Michael Jackson

Early life and the Jackson 5 (1958–1975)

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, at St Mary's Mercy Hospital, in Gary, Indiana. He was the eighth of ten children in the Jackson family, an African-American working-class household living in a two-bedroom home on Jackson Street. His mother, Katherine Jackson (née Scruse), a Jehovah's Witness, played clarinet, cello, and piano; she aspired to be a country-and-western performer, and worked part-time at Sears. His father, Joe Jackson, was a former boxer and a crane operator at US Steel, who also played guitar for the local rhythm and blues group the Falcons. Through his father, Michael had Native American (Choctaw) ancestry; his great-grandfather, Israel Nero Jackson, utilized and sold traditional Indigenous herbal...

HIStory, second marriage, fatherhood and Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix (1995–1997)

In June 1995, Jackson released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, is a greatest hits compilation (reissued in 2001 as Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I). The second disc, HIStory Continues, contains 13 original songs and two cover versions. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for eight million shipments in the US. It is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with 20 million copies (40 million units) sold worldwide. HIStory received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. The New York Times described it as "the testimony of a musician whose self-pity now equals his talent".

Legacy

Jackson has been referred to as the "King of Pop" for having transformed the art of music videos and paving the way for modern pop music. For much of Jackson's career, he had an unparalleled worldwide influence over the younger generation. His influence extended beyond the music industry; he impacted dance, led fashion trends, and raised awareness for global affairs. Jackson's music and videos fostered racial diversity in MTV's roster and steered its focus from rock to pop music and R&B, leading to the discontinuation of the album-oriented rock format previously dominant on the channel. In songs such as "Black or White", "Heal the World", "Earth Song" and "They Don't Care About Us", Jackson's music emphasized racial integration and...

Vocal style

Jackson was known as an expressive vocalist with absolute pitch. Critics describe his vocal theatricality as having a range from clear and soft to harsh and aggressive, depending on the genre sung. Jackson is the only recipient to ever receive Grammy Awards for three different genres of vocal performance as a soloist, winning Pop Vocal for "Thriller", Rock Vocal for "Beat It", and Rhythm and Blues Vocal with both "Billie Jean" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". Bruce Swedien, his long-time sound engineer, emphasized that a critical element of their vocal recordings are of him and Jackson trying numerous approaches to rhythmic, emotional and technical distinctions to consummate a "sonic character". His stylings, such as common use of...

Beat It

"Beat It" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his sixth studio album, Thriller (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson, produced by Quincy Jones, and co-produced by Jackson.

Jones encouraged Jackson to include a rock song similar to "My Sharona" on the album. Jackson later said: "I wanted to write a song, the type of song that I would buy if I were to buy a rock song...

Production and composition

Jackson first worked on a demo version of the song with musicians at his home studio. The drum part was programmed on a drum machine, and the bass line was a combination of electric bass guitar and Bell Labs Digital Synthesizer Synergy keyboard. This hybrid bass style was retained for the main recording session.

Release and reception

"Beat It" was released in early 1983 to widespread acclaim, following the successful chart performances of "The Girl Is Mine" and "Billie Jean". Frank DiLeo, the vice president of Epic Records, convinced Jackson to release "Beat It" while "Billie Jean" was heading towards number one. DiLeo, who later became Jackson's manager, correctly predicted that both singles would remain in the top 10 at the same time. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 30, 1983. "Billie Jean" remained atop the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks, before being toppled by "Come On Eileen", which stayed at No. 1 for a single week, before Jackson reclaimed the position with "Beat It".

Music video

The music video for "Beat It" helped establish Jackson as an international pop icon. The video was Jackson's first treatment of black youth and the streets. Both "Beat It" and "Thriller" are notable for their "mass choreography" of synchronized dancers, a Jackson trademark.

Legacy

Jackson's "Beat It" has been cited as one of the most successful, recognized, awarded, and celebrated songs in the history of pop music; both the song and video had a large impact on pop culture. The song is said to be a "pioneer" in black rock music and is considered one of the cornerstones of the Thriller album. Eddie Van Halen has been praised for adding "the greatest guitar solo", helping "Beat It" become one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough

"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. Written by Jackson, and released by Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album, Off the Wall (1979).

Additionally, it was Jackson's first solo recording in which he had control of the creative direction.

Background and production

In 1978, Jackson starred as the Scarecrow in The Wiz, an urbanized retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. After the filming, Jackson, who was still a member of The Jacksons, approached the film's musical director, Quincy Jones, to ask if he knew of any producers to help with Jackson's future solo endeavors. Jones suggested himself, and the two began work on Off the Wall. After listening to hundreds of demos, the two decided upon the ones to record. These included "Workin' Day and Night", "Get on the Floor" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". The song was recorded in Los Angeles. Jackson claimed that when the melody of "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" came to him, he could not shake it off. He found himself humming and...

Composition

"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is the first solo song written by Michael Jackson, although "Blues Away" had been released in 1976.

Release and reception

"Don’t Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was released in the US on July 10, 1979, under Epic Records; Jackson's first solo single away from Motown Records. It was well received by contemporary critics. Stephen Holden, of Rolling Stone, described the song as "one of a handful of recent disco releases that works both as a dance track and as an aural extravaganza comparable to Earth, Wind and Fire's 'Boogie Wonderland'". Cash Box described it as having "a zesty, infectious disco rhythm", a "funky hook line", "buzzing electronic keyboard work and bright horns." The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 on October 13, and within three months of its release, it had been certified gold. It was Jackson's first solo number one single since "Ben", seven...

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was directed and produced by Nick Saxton and made its world premiere in October 1979. It was Jackson's first music video as a solo artist. The music video shows a smiling Jackson in a black and white tuxedo with a black bow tie (resembling the Off the Wall album cover photo) dancing and singing the song while appearing chroma keyed over a background of abstract geometric figures. At one stage, Jackson is seen dancing in triplicate, which was considered innovative at the time.

Girlfriend

"Girlfriend" is a song by British rock band Wings, from their 1978 album London Town. It was written by Wings frontman Paul McCartney, who originally intended it to be sung by Michael Jackson.

Jackson then covered the song the following year on his 1979 album Off the Wall, and in 1980 it was released as the 5th and final single of that album.

Background

McCartney thought of "Girlfriend" as a song that Michael Jackson might like to record, and mentioned this to Jackson at a party in Hollywood. Jackson had stated in interviews with the music press in the 1970s that he was a fan of the Beatles and the chance to record a McCartney original helped to inspire his next project. However, McCartney ended up recording it himself with his band Wings, and it was issued in 1978 on the album London Town.

It's the Falling in Love

"It's the Falling in Love" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson with guest vocals by R&B singer–songwriter Patti Austin. It is the ninth track from his fifth studio album, Off the Wall (1979).

It was written by Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster, with production by Quincy Jones.

Off the Wall

"Off the Wall" is a disco and funk song by American singer Michael Jackson, and the title track from his fifth studio album, Off the Wall (1979). Written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones, it was released by Epic Records as the album’s second single in the UK on November 16, 1979 and as the third single in the US on January 31, 1980.

The song was originally offered to Karen Carpenter while she was working on her first solo studio album, but she declined to record it. Lyrically, the song explores escapism and emotional release, with the narrator seeking relief from daily stress and personal troubles by leaving worries behind and immersing in music and dance.

Reception

AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine highlighted the song as one of the album’s most standout tracks.

She's Out of My Life

"She's Out of My Life" is a song written by American songwriter Tom Bahler and performed by American singer Michael Jackson. The song was released April 1, 1980 as the fourth single from Jackson's 1979 album Off the Wall.

In 2004, the song appeared in The Ultimate Collection. It peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the first time any solo artist had ever achieved four Top 10 hits from one album.

Background

Unlike the album's previous singles, which are all uptempo dance-oriented funk and disco songs, "She's Out of My Life" is an emotional ballad. The song has a tempo of 66 beats per minute, making it one of Jackson's slowest songs.

Production

Jones wanted Jackson to record material with more mature themes and "feel the full range of his voice," so he decided to bring the song to Jackson's attention.

Release and reception

The song peaked at number 10 in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at number 3 on the UK charts.

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the song an "overwrought ballad" but praised Jackson's "blindingly gifted" singing on the track. Rolling Stone editor Stephen Holden praised: "The singer's ultradramatic phrasing, which takes huge emotional risks and wins every time, wrings the last drop of pathos from Tom Bahler's tear-jerker, "She's Out of My Life." Cash Box said it has a "feathery, symphonic opening, muted keyboard work and tearful vocal reading."

Smooth Criminal

"Smooth Criminal" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on October 13, 1988, as the seventh single from his seventh studio album, Bad (1987). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones.

The lyrics describe a woman named "Annie" who has been attacked in her apartment.

Composition

"Smooth Criminal" evolved from an earlier song written by Jackson, "Al Capone" (named after real life gangster Al Capone), released on the 2012 reissue Bad 25. It is in the key of A minor, and Jackson's vocal spans from G3 to C6. The lyrics describe a narrator who finds a bloodstained carpet and an unconscious body. The chorus refrain, "Annie, are you OK?", was inspired by Resusci Anne, a dummy used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. Trainees learn to say "Annie, are you OK?" while practicing resuscitation on the dummy. The original mix of the song includes the sound of Jackson's fast-thumping heart and heavy breathing, which travel from left to right thanks to Hugo Zuccarelli's Holophonics system.

Music video

Jackson asked Vincent Paterson to conceive a music video. Paterson listened to the unfinished song and proposed a 1930s gangster club. Paterson, who was a lead dancer in the music videos for "Beat It" and "Thriller", co-choreographed the "Smooth Criminal" video with Jackson and Jeffrey Daniel of the soul music group Shalamar. The video and Jackson's white suit and fedora pay tribute to the Fred Astaire 1953 musical film The Band Wagon, particularly the "Girl Hunt Ballet" (itself inspired by the novels of Mickey Spillane) scene. The video, directed by Colin Chilvers, was shot between mid-February and April 1987 at Culver City, California, and in the backlot at Universal Studios Hollywood and premiered internationally on MTV on the night of...

Critical reception

Jason Elias of AllMusic wrote that "Smooth Criminal" was "a gorgeous and exhilarating record ... [it] presents Michael Jackson at his most captivating and it never fails to impress". Rolling Stone named it the sixth best Jackson song, writing that it was "his best blend of R&B groove and rock edginess, and a turning point in his shift toward darker, harder-edged material." In a retrospective review of Bad, Newsweek wrote: "[Smooth Criminal] is a sleek, exhilarating action sequence of a song that's unlike anything else in Jackson's catalog ... an urgent and inspired highlight. Bad is at its best when it explores the darker, more paranoid side that began to consume Jackson's life in the late '80s, and this song captures that impulse."...

Other covers

Croatian duo 2Cellos performed the song in a viral YouTube video. Jean Rodríguez sang lead vocals for Tony Succar's Latin-flavored version of "Smooth Criminal", from the album Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson (2015), including a section in Spanish. A video of their 2016 performance at the offices of SiriusXM went viral.

Will You Be There

"Will You Be There" is a song by the American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson which was released on June 28, 1993, by Epic Records as the eighth single from his eighth studio album, Dangerous (1991). Jackson wrote and produced the song with additional production from Bruce Swedien.

Following its live debut during MTV's 10th anniversary special, the song gained recognition in 1993 due to its use as the main theme on the soundtrack to the film Free Willy.

Background

In the documentary Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson said that "Will You Be There" was one of several songs he wrote while at the Giving Tree, located on his Neverland Ranch property. "Heal the World", also from Dangerous, was written at the same location.

Composition

The sheet music shows the key of D major and towards the end is modulated to E major, F♯ major and finally to A♭ major, The vocals span from D3 to E♭5. The song has a tempo of 83 beats per minute. Jackson wrote and produced "Will You Be There"—with co-producing credits going to Bruce Swedien—and orchestrated the rhythm and vocal arrangements. Featured instruments are noted as piano, synthesizer, keyboard, drums, and percussion.

Critical reception

Chris Lacy from Albumism noted the "gospel fervor" of "Will You Be There" and "Keep the Faith" in his retrospective on Dangerous' 25th anniversary, calling the former song "a symphonic, heart-wrenching confession in which the shackles of Jackson’s deepest insecurities snap and crash to the floor". The song was picked as critic's choice in a Billboard review from Larry Flick who described it as a "highly inspirational, gospel/pop tune", stating that Jackson "offers one of his purest vocals in a long while, wisely sidestepping busy instrumentation and studio gimmicks. As a result, listeners are reminded how special and unique he truly is." Troy J. Augusto from Cash Box named it Pick of the Week, saying, "Not as immediate as much of Michael's...

Music video

Vince Patterson directed two music videos for "Will You Be There". The official video included Jackson performing the song during various stops of the Dangerous World Tour while scenes from Free Willy centering around the friendship of Jesse and Willy are shown. The original VHS copies of Free Willy included the music video prior to the film, but also appeared as an extra in the Free Willy 10th Anniversary Special Edition DVD in addition to the Blu-ray. The second video from Dangerous: The Short Films combines the tour footage with the MTV's 10th Anniversary Special performance.

Billie Jean

"Billie Jean" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on January 2, 1983, as the second single from Jackson's sixth studio album, Thriller (1982). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones.

"Billie Jean" blends post-disco, R&B, funk and dance-pop. The lyrics describe a young woman, Billie Jean, who claims that the narrator is the father of her newborn son, which he denies.

Background

Jackson said that "Billie Jean" was based on groupies he and his brothers encountered while they performed as the Jackson 5. "They would hang around backstage doors, and any band that would come to town they would have a relationship with, and I think I wrote this out of experience [sic] with my brothers when I was little. There were a lot of Billie Jeans out there. Every girl claimed that their son was related to one of my brothers."

Production

Jackson said he felt "Billie Jean" would be a success as he was writing it: "A musician knows hit material. Everything has to feel in place. It fulfills you and it makes you feel good. That's how I felt about 'Billie Jean'." He said that, hearing it in his head while in his car, he was so absorbed that he did not realize his car had caught fire until a passing motorcyclist informed him.

Composition

"Billie Jean" blends post-disco, rhythm and blues, funk, and dance-pop. The song opens with a standard drum beat along with a standard hi-hat, and joined two bars later with a cabasa accompanied by a repetitive bassline. Each time it passes through the tonic, the note is doubled by a distorted synth bass. This accompaniment is followed by a repetitive three-note synth, played staccato with a deep reverb. The defining chord progression is then established. Jackson's quiet vocals enter, accompanied by a finger-snap, which comes and goes during the verses, as the rhythm and chord progression repeats. Greg Phillinganes, who played keys, said of the song: "'Billie Jean' is hot on every level. It's hot rhythmically. It's hot sonically, because...

Reception

On November 30, 1982, Thriller was released to critical and commercial success. On January 2, 1983, "Billie Jean" was released as the second single, after "The Girl Is Mine". It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 5, 1983 and stayed there for seven weeks, becoming Jackson's biggest solo hit. Billboard ranked it as the number two song for 1983. "Billie Jean" topped the R&B chart within three weeks, and became Jackson's fastest-rising number one single since "ABC", "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There" in 1970, which he recorded as a member of the Jackson 5. It remained at number one for nine weeks on the R&B chart, being preceded by the Gap Band's "Outstanding", before the single was eventually succeeded by George...

Remember the Time

"Remember the Time" is a song by the American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on January 14, 1992, as the second single from Jackson's eighth album, Dangerous (1991).

The song was written and composed by Teddy Riley, Jackson and Bernard Belle, and produced by Riley and Jackson. The song's lyrics are written about remembering having fallen in love with someone.

Background

"Remember the Time" was written by Teddy Riley, Michael Jackson and Bernard Belle, and was produced by Riley and Jackson. It was recorded at Record One studios. It was released as the second single from Michael Jackson's eighth studio album, Dangerous, on January 14, 1992. The song's music was compared to Jackson's 1979 single, "Rock with You" from his Off the Wall album.

Composition

"Remember the Time" is a R&B song fused with new jack swing. The lyrics recall a youthful love affair: "Do you remember when we fell in love/We were young and innocent then". The song is set in the key of F minor with Jackson's voice range from E♭3 to B♭5. The song's tempo is moderate at 116 beats per minute.

Critical reception

"Remember the Time" was generally well received by contemporary music critics. Chris Lacy from Albumism noted that "the warmth and nostalgia" of the song "harkens back to Jackson's Motown roots". Stephen Thomas Erlewine, a writer for AllMusic, commented that Dangerous had "plenty" of "professional craftsmanship at its peak" because of "such fine singles" like "In the Closet" and "Remember the Time". Erlewine also listed it as being a highlight from the album. Larry Flick from Billboard magazine said the song "shows the King of Pop downplaying his signature whoops and shrieks in favor a decidedly soulful and affecting vocal performance. Insinuating new-jack grooves work well, encasing an immediately memorable hook." A reviewer from Cashbox...

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Remember the Time" was filmed in January 1992 at the Universal Studios Hollywood backlot. Prior to the release of the video, Jackson's record label promoted it by releasing clips, as well as releasing behind the scenes clips of making the video. The nine-minute video was promoted as a "short film". It premiered on ABC, NBC, Fox, BET, and MTV on February 2, 1992, the Fox broadcast of Remember the Time recorded a Nielsen rating of 13.1. After the video premiered on MTV, the channel aired a "rockumentary" called "More Dangerous Than Ever" which included glimpses of the making of the video. Jackson's record label would not release the video's budget figures. Directed by John Singleton and choreographed by...

The Way You Make Me Feel

"The Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on October 31, 1987, as the third single from his seventh studio album, Bad. It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones.

Background and composition

"The Way You Make Me Feel" was recorded by Jackson in 1987 for his seventh studio album Bad. Epic Records released the song as the third single from the album in November that year. "The Way You Make Me Feel" was written and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones. Before the recording of Bad, Jackson had written more than sixty songs for the album, with plans of releasing a three-disc album, but after Jones convinced Jackson to make Bad a one-disc LP, "The Way You Make Me Feel" and ten other songs were selected for the album.

Critical reception

"The Way You Make Me Feel" generally received positive reviews from contemporary music critics. AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine listed the song alongside the album's title track, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", and "Man in the Mirror" as being "track picks" from Bad. Erlewine commented that out of all of Bad's songs, "only three can stand alongside album tracks from its predecessor", which were "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You". Jon Pareles, a writer for The New York Times, commented that Jackson's songs, "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "say nothing more personalized than their titles".

Music video

The music video for "The Way You Make Me Feel" was directed by Joe Pytka and was filmed in June 1987. It was choreographed by Jackson and Vincent Paterson. The short version of the video is six minutes and forty-four seconds long and the full version is nine minutes and thirty-three seconds long. The video begins with a group of men, including Jackson, trying to pick up women, but failing. Jackson is told to go home and not to hang around with the other guys anymore. When Jackson walks home, an elderly man (Joe Seneca), who is sitting on the steps of his house, tells him to just be himself. Jackson notices a woman (Tatiana Thumbtzen), walking down the streets alone.

Cover versions and influences

In 1989, German comedian Otto Waalkes parodied the music video in his film Otto: The Alien from East Frisia. In 2003, Australian music duo Shakaya covered "The Way You Make Me Feel" and released their version as a non-album single on April 14, 2003. The song only charted on Australian charts, peaking at number 21 on the country's music charts. In December 2009, Stacey Solomon, a contestant on The X Factor in the United Kingdom, performed a cover of the song during the show's semi-finals, receiving mixed opinions from the show's judges. In January 2010, Nick Jonas performed the song during a concert at the Warner Theatre in Washington, DC. In February 2010, Whitney Houston performed "The Way You Make Me Feel", along with Jackson's "Wanna Be...

They Don't Care About Us

"They Don't Care About Us" is a protest song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on April 8, 1996, in the UK, and April 23 in the US. It was the fourth single from Jackson's ninth album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995).

The initial release contained ethnic slurs, triggering accusations of antisemitism. Jackson issued an apology, saying the lyrics had been intended to draw attention to social injustice, and then altered future copies.

Music and composition

The song begins with a group of children singing the chorus, "All I wanna say is that they don't really care about us". In between the chorus lines, one child exclaims, "Don't worry what people say, we know the truth", after which another child shouts, "Enough is enough of this garbage!" It is played in the key of D minor and the track's time signature is common time. The song, which is cited as being a pop song, has a moderately slow tempo of 90 beats per minute. Instruments used include synthesizers, percussion with Olodum and guitar.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard magazine noted that the controversial lyrics were obscured by sound effects: "With or without those words, this song comes across as less an intended indictment of the world's oppressive forces and more as lightly shrouded ramblings of personal paranoia. There is nothing wrong with an artist pouring personal experience into a song, of course, but the range of emotion displayed in Jackson's snarling vocal would be far more affecting within a more direct lyrical context." A reviewer from Music Week rated "They Don't Care About Us" four out of five, adding, "With echoes of 'Bad', Jackson's next single from HIStory sees him in tougher mode, with some real raucous guitar backing his soaring vocals." The magazine's...

Music videos

Producing the first music video in February 1996 for "They Don't Care About Us" proved to be a difficult task for Jackson. State authorities unsuccessfully tried to ban Jackson filming in Salvador (Pelourinho) and in Rio de Janeiro. Officials in the state of Rio feared images of poverty might affect tourism and accused Jackson of exploiting the poor. Ronaldo Cezar Coelho, the state secretary for Industry, Commerce and Tourism, demanded editing rights over the finished product, stating, "I don't see why we should have to facilitate films that will contribute nothing to all our efforts to rehabilitate Rio's image". Some were concerned that scenes of poverty and human rights abuses would affect their chances of hosting the Olympics in 2004....

Thriller

"Thriller" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on November 11, 1983, in the UK and on January 23, 1984, in the US, as the seventh and final single from his sixth album of the same name (1982).

Composition

"Thriller" is a disco-funk song. It was written by the English songwriter Rod Temperton, who had previously written "Rock with You" and "Off the Wall" for Jackson's 1979 album Off the Wall. Temperton wanted to write something theatrical to suit Jackson's love of film. He improvised with bass and drum patterns until he developed the bassline that runs through the song, then wrote a chord progression that built to a climax. He recalled: "I wanted it to build and build–a bit like stretching an elastic band throughout the tune to heighten suspense." According to Hooktheory.com, "Thriller" is in the key of C♯ Dorian (the second mode of the B major scale, in which C♯ is used as the tonic) with a moderate tempo of 118 beats per minute. Classic...

Recording

Along with the rest of the album, "Thriller" was recorded over eight weeks in 1982. It was recorded at Westlake Recording Studios on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The engineer Bruce Swedien had Jackson record his vocals in different approaches, doubling takes and recording at different distances from the microphone. Some background vocals were recorded in the studio's shower stall.

Release

The album Thriller was released in November 1982 on Epic Records and spent months at the top of the Billboard 200. "Thriller" was not initially planned for release as a single, as Epic saw it as a novelty song. The Epic executive Walter Yetnikoff asked: "Who wants a single about monsters?"

Music video

The music video for "Thriller" was directed by John Landis. It references numerous horror films and stars Jackson performing a dance routine with a horde of the undead. Jackson contacted Landis after seeing An American Werewolf in London (1981). They conceived a 13-minute short film with a budget much larger than previous music videos. Jackson's record company refused to finance it, believing Thriller had peaked, so a making-of documentary, Making Michael Jackson's Thriller, was produced to receive financing from television networks.

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album Thriller (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 9, 1983, by Epic Records.

It was written and co-produced by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones. The lyrics pertain to strangers spreading rumors to start an argument.

Background

"Wanna Be Startin'Somethin'" 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, although La Toya would sometimes perform the song at her concerts. The song was originally recorded in 1978 for inclusion in the Off the Wall album, but was later re-recorded in fall 1982, in Los Angeles, California. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was one of the four songs that Jackson received writing credits on for his sixth studio album Thriller in 1982. The song was released by Epic Records as the fourth single from the album.

Composition

A post-disco, funk, and Afropop song, "Wanna Be Startin'Somethin'" was viewed as a nod to the disco sound of Jackson's material on his previous studio album, Off the Wall, released in 1979. Arranged by Jackson himself and played by percussionist Paulinho da Costa, the song's rhythm was regarded as a "complex interweaving of drum-machine patterns and work", while the horn section, arranged by Jerry Hey, was described as both "brassy and precise". Slant Magazine commented that the song was a "complicated tapestry of colliding hooks and pop references." The song's lyrics, "Too high to get over, too low to get under", has strong similarities to Funkadelic's opening salvo for "One Nation Under a Groove".

Critical reception

Christopher Connelly, a writer for Rolling Stone, described "Wanna Be Startin'Somethin'" as being Thriller's "most combative track". Connelly noted that in the "hyperactive" song, Jackson's "emotions are so raw that the song nearly goes out of control". He further commented that the song has a "tune that's almost as exciting as seeing Jackson motivate himself across a concert stage — and a lot more unpredictable". Remarking that while the song's lyrics "won't keep Elvis Costello awake nights", they "do show that Jackson has progressed past the hey-let's-hustle sentiments that dominated Off the Wall". He added that Jackson's "raw ability and conviction make material like "Baby Be Mine" and "Wanna Be Startin'Somethin'" into first-class...

Cover versions and uses in popular culture

Jackson's elder sister La Toya Jackson has frequently covered the song. She used it to open her set at 1993's Sopot Song Festival, on MDR in the 1990s, and on the sixth season of the United Kingdom television show Celebrity Big Brother in 2009.

We Are The World

"We Are the World" is a charity single recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones for the album We Are the World to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia.

With sales in excess of 20 million physical copies, it is the eighth-best-selling single of all time.

Background

In 1985, inspired by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in the UK, the American entertainer and activist Harry Belafonte decided to organize a US equivalent. He planned to have the proceeds donated to a new organization, United Support of Artists for Africa (USA for Africa). The organization would provide food and relief aid for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia, which killed about one million people. Belafonte also planned to set aside money to help eliminate hunger in the US.

Writing

Jackson told Richie that he wanted to help write the song. The songwriting team originally included Wonder, but his time was constrained by his songwriting for the film The Woman in Red. Jackson and Richie wrote "We Are the World" at Hayvenhurst, the Jackson family home in Encino, California. They sought to write a song that would be easy to sing, memorable and anthemic. For a week, they spent every night working on lyrics and melodies in Jackson's bedroom. Jackson's older sister La Toya recounted: "I'd go into the room while they were writing and it would be very quiet, which is odd, since Michael's usually very cheery when he works. It was very emotional for them." She said later that Jackson wrote most of the lyrics.

Recording

Recording began on January 22, 1985, at Kenny Rogers' Lion Share Recording Studio on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles. The first day included Richie, Jackson, Wonder, and Jones, along with the session musicians Jones had hired to lay down the backing tracks: John "JR" Robinson on drums, Louis Johnson on bass, and Greg Phillinganes on piano. The three had first played together on Jackson's 1979 single "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", produced by Jones. Despite tight security, the studio was filled with the musicians, technicians, video crews, retinue, assistants, and organizers.

Lyrics

"We Are the World" is sung from a first-person viewpoint, allowing the audience to "internalize" the message by singing the word we together. It has been described as "an appeal to human compassion". The first lines of the chorus are: "We are the world, we are the children / we are the ones who make a brighter day / so let's start giving".