10) 'Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough'
Album: 'Off the Wall'
Did you know? The song was MJ's debut single from 'Off The Wall' and the first solo recording that he had creative control on.
9) 'Rock With You'
Album: 'Off The Wall'
Did you know? This was one of the last big songs from the disco era, hitting No. 1 on both the Pop and R&B charts.
8) 'Bad'
Album: 'Bad'
Did you know? The song was originally set to be a duet between Jackson and Prince, but Prince declined and told Jackson and producer Quincy Jones that "it would be a hit without [him]." The full music video of the song is an 18-minute short film with Jackson portraying a young man named Daryl who once was "bad" and tries to prove to his old friends that he still has an edge after spending time in prep school.
7) 'Man in the Mirror'
Album: 'Bad'
Did you know? When Jackson played 'Man in the Mirror' on his Dangerous World Tour in 1992, stuntman Kinnie Gibson dressed like him and flew out of the arena wearing a jet pack.
6) 'Smooth Criminal'
Album: 'Bad'
Did you know? Michael does one of his most memorable dance moves in the music video for 'Smooth Criminal,' where he seemingly defies gravity and leans forward without bending his knees and keeps his heels firmly in place. While he used wires for the video, his team patented a special type of shoes in 1993 that he wore for his stage performances. Before Michael leaned forward, the shoes would become attached to the stage through special pegs, thus leaving concert fans wondering, "How did he do that?"
5) 'The Way You Make Me Feel'
Album: 'Bad'
Did you know? Michael wrote this song in response to his mother, Katherine Esther, who wanted him to write a song with a "shuffling kind of rhythm." For his 30th anniversary concert in 2001, he performed the song alongside Britney Spears. However, CBS cut her from the footage and her performance did not air.
4) 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin''
Album: 'Thriller'
Did you know? The phrase at the end of the chorus -- "Mama-se, mama-sa, mama-ma-coo-sa" -- are taken from a 1973 song 'Soul Makossa,' by Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango. "Makossa" means "dance" in Duala, a Cameroonian language. Jackson has never lip-synched this song on any of his tours since 1984.
3) 'Beat It'
Album: 'Thriller'
Did you know? For the 25th anniversary re-release of 'Thriller,' a remix was included titled 'Beat It 2008,' which featured additional vocals by Fergie, although a parody song released in 1984 by "Weird Al" Yankovic was much more popular. That spoof, 'Eat It,' was recorded with Michael's permission and won a Grammy for Best Comedy Recording.
2) 'Billie Jean'
Album: 'Thriller'
Did you know? The song was almost removed from 'Thriller' after a disagreement occurred between producer Quincy Jones and Jackson. The video brought MTV into the mainstream, and it was reportedly the first video the channel aired by a black artist.
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1) 'Thriller'
Album: 'Thriller'
Did you know? MTV named the 14-minute-long video as the greatest music video of all-time. 'Thriller' was the seventh and final single released from the album of the same name. The original name for the song was 'Starlight Love.'
Listen to All Michael Jackson on AOL Radio
1. I am the same age as MJ and it feels as if he was family and I kept abreast of his life from The Bahamas and i will never forget the shock that i felt when I heard on the TV as breaking news that he had just died. It is as if my friend next door died. My favorite song by him is ABC and We are the world.I was looking forward to hearing about his tour.But he is now with the King of Kings
Posted at 2:15PM on Jun 26th 2009 by Elaine Strachan