OK leave your theories, tired old comparisons, rumours, hate, talk of biology, of plastic surgery, of scandal, of rumour, of innuendo, and pointless comparisons to other artists at the door - there are threads abound if you want to discuss those things.

This thread is JUST for discussing the MUSIC of MICHAEL JACKSON

So what are your thoughts on his work, solo or otherwise? What songs are essential listening for you, and what do you see as his weakest?

Share opinions, gain insight. Be respectful.
[Edited 7/23/09 2:46am]

My picks for MJ's Solo (Epic) Albums. What are yours?

OFF THE WALL

Essential Listening
Don't Stop Til You Get Enough
Rock With You
Working Day n Night
Get On The Floor
I Can't Help It

Good Tracks
Off The Wall
She's Out Of My Life
It's the Falling in Love
Burn This Disco Out

Weakest Tracks
Girlfriend


THRILLER

Essential Listening
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
Beat It
Billie Jean
Human Nature
The Lady In My Life

Good Tracks
Thriller
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)

Weakest Tracks
Baby Be Mine
The Girl is Mine


BAD

Essential Listening
The Way You Make Me Feel
Liberian Girl
Man in The Mirror
Dirty Diana
Smooth Criminal
Leave Me Alone

Good Tracks
Bad
Speed Demon
Another Part of Me
I Just Can't Stop Loving You

Weakest Tracks
Just Good Friends


DANGEROUS

Essential Listening
Jam
Why You Wanna Trip On Me
In The Closet
Remember The Time
Black or White
Who Is It
Give In To Me
Will You Be There

Good Tracks
She Drives Me Wild
Can't Let Her Get Away
Keep The Faith
Dangerous

Weakest Tracks
Heal The World
Gone Too Soon

HiStory

Essential Listening
Scream
They Don't Care About Us
Stranger In Moscow
Earth Song
Money
Tabloid Junkie
2 Bad
Smile

Good Tracks
This Time Around
Come Together
You Are Not Alone
History
Little Susie

Weakest Tracks
D.S.
Childhood


BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR: HISTORY IN THE MIX

Essential Listening
Morphine
Ghost

Good Tracks
Blood On The Dance Floor
Superfly Sister
Is It Scary

Weakest Tracks


INVINCIBLE

Essential Listening
Heartbreaker
Break of Dawn
You Rock My World
Butterflies
Cry
Whatever Happens

Good Tracks
Unbreakable
Invincible
Heaven Can Wait

Weakest Tracks
Speechless
2,000 Watts
You Are My Life
Privacy
The Lost Children
Don't Walk Away
Threatened
[Edited 7/23/09 19:40pm]

*huge yawn*


Why do we need yet ANOTHER thread started on this....?


Mods: just cut to the chase and rename "Music:Non-Prince" to "The Michael Jackson Forum" and get it done with already...

Swa why do you keep posting that list everywhere?

This would be a cool idea if eveyone would use this thread and stop posting hundreds of random little threads, but thats not going to happen so this is just another pointless one.

To address the issue - I was trying to actually find a place where just the music was discussed. As for previous posts - it has been posted twice in ALL MJ threads - once in the final page of one thread and then in the initial pages of another.

My only point is there isn't a place to just discuss the music. Surely it isn't that much of an ask for wanting to just focus on the music and nothing else. I don't want to have to trawl through 60 pages just to get one or two posts on people's thoughts on his art.

The mods can lock it if they feel the need. But if you read my initial post you'll see why I started it.

Swa

Swa said:

http://prince.org/msg/8/312263



My only point is that there is.

Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking anyone that wants to discuss MJ's music, just that we have a thread for that already
[Edited 7/23/09 2:02am]

There is NO such thing as a weak song on Thriller or Bad
My ratings

Off the Wall 88/100
Thriller 100/100
Bad 93/100 (Just good friends and Speed demon very ok)
Dangerous 95/100
History (New one) 90/100
Blood on the Dancefloor 92/100
Invincible 74/100

Michael Jackson's music was his best attribute

rocknrolldave said:

Well that is more about your personal memories about the music - or atleast it was meant to be. I was hoping for a more in depth discussion, that drifted into the played out Prince V Michael discussions. My hope was to have a thread that was just about Michael's music without pointless and unnecessary comparisons and discussions. But if the mods feel its duplicating happy to have them lock it.

Swa

Swa said:

I think MJ was at his best vocally as a young man as a part of The Jacksons. Songs like Show You The Way to Go and Forever Came Today display his most crisp and soulful vocals. He was still great on Off the Wall, but it seemed like he began to try new things with his voice on Thriller. By Bad he had developed a style removed from the vocal style he employed when he sang with his brothers. I would have loved to hear how his vocals style would have developed had he continued in full soul/r&b style as opposed to the "King of Pop" vocal which was mores strained and less full and silky as in the 70's when he sang with The Jackson 5/The Jacksons.

pynkcashmere said:

We should all try to remember something else when we compare MJ, Jacksons period to say the 'Bad' period...he grew up!...his voice changed, music changed!...cut him some slack...

I think he remained the essential MJ throughout all of the changes.

Swa, thanks 4 starting this thread and keep doing what you're doing (unless the moderators say otherwise)...you have made valuable contributions to this forum esprcially with your 'Celebration' threads.

peace

funkyandy said:

Be clear, I'm not bashing him. Just would have been nice to see how he would have developed as a vocalist had he continued to use a more soulful/r&b style.

MJ's vocals from 1974 to 1978 are underrated.
[Edited 7/23/09 13:58pm]

i agree that Mike was best singer during Jacksons era
but his voice was always amazing ,
those thing he does hichups,yelps like getting
out of breath things was he the first to sing like that '
cuz that was his forthe,nobody could do it like him

There was a thread Michael Jackson: My Playlist as a sticky, but it's gone. And you call this tread, MJ: Just The Music, yet you leave out at least 25 of material.

Also, there is not that many weak tracks on Invincible.

You Are My Life
Privacy
Don't Walk Away
Threatened

Those for tracks are not weak.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

I loved his vocals in "Don't Walk Away".

Off the Wall

Best

She's Out of My Life
Don't Stop Till You Get Enough
Rock With You
I can't help it

Good

Girlfriend
Workin Day and Night
Get on the Floor
Its the Falling in Love
Off the Wall

Okay

Burn this Disco Out



Thriller

Best:

Billie Jean
Wanna Be Startin Something
Human Nature
Beat it
Lady in My Life

Good:

Thriller
P.Y.T

Okay:
The Girl is Mine

Bad:
Baby Be Mine


Dangerous

Best:

Black or White
Dangerous
Will You Be There
Who is It
Why You Wanna Trip On Me
Give in To Me

Good:

In the Closet
Jam
She Drives Me Wild
Remember the Time
Gone Too Soon
Keep the Faith

Ok: None

Bad:
Heal the World


History:

Best:

You are Not Alone
Smile
Stranger in Moscow
Childhood
Earth Song
Lil Susie

Good:

Scream
This Time Around


Ok:
DS
Tabloid Junkie
History

Bad:
2Bad
Money
They Don't Care about Us

thebanishedone said:

Nah, singers been doing that since the '30s in different ways. James Brown, Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett were doing the same grunts and yelps MJ would later be famous for. Jackie Wilson and Elvis Presley often accentuated hiccups whenever they sang.

But nobody did it as prominent as Michael did?
or am i wrong?
Michael used it in almost every song

rocknrolldave said:

.... ....

LittleBLUECorvette said:

His use of different recordings of Rod Sterling commentary to make one complete verse with that hot beat was brilliant. It would have been awesome if he had created a "Twilight Zone" or "Night Gallery" -themed film for it.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

My list was just a starting point - not the be all and end all. It was a way of getting people to discuss the music - give their points of views and opinions on the albums.

I am most interested in how others view the music.

Swa

Also you'll note I said "Weakest" not weak.

For me tracks like Privacy and Threatened we had heard in previous incarnations via Tabloid Junkie and Thriller. They weren't as impressive or innovative to me as the tracks I consider essential. Also Don't Walk Away is an ok song in my book, beautiful produced and arranged and sung but it doesn't do anything for me. And you are my life is a little too syrupy for me.

Swa

thebanishedone said:

Yeah he did it more often than the others did, lol.

I think Speed Demon is extremely underrated. I love that high-hat.

I agree there are no weak tracks on Bad. My least favorites are "I just can't stop loving you" and "Liberian girl"

WaterInYourBath said:

supposedly "Threatened" is incorporated into the new 3D video for Thriller or something that was going to be part of This Is It or The Dome or whatever the vdieo project was. maybe he did just that...

Swa said:

I think "Privacy" and "Threatened" work okay for me on that album for the simple fact that they aren't surrounded by a bunch of other songs just like them, as you find on HIStory. He really did keep that to a minimum on Invincible, thankfully.

errant said:

nevermind, I just listened to "Privacy" again. I was thinking of a different song. I really don't like this at all and never did. "Threatened" is still alright, though

Listen to the pure rhythmic perfection on Bad, the syncopation... I think it's a very funky album... there are many elements I find common to Prince, although it is very different sounding... the high-hat... on so many of the tracks... so awesome... the funky rhythm guitar...