Music Blogs

With a career spanning five decades and ten solo albums it's perhaps impossible to create a definitive list of Michael Jackson's best songs but nevertheless we've had a go.

I Want You Back

Taken from the album Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5

Released: 1969

Recorded with brothers Marlon, Jackie, Tito and Jermaine, Michael Jackson was just 11 years old when he sang the lead vocal on this turbo-charged soul nugget. 'I Want You Back' was the first Jackson 5 single to be released on Berry Gordy's Mowtown record label and became the first of a string of number one singles for the band.

Taken from the album Off The Wall

Released: 1979

Introducing the world to Jackson's trademark falsetto voice, 'Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough' became Jackson's first US number one single since his 1972 hit 'Ben'. The music video was Jackson's first as a solo artist and features the singer in a fetching white tuxedo whilst breaking out some crazy dance moves.

Taken from the album Thriller

Released: 1982

'Billie Jean' holds the accolade of being the very first music video by a black artist to be shown on a then fledgling MTV. It's in this video when the first signs of plastic surgery begin to appear and are particularly noticeable on Jackson's nose.

Thriller

Taken from the album Thriller

Released: 1982

Produced by Quincy Jones, Thriller was the title track to the multi-million selling album of the same name. Thriller's 14 minute video was considered to be a milestone in the art of the music video and was applauded for its production values and storyline. 'Thriller' is also largely credited with defining MTV as a powerful force among youth culture and at one point in 1982 the channel was showing the video twice an hour to satisfy demand.

Bad

Taken from the album Bad

Released: 1988

The title track to Jackson's seventh studio album was originally intended to be a duo with Prince although Prince is said to have pulled out after he told Jackson the song would be a hit without him. The full music video, directed by Martin Scorsese, weighs in at over 18 minutes long and documents a private school boy returning to his inner-city origins. 

Man In The Mirror

Taken from the album Bad

Released: 1988

Regarded as one of Jackson's most moving tracks, ‘Man In The Mirror's expert use of FM synthersizers and gospel choirs coupled with Sideah Garrett and Glen Ballard's emotive lyrics stand out as one of the finest examples of 80s production techniques.

Taken from the album Dangerous

Released: 1991

The original three minute music video featuring a young Macaulay Culkin seems innocent enough but the full length version caused MTV to issue a ban. In it, Jackson morphs into a black panther and begins to smash racist slogans. To this day the video is still considered to be highly controversial and is limited to late night showings in the US.

Scream

Taken from the album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1

Released: 1995

Featuring his sister Janet Jackson, Scream was written as a direct response to the press coverage of the accusations of child molestation made against him in 1993. The single is perhaps most famous for its video which remains as the most expensive ever made costing a whopping £5,000,000 to produce.

Taken from the album Invincible

Released: 2001

The video for 'You Rock My World' was the last to feature Michael Jackson (a video for Cry was later released but Jackson refused to appear in the video personally due to lack of budget). Comedian Chris Tucker co-stars alongside Jackson as the pair compete for the affections of the girlfriend of a gangland boss.

What do you think of our Michael Jackson video selection? What are your favourite songs? Have your say here...