Favorite Michael Jackson song

[dreamcastrocks]

The Girl is Mine was the first single released on Thriller?

That is possibly the lamest song ever.

Yep. It hit #1 too. All 7 singles released were #1. Only album to do so. Michael wrote that one himself. (with Paul McCartney)

Definitely one of my least favorites....

 

[Mulli]

Yep. It hit #1 too. All 7 singles released were #1. Only album to do so. Michael wrote that one himself.

Definitely one of my least favorites....

Rolling Stone made gave the album 4/5 stars based on that song. Quincy should have said no.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Rolling Stone made gave the album 4/5 stars based on that song. Quincy should have said no.

Paul + Michael = hit no matter how bad the song is. It is on my Zune and it the one MJ song that frequently gets skipped.

 

[Mulli]

Paul + Michael = hit no matter how bad the song is. It is on my Zune and it the one MJ song that frequently gets skipped.

I was thinking about that when I typed. Heck, I think I didn't mind the song when I was 12. "I'm a lover, not a fighter." Classic line.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I was thinking about that when I typed. Heck, I think I didn't mind the song when I was 12. "I'm a lover, not a fighter." Classic line.

He said it and sounded like he was 12 too. Classic indeed.

 

[TheHopToad]

Paul + Michael = hit no matter how bad the song is. It is on my Zune and it the one MJ song that frequently gets skipped.

They wrote and sang two songs together. MJ got The Girl Is Mine while McCartney released Say Say Say on his album Pipes of Peace. Obviously the ex-Beatle had more power at the time and got the better song. MJ got even later and bought the entire Beatles catalog and screwed over McCartney in the process.

 

[hsandhu]

Rolling Stone made gave the album 4/5 stars based on that song. Quincy should have said no.

Yep, Chris Connelly wrote the Rolling Stone review in '83, and said exactly that in his podcast with bill simmons this week.

And gotta go with beat it, mj's musical genius and van halen on guitar.

 

[Mulli]

Yep, Chris Connelly wrote the Rolling Stone review in '83, and said exactly that in his podcast with bill simmons this week.

And gotta go with beat it, mj's musical genius and van halen on guitar.

That is where I heard it.

 

[Rivercard]

mj's musical genius .

Calling him a "musical genius" is being a bit generous. Though he was certainly a very talented dancer/singer and was marketed very well.

 

[Covert Rain]

Calling him a "musical genius" is being a bit generous. Though he was certainly a very talented dancer/singer and was marketed very well.

When you have legends of the industry calling him a genius I don't think that is the case. When you hear he was involved in every aspect of his music (producing/writing/arranging/choreography) when most musicians have a hard time doing anything other then performing, I would say it's not a stretch.

In an industry that has largely become more about pushing a "packaged star" and riding the coat tails of people with musical talent in the backround......I am OK with the genius label.

 

[Mulli]

When you have legends of the industry calling him a genius I don't think that is the case. When you hear he was involved in every aspect of his music (producing/writing/arranging/choreography) when most musicians have a heard time doing anything other then performing, I would say it's not a stretch.

Interesting question:

How much of Thriller was Quincy Jones and how much was Michael Jackson?

 

[Gaddabout]

The Girl is Mine was the first single released on Thriller?

That is possibly the lamest song ever.

Most of Toto -- Lukather, the Porcaro brothers -- were the studio musicians in that album. Jeff Porcaro, the drummer, almost walked out of the gig after hearing that lyric, "That doggone girl is mine."

Another Toto/MJ connection ... Steve Porcaro left Toto with a song he'd written that Toto thought wasn't rock enough for them. He sold it to Michael Jackson. It was Human Nature, a huge MJ hit.

 

[Gaddabout]

And gotta go with beat it, mj's musical genius and van halen on guitar.

EVH didn't want to do it. Steve Lukather had to talk him into it. To this day, Van Halen always mentions he was recruited to help MJ's image and still only got paid scale for that song. Scale was about $250 an hour, so I'm guessing Eddie walked away with about $500 for his work on that song.

 

[Gaddabout]

When you have legends of the industry calling him a genius I don't think that is the case. When you hear he was involved in every aspect of his music (producing/writing/arranging/choreography) when most musicians have a heard time doing anything other then performing, I would say it's not a stretch.

In an industry that has largely become more about pushing a "packaged star" and riding the coat tails of people with musical talent in the backround......I am OK with the genius label.

There are legions of young musicians who think writing a hit song is easy -- if you're willing to sell your soul. The challenge is simple: If it's easy, write one and sell to someone. Coming up with hooks, the right performance, the right recipe, it's very hard. MJ had an ear for what the masses wanted, and that's a natural gift. It's very hard to learn that.

He wasn't a virtuoso musician. He wasn't going to head over to the local jazz bar and blow Cherokee like Coltrane. But in the aspect of pop music, he certainly was a genius.

 

[TheHopToad]

Interesting question:

How much of Thriller was Quincy Jones and how much was Michael Jackson?

Quincy Jones produced the album with Jackson, as he had with Off The Wall. He also co-wrote PYT with James Ingram.

Jackson wrote Wanna Be Startin Somethin, The Girl Is Mine (with McCartney), Beat It, and Billie Jean. Rod Temperton wrote the title track Thriller.

Considering he went on to write and compose a majority of the songs on the rest of his albums, I'd say he easily qualifies as a musical "genius".

 

[Covert Rain]

There are legions of young musicians who think writing a hit song is easy -- if you're willing to sell your soul. The challenge is simple: If it's easy, write one and sell to someone. Coming up with hooks, the right performance, the right recipe, it's very hard. MJ had an ear for what the masses wanted, and that's a natural gift. It's very hard to learn that.

He wasn't a virtuoso musician. He wasn't going to head over to the local jazz bar and blow Cherokee like Coltrane. But in the aspect of pop music, he certainly was a genius.

There are lots of stories where MJ would lock himself in a mixing room and do the job of the music producers/writers/sound techs etc.... He would literally be involved in every aspect. When you listen to Quincy and other guys talk about him they said he was not the normal musician. MJ wanted to know how to do everything including using sound boards etc. so he could mix the music himself. He was not just about dancing, writing or performing. He was involved in his sound (composing) as well.

So where he might not go jam at local Jazz bar, I have no doubt if his forte was classical he could write a concerto with his eyes shut. He just happened to be a pop artist.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

There are lots of stories where MJ would lock himself in a mixing room and do the job of the music producers/writers/sound techs etc.... He would literally be involved in every aspect. When you listen to Quincy and other guys talk about him they said he was not the normal musician. MJ wanted to know how to do everything including using sound boards etc. so he could mix the music himself. He was not just about dancing, writing or performing. He was involved in his sound (composing) as well.

So where he might not go jam at local Jazz bar, I have no doubt if his forte was classical he could write a concerto with his eyes shut. He just happened to be a pop artist.

Absolutely agree.

 

[Rivercard]

I have no doubt if his forte was classical he could write a concerto with his eyes shut.

Please, let's not enshrine him next to Bach. Is there a manuscript anywhere that shows Michael could even put notes on paper that musicians could read?

People everywhere appear to be jumping on the Jackson casket bandwagon now that it is convenient to do so. Where was all the praise for Michael from these industry insiders before his death? Where were these insiders when Jackson was on trial? None of them were supporting him. They were distancing themselves from the trainwreck known as MJ, that's where they were.

 

[Covert Rain]

Please, let's not enshrine him next to Bach. Is there a manuscript anywhere that shows Michael could even put notes on paper that musicians could read?

People everywhere appear to be jumping on the Jackson casket bandwagon now that it is convenient to do so. Where was all the praise for Michael from these industry insiders before his death? Where were these insiders when Jackson was on trial? None of them were supporting him. They were distancing themselves from the trainwreck known as MJ, that's where they were.

There was plenty of praise before his death. If you were a fan and owned his music as I did there was never a bandwagon that you had to jump on. It's a topic now to the masses because of his death. I can name a ton of people who like current artists and I don't see many threads for those individuals. Also, what does his trial have to do with his musical talents? That is not something you testify to in trial. One topic has nothing to do with the other.

Also, I don't need a manuscript. If you have watched any of the interviews with MJ himself or people who have worked for him, you would know he composed much of the sound of his music.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

People everywhere appear to be jumping on the Jackson casket bandwagon now that it is convenient to do so.

This is true

Where was all the praise for Michael from these industry insiders before his death?

Please tell me you aren't serious. There are so many accolades, one can't keep count. That's like saying the Beatles weren't praised until Lennon died...

Where were these insiders when Jackson was on trial? None of them were supporting him. They were distancing themselves from the trainwreck known as MJ, that's where they were.

That's the gossip portion of the media. No one wanted to hear about MJ's music at the time. Do we blame the media or ourselves collectively?

 

[Rivercard]

Also, I don't need a manuscript.

True, things like Beat It don't require a manuscript. But if Jackson could have gotten a symphony to perform his concerto as mentioned without a manuscript then he was truly a genius.

 

[Rivercard]

Please tell me you aren't serious. There are so many accolades, one can't keep count.

Yes, he was an extremely talented performer and showman. He sold a TON of records. Does that make him a musical genius? Like Elvis, his music will not be discussed in music theory class anytime soon.

That's the gossip portion of the media. No one wanted to hear about MJ's music at the time. Do we blame the media or ourselves collectively?

Perhaps Michael brought this one on himself. He alienated fans and industry alike. People don't usually find themselves in court multiple times for child molestation. Plus, musical tastes change. A lot of Michael's fans were very young in his heyday.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Yes, he was an extremely talented performer and showman. He sold a TON of records. Does that make him a musical genius? Like Elvis, his music will not be discussed in music theory class anytime soon.



Perhaps Michael brought this one on himself. He alienated fans and industry alike. People don't usually find themselves in court multiple times for child molestation. Plus, musical tastes change. A lot of Michael's fans were very young in his heyday.

I'll strongly disagree with you on both issues and leave it at that.

 

[Covert Rain]

I'll strongly disagree with you on both issues and leave it at that.

Agreed. There have been plenty examples of musicians who were self taught and couldn't write music down but composed plenty of their own music. I would put money on the fact he could write sheet music but even if he didn't does that diminish the fact that he could compose beats or sounds that drew in millions???

I swear the MJ bashers jumped on the bandwagon as much as some of the fare weather fans. It is also funny how I have read post after post about his allegations and people can't even get that info right.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Agreed. There have been plenty examples of musicians who were self taught and couldn't write music down but composed plenty of their own music. I would put money on the fact he could write sheet music but even if he didn't does that diminish the fact that he could compose beats or sounds that drew in millions???

I swear the MJ bashers jumped on the bandwagon as much as some of the fare weather fans. It is also funny how I have read post after post about his allegations and people can't even get that info right.

It's so much easier to say Bidwill is cheap, right?