
Bona fide classics such as “Thriller,” "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin,’ ” "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing),” “Got to Be There,” “Smooth Criminal” and his “Scream” collaboration with sister Janet Jackson...
- 1/6. The Enigma. Michael Jackson, possibly one of the finest entertainers the world has ever seen, would have celebrated his 60th birthday today. ...
- 2/6. 'Billie Jean' ...
- 3/6. 'Beat It' ...
- 4/6. 'Rock With You' ...
- 5/6. 'Say Say Say'
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What is Michael Jacksons most famous song?
Billie JeanSmooth CriminalBeat ItThey Don't Care About UsBadWanna Be Startin’ Somethin’Michael Jackson/Songs
How many #1 hits did Michael Jackson have?
13 No. 1sMichael Jackson, the King of Pop, has more No. 1 hits than most artists could ever dream of charting – combined. With 13 No. 1s – and one more to which he contributed vocals – Jackson leads the list of male artists with the most chart-topping hits.
How many Top 10 hits did Michael Jackson have?
Michael Jackson had 28 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts while living, and to date has two posthumous Top 10 entries.
What was Michael's biggest hit?
His biggest hit of all time on the Hot 100 (see list, below) is his 1987 No. 1 smash “Faith.” It spent four weeks atop the list and was one of four No.
What is the #1 song of all time?
Blinding LightsTop 10 songs of all time (1958–2021)RankSingleYear(s) released1."Blinding Lights"20192."The Twist"1960, 1961 ( re )3."Smooth"19994."Mack the Knife"19596 more rows
What is Michael Jackson's biggest selling single?
"Thriller" was released in November 1983 and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The single sold 10 million copies in the US alone, making it Jackson's best-selling single.
Who has the most number 1 hits ever?
The BeatlesThe Beatles have the most No. 1 hits of all time: 20. Though unclear for how long, the Beatles still reign supreme as the artist with the most No. 1 songs of all time.
What is Michael Jackson's signature song?
It introduced a number of Jackson's signatures, including the moonwalk, black sequined jacket, and high-water pants, and was widely imitated....Billie Jean."Billie Jean"LabelEpicSongwriter(s)Michael JacksonProducer(s)Quincy Jones Michael JacksonMichael Jackson singles chronology16 more rows
Who sold more records Elvis or Michael Jackson?
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Elvis Presley sold 146.5 million albums, which is 62.5 more than Michael Jackson, who sold 84 million albums.
Why is Michael Jackson so good?
He set and broke records, challenged racial boundaries and revolutionized the music industry. Michael Jackson's music and groundbreaking creativity changed the very infrastructure of the way music is produced and promoted. Michael Jackson has gone down in history as a legend, and he may always be the King of Pop.
When was Michael Jackson most popular?
Michael Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer who was the most popular entertainer in the world in the early and mid-1980s.
How many songs does Michael Jackson have?
All 147 Michael Jackson Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best.
Who has the most #1 hits?
The BeatlesThe Beatles have the most No. 1 hits of all time: 20. Though unclear for how long, the Beatles still reign supreme as the artist with the most No.
How many #1 hits were on Thriller?
Thriller became Jackson's first number-one album on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart, where it spent a record 37 non-consecutive weeks at number one, from February 26, 1983, to April 14, 1984....Thriller (album)ThrillerLength42:16LabelEpicProducerQuincy Jones Michael JacksonMichael Jackson chronology11 more rows
Who got more hits R Kelly or Michael Jackson?
Kelly Has More Hits Than Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder.
How many 1 hits did Elvis have?
More than 90 Elvis Presley records reached the charts, with 10 of them reaching number one. These figures are only for the pop charts and only in America. He was also a leading artist in the American country, R&B, and gospel fields, and his chart success in other countries was substantial.
What is the most popular song of Michael Jackson?
"Beat It" was the most rock-oriented of Michael Jackson's singles up to the time. It included a blistering guitar solo from Eddie Van Halen, member of the rock group Van Halen. The accompanying music video is one of the most acclaimed of all time. "Beat It" won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year and went to #1 on the pop singles chart. It went to #1 in a number of other countries around the world. Michael Jackson also won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal, a rare occurrence for a Black singer. The music video including dancing gang members is one of the top music videos of all time. Along with "Billie Jean," it tore down color barriers at MTV.
What was Michael Jackson's first hit?
The Jackson 5 had released four consecutive #1 charting pop singles followed by two top 2 smash hits in a two-year period of time when 13-year-old Michael Jackson released his debut solo single. "Got To Be There" continued the hit streak by climbing to #4 on the pop charts in the US and #5 in the UK. Chaka Khan later had a top 5 R&B hit covering the song in the 1980s. "Got To Be There" became the title song for Michael Jackson's debut album. The album also included the hit single "Rockin' Robin" as well as covers of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" and Carole King's "You've Got a Friend." "Got To Be There" is the best-known song written by Elliot Willensky who also served as the music coordinator for Tony Orlando and Dawn's 1970s TV variety show.
Why did Michael Jackson call Billie Jean not my lover?
Quincy Jones wanted to call the song "Not My Lover" to avoid confusion with tennis star Billie Jean King. He also wanted to cut the intro to the song, but Michael Jackson insisted that was the part of the song that made him want to dance.
What song did Michael Jackson sing?
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is arguably the song from Michael Jackson's Thriller that sounds most like his music from the preceding album Off the Wall. He borrowed the line "Mama-say Mama-sa Mama-koo-sa" from Manu Dibango's proto-disco classic "Soul Makossa." Makossa is a music style that originated in the central African nation Cameroon. Manu Dibango sued Jackson and ultimately settled out of court and waived future rights to this song, but not rights to the use of "Soul Makossa" in future recordings.
What was the song that Michael Jackson sang in the video "Bad"?
Michael Jackson's "Bad" presented him as an edgier artist than in the past. Celebrated film director Martin Scorsese worked on the accompanying music video. The clip also featured a young Wesley Snipes. The plot and dance sequences were heavily influenced by the song "Cool" from legendary musical West Side Story. "Bad" was a #1 pop hit single, and it also went to the top of the dance club chart and the UK pop singles chart. Reportedly, early planning for "Bad" considered having the song be a duet between Michael Jackson and Prince. A new remix of 'Bad" reached the top 20 on the dance chart in 2012.
What was Michael Jackson's number one hit in 1983?
"Say Say Say" was a #1 hit in the US and a #2 success in the UK. It became Michael Jackson's seventh top-10 hit during the 1983 calendar year.
How do you make me feel Michael Jackson?
Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" rolls along to a congenial shuffling beat. It continued the hot streak of #1 hits from Bad. It was also a top 10 pop hit in most major pop markets around the world going to #1 on the R&B and Dance Club charts in the US as well. It even crossed over to the top 10 on the adult contemporary chart.
What was the first song by Michael Jackson?
Weeks On Chart: 16. The first of Jackson’s solo #1 hits, “Ben” is a love song ... about a rat. The song was the title track to the film of the same name, the sequel to the 1971 horror movie “Willard” about a young boy who trains a pack of rats to attack his enemies.
What song did Michael Jackson sing with his sister?
Michael performs solo on the single’s B-side, “Childhood,” which has the singer yearning for the traditional upbringing he never had.
What does Michael Jackson say in "Hello World"?
As the lyrics say, “when she says, ‘Hello world!’ / I need her sharing the world beside me.”
When did the Jackson 5 peak?
Peak Date: Oct. 6, 1973. Weeks On Chart: 13. After the Jackson 5 stopped recording music with Motown, they released an album with CBS under the name The Jacksons. This song about the dark side of a love story was one of their big hits.
When did Michael Jackson sing "A Bird Who Loves to Jam"?
The lyrics about a bird who loves to jam are just as delightful today as they were when the song debuted in 1972 .
Why did Michael Jackson write "Gone Too Soon"?
Jackson's version of 'Gone Too Soon' was dedicated to the memory of his friend Ryan White, a teenager from Indiana who had been expelled from his school for having HIV/AIDS. White died in April 1990, shortly before he would have completed high school.
What is the best selling album of all time?
This song and its video helped Thriller become the world’s best-selling album of all time. Producer Quincy Jones had wanted to include a rock song in the vein of The Knack’s ‘My Sharona’, though Jackson reportedly had never previously shown an interest in the genre.
Why did Michael Jackson sleep in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber?
The song was a response to negative rumours about Jackson that began appearing in the media and tabloids in the mid-1980s, such as claiming that he slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow the ageing process, his pet chimpanzee Bubbles and claims that he offered to buy the bones of the Elephant Man.
When did Michael Jackson release Invincible?
Michael's 2001 album Invincible may have been overlooked over the years, but there were some genuinely great moments.
Who wrote the song "Thriller"?
The sixth single from Thriller, the original demo version of this song was written by Jackson and Greg Phillinganes. Quincy Jones passed on the song, but liked the title and created a totally new song with James Ingram. Two of Jackson's sisters, Janet and La Toya, provided backing vocals as the 'P.Y.T.s'.
Who was the first solo artist to record off the wall?
The first single from Off the Wall was the first solo recording over which Michael Jackson had full creative control. After filming the movie The Wiz, Jackson asked the film’s musical director Quincy Jones if he knew of any producers to help with his future solo career. Jones suggested himself, and the two began work on Off the Wall.
What was Michael Jackson's last number 1 hit?
In a more just world, Jackson's final No. 1 hit wouldn't have been “You Are Not Alone,” an overly sentimental ballad that’s more the style of its songwriter, R. Kelly.
What songs did Michael Jackson not hit No. 1?
Bona fide classics such as “Thriller,” "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin,’ ” "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing),” “Got to Be There,” “Smooth Criminal” and his “Scream” collaboration with sister Janet Jackson all failed to reach No. 1, while a good number of arguably lesser singles managed to reach the Billboard Hot 100’s peak.
What album did Michael Jackson sing with Quincy Jones?
A favorite from Jackson's fifth solo album, “Off the Wall, ” the breezy “Rock With You” only scratches the surface of Jackson and Quincy Jones’ collaborations to come.
How many No. 1s did Michael Jackson have?
With 13 No. 1s – and one more to which he contributed vocals – Jackson leads the list of male artists with the most chart-topping hits. His catalog has both legendary breadth and depth, considering Jackson was the first artist to score No. 1 hits in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s; and that during the ’80s alone, at his creative peak, he earned 10 No.
Why is "Beat It" a top tier Jackson single?
Yet "Beat It" is a top-tier Jackson single because of how absurd, purposefully or otherwise, anyone else singing it sounds. Only Jackson can spit out the track's catchphrase and finesse lyrics like "Showin’ how funky / And strong is your fight," all over a showy Eddie Van Halen guitar line and make it all sound like a pop classic instead of an ’80s fossil.
What was the first song to have 5 No. 1 hits?
10. "Bad" (1987) With "Bad," Jackson became the first and only male artist to chart five No. 1 hits from one album. Its title track is a testament to how formidable Jackson's singles catalog is: a perfectly strong track in its own right but one that barely cracks the top 10 of his own No. 1s. 9.
What was Michael Jackson's first single?
Jackson's first single as a solo act found him already thinking outside the Jackson-family box. A Top Five pop and R&B hit, the buttery ballad "Got to Be There" was written by New Jersey songwriter Elliot Willensky, and featured a plush, pillow-talk arrangement that was far sultrier than the J5's bubblegum fare. And few pop stars of the time – let alone ones that were still 13 years old – ventured into sweetly suggestive lyrics like "Got to be there in the morning/And welcome her into my world." Was he referring to the classroom or the bedroom? Either way, he was convincing.
Who produced the beat for Michael Jackson?
Producer Teddy Riley constructed a dissonant, off-kilter beat that made Jackson's hormone-soaked whispers and wails fit right in with the tone of R&B radio ("It was just incredible," recalled keyboardist Brad Buxer, "almost atonal").
How many songs did Motown release in 1973?
Keenly aware of this, Motown released an album of unused MJ material. The Farewell My Summer Love album was nine songs from 1973, overdubbed with new, Eighties-sounding instrumentation. "It's not fair," Jackson said. "I had no control over that music.".
What did Michael Jackson say about Demerol?
Jackson addresses rumors of his painkiller addiction: "Demerol, Demerol/Oh, God, he's taking Demerol," like he's crying for help. Jermaine claimed he began taking pain medications for burns suffered during his 1984 Pepsi commercial: "I doubt he gave a second thought to Demerol's side effects," he recalled.
What song did Michael Jackson sing on Soul Train?
With the help of the spectacular "robot" dance Michael performed when the song debuted on Soul Train, "Dancing Machine" became a mammoth crossover hit and pointed in the direction the group would follow from then on. "I loved 'Dancing Machine,' loved the groove and the feel of that song," Michael recalled in Moonwalk.
What was the biggest victory of the Jacksons?
The biggest victory of the Jacksons' lackluster Victory era was "State of Shock, " a Number Three-charting duet between Jackson and Mick Jagger, fluidly working a middle ground between guitar rock and pop.
How many years did Michael Jackson live?
Michael Jackson, the greatest pop artist that ever lived, has a career that spans more than 40 of his 50 years. The de facto star of Motown's boundary-breaking Jackson 5, the sensitive solo singer behind Seventies hits, the vanguard of the MTV era and the timeless voice behind some of the only multi-million-selling Nineties records you could safely call "slept-on." We've traversed his massive catalog to pick the 50 best.
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