Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” (1979)
This is the song, that in my opinion got the ball rolling on Michael’s solo career. He was already famous and popular as the lead singer of the Jackson 5, but this really started him out. He and Quincy Jones selected this particular song to be recorded for his Off the Wall album, and it made its mark in history. What stands out in this song is the uniqueness of his voice. This is the first time you can hear the falsetto of Michael Jackson, as well as the hiccuping style he used for the rest of his career. I still can’t hear it and not wanna dance. And I bet you can’t either…
“Billie Jean” (1983)
The story behind this song is pretty interesting, and it involves a female stalker that claimed MJ was the father of one of her twins. She apparently wasn’t sure of how the other twin got in there. Anyway. Without that crazy Jane, the world might be without “Billie Jean.” I don’t think I’m the only one that believes that this song has one of the most recognizable opening riffs. As soon as you hear that drum beat and the bass line kick in, you know what’s coming. Not only that, but the music video was hype. MJ rocking those flood pants, and shiny socks…forget about it. And, let’s not forget that this is the song that gave us the Moonwalk. Need I say more?
“Man in the Mirror” (1988)
Probably my personal favorite song of Michael Jackson’s career. I remember my mom playing this song when I was just a little little kid. That probably makes it my first MJ experience, and probably why it’s stuck with me for so many years. The song’s beauty is in its simplicity. Opening with the piano, and Michael’s powerful vocals; I’m blown away every time. When the song takes a change in keys, and Michael is joined by the full chorus, it is in my opinion one of the best uses of a choir on a recording. The song itself is about changing the world, and starting with yourself. The message is universal and something we could all say. I just listened to it at work, and it still gets to me. Way to go Michael…
“Thriller” (1984)
When someone says Michael Jackson, most people immediately think of him in dead man make up, dancing with zombies, chasing after some fine girl after the movies. This song and video are iconic. The sounds of the song are awesome to hear. The howling wolf, and creaking coffins, everything that’s in there to creep you out come together incredibly well. The high point of the song for me probably has to be the monologue by Mr. Vincent Price, who has one of the creepiest voices of all time. The music video for “Thriller” still sits atop most greatest videos lists. Sitting at 14 minutes, the video acts more like a short film that music video. The dancing is imitated by high school cheerleading songs every year at homecomings across the nation. The makeup is beyond belief for a music video. And, this blogger has personally seen video evidence of “Thriller” leading to the creation of the best student show in the history of his university. FACT!
“Remember the Time” (1992)
In my opinion, this is the best vocal performance I have of Michael’s listed here. At 34 years old, and 28 years of singing behind him, Michael still shows that he has a smooth as silk voice. Usually after 28 years of singing, there is serious wear and tear, especially singing like MJ did for his entire career. But instead of getting weak, and dropping in register, Michael only got better and better, and never faltered. The video for this song was amazing, featuring not only Eddie Murphy, but also Magic Johnson! Come on, who doesn’t love that?
“Black or White” (1991)
Ok, I might catch some hate for putting this one on here, but I don’t care. It’s a good song, and like I said these are only my favorites. This isn’t a list of critics rankings. I’m just a regular guy. This was the first Michael Jackson song I could actually call my own, from my own youth. I was six when this came out, and remember loving it the first time I saw it on MTV. The song is about racial equality. It’s about caring about other people, no matter what. As corny as it sounds, this really had a profound affect on me as a child, and helped shape to what I am today. This song, and “Man in the Mirror” really did more for me than I ever realized until today. Plus, the song features Slash playing guitar, and an interesting rap in the middle which has the line that I think should sum up peoples attitude on race “I’m not gonna spend my life bein a color.” At a time when racial tensions were high, and everyone was concerned with not only their race, but with the race of everyone around them, Michael Jackson said it plainly, and let us know that there was no need in caring. Plus, the video was just so cool. Morphing! Panther! MJ bashing windows out of a car! I mean, it got banned from MTV’s regular playing hours. Who knew Michael Jackson could get a video banned from tv? And who knew MTV would actually ban a video?
So, there it is. A brief look at my favorites. What’s your favorite? Let me know in the comments. Disagree with something I said? Did I mess something up? Let me know!
John Mayer said it best on twitter: Michael Jackson, like James Brown and Prince, are nearly uncoverable. The tunes were about his innate talent and can’t really be replicated.
And I’ll say it again, Michael Jackson is the Elvis of my generation. Music icon, tragic life, dead too young. So long MJ, you’ll be missed.
