Top Ten Songs by Michael Jackson
Starting with number ten, I would say is The Lady in My Life. This song comes from Thriller. On an album that had a lot of pop and dance hits, this song stands out as the premier ballad on Thriller. This is the song where audiences get a chance to check out Jackson’s vocal talent and not just his dancing skills.
The number nine song is Off The Wall, off of the record with the same title. Off The Wall showed that Jackson was now ready to be a solo artist. With Quincy Jones as the producer, the music production on this song is fantastic.
Song number eight is Wanna Be Startin’ Something also off the Thriller album. This song was written and composed by Jackson. What made this song stand out was the African chanting of “Mama-se, mama-sa, mama-coo-sa” in the song’s final bridge. This showed that Jackson was willing to experiment with different sounds in his music.
The number seven song is Man in the Mirror from the Bad album. This song stands out for its poignant lyrics. Jackson gives a passionate delivery that social change has to start from within. The song also popularized the use of gospel choirs on pop songs.
The number six song is Smooth Criminal also from the Bad album. This song was the centerpiece of Jackson’s hour-long short film called Moonwalker. In the video Jackson dances through a 1930s-style nightclub, where he shows an array of his dancing moves.
The number five song is Bad from the record with the same title. This is another song that has great production by Quincy Jones. The music video was directed by Martin Scorsese and featured a then unknown Wesley Snipes.
The number four song is Working Day and Night from the Off the Wall album. This is one of 3 songs that Jackson actually wrote for this album. When this song is playing it definitely makes you want to hit the dance floor.
The number three song is Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough which is also from The Off the Wall album. This song earned Jackson his first solo Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance. This was also the first solo single since Ben for Jackson to go platinum.
The number two song is Beat It from the Thriller album. Beat It won two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. Eddie Van Halen’s electric guitar solo during the bridge of Beat It, is what makes this song stand out.
The number one song by Michael Jackson is Billie Jean also from the Thriller album. Many people consider Billie Jean the song that launch Jackson into super stardom. The song was number one on the R&B charts for nine weeks in the United States. It was during the taping of the tribute special Motown 25 that Jackson performed Billie Jean and he debut his signature dance move the Moonwalk. That broadcast help make Thriller one of the best selling albums of all time.
Michael Jackson has had a number of great songs, and I am sure not everyone will agree with my top ten list. Jackson has had a major influence on a lot of the artist that are out today. Jackson has songs that will make you want to dance, he has love ballads, and he also has songs that deal with social issues. That is what makes Michael Jackson a musical genius.
