The glove. The sparking white socks. The plastic surgery. The tabloids. The videos.
When news of Michael Jackson's death hit the media last week, these images immediately popped into people's minds. Jackson's legacy is indeed complicated—one news pundit stated that, like Barry Bonds, his records may forever be marked with an asterisk. But temporarily shove aside the lurid images and weird behavior, and simply listen to the music. Of course, Jackson's videos often serve an integral purpose—his superior dancing skills and (at least in the Thriller era) distinctive wardrobe remain cemented in fans' minds as much as the songs.
To honor Jackson's music, I've proposed a selection of not only his greatest hits, but some lesser-known album tracks that deserve another listen. This selection focuses mainly on his solo career, but does borrow a few tracks from the Jackson 5 and Jacksons eras.
Jackson 5
“I Wanna Be Where You Are” - At such a young age, Jackson possessed a powerful voice, and he unleashed it in full force on this classic. Over a pulsing beat and unusual instrumentation such as a harpsichord, his voice simply bursts through the speakers.
“Never Can Say Goodbye” - Forget Gloria Gaynor's disco version; the original remains the best, with Jackson's emotional delivery about a tortured love affair belying his tender age.
“Who's Lovin' You” - Want proof of Jackson's early star power? Listen to this long-unreleased version of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' soul-blues ballad. How could a preteen possibly convey the romantic torture present in the lyrics? Jackson's seemingly effortless performance still amazes and illustrates his profound, wise-beyond-his-years talent.
“ABC,” “The Love You Save,” “I'll Be There,” and “I Want You Back” - No Jackson 5 list would be complete without these perfect pop singles.
Jacksons
After the group transformed into “The Jacksons” from the “Jackson 5,” the brothers experimented with everything from the Philly soul sound to funk to disco. Their move from Motown to CBS Records in 1975 allowed them to shed their bubblegum pop image and forge a more mature sound.
“Good Times” - The Jacksons's first release for CBS, a self-titled album thoroughly steeped in Philly soul, featured this slow classic. Written by the legendary team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, the song played to the Jacksons' strengths—nicely blended harmonies and Michael's sweetly romantic voice.
Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
Nicely done Kit. And very, very thorough.
-Glen
2 - tink
Nice work Kit...especially in regards to tracks that were 'shoulda beens'.
3 - Al Sussman
Excellent piece, Kit! I just posted the link as part of a discussion on Facebook.
4 - Kit O'Toole
Thanks for the comments! It was interesting to look back at the hits and "should've beens."
5 - Karen Stoessel
Kit...thanks again. Although I wasn't the biggest Michael Jackson fan, I did enjoy his music. Working in the Music Department of Harper College, the subject of Michael did pop up several times today. The end result? We all agreed that as a singer/dancer...he surely got his point across and made the least rhythmic person in a room tap his toes. As a person making significant contributions to the world...those were questionable at times. May he find peace in his Neverland.
6 - Jeannie Danna
Kit, I loved your article and especially your end paragraph!
Now I want to go listen to many of the songs you referenced and described beautifully...:)
7 - Kit O'Toole
Thanks, Jeannie! I'm going to read your article as well!