#OnThisDay In 1988, “Man in the Mirror” was released as the fourth single from Michael Jackson’s 1987 album, ‘Bad.’ It peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (where it remained for two weeks) and re-entered the charts at #8 after the singer’s untimely death in 2009.

On an album full of remarkable songs, “Man in the Mirror” is the emotional anchor and a breathtaking example of how great Bad is when all the stars align. The uplifting gospel/pop anthem reflects on society’s insensitivity toward others’ suffering (“I see the kids in the street with not enough to eat / Who am I, to be blind? Pretending not to see their needs”). As those heart-wrenching images bring tears to the eyes, Jackson and the soaring Andraé Crouch Choir invite you to be part of the cure (“If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change”). Rolling Stone later praised his 1988 Grammy Awards performance of the song “as majestic and definitive as the Motown 25 moonwalk.” Michael may not have written “Man in the Mirror,” but his emotional investment makes it as connected to his life as any he ever recorded.

What thoughts and memories do you have about the song?

[Edited 1/16/18 9:49am]

I liked it! I was an 10 year old kid and my family were all Michael Jackson fans to a degree so I would have heard it on the album first before it was released as a single, so I already knew it was a great song. I think in the UK we got a different video for it than the States did, the one I remember seeing at the time was the one of him performing it in concert, with people in the audience having to be carried out overcome with the sheeer emotion of it. It was so cool, the way he does little things he did in it like turning up his collar as he sang that line, or the spin and knee slide he does and the crowd erupts. Towards the end it's cut with a little footage of people like MLK, Gandhi, JFK, etc (and I propbably didn't quite know who they were at the time) but it has a different emotional impact to the other video which consists largely of a montage of news events and historical figures. I think that one drives home the emotional message of the song, whereas this version shows how charismatic he was when performing and also what a great soaring song it is.

Man In The Mirror is great song

Superstition said:

It’s like if you’re a Stevie Wonder fan... you probably don’t listen to Superstition, Sir Duke or I Wish much.

Oh I don't know about that, I don't think I'd ever get sick of hearing I Wish (that bass line )or Superstition. Sir Duke has never been one of my absolute favourite Stevie songs so I know what you mean with that one, I'll take it in the context of the album being played but yeah, wouldn't single it out to play specifically.

I was 13 years old when that album dropped...and that was in the midst of the MJ/Prince "war". I of coursed waved the purple flag with all my might, and everyone else in my family was Team Michael. We had the album in the house, but I always refused to listen to it...but I would sneak the album into my room late at night when everyone was asleep. I absolutely loved "The Way You Make Feel" and "Man in the Mirror". In my purple eyes, those were the only worthwhile tracks on the album. And I do remember tearing up watching the video once...definitely one of MJ's finest

Wonderful song, wonderful vocal delivery. It would have been better with a more organic sound

UncleJam said:

I was 13 years old when that album dropped...and that was in the midst of the MJ/Prince "war". I of coursed waved the purple flag with all my might, and everyone else in my family was Team Michael. We had the album in the house, but I always refused to listen to it...but I would sneak the album into my room late at night when everyone was asleep. I absolutely loved "The Way You Make Feel" and "Man in the Mirror". In my purple eyes, those were the only worthwhile tracks on the album. And I do remember tearing up watching the video once...definitely one of MJ's finest

I like MJ....but I love Prince.

BEAUTIFUL song. I cannot do it justice on guitar, but I'm working on it. Tremendous piece of music.

RodeoSchro said:

BEAUTIFUL song. I cannot do it justice on guitar, but I'm working on it. Tremendous piece of music.

It's a beautiful song. Have you watch the instrumental version when it was played at the end of the memorial, with the lighting on the microphone standing alone? that was, perhaps the most heartbreakin moment in the whole memorial.

214 said:

RodeoSchro said:

BEAUTIFUL song. I cannot do it justice on guitar, but I'm working on it. Tremendous piece of music.

It's a beautiful song. Have you watch the instrumental version when it was played at the end of the memorial, with the lighting on the microphone standing alone? that was, perhaps the most heartbreakin moment in the whole memorial.

Yup

Goddess4Real said:

214 said:

It's a beautiful song. Have you watch the instrumental version when it was played at the end of the memorial, with the lighting on the microphone standing alone? that was, perhaps the most heartbreakin moment in the whole memorial.

Yup

I see a white man.

2freaky4church1 said:

I see a white man.

´No, it's just that you have been blinded by his shining light.