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BuzzJack Music Forum _ Pop _ Michael Jackson - The Singles Rate • THE RESULTS [2021]
Posted by: Nina West 26th June 2021, 02:37 PM
Michael Jackson - Singles Rate: The Results
A big THANK YOU to the 22 Buzzjack voters who took part in this rate. 61 Singles in the running & many, many of them are iconic, but there could be only 1 Winner, but which one? The votes have been counted & verified & the results will revealed in due course.
Thoughts?, Predictions ? feel free to share...
A big THANK YOU to the 22 Buzzjack voters who took part in this rate. 61 Singles in the running & many, many of them are iconic, but there could be only 1 Winner, but which one? The votes have been counted & verified & the results will revealed in due course.
Thoughts?, Predictions ? feel free to share...
A reminder of everything that's to come =
Got To Be There
Rockin' Robin
I Wanna Be Where You Are
Ain't No Sunshine
Ben
With A Child's Heart
Happy
We're Almost There
Just A Little Bit of You
Ease On Down The Road (ft Diana Ross]
Don't Stop Till' You Get Enough
Rock With You
Off The Wall
She's Out of My Life
Girlfriend
One Day In Your Life
The Girl Is Mine (ft Paul McCartney)
Billie Jean
Beat It
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
Human Nature
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
Thriller
Say, Say, Say (ft Paul McCartney)
Farewell My Summer Love
Girl You're So Together
I Just Can't Stop Loving You
Bad
The Way You Make Me Feel
Man In The Mirror
Dirty Diana
Another Part of Me
Smooth Criminal
Leave Me Alone
Liberian Girl
Black or White
Remember The Time
In The Closet
Jam
Who Is It
Heal The World
Give In To Me
Will You Be There
Gone Too Soon
Scream (ft Janet Jackson)
Childhood
You Are Not Alone
Earth Song
They Don't Care About Us
Stranger In Moscow
Blood On The Dancefloor
History
Ghosts
You Rock My World
Cry
Butterflies
One More Chance
Hold My Hand (ft Akon)
Hollywood Tonight
Love Never Felt So Good (ft Justin Timberlake)
Don't Matter To Me (ft Drake)
Billie Jean
Posted by: Bjork 26th June 2021, 02:43 PM
guess Billie Jean for the win
Posted by: Nina West 26th June 2021, 10:09 PM
Sadness had been close as my next of kin
61. Happy | 3.368 Highest Scores: 6: (ready for it), Lowest Sores: 0: (Tawdry Hepburn)
60. With A Child's Heart | 3.5 Highest Scores: 6: (ready for it), Lowest Scores: 0: (Tawdry Hepburn)
59. Don't Matter To Me (ft Drake) | 3.954 Highest Scores: 9: (gog lad84, Nina West), Lowest Scores: -1/0: (vibe, Bjork, Adelita)
58. Girl You're So Together | 4.181 Highest Scores: 7: (Chapman), Lowest Scores: 2: (vibe, Mullo, Monzo)
57. Hold My Hand (ft Akon) | 4.318 Highest Scores: 8: (Mango, Tafty), Lowest Scores: 1: (Jester)
56. Hollywood Tonight | 4.363 Highest Scores: 7: (ready for it, Tafty), Lowest Scores: 1: (CJK)
Kicking this first set of results at #61 is the aptly titled Happy, which like a lot of his Motown releases, didn't spark much of a reaction on here with its highest score being a 6 & well you can easily guess that the rest of the scores this got, wasn't very positive. The song was originally released in 1973 & featured on his 1973 album Music & Me. It's full title is "Happy (Love Theme from Lady Sings The Blues)", although Michael's version was never featured in the film, there was an instrumental version used, however, it was not featured on the soundtrack for Lady Sings the Blues. The song was originally sung by Bobby Darin in 1972 & Michael's version was first released in Australia where it peaked at #31 & later released in the UK to promote Motown's 18 Greatest Hits compilation album where it managed a mere #52 peak. This is a very pretty song that showcases Michael transitioning from young child to teen, but not sure if he was prepared for song's nuances, but its still an okay effort, even if it is a little banal.
At #60 is the other 'M&M' single With A Child's Heart, released in May 1973 as the album's lead single & peaked at #50 on the US Billboard charts. The song was originally sung by Stevie Wonder in 1966. In a 2003 interview with Martin Bashir, Michael admitted that he no longer remembered having recorded the song, and could not recall any of the lyrics. Another schmaltzy & not all that interesting number where his vocals strains a bit over the music box melody, but given that he was just 15 when he recorded this, I'll give him a pass.
At #59 is 1 pf 3 posthumous singles in this bunch - Don't Matter To Me, a song by Drake that uses Michael's vocals from part of an unreleased 1983 session between Jackson and Canadian singer-songwriter Paul Anka. This was released as the 4th single from his 5th studio album Scorpion & became a huge commercial success by peaking at #2 on the UK singles chart & #9 on the US Billboard charts, serving as Drake's 31st top 10 hit & MJ's 30th. I may have been a bit hasty given this song a 9 (especially given the majority of terrible scores it got), but I don't think its that bad, it has some nice gloomy atmospheric strings & haunting production, but yeah listening to this again, I can see the problems, especially with the use of MJ's vocals that are way too auto-tuned & feels like an after thought & just used by Drake to grab some headlines & Drake as always lacks conviction in his vocals. Don't think this will be remembered in years to come.
At #58 is Girl You're So Together, a song Michael recorded in 1973, but didn't get released until 1984 on his Motown compilation album Farewell My Summer Love, where this got released as the 2nd single in the UK only, due to the commercial interest that generated from the sales of Jackson's hit 1982 album Thriller, despite the fact that Jackson had released that album on Epic Records instead of Motown. The song managed a #33 peak on the UK singles, but wasn't given an American release. This was just a cash grab release, nothing more, but there are some nice maturing vocals on display here, but as this stands its simply forgettable.
At #57 is Michael's first posthumous release Hold My Hand, a duet with Akon & released in November 2010 as the lead single from Michael's first posthumous album Michael. The song was originally recorded by both artists back in 2007 & originally written with Whitney Houston in mind, but Akon loved the song & kept it for himself & went to Las Vegas to work on what would have been Michael Jackson's next album. While there, Jackson heard the song and loved it, and decided he wanted to contribute to it. The song in its unfinished state leaked in 2008 & would be the last new song leaked during Jackson's lifetime. Due to the leak, the song was subsequently pulled from Akon's track listing for his 2008 album, Freedom. Upon release the song became an international top 10 hit in countries such as Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. A harmless little number with some nice gospel infused flourishes. This song is more Akon than Michael & yet he still steals the show with his unstated yet effective vocals capturing a combination of joy, yearning, and sadness.
Rounding off this bunch is the follow up to the one previous Hollywood Tonight, which was released as the album's 2nd single in February 2011. The song was written by Michael Jackson during the time of the Invincible album. Michael pulled the track out of the archives in 2007 to work on the song with producer Theron "Neff-U" Feemster. Over the next 10 years MJ returned to the track numerous times, but never got around to finishing it in his lifetime. The song isn't all that bad it has a catchy bass-line & chorus, but sadly falls to rise above sub-par, as like all of his posthumous releases, it lacks that classic MJ magic.
At #60 is the other 'M&M' single With A Child's Heart, released in May 1973 as the album's lead single & peaked at #50 on the US Billboard charts. The song was originally sung by Stevie Wonder in 1966. In a 2003 interview with Martin Bashir, Michael admitted that he no longer remembered having recorded the song, and could not recall any of the lyrics. Another schmaltzy & not all that interesting number where his vocals strains a bit over the music box melody, but given that he was just 15 when he recorded this, I'll give him a pass.
At #59 is 1 pf 3 posthumous singles in this bunch - Don't Matter To Me, a song by Drake that uses Michael's vocals from part of an unreleased 1983 session between Jackson and Canadian singer-songwriter Paul Anka. This was released as the 4th single from his 5th studio album Scorpion & became a huge commercial success by peaking at #2 on the UK singles chart & #9 on the US Billboard charts, serving as Drake's 31st top 10 hit & MJ's 30th. I may have been a bit hasty given this song a 9 (especially given the majority of terrible scores it got), but I don't think its that bad, it has some nice gloomy atmospheric strings & haunting production, but yeah listening to this again, I can see the problems, especially with the use of MJ's vocals that are way too auto-tuned & feels like an after thought & just used by Drake to grab some headlines & Drake as always lacks conviction in his vocals. Don't think this will be remembered in years to come.
At #58 is Girl You're So Together, a song Michael recorded in 1973, but didn't get released until 1984 on his Motown compilation album Farewell My Summer Love, where this got released as the 2nd single in the UK only, due to the commercial interest that generated from the sales of Jackson's hit 1982 album Thriller, despite the fact that Jackson had released that album on Epic Records instead of Motown. The song managed a #33 peak on the UK singles, but wasn't given an American release. This was just a cash grab release, nothing more, but there are some nice maturing vocals on display here, but as this stands its simply forgettable.
At #57 is Michael's first posthumous release Hold My Hand, a duet with Akon & released in November 2010 as the lead single from Michael's first posthumous album Michael. The song was originally recorded by both artists back in 2007 & originally written with Whitney Houston in mind, but Akon loved the song & kept it for himself & went to Las Vegas to work on what would have been Michael Jackson's next album. While there, Jackson heard the song and loved it, and decided he wanted to contribute to it. The song in its unfinished state leaked in 2008 & would be the last new song leaked during Jackson's lifetime. Due to the leak, the song was subsequently pulled from Akon's track listing for his 2008 album, Freedom. Upon release the song became an international top 10 hit in countries such as Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. A harmless little number with some nice gospel infused flourishes. This song is more Akon than Michael & yet he still steals the show with his unstated yet effective vocals capturing a combination of joy, yearning, and sadness.
Rounding off this bunch is the follow up to the one previous Hollywood Tonight, which was released as the album's 2nd single in February 2011. The song was written by Michael Jackson during the time of the Invincible album. Michael pulled the track out of the archives in 2007 to work on the song with producer Theron "Neff-U" Feemster. Over the next 10 years MJ returned to the track numerous times, but never got around to finishing it in his lifetime. The song isn't all that bad it has a catchy bass-line & chorus, but sadly falls to rise above sub-par, as like all of his posthumous releases, it lacks that classic MJ magic.
Posted by: Nina West 27th June 2021, 08:11 PM
Help me make these mysteries unfold.
55. We're Almost There | 4.368 Highest Scores: 6: (Nina West, Qween, ready for it, Bjork, Tafty), Lowest Scores: 1: (Mullo)
54. Just A Little Bit Of You | 4.394 Highest Scores: 6.5/6: (Tafty, Nina West, Qween, ready for it, gavindeejay, dandy), Lowest Scores: 1: (Mullo)
53. One More Chance | 4.704 Highest Scores: 7: (ready for it, Adelita, Mango), Lowest Scores: 0: (Tawdry Hepburn)
52. Butterflies | 4.772 Highest Scores: 7: (Nina West, ready for it), Lowest Scores: 3: (Bjork, Mullo, CJK, bluemonday)
51. I Wanna Be Where You Are | 4.825 Highest Scores: 7.5/7: (gavindeejay, dandy), Lowest Scores: 1: (CJK)
At #55 is We're Almost There, released in February 1975 as the lead single from his 4th & final Motown album Forever Michael & became a modest hit on the US Billboard charts by reaching a #54 peak (his first solo release to miss the top 50 there), but performed better on the R&B charts by reaching #7 there. The song later saw a UK release in 1981 as the follow up to the #1 smash "One Day In Your Life", & featured on the Motown compilation of the same title, which featured most of the tracks from 'FM' & a couple of Jackson 5 songs, as a quick cash grab to capitalize on his success with the Off The Wall album. However this wasn't nowhere near as successful as the lead single & only managed a #46 peak on the UK charts. As his voice matured, Motown found it difficult to find material to suit his then 16 year old voice & despite them trying to add a little sophistication to the strings, this sadly goes nowhere & comes across as more middle of the road than anything.
At #54 is the follow up to 'WAT' - Just A Little Bit Of You which was released in April 1975 as the 2nd single from his 4th studio album Forever Michael & fared much better than the previous by reaching a #23 peak on the US Billboard charts, making this his biggest solo hit in 3 years & this was also his last Motown single released while Jackson was still signed to the label. Although this is slightly better than the one before it, but this still couldn't manage to outshine his earlier hits on the same label, despite producers The Hollands really trying, they just couldn't get anywhere with Michael at this stage in his career & after this Michael would move back to CBS with his brothers & craft more hits with them & take some time off from his solo work for a few years & come back at the end of the decade with an almighty BANG.
Fast forward towards the tail end of his career in at #53 now with One More Chance which would be his last original single released during his lifetime. This song would feature on his 2003 compilation album Number Ones. Upon release the song received a positive critical reception & became quite successful worldwide by reaching top 10 peaks in UK, Italy & Spain, and top 30 peaks in Ireland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany & Belgium (Flanders). In the USA the song was less successful by only managing a #83 peak. The song was due to have a music video in which Michael began shooting in November 2003 at CMX studios in Las Vegas Nevada, but production was stopped due to a police raid on his Neverland Ranch & allegations. The single was instead promoted using a montage video. The song's music video did eventually leak in 2010. Wouldn't call this a strong comeback release, hell it isn't any better than the material on his last album Invincible. It does have an okay soft sweeping melody to it, intertwined with great vocals that gives this a nice light summery feel.
At #52 is Butterflies, released in November 2001 as the 2nd US single from his 10th & final studio album Invincible, which also makes this his final single from a studio album. The song was only released in American as a radio only single & became a success despite very limited promo & no music video by reaching a #14 peak there, becoming his 31st & last top 20 hit released during his lifetime. Shame this song didn't get a chance to shine in the UK as this is a really nice song with tinkling keyboards, gentle backing vocals over a simple beat, chimes. His vocals feel raw, yet perfectly controlled as he's joined by some simple string and brass sections that help build the song up in the chorus. A wonderful yet underrated track.
At #51 is yet another MJ Motown song I Wanna Be Where You Are, released in May 1972 as the 3rd US single from his debut solo album Got To Be There & reached #16 on the US Billboard charts, becoming his 3rd successful top 20 hit at this early stage of his career. It was the first collaboration between Ware and Ross, the younger brother of Diana Ross. This song is one of Jackson's most covered songs, with versions by Zulema, Marvin Gaye, Willie Hutch, Jason Weaver and later The Fugees. This is a nice soulful little number with strong high pitched vocals that soar over a beautiful string arrangement that wonderfully showcases his vocal talents at such a young age. It's fine, nothing more, nothing less.
54. Just A Little Bit Of You | 4.394 Highest Scores: 6.5/6: (Tafty, Nina West, Qween, ready for it, gavindeejay, dandy), Lowest Scores: 1: (Mullo)
53. One More Chance | 4.704 Highest Scores: 7: (ready for it, Adelita, Mango), Lowest Scores: 0: (Tawdry Hepburn)
52. Butterflies | 4.772 Highest Scores: 7: (Nina West, ready for it), Lowest Scores: 3: (Bjork, Mullo, CJK, bluemonday)
51. I Wanna Be Where You Are | 4.825 Highest Scores: 7.5/7: (gavindeejay, dandy), Lowest Scores: 1: (CJK)
At #55 is We're Almost There, released in February 1975 as the lead single from his 4th & final Motown album Forever Michael & became a modest hit on the US Billboard charts by reaching a #54 peak (his first solo release to miss the top 50 there), but performed better on the R&B charts by reaching #7 there. The song later saw a UK release in 1981 as the follow up to the #1 smash "One Day In Your Life", & featured on the Motown compilation of the same title, which featured most of the tracks from 'FM' & a couple of Jackson 5 songs, as a quick cash grab to capitalize on his success with the Off The Wall album. However this wasn't nowhere near as successful as the lead single & only managed a #46 peak on the UK charts. As his voice matured, Motown found it difficult to find material to suit his then 16 year old voice & despite them trying to add a little sophistication to the strings, this sadly goes nowhere & comes across as more middle of the road than anything.
At #54 is the follow up to 'WAT' - Just A Little Bit Of You which was released in April 1975 as the 2nd single from his 4th studio album Forever Michael & fared much better than the previous by reaching a #23 peak on the US Billboard charts, making this his biggest solo hit in 3 years & this was also his last Motown single released while Jackson was still signed to the label. Although this is slightly better than the one before it, but this still couldn't manage to outshine his earlier hits on the same label, despite producers The Hollands really trying, they just couldn't get anywhere with Michael at this stage in his career & after this Michael would move back to CBS with his brothers & craft more hits with them & take some time off from his solo work for a few years & come back at the end of the decade with an almighty BANG.
Fast forward towards the tail end of his career in at #53 now with One More Chance which would be his last original single released during his lifetime. This song would feature on his 2003 compilation album Number Ones. Upon release the song received a positive critical reception & became quite successful worldwide by reaching top 10 peaks in UK, Italy & Spain, and top 30 peaks in Ireland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany & Belgium (Flanders). In the USA the song was less successful by only managing a #83 peak. The song was due to have a music video in which Michael began shooting in November 2003 at CMX studios in Las Vegas Nevada, but production was stopped due to a police raid on his Neverland Ranch & allegations. The single was instead promoted using a montage video. The song's music video did eventually leak in 2010. Wouldn't call this a strong comeback release, hell it isn't any better than the material on his last album Invincible. It does have an okay soft sweeping melody to it, intertwined with great vocals that gives this a nice light summery feel.
At #52 is Butterflies, released in November 2001 as the 2nd US single from his 10th & final studio album Invincible, which also makes this his final single from a studio album. The song was only released in American as a radio only single & became a success despite very limited promo & no music video by reaching a #14 peak there, becoming his 31st & last top 20 hit released during his lifetime. Shame this song didn't get a chance to shine in the UK as this is a really nice song with tinkling keyboards, gentle backing vocals over a simple beat, chimes. His vocals feel raw, yet perfectly controlled as he's joined by some simple string and brass sections that help build the song up in the chorus. A wonderful yet underrated track.
At #51 is yet another MJ Motown song I Wanna Be Where You Are, released in May 1972 as the 3rd US single from his debut solo album Got To Be There & reached #16 on the US Billboard charts, becoming his 3rd successful top 20 hit at this early stage of his career. It was the first collaboration between Ware and Ross, the younger brother of Diana Ross. This song is one of Jackson's most covered songs, with versions by Zulema, Marvin Gaye, Willie Hutch, Jason Weaver and later The Fugees. This is a nice soulful little number with strong high pitched vocals that soar over a beautiful string arrangement that wonderfully showcases his vocal talents at such a young age. It's fine, nothing more, nothing less.
Posted by: dandy* 27th June 2021, 08:33 PM
Nothing too surprising so far, will be interesting to see if anything from his motown days can make the top half.
There were quite a few low scores for my faves so I'm somehow hoping they've outdone expectations. If only the rate could have been limited to myself and Haus 
Posted by: Bjork 28th June 2021, 10:32 AM
really not a fan of 70s Jacko...
how did Butterflies manage to go to #14 in the US?! Quite unexpected
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 28th June 2021, 11:06 AM
No real losses so far.
Posted by: Nina West 28th June 2021, 02:34 PM
In the next lot, 1 of them is a 'Off The Wall' single & another is a 'History' single,
Any guesses?
Posted by: vibe 28th June 2021, 04:08 PM
Very happy with the results so far.
Posted by: dandy* 28th June 2021, 05:35 PM
Girlfriend and Childhood in the next section then?
Posted by: Nina West 28th June 2021, 08:18 PM
No one understands me, they view it as such strange eccentricities
50. Ease On Down The Road (ft Diana Ross) | 4.868 Highest Scores: 7: (Qween, dandy), Lowest Scores: 2: (vibe)
49. Girlfriend | 4.954 Highest Scores: 7.5/7: (gog lad84, Chapman. dandy, Tawdry Hepburn, bluemonday), Lowest Scores: 2: (CJK)
48. Childhood | 5.068 Highest Scores: 7: (Nina West, Qween, Chapman, ready for it), Lowest Scores: 2: (Bjork, Mullo)
47. Farewell My Summer Love | 5.431 Highest Scores: 8: (Chapman, Mango), Lowest Scores: 2: (vibe, Monzo, Adelita)
At the #50 spot is MJ's final pre-breakout - Ease On Down The Road, which was recorded as a duet with Diana Ross & released as the theme song for the 1978 movie musical The Wiz, which also featured both singers in starring roles as Dorothy & The Scarecrow respectively. The film version was produced by Quincy Jones, making this one Michael's first collaborations with him & thanks to this movie, MJ would work with Quincy Jones on his next project (but how would that turn out?). Released as a single by MCA records in September 1978 & would miss the top 40 in both the USA & UK, peaking at #41 & #45, although of note this would be MJ's first release to chart in the UK in 6 years. The song is a joyous affair about leaving all your baggage and moving on to something better & both artists blend really together in unison & even before his major breakthrough he was honing in on his already fantastic range. However He hadn't completely refined his adult voice so he was looser and more open. It really is fun to listen to him working all of this out, as bigger things were waiting for him, just around the next corner.
At #49 is Girlfriend, a song that was originally sung by English rock band The Wings in 1978 on their album London Town & written by the band's frontman Paul McCartney who originally had Michael in mind when writing it. This would be the first of many collaborations between both artists. Michael then covered it the following year for his 1979 album Off The Wall, then in 1980 it got released in the UK as the album's 5th and final single. The song wasn't quite as successful as the previous singles where it peaked at #41. Certainly one of the lesser tracks on the said album, but it does have a nice mellow tune with a light R&B layered with sax & synths sounds that dates this quite a bit. The song on the whole is just okay, very album filler & yes there were far better tracks on the albums that could have been singles such as 'Workin' Day and Night' or 'Burn This Disco Out'. A lesser MJ single for sure. [
At #48 is the biographical Childhood, released in May 1995 as a double a-side with "Scream" from his studio album HIStory. The theme of the track is his difficult childhood experiences. It was written, produced & sung solely by Michael himself with New York City's children's choir are credited for providing backing vocals on the track. The song appeared on the 'Free Willy 2' movie soundtrack, (he also sung the theme to the previous movie). Definitely an odd choice for a kids movie soundtrack, especially given the lyrical content, as it stands though its one of the most vulnerable and honest tracks he's ever created, that contains more classical elements than R&B or Pop. The strings create a sombre but wistful atmosphere that evokes a sense of longing & yet there's a dreamlike quality to it, almost like a children's lullaby & recording with a live orchestra really sets the mood for the song. This may not as one of his greatest songs & would probably work better as a deep album cut, but its a great piece of emotional music nonetheless.
Rounding off this bunch is Farewell My Summer Love, a song that was originally recorded in 1973, but wouldn't get released until 1984 due to the commercial success of his Thriller album. This song was featured on the compilation album of the same name, which was made up of his unreleased recordings from his Motown days & released as the lead single in May 1984 & became yet another commercial success by peaking at #7 on the UK singles chart & reached the top 40 on the US Billboard charts. This was a pleasant if somewhat disposable light weight number that acts as a time capsule in Michael's early career & already fine-tuning his tender vocals into the mega star he was about to come. This was just yet another cash grab by Motown, nothing more.
Posted by: Nina West 28th June 2021, 08:24 PM
1 of the songs in the next batch will a 'Dangerous' single, but which one?
Posted by: dandy* 28th June 2021, 08:47 PM
Hmmmm it had better be Heal The World or Gone Too Soon as any of the others dropping out this early would be criminal!
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 28th June 2021, 08:48 PM
God, so much filler in his discography.
Posted by: Mangø 28th June 2021, 11:41 PM
QUOTE(dandy* @ Jun 28 2021, 09:47 PM) 
Hmmmm it had better be Heal The World or Gone Too Soon as any of the others dropping out this early would be criminal!
No way will it be Heal The World. My money's on Gone Too Soon. The title of which lends itself nicely to a pun regarding its early exit, let's hope the opportunity isn't wasted
Posted by: Bjork 29th June 2021, 06:02 AM
maybe Jam, aka his worst single ever
Posted by: Nina West 29th June 2021, 02:33 PM
Will the sun ever shine in the blind man's eyes when he cries
[
46. Ben | 5.631 [Highest Scores: 9: (Chapman), Lowest Scores: 1: (Tawdry Hepburn)
45. Rockin' Robin | 5.681 Highest Scores; 8: (Chapman, vibe, Jester), Lowest Scores: 2: (Tawdry Hepburn, Bjork, Monzo, CJK)
44. Cry | 5.727 Highest Scores: 10: (gavindeejay), Lowest Scores: 3: (bluemonday)
43. Gone Too Soon | 5.75 Highest Scores: 7.5/7: (Chapman, ready for it, Jester, Tawdry Hepburn, bluemonday), Lowest Scores: 4: (Bjork, CJK, HausofArgento)
2 more Motown hits drop in this bunch & the first of them at #46 is Ben, released in July 1972 & written by Don Black & Walter Scharf for the Horror movie of the same name, as well as featuring on his 2nd studio album also titled Ben. The song was originally written for Donny Osmond, but he was on tour at the time and unavailable for recording, so Black and Scharf offered the song to Michael instead. Upon release the song became a huge success by becoming his first solo chart topper in the USA, as well as winning a Golden Globe for Best Song, as well as being nominated for an Oscar for 'Best Original Song', but lost out to "The Morning After" by Maureen McGovern from The Poseidon Adventure. Michael even performed the song at the Oscar's ceremony, but had to lip-sync, possibly as his vocal range had shifted since its recording. Elsewhere it also managed to top the Australian charts & hit top 10 peaks in the UK & Canada. Not bad for a song written about a killer rat. Thought this would have done better on here as this is a pretty decent song with simple yet smooth production, haunting acoustic guitars, sweeping strings, as well as displaying an impressive tender vocal range for the then 13 year old. Despite the movie it comes from the lyrics here are touching & sentimental & makes no references about the said killer rodents, instead its about friendship, which is something anyone can relate to, especially Michael himself.
At #45 is Michael's cover of Rockin' Robin, originally sung by Bobby Day back in 1958 & Michael released his version in February 1972 as the 2nd single from his debut solo album Got To Be There & became the album's biggest hit by reaching #2 on the US Billboard charts, as well as hitting #3 on the UK singles chart. Elsewhere it managed top 20 peaks in Ireland, Australia & Canada. This is a fun early number by Michael, a cover of an R&B novelty song, but he gives this such a manic energy & devotion, as well as displaying some fun rockabilly vocal tricks. Sure this is a far cry from the artist he was about to come, but this is still a fun little 70's bubblegum pop track & one of his most well known from his early Motown days.
At the tail end of his career now at #44 is Cry, released in December 2001 as the 2nd & final official single from his 10th studio album Invincible. The song was written by R&B singer R Kelly who had previously written 'You Are Not Alone' in 1995. Upon release it was only released in Europe & not in the USA where 'Butterflies' was released instead. Worldwide this didn't perform as well as the lead by managing a top 20 peak on the Danish charts & top 40 peaks in Romania, UK, France, Belgium, Canada & Netherlands, then lower peaks everywhere else & therefore becoming a moderate success. A nice R&B ballad with a simple beat & bassline, along with some decent vocals before the pace picks up with choir and rock drums and guitar lifting the song to that familiar finale. Shame this was the last single as there were far better tracks that could have been released instead of this, as there was so much potential on here for more hits, but sadly due to record label politics, sadly this marked an abrupt end to a promising new era.
At #43 is Gone Too Soon, ballad recorded and popularized by Michael 1991. Dionne Warwick first performed (but never recorded) the song back in 1983 on a TV special & Michael's version was dedicated to the memory of Jackson's friend Ryan White, a teenager from Kokomo, Indiana who came to national attention, after being expelled from his school for having HIV/AIDS. The song was released in December 1993 as the 9th and final single from the Dangerous album, following its release on World AIDS Day & became a moderate chart success worldwide by hitting top 10 peaks in Zimbabwe, New Zealand & Poland, top 20 in Ireland & Netherlands, as well as top 40 peaks in France, Switzerland & UK, where he equalled his own record with 'Bad' by having 9 top 40 hits from one album. Originally the title track was planned as the 10th single, but was scrapped when this didn't perform as well as the previous singles. While I do appreciate the sentiment, this is definitely the weakest of the album's singles & one of the album's weakest moments, with a very Disney ballad by numbers feel, however I do commend Michael's falsetto vocals which floats over the warm arrangement of electric piano chords and elegant strings. However he's done far better ballads than this & its a shame we didn't get 'Dangerous' as a single, as that's one of the best songs on said album & would have made a great release.
46. Ben | 5.631 [Highest Scores: 9: (Chapman), Lowest Scores: 1: (Tawdry Hepburn)
45. Rockin' Robin | 5.681 Highest Scores; 8: (Chapman, vibe, Jester), Lowest Scores: 2: (Tawdry Hepburn, Bjork, Monzo, CJK)
44. Cry | 5.727 Highest Scores: 10: (gavindeejay), Lowest Scores: 3: (bluemonday)
43. Gone Too Soon | 5.75 Highest Scores: 7.5/7: (Chapman, ready for it, Jester, Tawdry Hepburn, bluemonday), Lowest Scores: 4: (Bjork, CJK, HausofArgento)
2 more Motown hits drop in this bunch & the first of them at #46 is Ben, released in July 1972 & written by Don Black & Walter Scharf for the Horror movie of the same name, as well as featuring on his 2nd studio album also titled Ben. The song was originally written for Donny Osmond, but he was on tour at the time and unavailable for recording, so Black and Scharf offered the song to Michael instead. Upon release the song became a huge success by becoming his first solo chart topper in the USA, as well as winning a Golden Globe for Best Song, as well as being nominated for an Oscar for 'Best Original Song', but lost out to "The Morning After" by Maureen McGovern from The Poseidon Adventure. Michael even performed the song at the Oscar's ceremony, but had to lip-sync, possibly as his vocal range had shifted since its recording. Elsewhere it also managed to top the Australian charts & hit top 10 peaks in the UK & Canada. Not bad for a song written about a killer rat. Thought this would have done better on here as this is a pretty decent song with simple yet smooth production, haunting acoustic guitars, sweeping strings, as well as displaying an impressive tender vocal range for the then 13 year old. Despite the movie it comes from the lyrics here are touching & sentimental & makes no references about the said killer rodents, instead its about friendship, which is something anyone can relate to, especially Michael himself.
At #45 is Michael's cover of Rockin' Robin, originally sung by Bobby Day back in 1958 & Michael released his version in February 1972 as the 2nd single from his debut solo album Got To Be There & became the album's biggest hit by reaching #2 on the US Billboard charts, as well as hitting #3 on the UK singles chart. Elsewhere it managed top 20 peaks in Ireland, Australia & Canada. This is a fun early number by Michael, a cover of an R&B novelty song, but he gives this such a manic energy & devotion, as well as displaying some fun rockabilly vocal tricks. Sure this is a far cry from the artist he was about to come, but this is still a fun little 70's bubblegum pop track & one of his most well known from his early Motown days.
At the tail end of his career now at #44 is Cry, released in December 2001 as the 2nd & final official single from his 10th studio album Invincible. The song was written by R&B singer R Kelly who had previously written 'You Are Not Alone' in 1995. Upon release it was only released in Europe & not in the USA where 'Butterflies' was released instead. Worldwide this didn't perform as well as the lead by managing a top 20 peak on the Danish charts & top 40 peaks in Romania, UK, France, Belgium, Canada & Netherlands, then lower peaks everywhere else & therefore becoming a moderate success. A nice R&B ballad with a simple beat & bassline, along with some decent vocals before the pace picks up with choir and rock drums and guitar lifting the song to that familiar finale. Shame this was the last single as there were far better tracks that could have been released instead of this, as there was so much potential on here for more hits, but sadly due to record label politics, sadly this marked an abrupt end to a promising new era.
At #43 is Gone Too Soon, ballad recorded and popularized by Michael 1991. Dionne Warwick first performed (but never recorded) the song back in 1983 on a TV special & Michael's version was dedicated to the memory of Jackson's friend Ryan White, a teenager from Kokomo, Indiana who came to national attention, after being expelled from his school for having HIV/AIDS. The song was released in December 1993 as the 9th and final single from the Dangerous album, following its release on World AIDS Day & became a moderate chart success worldwide by hitting top 10 peaks in Zimbabwe, New Zealand & Poland, top 20 in Ireland & Netherlands, as well as top 40 peaks in France, Switzerland & UK, where he equalled his own record with 'Bad' by having 9 top 40 hits from one album. Originally the title track was planned as the 10th single, but was scrapped when this didn't perform as well as the previous singles. While I do appreciate the sentiment, this is definitely the weakest of the album's singles & one of the album's weakest moments, with a very Disney ballad by numbers feel, however I do commend Michael's falsetto vocals which floats over the warm arrangement of electric piano chords and elegant strings. However he's done far better ballads than this & its a shame we didn't get 'Dangerous' as a single, as that's one of the best songs on said album & would have made a great release.
Posted by: Nina West 29th June 2021, 02:38 PM
In the next lot there will a 'Thriller' single, but which one?
Posted by: vibe 29th June 2021, 02:56 PM
Ben and Rockin Robbin should be higher , i doubt many people here gave them a chance because they were released in the early 70's and although hits they are not as iconic as his huge singles.
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 29th June 2021, 04:00 PM
'Ben' truly makes me nauseous.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 29th June 2021, 04:11 PM
Thriller single? The Girl Is Mine of course....!
Posted by: HausofArgento 29th June 2021, 04:23 PM
Getting into some decent songs now; Ben, Rockin Robin and Cry are all nice listens.
I can't really stand Gone Too Soon much - the album it appears on is an incredible listen but I always find this really jars in it and I've never warmed to it. He has much stronger ballads!
and yes, get The Girl is Mine OUT!
Posted by: dandy* 29th June 2021, 05:06 PM
I hate Ben, it makes me cringe so much.
I totally agree with you that Dangerous would have made a far better final single than Gone Too Soon, such a wasted opportunity
QUOTE(HausofArgento @ Jun 29 2021, 05:23 PM)
I can't really stand Gone Too Soon much - the album it appears on is an incredible listen but I always find this really jars in it and I've never warmed to it. He has much stronger ballads!
Agree with this too... it really doesn't fit within the album and I'd happily do without it. If I listen to the album digitally I always remove Gone Too Soon, She Drives Me Wild and Heal The World.
Posted by: CJK 29th June 2021, 09:55 PM
"I'm sure they'd think again
If they had a friend like... Pete".
Can't think of this song without remembering Dawn and Pete's wedding in Gavin & Stacey!! 😂😂
Posted by: Nina West 30th June 2021, 12:01 AM
Just call my name, and I'll be there
42. One Day In Your Life | 6.0 Highest Scores: 10: (popchartfreak), Lowest Scores: 2: (Monzo)
41. The Girl Is Mine (ft Paul McCartney) | 6.022 Highest Scores: 10: (ready for it, Mango), Lowest Scores: 2.5: (dandy)
40. Ain't No Sunshine | 6.045 Highest Scores: 11: (popchartfreak), 10: (Adelita), Lowest Scores: 3: (Mullo, Monzo, CJK)
At #42 is One Day In Your Life, a song that originally featured on his 1975 studio album Forever Michael, but wasn't released as a single until 1981, where it featured on the Motown compilation album One Day In Your Life, due to the commercial interest that generated from the sales of Jackson's hit 1979 album Off the Wall. Upon release the song was only a modest success in the USA by reaching a #55 peak, but fared much better in the UK, where it became his first chart topper & was the 6th best selling single of that year there. The song was also successful in other countries, by topping the charts in Ireland & South Africa, top 5 peak in Netherlands, as well as reaching top 10 in Australia. The song was also covered by Johnny Mathis back in 1976, but only managed to chart on the Adult Contemporary charts at #36. I bet that if you ask any MJ fan what their favourite #1 is & doubt many of if any would say this one, its safe to say that only his true die-hard fans would even know that this was a UK #1. That's not to say that this is a bad song by any means, in fact its rather fine with decent yet tender vocals, along with strings & backing vocals arranged within a inch of its life, this may have benefitted better by giving his performance a space to breathe, as he was more than capable with his vocals & there's some great drum pans that gives things an extra lift. On the whole this is one of those cases where he's had far better songs that are more deserving of topping the charts than this.
At #41 is The Girl Is Mine, which features singer Paul McCartney & released as the lead single from Michael's 6th studio album Thriller in October 1982. This track was one the duo's many collaborations together along with 'Say, Say, Say' & 'The Man' the year before on Paul's 5th studio album Pipes of Peace, but 'TGIM' was the first one to get released as a single. The song gained mixed reviews upon release, but still managed to achieve success by reaching #2 on the US Billboard charts, as well as top 5 peaks in Australia, Norway, New Zealand, Ireland & South Africa & top 10 peaks in UK & Canada. Despite its success it's often seen by many as the weakest track on the album. The song has also been he subject of two plagiarism lawsuits, the first in 1984 and the latter in 1993. Both instances required Jackson to testify in court, and each lawsuit was decided in favour of the singer and his record label. In 2008 the song was remixed by Will.iam for the 25th anniversary edition of the album. I can see why this was chosen as the first single in hindsight its a very safe middle of the road pop track & thanks to Paul McCartney's contribution, it was a guaranteed airplay hit, very conventional & easy to understand, even if it is one of the weakest songs on an incredible album & hey it did what it needed to do & thankfully far better singles would follow.
At the #40 spot is Ain't No Sunshine, a song originally recorded by Bill Withers in 1971 & recorded by Michael for his debut solo album Got To Be There where it was released as the 3rd single in July 1972 in the UK only, where it became his 3rd top 10 hit by reaching #8. This is a definite highlight from Michael's Motown era & shows his versatility as a singer, as despite his young age, he takes an almost adult approach to song, which adds a nice touch, but the production sounds a little clouded, but picks up in the 2nd half, by blasting in a key change and turning the outro into a swirling and roiling mass of emotion, which Michael keeps up with rather well.
Posted by: Nina West 30th June 2021, 12:06 AM
Here is a re-cap of the results #40-#61
40. Ain’t No Sunshine - 6.045
41. The Girl Is Mine (ft Paul McCartney) - 6.022
42. One Day in Your Life - 6.0
43. Gone Too Soon - 5.75
44. Cry - 5.727
45. Rockin’ Robin - 5.681
46. Ben - 5.613
47. Farewell My Summer Love - 5.431
48. Childhood - 5.068
49. Girlfriend - 4.954
50. Ease On Down the Road (ft Diana Ross) - 4.868
51. I Wanna Be Where You Are - 4.825
52. Butterflies - 4.772
53. One More Chance - 4.704
54. Just A Little Bit of You - 4.394
55. We’re Almost There - 4.368
56. Hollywood Tonight - 4.363
57. Hold My Hand (ft Akon) - 4.318
58. Girl You’re So Together - 4.181
59. Don’t Matter to Me (ft Drake) - 3.954
60. With A Child’s Heart - 3.5
61. Happy - 3.368
40. Ain’t No Sunshine - 6.045
41. The Girl Is Mine (ft Paul McCartney) - 6.022
42. One Day in Your Life - 6.0
43. Gone Too Soon - 5.75
44. Cry - 5.727
45. Rockin’ Robin - 5.681
46. Ben - 5.613
47. Farewell My Summer Love - 5.431
48. Childhood - 5.068
49. Girlfriend - 4.954
50. Ease On Down the Road (ft Diana Ross) - 4.868
51. I Wanna Be Where You Are - 4.825
52. Butterflies - 4.772
53. One More Chance - 4.704
54. Just A Little Bit of You - 4.394
55. We’re Almost There - 4.368
56. Hollywood Tonight - 4.363
57. Hold My Hand (ft Akon) - 4.318
58. Girl You’re So Together - 4.181
59. Don’t Matter to Me (ft Drake) - 3.954
60. With A Child’s Heart - 3.5
61. Happy - 3.368
Posted by: Nina West 30th June 2021, 12:09 AM
Some clues to the next lot
One is a lead single?
Another is a 2nd single?
The third one is a UK #2 hit, but which one?
Any guesses>
Posted by: Nina West 30th June 2021, 03:54 PM
More results will follow later, any guesses to the clues left in the previous topic?
Posted by: dandy* 30th June 2021, 04:08 PM
QUOTE(Nina West @ Jun 30 2021, 01:09 AM)
Some clues to the next lot
One is a lead single?
Another is a 2nd single?
The third one is a UK #2 hit, but which one?
Any guesses>
One is a lead single?
Another is a 2nd single?
The third one is a UK #2 hit, but which one?
Any guesses>
HEAL THE WORLD OUT PLEASE
Posted by: Nina West 1st July 2021, 09:04 AM
They put a knife in my back
39. Got To Be There | 6.068 Highest Scores: 10: (popchartfreak), Lowest Scores: 1: (Mullo)
38. Ghosts | 6.166 Highest Scores: 8: (gog lad84, Nina West, ready for it, Mango), Lowest Scores: 4: (gavindeejay, Mullo, Monzo, CJK)
37. Say, Say, Say (ft Paul McCartney) | 6.522 Highest Scores: 10: (ready for it, gavindeejay), Lowest Scores: 3.5/3: (dandy, HausofArgento)
At #39 is the last of the MJ's Motown releases to feature here - Got To Be There, released in October 1972 as his very first single from his debut album also titled Got To Be There. The song became an immediate success by reaching a #4 peak on the US Billboard charts, as well as a top 5 peak on the UK singles chart & therefore become his first hit as a solo artist. This was a great introduction for Michael to showcase his solo career with this beautiful ballad that's perhaps an early hint that he can carry on song solely on his shoulders. Alongside some stunning pop arrangements & strong yet mature vocals, this is a decent yet underrated Motown ballad & one of their finest ever recordings.
At #38 is Ghosts, released in July 1997 as part of a double a-side alongside 'HIStory', as the 2nd single from his remix album Blood on the Dancefloor: HIStory in the Mix & was one of the 5 new tracks recorded for the album & written, composed and produced by Jackson and Teddy Riley. It's music video was a five-minute clip taken from the much longer film of the same name. The song performed generally well on the charts worldwide by reaching #5 on the UK charts, top 10 in Belgium, as well as top 20 peaks in Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, Ireland & Switzerland. This track has some lovely sounds in it, with some ethereal sounds that lend themselves perfectly to the song’s title. A really nice track on the whole & that music video was fantastic & definitely one his best in his later career.
At #37 is Say, Say, Say, a song written & performed Paul McCartney alongside Michael Jackson & released in October 1983 as the lead single from the former's 4th studio album Pipes Of Peace. Produced by George Martin, the song was recorded during production of McCartney's 1982 "Tug of War" album, about a year before the release of "The Girl Is Mine", the pair's first duet from Jackson's album Thriller (1982). The song was a massive success upon release by topping the charts in USA, France, Norway, Spain, Canada & Sweden, as well as top 5 peaks in UK, Switzerland, Ireland, South Africa & Australia. This song also marked Michael's 7th top 10 hit inside a year. This track is a fun & catchy little number & Michael's vocals sits well alongside Paul McCartney's and the whole track is lent a funkier sound that you can't help but tap your foot at. A solid duet with great harmonies that still sound great to this day.
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 1st July 2021, 01:04 PM
Give me the Hi-Tack version of 'Say Say Say' any day.
Posted by: vibe 1st July 2021, 01:21 PM
GTBT is the best of that bunch.
Posted by: Nina West 1st July 2021, 04:30 PM
False prophets cry of doom
36. Liberian Girl | 6.522 Highest Scores: 10: (Bjork, Mango), Lowest Scores: 4: (gavindeejay, Tawdry Hepburn, Mullo)
35. She's Out Of My Life | 6.568 Highest Scores: 10: (vibe), Lowest Scores: 2: (Monzo, CJK)
34. Jam | 6.659 Highest Scores: 11: (Adelita), 10: (dandy), Lowest Scores: 0: (Bjork)
At #36 is Liberian Girl, which scored the same average as 'SSS', but placed higher due to it having more high scores. Released in July 1989 as the 9th and final single from his 7th studio album Bad. The song was written as early as 1983 and was among those considered for The Jacksons' "Victory" album. It was then written & reworked for said album.
Upon release the song was a commercial success by topping the Irish charts, top 10 peaks in Poland & Finland, as well as top 20 peaks in Belgium, Switzerland, UK, Netherlands & France. It wasn't given an American release. The song has a nice exotic glow with its cascading synths, tribal percussion & rippling sitars, really enlightens the number & Michael's vocal harmonies gives this track a rather earnest feel, but when compared to the other singles from this album, its an album filler, but a rather decent one.
At #35 is She's Out Of My Life, released in April 1980 as the 4th single from his 5th studio album Off The Wall & unlike the album's previous singles, which were all up-tempo dance/disco/funk tracks, this was an emotional ballad with a tempo of 66 beats per minute, making it one of his slowest songs. Originally Quincy Jones intended to save this song for Frank Sinatra, but opted to give it to Michael as he wanted him to record material with more mature themes and "feel the full range of his voice,". Upon release the song became a success just like the previous singles by hitting top 10 peaks in UK, Ireland, New Zealand & USA, where he became the first artist to achieve 4 top 10 hits from one album, in America at the time. A beautiful heartbreak ballad that offered not only a nice change of pace to the previous up-tempo singles, but shows a variety of tracks, as this is definitely one of the best tracks on there with the electric piano perfectly setting the tone & Michael's vocals quiver with emotion on every word of this tear jerking ballad that stands as one of his finest recordings to date.
At #34 is Jam, a new jack swing, pop, funk song whose bridge features a rap verse performed by rapper Heavy D, though no credit to him appears on the album. Released in July 1992 as the 4th single from his 8th studio album Dangerous & was used in many promotional ads of the NBA season as well as featuring NBA basketball legend Michael Jordan in the song's music video. A portion of the song was performed at the start of the 1993 Super Bowl halftime show. Upon release the song performed well in many countries by reaching top 10 peaks in New Zealand, Ireland, Portugal, France, Greece, Netherlands & Belgium, as well as top 40 peaks everywhere else. In the USA the song only managed a #26 peaks, despite heavy promotion, this was his first song to miss the top 20 in 8 years. A great upbeat song with a tense & fragmented beat running throughout that's propelled by horn samples & funky bass-lines & of course Michael's vocals takes its time coming into the mix, then slices through it when the chorus hits & its fantastic as always. Then there's Heavy D's rap verse, which really lifts to whole thing & adds a whole new layer to this funky pop number.
Posted by: HausofArgento 1st July 2021, 04:43 PM
WAIT how is Liberian Girl out already? 
It's great and I thought well-liked in his back catalogue????? That's the first big loss. Jam is decent but there are far greater hits to come from that era.
Posted by: Bjork 1st July 2021, 04:47 PM
poor Liberian Girl, I personally think it's one of his very best, I even considered it for an 11 :/
Posted by: CJK 1st July 2021, 06:31 PM
Liberian Girl is great. I bought the single.
9th single off the album though. NINTH!!!
Still shouldn't be out this early.
Posted by: Nina West 2nd July 2021, 09:58 PM
We stop existing and start living
33. Heal The World | 6.863 Highest Scores: 10: (Mango), Lowest Scores: 1: (dandy, Jester)
32. You Rock My World | 6.886 Highest Scores: 10: (Adelita, HausofArgento), Lowest Scores: 2: (Tawdry Hepburn)
31. In The Closet | 6.954 Highest Scores: 10: (dandy, Mullo), Lowest Scores: 4: (gavindeejay, Dexton)
At #33 is Heal The World, released in November 1982 as the 5th single from his 8th studio album Dangerous & written & composed by Michael himself. It is a song steeped with anti-war lyrics and Jackson's wish for humanity of making the world a better place, he stated that he created the song in his giving tree at Neverland Ranch. The song was played at the funeral of James Bulger,[4] and Jackson also donated the song to be used as the anthem for the James Bulger Red Balloon Centre. Upon release the song was a massive success in several countries by reaching top 5 peaks in France, Ireland, UK, Zimbabwe, Belgium, Germany, New Zealand, Austria & Switzerland, as well as top 10/20 peaks mostly everywhere else. In the USA it wasn't quite as successful by only managing a top 30 peak. In 2001 Internet chat with fans, Michael said that this was the song he was most proud to have created. He also created the Heal the World Foundation, a charitable organization which was designed to improve the lives of children. The organization was also meant to teach children how to help others. This is a beautiful yet understated ballad set against some classy arrangements with Michael using a more softer vocal tone, yet makes the music even more powerful. The instrumentation is mostly piano but there is a wider production around it. Making this a creative yet wonderful piece of music.
At #32 is You Rock My World, released in August 2001 as the lead single from his 10th and final studio album Invincible. Originally Michael wanted to release "Unbreakable" as the lead single, but Sony opted for this instead. As part of the song's promotion an epic 13 minute music video was released, directed by Paul Hunter & features actors Chris Rock & Marlon Brando. Upon release the song was his first release in 4 years & became a successful comeback for him by topping the charts in France, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Africa & Spain, as well as top 10 peaks in several countries such as Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Swiss, UK & USA. In the USA it would be his last top 10 hit until 2014 & the song's top 10 peak was based on airplay alone, as no commercial single was issued there. This song really is a great piece of music & marked a strong comeback for him. There's a wonderful bass-line that comes in that has that fantastic disco funk beats & musically there's plenty of space for him to show off his signature vocal rhythms & of course there's a catchy chorus to wrap everything together nicely. This made a promising start to a new era & shame we didn't get a long run of singles from this, due to Sony halting promotion for this album rather abruptly, as there was so much potential & some really great songs such as 'Break Of Dawn', 'Whatever Happens', 'Unbreakable' & 'Speechless' all gone to waste.
At #31 is In The Closet, released in April 1992 as the 3rd single from his 8th studio album Dangerous & features vocals by Princess Stephanie of Monaco who was originally labeled as Mystery Girl on the album itself, while the music video model Naomi Campbell sung her parts. The song, written and composed by Michael Jackson and Teddy Riley, is about keeping a relationship secret between lovers. "In the closet" is an English idiom used when one is not open about an aspect of their life, particularly in regard to sexual orientation. Despite it's title the song's lyrics do not allude to a hidden sexual orientation, but rather a secret relationship between a man and a woman. Originally the song was conceived as a duet with Madonna, who worked on some lyrical ideas for the song, but when she presented them to Michael, he decided they were too provocative and they decided not to continue with the project. Upon release the song was a success by reaching top 10 peaks in several countries such as UK, USA, Greece, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, France, Netherlands & Norway. Only Michael could take a song title such as this & make it about a straight relationship, but this is a great track that has aged gracefully set against an intense new jack/swing arrangements & MJ's signature whoops & whispers that's highlighted by an instantly memorable chorus & the way the elegant piano intro gives way to the erotic, gyrating beat. Listen to how the song builds tension and releases, builds tension and releases, Even the female vocals adds a layer of sophistication to the whole thing, making this one of his most passionate & sexually charged songs of his career.
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 2nd July 2021, 10:06 PM
I really do not like 'You Rock My World' at all.
Posted by: vibe 3rd July 2021, 07:09 AM
Go and listen to ‘Shes Out Of My Life’ should be way higher !!
Posted by: Popchartfreak 3rd July 2021, 07:44 AM
Looks like some not fans of his 70's output and ballads especially, cos young Michael's stunning vocal performances on Ain't No Sunshine, Got To Be There and the later She's Out Of My Life beat the s.h.1.t. out of comparable later cack like The Girl Is Mine, and OK dance like In The Closet, his New-Jack-Swing tracks haven't the same lasting thrill as the older dance stuff or the non-Jack tracks in the 90's. UK number one One Day In Your Life is lovely and old-fashioned romantic, that's why it got to the top spot in the days before Thriller was even a thing 
Posted by: HausofArgento 3rd July 2021, 07:58 AM
'You Rock My World' is one of my favourite MJ songs ever. I was obsessed with it at the time and it helps that it's one of his few hits that I vividly remember from time of release because I was too young for a lot of his earlier eras.
Posted by: Bjork 3rd July 2021, 08:10 AM
oh I really liked In the Closet, its out too early...
Posted by: dandy* 3rd July 2021, 10:22 AM
In the Closet and Jam are big losses for me.
I do like You Rock My World too, it’s just not quite the same standard of most of his other opening singles
Can’t agree with PCF re his Dangerous singles. Remember the Time has probably aged a bit badly but most of the tracks on Dangerous have only gotten stronger over time for me.
Posted by: Nina West 3rd July 2021, 11:55 AM
Here's a re-cap of the results 31-40:
31. In The Closet – 6.954
32. You Rock My World – 6.886
33. Heal The World – 6.863
34. Jam – 6.659
35. She’s Out of My Life – 6.568
36. Liberian Girl – 6.522
37. Say, Say, Say (ft Paul McCartney) – 6.522
38. Ghosts – 6.166
39. Got To Be There – 6.068
40. Ain’t No Sunshine – 6.045
31. In The Closet – 6.954
32. You Rock My World – 6.886
33. Heal The World – 6.863
34. Jam – 6.659
35. She’s Out of My Life – 6.568
36. Liberian Girl – 6.522
37. Say, Say, Say (ft Paul McCartney) – 6.522
38. Ghosts – 6.166
39. Got To Be There – 6.068
40. Ain’t No Sunshine – 6.045
Posted by: Nina West 3rd July 2021, 12:04 PM
Here's how many singles from each era has left in the running:
Got To Be There - 4/4
Ben - 1/1
Music & Me - 2/2
Forever Michael - 3/3
Off The Wall - 3/5
Thriller - 7/8
Bad - 8/9
Dangerous - 5/9
HIStory: Past, Present and Futuire - 5/6
Blood On The Dancefloor - 2/3
Invincible - 3/3
Michael - 2/2
Xscape - 1/1
Off The Wall - 3/5
Thriller - 7/8
Bad - 8/9
Dangerous - 5/9
HIStory: Past, Present and Futuire - 5/6
Blood On The Dancefloor - 2/3
Xscape - 1/1
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 3rd July 2021, 12:21 PM
QUOTE(dandy* @ Jul 3 2021, 11:22 AM)
Can’t agree with PCF re his Dangerous singles. Remember the Time has probably aged a bit badly but most of the tracks on Dangerous have only gotten stronger over time for me.
Dangerous really is a phenomenally good album, the whole thing is such a solid body of work. I'd probably say it's my favourite as an album, even though the others have big hits.
Posted by: Bjork 3rd July 2021, 12:41 PM
Funnily, Im completely the opposite
for me Bad is his masterpiece, almost every song is a 10/10
by comparison, Dangerous was a huge let down and except a couple of tracks, there is nothing essential...
but I see among fans, it depends a lot which album you discovered first... I have friends that are older than me and all were introduced to MJ with Thriller, so Thriller is their fav and everything went downhill after that... for my generation, we all grow up with Bad, so for my friend and myself Bad is his best... but I see a lot of younger people saying his best is Dangerous, cos thats their starting point...
Posted by: Popchartfreak 3rd July 2021, 04:14 PM
QUOTE(Bjork @ Jul 3 2021, 01:41 PM)
Funnily, Im completely the opposite
for me Bad is his masterpiece, almost every song is a 10/10
by comparison, Dangerous was a huge let down and except a couple of tracks, there is nothing essential...
but I see among fans, it depends a lot which album you discovered first... I have friends that are older than me and all were introduced to MJ with Thriller, so Thriller is their fav and everything went downhill after that... for my generation, we all grow up with Bad, so for my friend and myself Bad is his best... but I see a lot of younger people saying his best is Dangerous, cos thats their starting point...
for me Bad is his masterpiece, almost every song is a 10/10
by comparison, Dangerous was a huge let down and except a couple of tracks, there is nothing essential...
but I see among fans, it depends a lot which album you discovered first... I have friends that are older than me and all were introduced to MJ with Thriller, so Thriller is their fav and everything went downhill after that... for my generation, we all grow up with Bad, so for my friend and myself Bad is his best... but I see a lot of younger people saying his best is Dangerous, cos thats their starting point...
I think that's prob true - I was a fan in the 70's so I love the 70's stuff, but I also love the Thriller/Bad era stuff to, great albums and great singles. By Dangerous, I had huge expectations and was disappointed with the album. I prob need to revisit it (I've said this before to dandy*
) but my impression at the time was it had too many filler tracks (where the previous albums had little filler) they were too long generally for my taste, and there were no show-stoppers. There were some good individual tracks, a few great number 2's (in the chart-position sense) but no "ooh that's a chart-topper!" stand-outs. Apparently Earth Song & Blood On The Dancefloor were recorded for the Dangerous sessions, but kept for later albums, along with oooh another 60 songs or so most of which made no album. Quincy Jones would have reigned him in a bit, I think, and made him focus, but may have made it too polished for the 90's, so I can see why he went more for a Janet Jackson vibe and it prob is more cohesive than the more-varied Bad, which he was aiming to avoid being similar to.
Posted by: Nina West 3rd July 2021, 08:10 PM
Every path you take you're leaving your legacy
30. History | 7.181 Highest Scores: 11: (Qween), Lowest Scores: 3: (gavindeejay)
29. Love Never Felt So Good (ft Justin Timberlake) | 7.204 Highest Scores: 10: (gog lad84), Lowest Scores: 5.5/5: (Nina West, vibe, popchartfreak, dandy, Monzo)
At #30 is History, released in July 1997 alongside "Ghosts", as the 2nd single from Michael's remix album Blood On The Dancefloor: HIStory In The Mix. The song was originally featured on his 1995 "HIStory" album, but wasn't released as a single in its original form. It was later remixed by Tony Moran for its inclusion on the 'BOTD' album titled "Tony Moran's HIStory Lesson". The song was written and composed by Michael himself alongside Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis & sampled multiple musical compositions and historical audio quotes, all of which were dispersed throughout the track. This is a strong belting track with clanging beats & cool 90's dance music production, before switching over to house piano, which blends together nicely, makes this far more memorable than the original '95 version , thanks by its use of the "Keep On Movin' sample.
At #29 is the last MJ posthumous release to feature here Love Never Felt So Good, released in May 2014 as the lead single from his 2nd posthumous album Xscape. The song was reworked from a 1983 demo track originally composed by Jackson and Canadian singer-songwriter Paul Anka, It was also sent to Johnny Mathis who recorded a new version of the song with revised lyrics by Anka and Kathleen Wakefield. Mathis' version made it on his 1984 album, "A Special Part of Me". During the 2013/2014 recording sessions for the 'Xscape" album, the song was given a revision as a disco sounding track, which was a solo MJ track, then the 2nd version which was co-produced by Timbaland & J-Roc & recorded as a duet alongside Justin Timberlake who sampled the percussion and breaths from Jackson's 1979 song "Workin' Day and Night". Upon release it was the collaboration version that got the most attention & became a commercial success by peaking in the top 10 in 18 countries, as well as top the charts in 5 countries. Due to this success, Michael became the first artist in history to have a top 10 hit in 5 decades in the USA (6 including with his group The Jackson 5). Personally I wouldn't have ranked this so high, especially over some of the far better material that has already dropped. That's not to say that this is bad or anything, in fact in its spruced up form, it's rather decent with its infectious clicking beats & MJ's signature gasping, stuttering, and pseudo-beatboxing. But suffers from Justin's presence, he tries his best, but he just wasn't needed & no matter how many times he tries, he will NEVER be Michael Jackson.
Posted by: dandy* 3rd July 2021, 08:48 PM
Love Never Felt So Good is too high here, definitely worse than many of the tracks that have already gone. History is a mixed one for me, it had an okay remix for the single but I prefer the album version
Posted by: Nina West 4th July 2021, 02:15 AM
Groove, let the madness in the music get to you
28. Another Part Of Me | 7.227 Highest Scores: 10: (Bjork), Lowest Scores: 5: (gavindeejay, Mullo, Monzo)
27. Off The Wall | 7.227 Highest Scores: 10: (gavindeejay, Adelita, bluemonday), Lowest Scores: 4: (Monzo, CJK)
26. Leave Me Alone | 7.295 Highest Scores: 10: (Qween). Lowest Scores: 4: (Adelita)
At #28 is Another Part Of Me, released in July 1988 as the 6th single from his 7th studio album Bad & as with earlier songs in his career, the lyrics emphasize global unity, love and outreach. The song originally featured in his 1986 3D film "Captain EO" & was also known to replace 'Streetwalker' from the album's final tracklisting because Michael got to dance more. Upon release the song performed well by reaching top 10 peaks in Ireland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Poland & Germany, as well as top 20 peaks in USA, New Zealand, UK & Austria.
This is a really good strong standout moment on 'Bad' that often gets overlooked with its slightly off-kilter rhymes & beats, where the bass doesn't quite line up with the guitars, but that's the beauty of this kinetic dance-floor burner. It shows Michael's intense approach to the music he helped create & its an all round great track.
At #27 & tying with the previous track is Off The Wall, released in November 1979 as the 3rd single from his 5th studio album of same title. The song was first offered to Karen Carpenter, while she was working on her first solo album, but she turned it down. Upon release the song was well received by critics & became his 3rd top 10 from the album in the USA. Elsewhere it also managed top 10 peaks in the UK, Norway & Sweden, as well as top 20 peaks in Canada, New Zealand, Netherlands, Ireland & South Africa. A shimmering disco track with an eerie melodic riff that resolves into a silky chorus with hints of funk, disco & rock thrown into the mix alongside one of Michael's most assured vocal performances. This is a safe yet very good effort from his breakout period.
At #26 is Leave Me Alone, released in February 1989 as the 8th single from his 7th studio album Bad, though only outside of the USA & Canada. It only appeared on the CD versions of the album & was a response to negative rumours about Jackson that frequently appeared in the tabloids post-1985 after the success of "Thriller", beginning in 1986 & would only get worse as the years went on. The song's music video won a Grammy for 'Best Music Video' in 1990. Upon release the song became yet another success for him by topping the charts in Ireland & Greece * hitting top 5 peaks in UK, Belgium, Finland, Netherlands & Spain as well as top 20/40 peaks everywhere else. What can only be described as an self-empowerment paranoid anthem & its simply great & powered by duelling keyboard lines, cool synthesizers & aggressive vocals, its just an all-round solid tune & lyrically would become more and more prominent as time went on.
Posted by: Nina West 4th July 2021, 02:17 AM
The rest of the results will in 1's
Posted by: Bjork 4th July 2021, 06:21 AM
Another Part of Me is so under-rated, one of the best from Bad.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 4th July 2021, 07:46 AM
Didnt know Karen Carpenter was offered Off The Wall 
Should be higher on the list.
Written by UK songwriter Rod Temperton, the man from Cleethorpes & Market Rasen who was behind UK soulfunk band Heatwave and who had the timeless brilliant Boogie Nights and a string of other great global disco-funk/soul ballad hits. And a string of Michael Jackson's greatest songs. And George Benson's best songs. And Brothers Johnson. And Quincy Jones. And one for Donna Summer. Manhattan Transfer. Patti Austin & James Ingram. Michael McDonald.
Posted by: dandy* 4th July 2021, 08:55 AM
I used to find the leave me alone video completely mesmerising as a kid. I’d been aware of things like Bad and Smooth Criminal but it was that video that really made me a fan.
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 4th July 2021, 09:38 AM
QUOTE(Bjork @ Jul 3 2021, 01:41 PM)
Funnily, Im completely the opposite
for me Bad is his masterpiece, almost every song is a 10/10
by comparison, Dangerous was a huge let down and except a couple of tracks, there is nothing essential...
but I see among fans, it depends a lot which album you discovered first... I have friends that are older than me and all were introduced to MJ with Thriller, so Thriller is their fav and everything went downhill after that... for my generation, we all grow up with Bad, so for my friend and myself Bad is his best... but I see a lot of younger people saying his best is Dangerous, cos thats their starting point...
for me Bad is his masterpiece, almost every song is a 10/10
by comparison, Dangerous was a huge let down and except a couple of tracks, there is nothing essential...
but I see among fans, it depends a lot which album you discovered first... I have friends that are older than me and all were introduced to MJ with Thriller, so Thriller is their fav and everything went downhill after that... for my generation, we all grow up with Bad, so for my friend and myself Bad is his best... but I see a lot of younger people saying his best is Dangerous, cos thats their starting point...
Not really - I heard Thriller before I heard Dangerous.
I do like those other albums though.
Posted by: Nina West 4th July 2021, 05:09 PM
The next MJ song will be from the 90's decade, there's 11 possible choices, any guesses?
Posted by: Nina West 5th July 2021, 10:58 AM
LET'S TRY & GET THIS TO ANOTHER PAGE
Posted by: Bjork 5th July 2021, 11:05 AM
Earth Song seems to polarise opinions, cannot see it being that high on the list
Posted by: dandy* 5th July 2021, 11:25 AM
I think Earth Song is going to do very well. It's nowhere near being a favourite of mine but it seemed to rack up LOADS of 10s.
Posted by: Nina West 5th July 2021, 11:54 AM
Next Page plz...
Posted by: Nina West 5th July 2021, 12:47 PM
I pray this punishment would have mercy on me
25. Who Is It | 7.454 Highest Scores: 11: (dandy, HausofArgento), 10: (Mango), Lowest Scores: 4: (Mullo)
At #25 is Who Is It, released in August 1992 in the UK, and in March 1993 as the 5th single from his 8th studio album Dangerous. The song was written and composed by Jackson, and produced by Jackson and Bill Bottrell. The song's lyrics pertain to despair over being left by someone you love; some critics noted a comparison to the lyrics of the song to Jackson's single, "Billie Jean". Upon release the song was a commercial success by hitting top 10 peaks in Poland, Austria, Canada, Ireland, Greece, France, Belgium, Germany, Norway & UK. Then top 20/40 peaks everywhere else. This is perhaps Michael at his most emotionally raw, as you can really feel the rage & regret he is feeling in this superbly crafted tune. The lyrical themes of betrayal are perfectly captured against the sinister minor key synths & rigid rhythms that makes this an haunting masterpiece.
Posted by: Nina West 6th July 2021, 05:24 AM
Don't try to understand me
24. Give In To Me | 7.477 Highest Scores: 11: (Tawdry Hepburn, Mango, HausofArgento), 10: (Nina West, Bjork), Lowest Scores: 4: (Monzo)
At #24 is Give In To Me, a hard rock ballad that features Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash who also had solos on other tracks such as "D.S.", "Morphine" & "Privacy". Released in February 1993 as the 7th single from his 8th studio album Dangerous, in Europe, Australia & New Zealand only. The song was a big worldwide success by topping the charts in Ireland, New Zealand & Poland, as well as top 5 peaks in UK, Netherlands & Australia. Then top 10/20 peaks everywhere else. This is a powerful song with excellent guitar work that works beautifully with Michael's impassioned vocals. This may not be the first time he's done this kind of sound, but here he blends it with Heavy Metal mixed with rock & pop, all of which comes together wonderfully. The lyrics are so emotional & goes well with the stellar production. I loved this song from the moment I heard it & so glad that it became an eventual single, but it deserves to be more remembered.
Posted by: HausofArgento 6th July 2021, 06:08 AM
Well that is a killer double blow - 2 11s in a row 
'Give In To Me' is my favourite MJ song period 
Posted by: Bjork 6th July 2021, 06:16 AM
Shocked at Give In to Me leaving already, thought it would be much much higher, easily the best song from Dangerous
Posted by: dandy* 6th July 2021, 07:13 AM
Both of those should be higher 
Who Is It is my all time favourite MJ track, that bass and rhythm is simply a thing of wonder. Sad to see it out
Posted by: Popchartfreak 6th July 2021, 07:29 AM
Both of those were highlights on the album. I would guess a string of Dangerous tracks will be along before we get to the meaty stuff, maybe with Rock With You, I Just Cant Stop Loving You, Pretty Young Thing....
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 6th July 2021, 07:52 AM
24th?! That's his best damn song!
Posted by: Mangø 6th July 2021, 09:56 AM
'Give In To Me' not being top 20 is an absolute travesty, easily one of my favourite MJ songs That and 'Who Is It' were easily the two highlights of the Dangerous album.
Posted by: Nina West 6th July 2021, 05:04 PM
Seems that the world's got a role for me
23. Will You Be There | 7.5 Highest Scores: 11: (dandy, Mullo, HausofArgento), Lowest Scores: 5: (Dexton, Monzo, CJK)
At #23 we lose yet another Dangerous single, making this the 3rd in a row with Will You Be There, which despite scoring multiple 11's, it didn't score any 10's, which is quite odd if you ask me. Released in June 1993 as the album's 8th single & gained recognition for its appearance on the soundtrack to the film "Free Willy". With the album version clocking in at 7 minutes & 40 seconds, it is the longest song in his solo discography. Upon release the song became yet another success by peaking at #7 on the US Billboard charts & earning a Platinum certification for a Million copies sold. Elsewhere it also managed top 10 peaks in Belgium, Canada, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Ireland, Switzerland & UK. Since its release it has been a subject of 2 lawsuits, both were claims of plagiarism, but one was settled out of court & the other claim was rejected.
Another great number by Michael in which he sings passionately & perfectly. The song itself has a wonderous yet captivating atmosphere with a gospel choir singing in the background, which beautifully compliments his vocals. This just mesmerizes the listener from start to finish with full effect. So on the whole it's just a great song with a deeply spiritual undertone & like many of his hits, a firm standout in his extensive discography.
Posted by: HausofArgento 6th July 2021, 07:06 PM
Now this is just ridiculous! My three 11s out one after the other and all about 22 places too low 
The run of these three songs are masterful. His best 3 songs!
Posted by: Nina West 7th July 2021, 08:00 AM
Don't you know now is the perfect time
22. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) | 7.636 Highest Scores: 10: (Chapman, Tawdry Hepburn, Dexton), Lowest Scores: 4: (Monzo)
At #22 is P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing), released in September 1983 as the 6th single from his 6th studio album Thriller. The original demo version of the song was written by Michael himself and Greg Phillinganes. Quincy Jones passed on the song itself under it's original title "Tender Loving Care", but liked the title (apart from the 'TLC' bit & along with James Ingram they fashioned a totally new song with that title. Two of Michael's sisters Janet & LeToya provided backing vocals in the guise of 'P.Y.T.'s'. Upon release the song performed well on the charts worldwide by reaching top 10 peaks in Ireland, Belgium & USA, as well as top 20 peaks in UK, Netherlands & Canada.
This was the fun party jam of the album with an embedded sweetness into it that has kept it aging gracefully, and while it may not be overly complex, nor vocally challenging, its funky grooves & catchy beats, has the ability to lighten your mood. Anyway not every song is designed to be deep & change the world, but that's okay as this is a moment of fun dance/pop that isn't meant to do any of those things, but to just have a good time.
Posted by: Nina West 7th July 2021, 08:07 AM
The next song to drop will be a chart topper, but which one?
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 7th July 2021, 08:11 AM
'Will You Be There' is just beautiful, but I'm not surprised to see it finishing lowly.
'PYT' finishing that low however I am surprised about.
Posted by: Nina West 7th July 2021, 01:25 PM
To escape the world I've got to enjoy that simple dance
21. Blood On The Dancefloor | 7.659 Highest Scores: 10: (gog lad84, Qween, gavindeejay), Lowest Scores: 6/6.5: (Chapman, vibe, Monzo)
Just outside of the top 20 at #21 is Blood On The Dancefloor, released in March 1997 as the lead single from the remix album Blood On The Dancefloor: HIStory in the Mix. The song was originally created by Michael himself & Teddy Riley for his "Dangerous" album in 1991, but it failed to make the final tracklisting, which upset Teddy Riley, but it was then later updated before it's commercial release in 1997. Upon release it became a top 10 hit in almost all countries in Europe, including #1 peaks in UK, Denmark, Spain & New Zealand. This would be his 7th & final chart topper in the UK. In the USA it became his lowest charting lead single since the 1970's by peaking at #42, which was attributed to the lack of US promotion & the ongoing US public interest in his private life over his music.
This is way too high on here, especially over some of the far better numbers that have finished below it. However this song is fine enough with the electro industrial sounds evokes a sense of foreboding, alongside its cracking beat that pops out at you with a fun infectious vibe to it, but sadly I do feel that the song overall is quite weak & you really struggle to hear Michael's vocals in the song's verses. Whilst musically it does sound like it fits amongst his work, it's just not quite as iconic as some of his greatest numbers.
Posted by: Nina West 7th July 2021, 01:35 PM
Results 21-30:
21. Blood On The Dancefloor - 7.659
22. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) - 7.636
23. Will You Be There - 7.5
24. Give In To Me - 7.477
25. Who Is It - 7.454
26. Leave Me Alone - 7.295
27. Off The Wall - 7.227
28. Another Part Of Me - 7.227
29. Love Never Felt So Good (ft Justin Timberlake) - 7.204
30. History - 7.181
Here's the final 20:
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Rock With You
Billie Jean
Beat It
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
Human Nature
Thriller
I Just Can't Stop Loving You
Bad
The Way You Make Me Feel
Man In The Mirror
Dirty Diana
Smooth Criminal
Black Or White
Remember The Time
Scream (ft Janet Jackson)
You Are Not Alone
Earth Song
They Don't Care About Us
Stranger In Moscow
21. Blood On The Dancefloor - 7.659
22. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) - 7.636
23. Will You Be There - 7.5
24. Give In To Me - 7.477
25. Who Is It - 7.454
26. Leave Me Alone - 7.295
27. Off The Wall - 7.227
28. Another Part Of Me - 7.227
29. Love Never Felt So Good (ft Justin Timberlake) - 7.204
30. History - 7.181
Here's the final 20:
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Rock With You
Billie Jean
Beat It
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
Human Nature
Thriller
I Just Can't Stop Loving You
Bad
The Way You Make Me Feel
Man In The Mirror
Dirty Diana
Smooth Criminal
Black Or White
Remember The Time
Scream (ft Janet Jackson)
You Are Not Alone
Earth Song
They Don't Care About Us
Stranger In Moscow
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 7th July 2021, 01:36 PM
It's a bop!
Isn't that the one where loads of employees of the record label went out and bought it to try and secure its #1?
Posted by: dandy* 7th July 2021, 03:40 PM
Will You Be There is essential. Out waaaayyyyy too early, the choral elements and production are second to none.
Posted by: Nina West 7th July 2021, 08:52 PM
The next to drop is a UK Top 5 hit, but which one?
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 7th July 2021, 10:09 PM
Remember The Time?
Posted by: Nina West 8th July 2021, 12:39 AM
NXT PGE PLZ
Posted by: Nina West 8th July 2021, 01:09 AM
Swift and sudden fall from grace
20. Stranger In Moscow | 7.795 Highest Scores: 11: (Qween), 10: (gog lad84, Nina West, Chapman, dandy, Mullo, Adelita), Lowest Scores: 4: (Jester)
Kicking off the top 20 is Stranger In Moscow, released in November 1996 as the 6th & final single from his 9th studio album History, but wasn't released in the USA until July 1997. The track was written in 1993, while he was on the 'Dangerous World Tour' in Moscow. An early version of the track appeared in the 'Sonic The Hedgehog' video game & according to conflicting accounts, Jackson and his team composed music for the game before leaving the project. Jackson wrote the lyrics as a poem before adapting them for the song. Like many of the songs on the album, this was a response to the recent events in his personal life & in 1993 the relationship between him & the press had soured entirely. Upon release the song performed well in several countries by topping the charts in Czech Republic, Italy & Spain, as well as top 10 peaks in UK, Switzerland, Taiwan, Hungary, Netherlands, New Zealand, Austria & Denmark. However in the US, it was his lowest charting song on the Top 100 with a #91 peak. "Smile" was originally intended to be released as the album's 7th single, but was cancelled for unknown reasons.
This is the type of song that you have to immerse yourself into to fully appreciate, as it transports you into his feelings of anguish & the feelings of isolation & loneliness that are stemmed from the chords & lyrics. I also love the way it constantly builds upon itself with well crafted beats that gives way to sombre rhythm guitars, then the strings begin to slowly rise & the bass booms then suddenly the haunting & sorrowful vibes comes in, with beautiful harmonies. All of which makes this one of the finest recordings & most enduring recordings he's ever done.
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 8th July 2021, 09:16 AM
Lovely song, although took me years to properly appreciate it.
Posted by: dandy* 8th July 2021, 12:35 PM
My immediate fave from History when it was released. I probably prefer They Don't Care About Us these days but Stranger In Moscow is still beautiful.
Posted by: Nina West 8th July 2021, 09:58 PM
Whisper three words and I'll come runnin'
19. You Are Not Alone | 8.0 Highest Scores: 10: (Nina West, Feel The Fever, Jester, Mullo, Tafty), Lowest Scores: 5: (popchartfreak, CJK)
At #19 is the beautiful ballad You Are Not Alone, released in August 1995 as the 2nd single from his 9th studio album HIStory & was written by singer R Kelly for Michael in response to the difficult times in his own personal life. Making this one of the only few tracks on the album that wasn't written by MJ himself. R Kelly sent a bare demo to him, who liked the song & decided to produce it with him in his Chicago studio. The music video featured his then wife Lisa Marie Presley & received generally positive critical reviews and was the recipient of Grammy and American Music Award nominations. Upon release the song became a huge commercial success & holds a 'Guinness World Record' as the first song in the then 37 year history of the Billboard top 100 to debut at #1, becoming his 13th & final chart topper during his lifetime. Elsewhere the track also topped the charts in Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland & UK. The song remains one of his best selling singles of all-time. It was also the subject of plagiarism, but I'm not gonna go into all that mess, as this rate is celebration of what Michael Jackson achieved during his career.
Amongst the rage present throughout the album, this marked a nice change of pace as the only love song on the album with its rich, alluring & blissful sounds, but with a somewhat gloomy feel with a sense of longing & desperation, yet with a feeling of hope to come. The instrumentation is stunning & revolves around his yearning vocals, enhanced harmonies & radiant melodies, before delving into a comforting yet emotional chorus. The song's climax manifests into a key change, accompanied by a choir, which really lifts the final part of the track wonderfully & even though he didn't write this track, Michael still makes his mark on it. All of which makes this a triumphant heart-felt ballad & one of the finest of his career.
Posted by: Bré 8th July 2021, 09:59 PM
I didn't know 'You Are Not Alone' was written by R. Kelly and could frankly have lived without ever knowing that... 
(it's not exactly one of my favourite MJ songs anyway xx)
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 8th July 2021, 10:16 PM
I like a bit of 'You Are Not Alone' very occasionally but it's very saccharine.
Posted by: Nina West 8th July 2021, 10:22 PM
The next to drop will be another chart topper, but which one?
Any guesses?
Posted by: vibe 9th July 2021, 01:41 PM
YANA is much better than Earth Song !!
Posted by: dandy* 9th July 2021, 06:50 PM
Not a big fan of You Are Not Alone, like Tawdry says it’s just too saccharine
Posted by: Nina West 10th July 2021, 12:26 AM
We can change all the world tomorrow
18. I Just Can't Stop Loving You (ft Siedah Garrett) | 8.0 Highest Scores: 11: (Jester), 10: (gavindeejay, Bjork, Mango, HausofArgento), Lowest Scores: 3: (Monzo)
At #18 is the 3rd ballad to drop in a row - I Just Can't Stop Loving You, a duet ballad featuring Siedah Garret, and was released in July 1987 as the lead single from his 7th studio album Bad. The presence of Siedah Garret was a last minute decision, after Michael's first 2 choices for the duet were Barbara Streisand & Whitney Houston, both turned down the offer. Upon release the song became a huge success by topping the charts in the USA, making it the first in a string of 5 #1's from the album. Elsewhere it also managed to top the charts in Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, UK & Zimbabwe. As well as top 5 peaks in Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden & Austria. The song would also be recorded in several other languages including Spanish & French, & all versions would end on the 2012 reissue of the album titled Bad 25.
A grand & sweeping ballad where both artists vocal performances brings a real affecting sensitivity to the track, and the crashing chorus adds a sense of drama to the whole thing. In the context of the album, this is a soft & spare song that often gets overshadowed by the album's more flashy numbers, but this still has a really nice, tender & vulnerability to it & as the lead single it simply gets the job done. Maybe if Michael could get Barbara & Whitney, then this would have been more of an event, but thankfully his name alone made it an instant success. However this is still a very beautiful number where he flutters around the verses delicately, before saving himself for the big chorus & yeah the lyrics are very paint by numbers love song, but Michael's raw emotions really helps lift the whole thing & his duet partner Siedah does fine by matching his quality at several moments, yet she does get somewhat lost in the mix. This hasn't endured the same admiration as some of the album's singles, but its still a really good track.
Posted by: Bjork 10th July 2021, 08:02 AM
love IJCSLY but always get the feeling is not much appreciated
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 10th July 2021, 09:18 AM
I always totally forget that was actually a #1 for him!
Posted by: Popchartfreak 10th July 2021, 09:23 AM
Love IJCSLY too, but I was aware it's not rated as highly as other stuff. Siedah garrett gifted MJ his best track on bad, of course. Pleasantly surprised it beat out the awful R.Kelly track which was a bit of a dirge. It was OK for a while, then it got on my nerves and I still can't stand it.
Stranger In Moscow is a goodie, Will You Be There too. Both deserve to be higher, and higher than Blood On The Dancefloor which is OK but not worthy of a top 30 slot.
Posted by: Nina West 10th July 2021, 12:53 PM
Share that beat of love
17. Rock With You | 8.022 Highest Scores: 10: (Nina West, dandy, Jester, Tawdry Hepburn, bluemonday), Lowest Scores: 3: (CJK)
At #17 is one of Michael's most iconic hits - Rock With You, released in November 1979 as the 2nd single from his 5th studio album Off The Wall & was written by Rod Temperton & produced by Quincy Jones. Again like the title track this was also first offered to Karen Carpenter for her first solo album, but she turned it down (not a wise decision). Upon release the song received generally positive reviews & became Michael's 3rd solo #1 on the US Billboard charts, for 4 weeks & was the 3rd number-one hit of the 1980's, a decade in which Michael would soon dominate. Elsewhere it also managed success worldwide with top 5 peaks in Canada, New Zealand & Australia, as well as a top 10 peak in the UK.
How can you not love this song, its certainly one of his most well known & finest songs of his career. It's placement on the after the lead single & it immediately expands on that song's sound, pushing it into sleeker & subtler directions & Michael's vocals are more crisp on this track also, making this the perfect follow up single choice. The song almost feels like a ballad, but I would call it a sophisticated dance-ballad with bubbling synths, elegant strings, excellent bass-lines & cool liquid guitar scratches, which on any other song could be a tad too much, but on this, everything hits at exactly the right moments & of course those horn stabs on the bridge are simply perfection. In all the song is just simply great with graceful rhythms & Michael's gentle vulnerability, really makes everything come together beautifully. A top tier MJ song for sure.
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 10th July 2021, 01:31 PM
'Rock With You' is probably top 3 Jacko for me, love it so much.
Posted by: Nina West 11th July 2021, 05:02 PM
Electric eyes are everywhere
16. Human Nature | 8.136 Highest Scores: 11: (Jester), 10: (Nina West, Dexton, Mango), Lowest Scores; 4:(Monzo)
At #16 is the fantastic Human Nature, released in July 1983 as the 5th single from his 6th studio album Thriller & was originally written by Steve Porcaro of the band Toto & produced by Quincy Jones. The song wasn't intended for Michael, but when Quincy Jones heard the demo, he thought it would be a great fit for the album & brought in John Bettis to rewrite the verses, whose lyrics were about a passerby in New York City. Upon release like the previous 4 singles it reached the top 10 in the USA, by peaking at #7 & elsewhere it managed top 20 peaks in Belgium, Canada & Netherlands. The single wasn't given a UK release, but it did manage to chart in 2009 at #62 thanks to digital downloads after his death. The song has been sampled by numerous artists through the years, most famously by SWV for their hit 'Right Here' in 1992.
This doesn't get played as much as 'Thriller's' other singles (especially in the UK) & that's a shame as this is a true gem, a very seductive yet intimate track that constantly reveals its beauty throughout, with the dreamlike introduction of tinkling synths & seductive guitars, then of course Michael's sweet vocal delivery which floats along the beautiful melodies. Even with the use of electronic instrumentations with sweeping & bubbling synth runs resonates a rich organic warmth to the whole thing, & its because of all this, the track still sounds fresh & current to this day, ageing like a fine wine & glad that this has done so well on here as this really deserves more love.
Posted by: Nina West 11th July 2021, 08:50 PM
LET'S TRY & GET THIS 2 ANOTHER PAGE
Posted by: dandy* 11th July 2021, 08:52 PM
Human Nature is decent... although I must admit that I prefer the SVW track that samples it, one of my favourite mid 90s rnb tracks
Posted by: Nina West 11th July 2021, 09:00 PM
A reminder of what's left from each era:
Got To Be There - 4/4
Ben - 1/1
Music & Me - 2/2
Forever Michael - 3/3
Off The Wall - 1/5
Thriller - 4/7
Bad - 5/9
Dangerous - 2/9
History - 3/6
Blood On The Dancefloor - 3/3
Invincible - 3/3
Michael - 2/2
Xscape - 1/1
As we head into the top 15, there's still 5 of his albums still left in the running. 'Bad' has the most singles left with 5, followed swiftly by 'Thriller' which still has 4, but for how long?
Off The Wall - 1/5
Thriller - 4/7
Bad - 5/9
Dangerous - 2/9
History - 3/6
As we head into the top 15, there's still 5 of his albums still left in the running. 'Bad' has the most singles left with 5, followed swiftly by 'Thriller' which still has 4, but for how long?
Posted by: Nina West 11th July 2021, 09:01 PM
Ready for another entry
Posted by: Nina West 11th July 2021, 10:06 PM
Those sweet memories will always be dear to me
15. Remember The Time | 8.159 Highest Scores: 10: (Qween, ready for it, Jester, Adelita, bluemonday, HausofArgento), Lowest Scores: 4: (Feel The Fever)
At #15 is the highest ranking song not to receive any 11's - Remember The Time, released in January 1992 as the 2nd single from his 8th studio album Dangerous & was written and composed by Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle & Michael himself, as well as being produced by Riley & MJ. Co-writer Teddy Riley stated that he was inspired to write this song after hearing Michael describe how he had fallen in love in with his soon to be wife Debbie Rowe, however he later denied this, while others noted that MJ had dedicated to Diana Ross. A nine minute music video directed by John Singleton, marketed as a short film was released for the song & features celebrities such as Eddie Murphy, Iman, Tommy "Tiny" Lister & Magic Johnson. Upon release the song was critically well received & became a commercial success by topping the charts in Belgium & New Zealand, and top 5 peaks in Canada, Poland, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, UK, Denmark, Switzerland, France & Greece, then top 10/20 peaks everywhere else.
During the first half of the rate, this was much lower in the top 25 region, but slowly climbed as the scores progressed, before finally settling for a rather respectable 15th position. This is a good solid track that hits a decent grooves, soothing sounds with effective beats & catchy hooks. The vocal arrangements are also solid which makes this a great single choice from what has to be one of his greatest albums. However personally I don't think I'd have it this high, but its a great light-hearted breezy little number nonetheless.
Posted by: Bjork 12th July 2021, 09:07 AM
not a fan of Remember the Time or Dangerous in general, so this is definitely too high imho
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 12th July 2021, 10:17 AM
I do like 'Remember the Time' but it's really inferior compared to other Dangerous singles 'Give in to Me' and 'Will You Be There' which have left already.
Posted by: Mangø 12th July 2021, 12:13 PM
QUOTE(Tawdry Hepburn @ Jul 12 2021, 11:17 AM)
I do like 'Remember the Time' but it's really inferior compared to other Dangerous singles 'Give in to Me' and 'Will You Be There' which have left already.
Yeah, basically this. Great video though!
Posted by: CJK 12th July 2021, 12:15 PM
Really like Human Nature, so glad that's quite high without being a UK single.
Remember the Time is also pretty good, but it wasn't up there with Black or White, which is was the follow-up to. Good video though... but it's MJ, so why wouldn't it be.
My score looks harsh for Rock With You, but I'm really not into anything much of MJ prior to Thriller.
Posted by: Nina West 12th July 2021, 05:49 PM
I'm tired of being the victim of hate
14. They Don't Care About Us | 8.181 Highest Scores: 11: (dandy), 10: (gog lad84, Nina West, Chapman, vibe, Adelita, Mango, Tafty), Lowest Scores: 3: (Jester)
At #14 is one of Michael Jackson's most controversial pieces of music - They Don't Care About Us, released in April 1996 as the 5th single from his 9th studio album HIStory. It is a protest song that caused quite a stir due to its allegations of antisemitic lyrics were the catalyst for Jackson issuing multiple clarifications, an apology, defence from director Spike Lee and re-releasing the song with a new vocal featuring altered lyrics. The song was accompanied by 2 music videos, both of which were shot by Spike Lee. The first was shot in Brazil, where the state authorities had tried to ban all production over fears the video would damage their image. The second video was shot in a prison & contained footage of multiple references to human rights abuses, & was almost never played on TV. Upon release the song was a success particularly in Europe where it top 10 in almost all countries, including the UK where it peaked at #4, as well as topping the charts in Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary & Italy. However in the US the lyrical controversy surrounding it, caused it to stall at #30, falling short of the record breaking success of the previous 2 singles.
I'm so glad that this got mostly positive scores on here as this has to be one of Michael's most important songs of his career with its message that resounds well with the oppressed and those who are aware of it, but the greatness of the track also rests with the delivery of the message. The simple yet effective two note melody allows the song to create a clear path for listeners to understand its simplistic yet complex narrative. The production is also top notch with synths placed carefully over the snares, as the beat begins to build through the verses & chorus, before Michael lets out his aggression & growing despair, before giving way to an awesome guitar solo. All of which makes this song an almighty event & its bittersweet to understand just what he put into this song, & yet this later became an anthem for movements, such as 'Black Lives Matter', where this often overlooked gem got another chance to shine.
Posted by: HausofArgento 12th July 2021, 05:50 PM
'Remember The Time' is FANTASTIC. The video is an experience too. I love how frantic the song is and how all over the place it becomes - a real sense of desperation to remember the past!
Posted by: dandy* 12th July 2021, 06:42 PM
I've just watched the Remember The Time video for the first time in decades and I'd forgotten how much fun it is - love it!
They Don't Care About Us out, I think that's all my 11s gone now I'm a sucker for production on MJ songs and the rhythm on that one is amazing, the way it builds is amazing. It's only just struck me that it's quite similar to Who Is It? in its construction with the strong beat, synths and 'choral oooooos', it's clearly something I love
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 12th July 2021, 06:57 PM
'They Don't Care About Us' irritates the hell out of me.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 12th July 2021, 07:02 PM
QUOTE(dandy* @ Jul 11 2021, 09:52 PM)
Human Nature is decent... although I must admit that I prefer the SVW track that samples it, one of my favourite mid 90s rnb tracks
I love both Rock With You & Human Nature, but I also prefer SWV's sampling track, it works so well
for the next 2 tracks, Remember The Time is somewhat flattered - it's a very pleasant track but it's not top 20 by any stretch. They Don't Really Care About Us is a goodie, but again I'm surprised it's so high in comparison to Rock With You, say, which I thought would be much higher before the rundown results started showing some trends in the way things were going.
Posted by: Bjork 12th July 2021, 07:19 PM
love the drums on They don't care about us
Posted by: Nina West 13th July 2021, 02:19 AM
Every musician's fan after the curtain comes down
13. Dirty Diana | 8.431 Highest Scores: 11: (ready for it, Bjork, Mango, Tafty), 10: (Dexton), Lowest Scores: 5: (Tawdry Hepburn, Mullo)
At #13 is Dirty Diana, released in April 1988 as the 5th single from his 7th studio album Bad & presents a harder rock sound similar to "Beat It" from his previous album "Thriller". The song's lyrics pertain to groupies. Michael hired Billy Idol's guitarist Steve Stevens to back him on the track. Initial reports at the time suggested the song was a poke at his close friend Diana Ross; however, it was later denied. In fact Diana started using the song as an overture at her concerts before appearing on stage. In a later interview with Barbara Walters the song was scheduled for a live 1988 performance at Wembley Stadium during the 'Bad World Tour', however he felt the song would be an insult to Princess Diana who was in attendance & had it removed from the set-list, but after she stated that it was one of her favourite songs of his, he re-added it to the setlist. Upon release the song received mixed reviews from critics, but like the album's previous singles it was a commercial success worldwide by topping the US charts, making this the album's 5th #1 hit, a record at the time. Elsewhere it attained top 10 peaks in Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, UK, Canada, New Zealand & France.
It's very hard not to compare this to 'Beat It' or even the glam metal rock that was very in during this time & that's not a bad thing, as this song is pretty great. I love how the song opens with an echoing synth sounds then delving into some cool cold steel grooves & awesome guitar growls, before the chorus ratches things up with Michael's vocals getting louder, and the riff gets louder & then there's the wonderful string arrangements that brings everything together beautifully. While the song itself does have a very messed up sentiment, and turns its title character into a figure of confusion. But that is what makes this so effective with props to Michael's intense vocal performance which not only made this an instant standout on the album, but a firm highlight in his ever amazing discography.
Posted by: Bjork 13th July 2021, 07:12 AM
Oh diaappointed Dirty Diana is gone :/ one of his very best
And thought it would be top 5/10 for sure
Posted by: vibe 13th July 2021, 12:24 PM
How is BAD still in?
Posted by: Nina West 13th July 2021, 02:43 PM
What have we done to the world?
12. Earth Song | 8.454 Highest Scores: 11: (Nina West, Qween, popchartfreak, gavindeejay, Adelita), 10: (gog lad84, Chapman, Feel The Fever, Jester, Mango), Lowest Scores: -1: (Tafty)
A huge SHOCK now in at #12 is Earth Song, this was originally much higher, but due to the last minute -1, it sunk to this position, despite scoring the 2nd highest amount of 11's. Released in November 1995 as the 3rd single from his 9th studio album HIStory. It is a ballad that that incorporates elements of blues, gospel and opera. Michael has had a long history of releasing socially conscious material, however this was the first that overtly dealt with the environment & animal welfare. The song was originally made for the 'Dangerous' album under the title "What About Us", but failed to make the cut. The track was accompanied by a lavish music video shot in four geographical regions & went onto receive a Grammy nomination in 1997. Upon release the song was a huge commercial success by topping the UK charts for 6 weeks, becoming the country's X-Mas #1 there with sales of over 1.2 Million copies, making this one of his biggest selling hits of his career there. Elsewhere it also managed to top the charts in Iceland, Spain, Sweden & Germany, as well as attaining top 5 peaks in almost every European country. In the USA it was only released to radio & therefore due to Billboard rules at the time, it wasn't eligible to chart there, except for the Dance charts where it reached #15. The song was also subject to a very controversial Brit Awards performance, where he was called to collect a special award for "Best Artist of a Generation", which I won't go into at this moment as it's well documented, so just look it up.
The track is arguably the most enigmatic piece of music in Michael's entire catalogue, while the casual listener may find similarities between this & some of his other tracks such as "Heal The World" or "Man In The Mirror", but the message here is far more powerful & more aggressive. It is virtually a 3-part song that begins with rumbling nature sounds, before the piano melody kicks in which evokes a sense of nostalgia & longing, then complimented by subtle strings & mournful rhythm guitars, & they are glorious, before the 2 minute mark the beat dramatically changes & the bass guitar kicks in that gives way to a fantastic key change, giving the song a sense of guilt & anguish, then of course Michael takes his vocals to places he's never been before, almost throat shattering. Even the gospel choir adds a sense of power to its epic conclusion. This may not be for everyone, but you have to admit that this is a stunning & well crafted piece of work with several elements blended together into a powerful anthemic song that takes multiple deep listens to fully appreciate and understand. It is a powerful display of Jackson’s deep care for Planet Earth and his sensitivity to the world’s problems.
Posted by: CJK 13th July 2021, 04:08 PM
Earth Song is quite a track, eh?
It's one of those songs that you feel you should love because it's so epic and "there" and such a point in his career... and yet it's a little bit cringe and the Brit Awards performance always comes to mind.
Top 10 MJ though.
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 13th July 2021, 04:10 PM
I thought 'Earth Song' was actually quite widely hated, so I'm surprised to see it as high!
Posted by: dandy* 13th July 2021, 04:16 PM
Thank goodness for that -1!!!! I don't hate the song quite to -1 levels but I'd have hated to see it make the top 10 when he has so many classics. Like Tawdry, I thought the song was quite disliked so was astonished when it attracted so many 10+ scores
Posted by: vibe 13th July 2021, 06:24 PM
Earth Song 🤮
Posted by: Nina West 13th July 2021, 10:01 PM
Treacherous, cunnin', declinin'
11. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' | 8.561 Highest Scores: 11: (vibe, gavindeejay), 10: (Chapman, ready for it, dandy, Jester), Lowest Scores: 4: (Monzo)
Just outside the top 10 at #11 is Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', released in May 1983 as the 4th single from his 6th studio album Thriller & was written, composed and co-produced by Michael Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones. It was originally written for his sister La Toya Jackson about her troubled relationship with her sisters-in-law but Michael ended up recording the song himself. Unlike the album's previous singles this did not have a music video to accompany it, but was performed on most of his solo world tours & as part of the Jacksons tours. Upon release the song had a good chart performance worldwide by topping the charts in Canada & Netherlands, as well as attaining top 10 peaks in Belgium, Ireland, USA & UK, along with top 20/40 peaks everywhere else. It was also nominated for a Grammy in 1984 for best R&B song, but lost to his other smash hit "Billie Jean".
This song was the perfect opener to the 'Thriller' album with it's flawless funk grooves & catchy beats that yet has a somewhat foreboding feel that's simmering with anger that's complimented by a variety of synthesizers, horns & percussions beautifully. Even the guitars & complex rhythms works well with the lyrics with a tone that varies from astonishment to righteous frustration. This definitely stands as one of the best moments from the album it comes from, just a great song through & through.
Posted by: Nina West 13th July 2021, 10:05 PM
Here's a re-cap of the results 11-20:
11. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - 8.561
12. Earth Song - 8.454
13. Dirty Diana - 8.434
14. They Don't Care About Us - 8.181
15. Remember The Time - 8.159
16. Human Nature - 8.136
17. Rock With You - 8.022
18. I Just Can't Stop Loving You - 8.0
19. You Are Not Alone - 8.0
20. Stranger In Moscow - 7.795
11. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - 8.561
12. Earth Song - 8.454
13. Dirty Diana - 8.434
14. They Don't Care About Us - 8.181
15. Remember The Time - 8.159
16. Human Nature - 8.136
17. Rock With You - 8.022
18. I Just Can't Stop Loving You - 8.0
19. You Are Not Alone - 8.0
20. Stranger In Moscow - 7.795
Posted by: Nina West 13th July 2021, 10:11 PM
Here's what's to feature in the top 10 (in chronological order):
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Billie Jean
Beat It
Thriller
Bad
The Way You Make Me Feel
Man In The Mirror
Smooth Criminal
Black Or White
Scream (ft Janet Jackson)
Thoughts? Predictions? feel free to share....
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Billie Jean
Beat It
Thriller
Bad
The Way You Make Me Feel
Man In The Mirror
Smooth Criminal
Black Or White
Scream (ft Janet Jackson)
Thoughts? Predictions? feel free to share....
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 13th July 2021, 10:27 PM
Iconique
That's a solid top 10 actually!
Posted by: vibe 14th July 2021, 10:10 AM
I love WBSS simply for the fact when you are at a Madonna gig when this song is played into the auditorium you know she is coming on next.
So your excitement is incredible when this record is played.
Posted by: CJK 14th July 2021, 11:07 AM
That is quite some songs for the Top 10.
I would imagine the No.1 will surely be between these three...?
Billie Jean
Beat It
Thriller
Posted by: Nina West 14th July 2021, 04:38 PM
Heartbreak enemy despise
10. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough | 8.636 Highest Scores; 11: (bluemonday), 10: (Nina West, Qween, Chapman, popchartfreak, dandy, Jester, Dexton, Adelita), Lowest Scores: 5: (Monzo, CJK)
Let's kick start the top 10 in almighty style with this classic MJ track, in at #10 is Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, released in August 1979 as the lead single from his 5th studio album Off The Wall. It was the first solo recording over which Michael had creative control over, as well as being his first single under new label Epic Records, his previous stuff was with Motown Records. After the filming of his role in 'The Wiz', Michael approached the film's musical director, Quincy Jones, to ask if he knew of any producers to help with Jackson's future solo endeavors. After listening to hundreds of demos, the two decided upon the ones to record. These included this track, "Workin' Day And Night" & "Get On The Floor", all of which ended up on the album & the rest was history. Upon release the song was considered to be the first song to showcase Jackson's talent as a solo artist, both as a singer and songwriter. It became a massive success by becoming his 2nd solo chart topper in the USA & would earn him his first Grammy & American Music Award. The song was also a massive success worldwide by topping the charts in Australia, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway & South Africa, as well as top 5 peaks in Belgium, Netherlands, UK, Canada, Switzerland & Spain.
Often citied as the one that jump started his massive solo career into the almighty big leagues & still to this day it remains as one of his many, many signature classics & it's not hard to see why with that iconic opening string arrangements & how it amplifies into the groovy guitar lines with instruments that seem to dancing with each other, the rolling and pulsing bass, the euphoric bursts of horn, the diving strings, the layers upon layers of percussion. All of which compliments Michael's breathless falsetto vocals superbly, hell even all the multilayered backing vocals are his & even at this early stage of his career & still at the young age of 21, he was showing how creative he was. This was a milestone in his career, creating 6 minutes of joyous pop funk that still sounds wonderful to this day.
Posted by: George.keh 14th July 2021, 04:46 PM
Dirty Diana should still be in but hey ho!
Posted by: Jester 14th July 2021, 04:47 PM
Wonderful to see Scream so high!
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 14th July 2021, 04:50 PM
What a classic.
I'd be interested to see how many times that track has been sampled or interpolated.
Posted by: Nina West 15th July 2021, 03:13 AM
You try to cope with every lie they scrutinize
9. Scream (ft Janet Jackson) | 8.818 Highest Scores: 11: (gog lad84, Jester, Monzo, CJK), 10: (Nina West, Qween, Feel The Fever, Mullo, Adelita), Lowest Scores: 4.5: (bluemonday)
At #9 is the almighty Scream, a duet with his younger sister Janet Jackson & released in May 1995 as the lead single from his 9th studio album HIStory, and was also released as a double a-side with a solo Michael track 'Childhood'. It was written, composed and produced by Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Michael and Janet & was an aggressive, retaliatory song directed at the tabloid media and their coverage of the allegations against Michael in 1993. The music video cost $7 Million, it was listed in the Guinness World Records as the most expensive music video ever made & would go onto win 3 MTV Music Video Awards, as well as a Grammy for Best Music Video. Upon release the song made Billboard history by debuting & peaking at #5 on the US charts. Elsewhere it topped the charts in Italy, New Zealand, and Spain while reaching the top five in Australia, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Two weeks before its official release the song leaked to Radio stations early, where Michael happened to hear it until they were served with a cease and desist order from Epic Records.
It was such a shame that both artists didn't get to record more songs together, as this is an absolute banger, a great way to jump start a new era with its innovative grooves combined with forceful lyrics & fantastic vocals. Everything in this track is glorious with thumping bass drums, thundering guitar solos & of course the raspy, snarling, forceful, but most of all, ultra precise vocal deliveries that only Michael could pull off & the way he blends with Janet is superb. Overall this track is simply flawless & compelling piece of music & remains quite underrated in his back catalogue to the casual listeners.
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 15th July 2021, 08:32 AM
Pretty iconic, I'm not sure I'd put it quite as high as 9th but I can't begrudge it.
Shame it couldn't give them a #1 (mainly so Janet could have one to her name)
Posted by: CJK 15th July 2021, 11:59 AM
I love Scream. I can't really think of anything wrong with it.
The lyrics are such an honest answer back, the groove is relentless and the video... that bit in the middle when they do the dance at the same time and it is literally on point extact same move at exact same time... iconic.
I can see why I gave this an 11.
Posted by: Mangø 15th July 2021, 01:03 PM
I would have liked to see Dirty Diana and They Don't Care About Us in the top ten in place of Scream and Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough.
'Scream' was a bit of a disappointment for me, as superstar duets often turn out to be. It's not a bad song, I guess I was just expecting something more special. Wasn't the video the most expensive music video ever made at the time, or am I imagining that?
I'd put money on 'Billie Jean' finishing number one, although I'm probably wrong as these Buzzjack polls often throw up surprises!
Posted by: Nina West 15th July 2021, 04:03 PM
Sounding heartbeats intimidations
8. Smooth Criminal | 8.84 Highest Scores: 11: (Dexton), 10: (Nina West, Chapman, dandy, Jester, Bjork, Adelita, Mango), Lowest Scores: 5: (gavindeejay)
At #8 is one of my personal all-time fave MJ bops - Smooth Criminal, released in November 1988 as the 7th single from his 7th studio album Bad. It was written & produced by Michael himself & Quincy Jones. The lyrics are about a woman who has been attacked in her apartment & the refrain "Annie are you OK?" was inspired by Resusci Anne, a dummy used in CPR training. The song itself was evolved from an earlier song 'Al Capone' The music video was the centerpiece of the 1988 movie "Moonwalker", in which he also starred in. The video's 1930's setting & his white suit and fedora pays tribute to the Fred Astaire musical comedy movie "The Band Wagon". Upon release the song peaked at #7 on the US Billboard charts, becoming the album's 6th top 10 hit & became a commercial success worldwide by topping the charts in Belgium, Iceland, Netherlands & Spain, as well as top 10 peaks in France, Ireland, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, UK & Germany. Though the track wasn't one of the US #1's, it has been hailed as in retrospective reviews as not only one of the best tracks on the album, but one of the best songs of his entire career.
This is one of my all-time faves from MJ & one of the first songs I ever heard from him & after watching that dazzling music video - I was a fan for life. The unique blend of R&B grooves & Rock goes together brilliantly, along with combining a dark threatening themes with a catchy hook & pop sensibility, shows a testament to his artistic depth. I also love the energetic vibe of the song as the pulsating rhythms & infectious synth-beats carries the song to that killer chorus as he twists his vocals at a rapid pace. then its all perfectly glued to the bassline & drums. On the whole this is a firm MJ classic, one of his very best & I don't care if anyone disagrees.
Posted by: CJK 15th July 2021, 04:11 PM
QUOTE(Mangø @ Jul 15 2021, 02:03 PM)
Wasn't the video [for Scream] the most expensive music video ever made at the time, or am I imagining that?
I thought this too, so I had a look on the ever reliable Wikipedia and apparently it cost $7 million and was listed in the Guinness World Records as the most expensive music video ever made. At the same time, though, there were apparently a couple of other music videos from the same era which cost a lot more, so who knows??
Posted by: Nina West 15th July 2021, 04:13 PM
Here's a little hint for the next MJ song to drop =
It will be a #1 hit, but which one?
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 15th July 2021, 04:23 PM
Smooth Criminal
I still want to know if Annie was OK in the end.
Posted by: Nina West 16th July 2021, 03:27 PM
I like the groove of your walk, your talk, your dress
7. The Way You Make Me Feel | 8.931 Highest Scores: 11: (vibe, Mullo), 10: (Chapman, Feel The Fever, Jester, Bjork, Tafty, HausofArgento), Lowest Scores: 6: (Monzo)
At #7 is the fantastic The Way You Make Me Feel, released in November 1987 as the 3rd single from his 7th studio album Bad. It was written, composed & co-produced by Michael himself, & co-production by Quincy Jones. Before the recording of the album, Michael had written over 60 songs for the project, with plans of releasing a 3-disc album, but Quincy convinced him to make 'Bad' a one disc LP. The song and subsequent music video was intended to show another aspect to public's perception of Michael Jackson in addition to his reputation as a lover the lead single, being streetwise with the title track & flirt or able to pick up girls with this track. Upon release it received positive reviews from contemporary critics & became the album's 3rd consecutive #1 in the USA. Elsewhere it also managed to top the charts in Ireland, as well as attain top 10 peaks in Belgium, New Zealand, Spain, UK, Australia, Netherlands, Canada & Switzerland. Since its release the song had been performed on all of Michael's world tours & he even performed it at the 30th Grammy Awards.
Yet another brilliant track by MJ with this upbeat & flirtacious song about young love (or lust maybe) with boisterous basslines and finger snaps that gives this a very confident yet playful sound at the same time. Also love the way his vocals darts in & out of those slick grooves & then of course there's those infectious hooks that builds towards that monster of a chorus which makes everything work beautifully. Even the production is richly orchestrated where everything arrives right on time with the opening of thunderous drum sounds, the tiptoeing keyboard riff, the electro-guitar siren whines, the bursts of simulated Southern-soul horns. Dare I say it yet again, but this song is yet another firm staple in Michael's discography where he was at his absolute peak of his career.
Posted by: Nina West 17th July 2021, 07:55 AM
NEXT PGE PLZ
Posted by: Popchartfreak 17th July 2021, 08:14 AM
Earth Song and Don't Stop Till You Get Enough are too low, they are chart-topping classics. Earth Song sold over a million so it obviously appealed widely, though some of those sales would have been from people not buying HIStory due to high price tag for an album that fans already had half the tracks on. I know I was pissed off about it, forcing fans to pay twice for stuff they'd already bought, and it was the last Jackson album I bought due to that. It polarised people due to the ego-issue of setting himself up as a Messiah figure, allegedly, and the Jarvis Cocker incident at the BRITS. As far as I'm concerned, look at the mess the world is in. The song was spot on then, and it's spot on now, and it's going to be even more spot on as things get worse globally. Anything that gets that message over is to be applauded.
DSTYGE is brilliant, and it made Jackson a huge solo star.
Posted by: Nina West 17th July 2021, 09:00 AM
Don't tell me you agree with me,
When I saw you kicking dirt in my eye
When I saw you kicking dirt in my eye
6. Black Or White | 8.954 Highest Scores: 11: (Nina West), 10: (gog lad84, Chapman, gavindeejay, Jester, CJK, bluemonday), Lowest Scores: 4: (Bjork)
At the #6 spot & just missing the top 5 by the skin of its teeth (#5 actually scored the same average, although this is lower due to less high scores) - Black or White, released in November 1991 as the lead single from his 8th studio album Dangerous. This was Michael's first release of the 90's & funnily enough last from that decade to feature here. Michael co-wrote, composed, and produced it with Bill Bottrell. The song is a fusion of pop rock, dance and hip hop. The music video was directed by John Landis & featured several celebrity cameos such as Macaulay Culkin & Tyra Banks & became a worldwide event as it premiered simultaneously in 27 countries, with an audience of 500 million viewers, the most ever for a music video. Upon release of course the song became a massive success by not only topping the US charts, making Michael the first artist to have #1 hits in the 70's, 80's & 90's, but would also top the charts in 20 countries worldwide including the UK, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Turkey, Zimbabwe, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden & Switzerland, all of which made this the world's best selling single of 1992. The track was not only honoured with the first Billboard No. 1 World Single, but in 2003 Q magazine ranked it at #84 in their list of '1001 Best Songs Ever' .
What a way to kick off a decade with this song that could only be described as an event & like many of his songs this has a powerful message that's matched by catchy melodies & his incredible energy with the merging classic rock n' roll with a soulful call for racial unity. There was a deep message presented in this song fueled by powerful guitars, soulful and hot dance grooves and of course Michael's pitch perfect vocals. An amazing track all-round, one of Michael's very best songs of his career that marked a great turning point artistically for him. Although this has been said by many that this was one of his last great singles, I disagree as he still had some great tunes after this. But this was a great way to sustain his almighty legacy & even by this point he had a lot more to show. This was actually the first MJ song & video I ever heard & well all I have to say is with great material like this, this made made a life long Michael Jackson fan.
Posted by: Nina West 17th July 2021, 09:04 AM
Here's a re-cap of the results - 6-10:
6. Black Or White - 8.954
7. The Way You Make Me Feel - 8.931
8. Smooth Criminal - 8.84
9. Scream (ft Janet Jackson) - 8.818
10. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - 8.636
6. Black Or White - 8.954
7. The Way You Make Me Feel - 8.931
8. Smooth Criminal - 8.84
9. Scream (ft Janet Jackson) - 8.818
10. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - 8.636
Posted by: Nina West 17th July 2021, 09:06 AM
Here is what to feature in the Top 5:
Billie Jean
Beat It
Thriller
Bad
Man In The Mirror
Thoughts? Predictions? Please feel free to share...
Billie Jean
Beat It
Thriller
Bad
Man In The Mirror
Thoughts? Predictions? Please feel free to share...
Posted by: Popchartfreak 17th July 2021, 09:26 AM
Black & White is a great video but it's not as strong as earlier stuff for me. Top 5? Beat It is predictable and over-rated, Bad is a surprise to be that high, borderline top 10 I would have thought, Man In The Mirror is one of his greatest, Thriller one of his perennially popular tracks and bound to be top 3, and Billie Jean is the greatest record he ever made, so any position less than 1 would be an outrage!
Posted by: Herbs 17th July 2021, 09:42 AM
Solid top 5
I do wish Earth Song was higher
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 17th July 2021, 09:46 AM
I like 'Bad' a lot, but what the hell is it doing top 5?
Posted by: Bjork 17th July 2021, 07:49 PM
out of the 5 standing, Billie Jean is the best by miles so I really hope it's #1
Posted by: Nina West 17th July 2021, 10:17 PM
The fire's in their eyes and their words are really clear
5. Beat It | 8.954 Highest Scores: 11: (Dexton, Mango), 10: (Nina West, vibe, gavindeejay, dandy, Jester, CLK, HausofArgento), Lowest Scores: 6: (Monzo)
At the #5 spot is Beat It, released in February 1983 as the 3rd single from his 6th studio album Thriller & was written by Michael Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The idea for this came from Quincy who wanted to include a rock n' roll song in the vein of the Knack's 'My Sharona', despite Michael never showing interest in the genre & instead, he came up sort of alternate-universe version of the genre, a rock song as written by a great musician who didn’t listen to rock songs. Eddie Van Halen, the lead guitarist from the rock band Van Halen, was asked to add a guitar solo. When initially asked he thought it was a prank call & then the rest was history & during the recording the sound of his guitar caused the monitor speaker to catch fire. Upon release the song, like 'Thriller's' previous singles was a huge commercial success by topping the charts in Belgium, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand & USA, as well as top 5 peaks in Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland & UK. The song also received the 1984 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, as well as two American Music Awards. It was inducted into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone ranked "Beat It" number 344 on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and the 81st greatest guitar song.
This song is simply amazing & one of the tracks that helped 'Thriller' became the biggest selling album of all-time. This was MJ's first foray into rock music that helped dismantle barriers of the genre and race in popular music. With that iconic opening of echoing synth notes that sounded like gothic-cathedral bell clangs and the measures of drumbeats create a perfect amount of tension, where his vocals are hard & percussive, throwing it against the track & even becomes apart of the beat itself. Then of course there's that brilliant guitar solo which was a crucial part of the song, that may be short, but its vivid, memorable & rips right through the song perfectly. So on the whole this is an explosive track that helped Michael further sustain his almighty legacy & shape him into an all-time superstar.
Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 17th July 2021, 11:21 PM
I hope man in the mirror makes top 3.
Posted by: CJK 18th July 2021, 04:17 PM
Beat it >> Bad >> Man in the Mirror
Of course Thriller and Billie Jean now need to be 1 and 2.
Posted by: Nina West 18th July 2021, 06:00 PM
If you don't like what I'm sayin',
Then won't you slap my face
Then won't you slap my face
4. Bad | 9.0 11; (ready for it), 10: (Nina West, Qween, Jester, Bjork, Adelita, CJK, Mango, Tafty, HausofArgento), Lowest Scores: 6: (gog lad84, Mullo)
At #4 is the iconic Bad, released in September 1987 as the 2nd single from his 7th studio album of the same name & was written and composed by Michael, and produced by Quincy Jones. Michael has stated that the song was influenced by a real-life story he had read about, of a young man who tried to escape poverty by attending private school but ended up being killed when he returned home. Originally he had wrote the track back in 1986 & planned to have it as a duet with musician Prince, who would decline the offer. The reason for this was due to Prince wanting to change the first line of the song, which MJ rejected. The song was supported by an 18 minute short film directed by Martin Scorsese and co-starred Wesley Snipes in one of his first appearances. The music video has been cited by critics as one of the most iconic & greatest videos of all-time. Upon release the song received positive reviews, with some noting that it helped give him an edgier image. In the USA it became the album's 2nd #1 & 8th in total at the time. Elsewhere the song was also commercially successful, charting at the top of the charts in Ireland, Norway, Spain and the Netherlands as well as charting in the top ten in Australia, Austria, France, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
This song certainly stands as one of MJ's most essential creations as we see something different by him at this point in his career with a more edgy, aggressive style, addressing racial politics in a way Jackson had yet to do with his music. The sharp & hard beats, a bassline that struts & rolls & an urgent electronic drumbeat clicks all over the track, & then there's those brilliant orchestra synth stabs that really helps Michael convey the message of the song beautifully. This marks a stark contrast to the lead single & that's not a bad thing at all as this kicks off the new era nicely & a fantastic example of Michael evolving his sound, which would continue with each new release.
Posted by: Nina West 18th July 2021, 06:06 PM
The TOP 3
Billie Jean
Thriller
Man In The Mirror
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 18th July 2021, 06:14 PM
That is way too high for 'Bad', and "beating" 'Beat It' is a bit errr.
Predictable top 3 really, but they're all ace songs.
Posted by: vibe 18th July 2021, 06:45 PM
Bad shouldnt be top 10 wth
Posted by: Bjork 18th July 2021, 06:54 PM
I really like Bad, was edgier than anything on Thriller
Posted by: Mangø 18th July 2021, 10:15 PM
Yeah 'Bad' definitely feels a little too high. 'Beat It' is iconic and probably my favourite MJ song and it easily should have finished in the top 3.
I know I'm way in the minority here but I've always thought 'Man In The Mirror' is grossly overrated. It's not a bad song at all (well it is a 'Bad' song but not a bad song 
) but I wouldn't even have it in my MJ top 20. Shoot me.
Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 18th July 2021, 11:46 PM
Man in the mirror for me is his best single by a mile but it's never a song I thought was hugely popular by him until he died and it was only then I realised how popular it was/is.
Posted by: Bjork 19th July 2021, 06:47 AM
Same, it actually flopped when originally released
Posted by: Popchartfreak 19th July 2021, 07:03 AM
Man In The Mirror flopped first time round as it came out after a Xmas chart full of ballads and some other big names also under-performed with monster chart-topping US tracks. Topped my chart, huge in the US charts, just got lost in the new year Energy rush in the UK, especially as it had no video to promote it.
Posted by: dandy* 19th July 2021, 10:42 AM
I don't really mind which order the rest of the top 10 finishes in. My absolute faves have all gone but everything in the top 10 is definitely very solid
Posted by: Nina West 19th July 2021, 08:07 PM
It's close to midnight and something evil's lurkin' in the dark
3. Thriller |9.159 Highest Scores: 11: (vibe, Dexton, Bjork, CJK), 10: (Chapman. popchartfreak, dandy, Jester, Tawdry Hepburn, Adelita, Mango), Lowest Scores: 7.5/7: (gog lad84, gavindeejay, bluemonday, Tafty)
At the #3 spot is one of Michael's ultimate signature tracks - Thriller, released in the UK in November 1983, then in January 1984 as the 7th & final single from his 6th studio album of the same title. The song was produced by Quincy Jones and written by Rod Temperton, who wanted to write a theatrical song to suit Jackson's love of film. The music and lyrics evoke horror films & ends with a spoken-word sequence by Horror actor Vincent Price. The first version of this track was called "Starlight", but Quincy Jones felt that this wasn't a strong title & instead they wanted something "mysterious to match Michael's evolving persona". This wasn't planned as a single, as Epic exec Walter Yetnikoff felt that nobody wanted a single about monsters.
But by mid 1983 the album's sales began to decline & Michael who was obsessed with sales figures, urged the record execs to help create a plan to get the album back on top of the charts & then his manager suggested releasing 'Thriller' with a music video & the rest is history.
Upon release the song became an instant smash hit by becoming the album's 7th top 10 hit in the USA, as well as topping the charts in Belgium, France & Spain, & also went top 10 in numerous countries worldwide & would go onto win a Grammy Award & it is often cited as a pop culture phenomenon and a Halloween anthem. The song's music video was directed by John Landis & would not only make a lasting impact on pop culture, but would be named the greatest video of all time by various publications and readers' polls.
Well what can I say about this that hasn't already been said, for one thing its hard not to compare the song to the video itself, as this will always be seen in that light. But one its own its a pretty great quirky little track with catchy grooves, intense bass-lines, sleek production & of course Michael's amazing vocals which contain a sense of dread before exploding with excitement in the killer chorus. Even to this day the song still manages to captivate many with its larger than life attitude & its ever lasting legacy speaks for itself. To put it simply if you don't like this, then you're not a Michael Jackson fan.
Posted by: Nina West 19th July 2021, 08:16 PM
BILLIE JEAN VS MAN IN THE MIRROR
WHO WILL WIN, STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT....
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 19th July 2021, 08:38 PM
Fantastic song, although it kinda gets a bit too overdone every Halloween.
Posted by: ...ready for it 20th July 2021, 04:26 AM
Billie Jean to win, I hope!
Posted by: Bjork 20th July 2021, 06:54 AM
Thought Thriller would be #2
Man in the Mirror is nice but no way it's MJ's best, it's not even his song... so rooting for Billie Jean
Posted by: vibe 20th July 2021, 06:46 PM
Im sure BJ will win 😍
Posted by: Nina West 21st July 2021, 01:26 AM
While you guys wait patiently for the final results, here's a little re-cap of how the voters on Buzzjack ranked the singles from Michael's 5 biggest albums Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous & HIStory. As you may already know 'Billie Jean' & 'Man In The Mirror' are the top rated from their respective eras, but I won't post their rank or scores, until the final results are revealed (which will be very soon I promise).
Why these 5 you may ask, because they represent his very best & most iconic material of course. How this goes is the number in front is where they ranked in the results & after it is their score. So sit back & enjoy.
Off The Wall Era Ranked:
#10. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough [8.636]
#17. Rock With You [8.022]
#27. Off The Wall [7.277]
#35. She's Out Of My Life [6.568]
#49. Girlfriend [4.954]
Thriller Era Ranked:
TBA Billie Jean
#03. Thriller [9.159]
#05. Beat It [8.954]
#11. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' [8.561]
#16. Human Nature [8.136]
#22. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) [7.636]
#41. The Girl Is Mine (ft Paul McCartney) [6.022]
Bad Era Ranked:
TBA Man In The Mirror
#04. Bad [9.0]
#07. The Way You Make Me Feel [8.931]
#08. Smooth Criminal [8.84]
#13. Dirty Diana [8.431]
#18. I Just Can't Stop Loving You (ft Siedah Garret) [8.0]
#26. Leave Me Alone [7.295]
#28. Another Part of Me [7.227]
#36. Liberian Girl [6.522]
Dangerous Era Ranked:
#06. Black Or White [8.954]
#15. Remember The Time [8.159]
#23. Will You Be There [7.5]
#24. Give In To Me [7.477]
#25. Who Is It [7.454]
#31. In The Closet [6.954]
#33. Heal The World [6.863]
#34. Jam [6.659]
#43. Gone Too Soon [5.75]
HIStory: Past, Present and Future Era Ranked:
#09. Scream (ft Janet Jackson) [8.818]
#12. Earth Song [8.454]
#14. They Don't Care About Us [8.181]
#19. You Are Not Alone [8.0]
#20. Stranger In Moscow [7.795]
#48. Childhood [5.068]
Why these 5 you may ask, because they represent his very best & most iconic material of course. How this goes is the number in front is where they ranked in the results & after it is their score. So sit back & enjoy.
Off The Wall Era Ranked:
#10. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough [8.636]
#17. Rock With You [8.022]
#27. Off The Wall [7.277]
#35. She's Out Of My Life [6.568]
#49. Girlfriend [4.954]
Thriller Era Ranked:
TBA Billie Jean
#03. Thriller [9.159]
#05. Beat It [8.954]
#11. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' [8.561]
#16. Human Nature [8.136]
#22. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) [7.636]
#41. The Girl Is Mine (ft Paul McCartney) [6.022]
Bad Era Ranked:
TBA Man In The Mirror
#04. Bad [9.0]
#07. The Way You Make Me Feel [8.931]
#08. Smooth Criminal [8.84]
#13. Dirty Diana [8.431]
#18. I Just Can't Stop Loving You (ft Siedah Garret) [8.0]
#26. Leave Me Alone [7.295]
#28. Another Part of Me [7.227]
#36. Liberian Girl [6.522]
Dangerous Era Ranked:
#06. Black Or White [8.954]
#15. Remember The Time [8.159]
#23. Will You Be There [7.5]
#24. Give In To Me [7.477]
#25. Who Is It [7.454]
#31. In The Closet [6.954]
#33. Heal The World [6.863]
#34. Jam [6.659]
#43. Gone Too Soon [5.75]
HIStory: Past, Present and Future Era Ranked:
#09. Scream (ft Janet Jackson) [8.818]
#12. Earth Song [8.454]
#14. They Don't Care About Us [8.181]
#19. You Are Not Alone [8.0]
#20. Stranger In Moscow [7.795]
#48. Childhood [5.068]
Posted by: Nina West 21st July 2021, 10:46 PM
Take a look at yourself and then make a change
2. Man In The Mirror | 9.363 Highest Scores: 11: (Feel The Fever, Mullo, Adelita, Tafty), 10: (Nina West, Chapman, vibe, popchartfreak, ready for it, Jester, Dexton, Bjork, HausofArgento), Lowest Scores: 7: (Monzo, Mango)
At the runner-up spot we have Man In The Mirror, which means that you all know who's #1. Released in February 1988 as the 4th single from his 7th studio album Bad, with lyrics and music by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett, and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The music video was directed, produced and edited by Don Wilson. Both Don & Michael himself developed the idea for the video by featuring montage clips of several historical figures. Upon release the song became his 10th #1 hit in the USA & was nominated for 'Record of the Year' at the 31st Grammy Awards. In the UK it originally had a weak showing of #21, however following his death in 2009, the song managed to reach a #2 peak. In Australia it also managed a similar feat after originally only managing a #39 peak, then climbing to #8 in 2009. Elsewhere on its original run it managed top 5 peaks in Canada, Ireland & New Zealand, as well as top 20 peaks in Belgium & Netherlands. In 2009 thanks to digital downloads it managed top 40 peaks in 10 countries & charted higher in several places on its second run.
This was such a shame that this got lost in the shuffle during its original release as this was a career defining hit for its statement of himself, from an artist with a notoriously conflicted relationship with his own image, The song is also quite tragic in the way it foreshadows Jackson’s struggles to come & yet triumphant at the same time. As for the song itself its basically flawless, full of sharp melodic and all the big-’80s production choices are smart and well-realized. Even the gospel choir goes beautifully with this & really adds a nice uplifting nature to the whole thing. Even though Michael didn't write this track, but his emotional investment makes it as connected to his life as any he ever recorded. It took his tragic passing for people to finally realize how great & powerful this song really is.
Posted by: Nina West 21st July 2021, 11:19 PM
Just remember to always think twice
1. Billie Jean | 9.636 Highest Scores: 11: (Nina West, ready for it, popchartfreak, gavindeejay, Bjork, CJK), 10: (Chapman, dandy, Jester, Tawdry Hepburn, Dexton, Mango, Tafty, HausofArgento), Lowest Scores: 6: (Monzo)
Well there you have it, Buzzjack's favourite Michael Jackson song is none other than - Billie Jean, which comes as a surprise to no-one. Released in January 1983 as the 2nd single from his 6th studio album Thriller & was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The lyrics describe a woman, Billie Jean, who claims that the narrator is the father of her new-born son, which he denies. Jackson said the lyrics were based on groupies' claims about his older brothers when he toured with them as the Jackson 5. Michael felt the song would be success as he was writing it, but he came to disagreements with Quincy Jones over the song, who wanted to change the title to "Not My Lover", as he believed that people would think the song referred the tennis player Billie Jean King. But Michael refused & asked for co-producing credits for the track & extra royalties, but he was granted neither. Upon release the song was a critical & commercial success & is often aided with helping the album become the biggest seller of all-time by topping the charts in several countries worldwide including UK, USA, Canada, France, Switzerland and Belgium, and reached the top ten in many other countries & would go onto sell over 10 Million copies worldwide, making this his best selling solo single of his career. The music video, directed by Steve Barron, was the first video by a black artist to be aired in heavy rotation on MTV. Along with the other videos produced for Thriller, it helped establish MTV's cultural importance and make music videos an integral part of popular music marketing.
Really was anything else ever gonna win this whole thing, I mean this song is just incredible, its not only a landmark in MJ's career, but in pop culture history as well, it even included some of his most famous trademarks,, including the moonwalk and white sequined glove. The song itself is an absolutely magical piece of dance-pop, but it’s also a hard and angry and paranoid record & even uses his voice as a percussion instrument, its as if he's trying to break his way out of this track. The layers of sound on this are just superb with strong hooks, the shivering strings, the echoing guitar scratches & classy keyboard tones, every one of those elements serves the song’s almighty groove. So on the whole this is a more than a worthy winner, as everything about is just simply perfection.
Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn 21st July 2021, 11:28 PM
Can't argue with that winner really, it is basically perfect and timeless.
Posted by: Nina West 21st July 2021, 11:38 PM
The Full Results:
01. Billie Jean - 9.636
02. Man In The Mirror - 9.363
03. Thriller - 9.159
04. Bad - 9.0
05. Beat It - 8.954
06. Black Or White - 8.954
07. The Way You Make Me Feel - 8.931
08. Smooth Criminal - 8.84
09. Scream (ft Janet Jackson) - 8.818
10. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - 8.636
11. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - 8.561
12. Earth Song - 8.454
13. Dirty Diana - 8.431
14. They Don't Care About Us - 8.181
15. Remember The Time - 8.159
16. Human Nature - 8.136
17. Rock With You - 8.022
18. I Just Can't Stop Loving You (ft Siedah Garrett) - 8.0
19. You Are Not Alone - 8.0
20. Stranger In Moscow - 7.795
21. Blood On The Dancefloor - 7.659
22. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) - 7.636
23. Will You Be There - 7.5
24. Give In To Me - 7.477
25. Who Is It - 7.454
26. Leave Me Alone - 7.295
27. Off The Wall - 7.227
28. Another Part of Me - 7.227
29. Love Never Felt So Good (ft Justin Timberlake) - 7.204
30. History - 7.181
31. In The Closet - 6.954
32. You Rock My World - 6.886
33. Heal The World - 6.863
34. Jam - 6.659
35. She's Out Of My Life - 6.568
36. Liberian Girl - 6.522
37. Say, Say. Say (ft Paul McCartney) - 6.522
38. Ghosts - 6.166
39. Got To Be There - 6.068
40. Ain't No Sunshine - 6.045
41. The Girl Is Mine (ft Paul McCartney) - 6.022
42. One Day In Your Life - 6.0
43. Gone Too Soon - 5.75
44. Cry - 5.727
45. Rockin' Robin - 5.681
46. Ben - 5.613
47. Farewell My Summer Love - 5.431
48. Childhood - 5.068
49. Girlfriend - 4.954
50. Ease On Down The Road (ft Diana Ross) - 4.868
51. I Wanna Be Where You Are - 4.825
52. Butterflies - 4.772
53. One More Chance - 4.704
54. Just A Little Bit Of You - 4.394
55. We're Almost There - 4.368
56. Hollywood Tonight - 4.363
57. Hold My Hand (ft Akon) - 4.318
58. Girl You're So Together - 4.181
59. Don't Matter To Me (ft Drake) - 3.954
60. With A Child's Heart - 3.5
61. Happy - 3.368
01. Billie Jean - 9.636
02. Man In The Mirror - 9.363
03. Thriller - 9.159
04. Bad - 9.0
05. Beat It - 8.954
06. Black Or White - 8.954
07. The Way You Make Me Feel - 8.931
08. Smooth Criminal - 8.84
09. Scream (ft Janet Jackson) - 8.818
10. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - 8.636
11. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - 8.561
12. Earth Song - 8.454
13. Dirty Diana - 8.431
14. They Don't Care About Us - 8.181
15. Remember The Time - 8.159
16. Human Nature - 8.136
17. Rock With You - 8.022
18. I Just Can't Stop Loving You (ft Siedah Garrett) - 8.0
19. You Are Not Alone - 8.0
20. Stranger In Moscow - 7.795
21. Blood On The Dancefloor - 7.659
22. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) - 7.636
23. Will You Be There - 7.5
24. Give In To Me - 7.477
25. Who Is It - 7.454
26. Leave Me Alone - 7.295
27. Off The Wall - 7.227
28. Another Part of Me - 7.227
29. Love Never Felt So Good (ft Justin Timberlake) - 7.204
30. History - 7.181
31. In The Closet - 6.954
32. You Rock My World - 6.886
33. Heal The World - 6.863
34. Jam - 6.659
35. She's Out Of My Life - 6.568
36. Liberian Girl - 6.522
37. Say, Say. Say (ft Paul McCartney) - 6.522
38. Ghosts - 6.166
39. Got To Be There - 6.068
40. Ain't No Sunshine - 6.045
41. The Girl Is Mine (ft Paul McCartney) - 6.022
42. One Day In Your Life - 6.0
43. Gone Too Soon - 5.75
44. Cry - 5.727
45. Rockin' Robin - 5.681
46. Ben - 5.613
47. Farewell My Summer Love - 5.431
48. Childhood - 5.068
49. Girlfriend - 4.954
50. Ease On Down The Road (ft Diana Ross) - 4.868
51. I Wanna Be Where You Are - 4.825
52. Butterflies - 4.772
53. One More Chance - 4.704
54. Just A Little Bit Of You - 4.394
55. We're Almost There - 4.368
56. Hollywood Tonight - 4.363
57. Hold My Hand (ft Akon) - 4.318
58. Girl You're So Together - 4.181
59. Don't Matter To Me (ft Drake) - 3.954
60. With A Child's Heart - 3.5
61. Happy - 3.368
Posted by: CJK 22nd July 2021, 11:56 AM
Yeah... Glad Billie Jean won over Man In The Mirror.
Thanks Nina West for compiling this and giving us an enjoyable drip-feed of the results. It's been great to follow
Posted by: vibe 22nd July 2021, 02:24 PM
BJ always going to win.
Fun thread !!
Your going to do a Janet one next
Posted by: Nina West 22nd July 2021, 04:36 PM
QUOTE(vibe @ Jul 22 2021, 03:24 PM)
BJ always going to win.
Fun thread !!
Your going to do a Janet one next
Fun thread !!
Your going to do a Janet one next
Wasn't planning on it, but maybe..
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