Top Ten Michael Jackson Songs

Soul Prince
Sep 17, 2018
11 min read

It’s not an uncommon thing for the death of a popular celebrity to reverberate in the media space and then in the world’s collective consciousness. In recent years the deaths of icons like David Bowie, Whitney Houston, Maurice White, Prince, Steve Jobs and most recently, Aretha Franklin have been trending topics on both online and offline spaces causing the outpour of sentiment and tributes. But till date, I have yet to see a celebrity death receive as much attention as Michael Jackson’s in June, 2009. Not only was his image plastered over magazines and newspapers over the next two weeks, but it was an event that was being discussed on talk shows, music channels and news segments over the next month.

But that’s not really surprising when you consider what Michael Jackson represented for many in life. We are talking about a guy who was a superhero for a generation of African-Americans before he was 20. As lead singer of the Jackson 5 – later repackaged as The Jacksons – he already established himself as a legend in the music industry before he began his solo career. But what a solo career! Multiple awards won, millions of albums sold, trends set, many lives touched. He even found time to buy the Beatles catalogue! He is without much doubt, the most iconic and popular musician since Elvis Presley. That’s why try as hard as I could, I couldn’t limit this list to just ten songs. So here it is, my list of the 15 greatest Michael Jackson songs.

Whatever Happens

Invincible (2001)

If there was an artist that Jackson was most often compared to in life and death, it was the late Prince Rogers Nelson – or as he was more commonly known, Prince. Both men dominated the charts in the 80's and 90's, they both came from musical families, they both put on legendary live performances and they are both among the most influential artists of their time. A strong case for Prince is the fact that unlike Jackson, he played all his instruments and as such had more control over his sound. While that may be true, Jackson had a fantastic ear for music and was happy to collaborate with other musicians when he felt it would get the best results. On “Whatever Happens”, he collaborated with legendary guitarist, Carlos Santana for the first time in his career. When Michael’s lyrics paint the picture of a couple at a crossroads in their relationship, Santana’s guitar riffs ramp up the emotion in a way that perfectly sets the mood for the song. It’s claustrophobic, fraught and a little dangerous. But it’s also one of the most interesting songs in Jackson’s catalogue.

Off The Wall

Off the Wall (1979)

Certain albums sound like they were specifically crafted for a particular time – and I’m not talking about how Michael Buble’s Christmas was crafted for the Christmas holidays. When you listen to Marvin Gaye’s I Want You, it sounds just like Saturday night and when you listen to Songs in the Key of Life, it sounds like Sunday afternoon. Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall is very much a Friday night album. When one considers this album is the one that truly established Jackson as a solo artist, it’s conceptual makeup and subject matter was always going to be key. With this album, Jackson showed that like most 20 year olds (his age at the time), his priority was clubbing, partying and enjoying his youth. The title track essentially captures the feel of the whole album – life is for the living, so live it to the fullest.

Remember the Time

Dangerous (1991)

Although most people consider Michael Jackson’s classic period as the time between 1979’s Off the Wall and 1987’s Bad, that view tends to do a disservice to his work on 1991’s Dangerous. Admittedly it’s not as consistent a body of work as his true classics, but its high points are not only plentiful but are as good as anything he’d done before. “Remember the Time” has all the features of a classic Michael Jackson pop song. Teddy Riley’s percussion driven beat is melodic and groovy in equal measure and Jackson’s lyrics about a youthful love affair are catchy and instantly memorable. Like most of Jackson’s greatest pop songs, the video is arguably more memorable than the song itself and includes features from Eddie Murphy, Magic Johnson and Iman. Set in Ancient Egypt, the John Singleton directed video garnered a lot of praise from critics for its depiction of people of color. It also helps that it featured one of Jackson’s most iconic dance routines.

Heal the World

Dangerous (1991)

Interesting factoid about “Heal the World” – in a 2001 internet chat with his fans, Michael Jackson claimed this was the song he was most proud to have created. Although Jackson was never the most political artist in the world (at least compared to Public Enemy or David Bowie), his humanitarianism became a staple in his music. From “Man in the Mirror” to “Another Part of Me”, from “Lost Children” to “Cry”, Jackson backed up his notable charitable acts with fantastic music inspiring listeners to be more conscious of those suffering in the margins of society. Although the best example of these efforts is the legendary “We Are the World” (penned by Jackson and Lionel Richie) which featured some of the biggest acts in the world, “Heal the World” is the best of these songs. The lyrics are simple and sweetly delivered, but they are effective in passing across Jackson’s message – humanitarianism should be about making the world a better place for you, for me and the entire human race.

The Way You Make Me Feel

Bad (1987)

Although “The Way You Make Me Feel” is unquestionably one of the most successful songs in Michael Jackson’s career, like many of his greatest songs it owes a lot of its notoriety to its iconic video. Dressed in what was to be a signature look for him - a blue dress shirt over a white T-shirt and black pants – he attempts to win the affections of an attractive woman with his singing and slick dance moves. This video was to prove influential to a generation of artists after Jackson who would use similar flirty advances in their videos to the objects of their affection. Artists like Usher, Omarion, Mario, Justin Timberlake and Chris Brown have used the video as a blueprint for their big videos.

Butterflies

Invincible (2001)

One of the most interesting things about Invincible – his last recorded album - is how mature Michael sounded on it. He had spent most of his career creating some of the greatest pop songs ever. Songs like “Beat It”, “Black or White” and “Rock with You” were not just staples in his discography, but they became the standard by which he was judged as an artist. Invincible marked a departure of sorts for the late singer, as he opted for more mid-tempo ballads and sultry love songs. So despite the fact that Pharrell Williams, one half of the hottest producers at the time, The Neptunes, offered Jackson beats that would later become huge hits for Usher (“U Don’t Have To Call”) and Justin Timberlake (“Rock your Body”), Jackson was clearly not interested in retreading old ground. Instead he turned to another duo, the relatively obscure neo-soul group, Floetry, and invited them to make a telling contribution to his album. “Butterflies” was already a fantastic song when Floetry recorded it originally, but in Jackson’s hands it reaches new levels of transcendence. Like the titular creature, the lyrics are elegant and the production is beautifully orchestrated. Even though Invincible also contained beautiful ballads like “Break of Dawn”, “Heaven can Wait” and “You are my Life”, “Butterflies” is the album’s standout track.

Smooth Criminal

Bad (1987)

This was the first Michael Jackson song I fell in love with. One of my first memories in life was playing my parents’ Bad album (on vinyl) and switching from “Bad” to “Smooth Criminal”, the only two tracks I loved at the time. Unfortunately I ended up scratching the record but those were my first steps in becoming a huge MJ fan. Like several of his biggest songs, the subject matter is a tad inscrutable. Who exactly is Annie? Whose blood stains are on the carpet? Do the police know what’s going on? At the end of the day, does it really matter? All that matters is with this song, Jackson scored yet another chart topper that would go on to become one of his most iconic songs. The music video – and live performances that followed – would also provide fodder for countless playground debates worldwide. How did Jackson and his fellow dancers manage to defy gravity with that lean? But this is the genius of Michael Jackson’s artistry. You might not be clear about what he’s singing about or what inspired some of his moves or wardrobe choices, but you cannot deny his appeal.

Got To Be There

Got to Be There (1972)

What a lot of people don’t realize is that Off the Wall isn’t actually Michael Jackson’s debut, it was just his breakthrough album. His actual debut, Got to Be There, was released before Jackson’s 14th birthday and represented his first musical steps without his brothers. As the likes of Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake and Omarion would testify, it’s one thing to enjoy success as part of a group and it’s another thing trying to succeed as a solo artist. Fortunately, the title track – which served as the first single – showed that Michael Jackson had all the personality, charisma and natural ability to be a star after the Jackson 5. Despite the relatively mature nature of the lyrics, his performance is sweet and sincere, and his falsetto steals the show. He would go on to have a career full of hits – some more memorable than this - as a solo artist, but what songs like these show is that beyond the legendary dance routines, the breathless stage performances, and the iconic videos, Michael Jackson was one of the most gifted vocalists ever.

Wanna Be Startin’ Something

Thriller (1982)

This is arguably the greatest album opener ever. Putting together a musical masterpiece like Thriller obviously involved a lot of planning and strategizing by Jackson (the artist), Quincy Jones (the album producer), and Rod Temperton (songwriter/producer). Off the Wall had won the trio a lot of plaudits and sold a lot of copies, but there was the hunger for even more success. Although there are certain sections of MJ’s fan base that would argue that Off the Wall is the superior album, what can’t be debated is that Thriller had a broader appeal. With “Wanna Be Startin’ Something”, Jackson delivers a percussion heavy, pop onslaught that lets listeners know that they are in for a a thrilling (pun intended) sonic adventure. Its part disco, part Cameroonian Soul Makoussa and part rock n’ roll. It’s also the perfect start to the perfect album.

Liberian Girl

Bad (1987)

I will never understand how underrated this song is in Michael Jackson’s discography. Maybe it has something to do with its placement in Bad’s track listing. Maybe it has something to do with it been released as a single only in Europe and Australia. Maybe it’s because it was released as the ninth single from an album full of hits. But this soothing ballad – written and composed by Jackson himself – hits all the right notes. Not only did it have an international reach – helping to put Liberia on the map – but it’s classic melody has seen this song been sampled several times after its release.

Earth Song

HIStory (1995)

As I mentioned earlier, at a certain point in his career, Michael Jackson’s music started showing clear signs of his humanitarianism and social consciousness. Sometimes his songs handled general societal issues (“Man in the Mirror”) and sometimes they handled specific issues like racism (“They Don’t Care About Us”). With “Earth Song”, Jackson addressed environmental decay and degradation head on. In a sense, it was his own take on Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me”, a song that also lamented environmental pollution. But while Gaye’s approach was more sorrowful reflection, Jackson’s was more simmering anger that eventually explodes into righteous fury. He borrowed elements from opera, gospel and blues in building this six minute epic rallying cry. When the song reaches its most crucial stage (about two thirds of the way), you can almost picture him seething with rage as he ponders what is to become of a world that no one seems to care to save. But it’s something of a rhetorical device as his last declaration is “You don’t give a damn!” It’s easily one of Jackson’s purest, most emotionally charged efforts ever.

Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough

Off the Wall (1979)

This is the song that shot Jackson to superstardom as an adult solo performer. When Jackson was thinking of the direction he wanted to take on Off the Wall, this was – along with “Working Day and Night” and “Get on the Floor” – one of the songs he had an original concept and melody for. With Quincy Jones’ blend of disco and funk, this song served as a perfect single to launch Off the Wall with. It has all the hallmarks of great Michael Jackson pop songs including vocal tics, frisky howls and yelps in falsetto. It also topped the charts in several countries and won Jackson his first Grammy as a solo artist.

Human Nature

Thriller (1982)

This is probably the most sampled song in Michael Jackson’s discography. The keyboard flourish by Steve Porcaro has been sampled and covered by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, Nas, Vijay Trio and Chris Brown. The cascading synthesizer and addictive bassline serve as an elegant backdrop for one of Jackson’s most distinctive vocal performances. The lyrics, though a tad inscrutable, are delivered in such a soothing fashion that this ballad quickly became one of Jackson’s most popular songs, despite not having a video. It also became a staple of his world tours. If there were ever any doubts about Jackson’s vocal range, “Human Nature” would surely dismiss them.

Rock With You

Off the Wall (1987)

If “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” was the single that shot Jackson’s career to the stratosphere, “Rock with You” was the single that established that the former single was no fluke. It not only reached the top of the U.S charts, but it stayed there for four weeks. Written by Rod Temperton, the late English songwriting genius, this single typified everything good about the Off the Wall album. It was disco mixed with funk mixed with R&B. It was a blend that Temperton was familiar with as he used a similar blend with his own post-disco band, Heatwave. With the band’s biggest hits (“Grooveline”, “Boogie Nights”), Temperton used this interesting fusion of musical styles. It’s little wonder that Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson had their biggest successes with him by their side. Although he would go on to write “Thriller”, the most iconic song of Jackson’s career, “Rock with You” is for most people the quintessential Jackson-Jones-Temperton collaboration. Most people.

The Lady in My Life

Thriller (1982)

I remember the first time I heard this song. As a sophomore student in college, I had the option of spending my Saturday night partying, watching T.V. or studying. But I’ve never been so conventional so I decided to spend this particular Saturday evening listening to Michael Jackson songs on YouTube. At this point I was already familiar with most of his big singles, so this was about discovering his more obscure material. I remember listening to “Baby Be Mine” and “The Girl is Mine” and wondering why they weren’t more popular. Then I clicked on the suggested video that made me fall in love with MJ all over again. From the moment he sings, “There’ll be no darkness tonight…”, I was done for. I played that song about 13 more times that night before I went to bed. In the next two weeks, I must have played that song at least a hundred more times, no joke. I’ve only had that experience with two songs in my life: “Summer Madness” by Kool and the Gang and “Star of the Story” by Heatwave. Perhaps it’s unsurprising that two out of these three were written and composed by Temperton but it should go without saying at this point that for me, this song is the quintessential Jackson-Jones-Temperton collaboration. The lyrics are disarmingly sweet, the composition is ethereal and Jackson’s performance is as vulnerable as it’s ever been. I will never know why it was never released as a single, but the fact that it’s one of Jackson’s most covered songs tells me that it is at least well appreciated.