You're just like me, a huge mj fan but also into other music, especially 70's and 80's r&b/soul, classic rock and new wave/pop. I also love Sly & The Family Stone, check out artists MJ cites as his inspirations, they were one of them. Here are some suggestions that I think you must check out and get:

Stevie Wonder: Talking Book, Songs in the Key of Life, Characters, Innervisions

Diana Ross : The Diana album. And songs like Love Hangover, Muscles(mj wrote it), my favourites. The Supremes Love Child.

I want to make 80's recommendations, but you may already know of them. However, check out :

Steve Winwood-Back in the High Life

Jody Watley

Culture Club-Kissing to Be Clever

Midnight Star

Terence Trent D'arby-Introducing the Hardline

New Wave groups like Depeche Mode, Yazoo, New Order and Freestyle artists like Cover Girls, Expose, Linear, Debbie Deb

If you want more rock, check out Heart, Van Halen, Guns & Roses, Honeymoon Suite, Platnium Blonde, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar.

Don't forget Madonna....don't be one of those MJ fans that have to hate her to feel accepted among fans. I love all her work and she's in my top 3 of all time, but her best 80's work IMO are her first 3 albums, You Can Dance, the Who's That Girl soundtrack and Immaculate Collection. Like a Prayer is cool too, but I don't like it as a whole album though the songs that are good are worth the purchase.

alphastreet said:

You're just like me, a huge mj fan but also into other music, especially 70's and 80's r&b/soul, classic rock and new wave/pop. I also love Sly & The Family Stone, check out artists MJ cites as his inspirations, they were one of them. Here are some suggestions that I think you must check out and get:

Stevie Wonder: Talking Book, Songs in the Key of Life, Characters, Innervisions

Diana Ross : The Diana album. And songs like Love Hangover, Muscles(mj wrote it), my favourites. The Supremes Love Child.

I want to make 80's recommendations, but you may already know of them. However, check out :

Steve Winwood-Back in the High Life

Jody Watley

Culture Club-Kissing to Be Clever

Midnight Star

Terence Trent D'arby-Introducing the Hardline

New Wave groups like Depeche Mode, Yazoo, New Order and Freestyle artists like Cover Girls, Expose, Linear, Debbie Deb

If you want more rock, check out Heart, Van Halen, Guns & Roses, Honeymoon Suite, Platnium Blonde, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar.

Don't forget Madonna....don't be one of those MJ fans that have to hate her to feel accepted among fans. I love all her work and she's in my top 3 of all time, but her best 80's work IMO are her first 3 albums, You Can Dance, the Who's That Girl soundtrack and Immaculate Collection. Like a Prayer is cool too, but I don't like it as a whole album though the songs that are good are worth the purchase.

thanks so much! im into madonna, i have the immaculate collection, im going to get the first 3 albums like you recommended..

and thanks you for all the info.. i really to appreciate it !

Always happy to help

yeah her first 3 are amazing, and they are the reason I got into her, she was my first childhood hero though I loved MJ and Prince too from what I knew, but came to appreciate them, especially MJ way more once I was introduced to more work over the years, like what I missed out on and really coming to appreciate his talent

Are you also into Janet? If you haven't checked out her first 2 albums, they are definitely worth the listen. Check out Karyn's White's first 2 albums too, though the second one is from 1991, I think you'll like what you hear.

In terms of classic rock from the 70's and some 60's, check out Cat Stevens, Derek and the Dominoes(Layla), The Beatles, David Bowie (I LOVE Rebel Rebel, The Fame, Space Oddity, Life on Mars, Young Americans), Carly Simon

Some other noteworthy 80's material are

Wham-Make It Big

George Michael-Faith

Roxette-Look Sharp!

Cyndi Lauper-12 Deadly Cyns (her greatest hits)

Sade-Diamond Life

Phil Collins-Face Value

Lionel Richie-Can't Slow Down

Dirty Dancing soundtrack

Flashdance soundtrack

Forever Your Girl-Paula Abdul

Heaven on Earth-Belinda Carsile

other good 80's singles are

Obsession-Animotion

Can't Go For That, Method of Modern Love-Hall & Oates

Hold Me Now-Thompson Twins

The War Song-Culture Club

Owner of a Lonely Heart-Yes

Heat Is On-Glen Frey

Boys of Summer-Don Henley

Mony Mony-Billy Idol

Electric Avenue, Boys In the Street, I Don't Want To Dance-Eddy Grant

Let's Hear It For the Boy-Deniece Williams

Square Biz-Teena Marie

If you like Disco, check out:

Take a Chance On Me, Angel Eyes-Abba

Don't Leave Me This Way-Thelma Houston

Let's All Chant-Michael Zager Band

I Feel Love, Last Dance-Donna Summer

If I Can't Have You-Yvonne Elliman(in fact, get the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack)

Good Times-Chic

The Glow of Love-Change

Disco/Rock:

I Was Made For Loving You Baby-KISS

Miss You-Rolling Stones

Another One Bites the Dust-Queen

Do You Think I'm Sexy-Rod Stewart

[Edited 7/28/11 10:55am]

alphastreet said:

Always happy to help

yeah her first 3 are amazing, and they are the reason I got into her, she was my first childhood hero though I loved MJ and Prince too from what I knew, but came to appreciate them, especially MJ way more once I was introduced to more work over the years, like what I missed out on and really coming to appreciate his talent

Are you also into Janet? If you haven't checked out her first 2 albums, they are definitely worth the listen. Check out Karyn's White's first 2 albums too, though the second one is from 1991, I think you'll like what you hear.

In terms of classic rock from the 70's and some 60's, check out Cat Stevens, Derek and the Dominoes(Layla), The Beatles, David Bowie (I LOVE Rebel Rebel, The Fame, Space Oddity, Life on Mars, Young Americans), Carly Simon

Some other noteworthy 80's material are

Wham-Make It Big

George Michael-Faith

Roxette-Look Sharp!

Cyndi Lauper-12 Deadly Cyns (her greatest hits)

Sade-Diamond Life

Phil Collins-Face Value

Lionel Richie-Can't Slow Down

Dirty Dancing soundtrack

Flashdance soundtrack

Forever Your Girl-Paula Abdul

Heaven on Earth-Belinda Carsile

other good 80's singles are

Obsession-Animotion

Can't Go For That, Method of Modern Love-Hall & Oates

Hold Me Now-Thompson Twins

The War Song-Culture Club

Owner of a Lonely Heart-Yes

Heat Is On-Glen Frey

Boys of Summer-Don Henley

Mony Mony-Billy Idol

Electric Avenue, Boys In the Street, I Don't Want To Dance-Eddy Grant

Let's Hear It For the Boy-Deniece Williams

Square Biz-Teena Marie

If you like Disco, check out:

Take a Chance On Me, Angel Eyes-Abba

Don't Leave Me This Way-Thelma Houston

Let's All Chant-Michael Zager Band

I Feel Love, Last Dance-Donna Summer

If I Can't Have You-Yvonne Elliman(in fact, get the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack)

Good Times-Chic

The Glow of Love-Change

Disco/Rock:

I Was Made For Loving You Baby-KISS

Miss You-Rolling Stones

Another One Bites the Dust-Queen

Do You Think I'm Sexy-Rod Stewart

[Edited 7/28/11 10:55am]

yeah for a long time the only thing i would listen to was mj..more recently i have gotten very into prince, and a few others,

but yes i LOVE janets rythem nation album! but ill take a listen to the songs you listed.

thanks so much for all the help!

What no mention of Billy Idol? and there is another guy who influence alot of the singers I Highly recommended Sam Cooke!

^ I mentioned Billy Idol