# What was Michael Jackson's best song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240 "2004-01-02T06:10:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/1 "2004-01-02T06:10:29Z")
I realize, current events being what they are, many people might not want to discus the topic of this thread. But everytime I see those news stories about Jackson, I just shake my head and wonder how such a talented performer went so wrong. All that has been rehashed so much that it’s a cliche; what I’d rather do is remember what Jackson did that is worth revisiting, if only because thinking about who he is now is so depressing. Personally, I think his best songs were: 1 - Billy Jean 2 - Man In the Mirror 3 - Smooth Criminal ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/2 "2004-01-02T06:18:12Z")
No one song for me. But the entire _Off the Wall_ album is wonderful. And the last thing he did before the surgeries started. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/3 "2004-01-02T06:19:48Z")
He had a nosejob or two before ‘Off the Wall’. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/4 "2004-01-02T06:26:34Z")
Huh… Well then, before the unhuman alterations started. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/5 "2004-01-02T06:40:31Z")
Billy Jean by a mile. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/6 "2004-01-02T06:41:03Z")
I third _Billy Jean_ ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/7 "2004-01-02T06:59:49Z")
Without the Jackson 5 stuff, have to go with “Billie Jean.” Second with “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”, third with “Workin Day and Night.” With the Jackson 5, I’d put “Stop The Love You Save” first, “Billie Jean” second, and “Want You Back” third. Worst song, simply because it is an awful song with such a waste of talent in the midst of such brilliance is The Girl Is Mine. Although I have complete ignorance of everything after _Bad_. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/8 "2004-01-02T07:58:37Z")
Another vote for _Billy Jean_\*. That song has one of the best grooves I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/9 "2004-01-02T08:27:10Z")
**Billy Jean** would be my pick as well, but I’d have to choose **Beat It** as a close second, especially because of the work Eddie Van Halen does on it. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/10 "2004-01-02T12:04:12Z")
Billie Jean - is the best song by Michael Jackson, because you can understand the lyrics he is singing. Alot of the other songs, I can’t understand what he is singing about. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/11 "2004-01-02T13:28:46Z")
**Billie Jean** , the grunts and groans put this song on a soul level with James Brown. ---
**Author:** ![slu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@slu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slu)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/12 "2004-01-02T19:00:22Z")
I love “Man in the Mirror”, “Smooth Criminal”, “Leave me Alone”, and “Billie Jean” “Remeber the Time” is pretty sweet as well. Gotta give _Dangerous_ some props. There are some sweet songs on that record. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/13 "2004-01-02T19:04:05Z")
From the Jackson 5 days, I’d give the edge to “ABC” over “Stop the love You Save.” From his adult career, “Billie Jean,” hands down. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/14 "2004-01-02T19:22:39Z")
What about “Ben” or do you mean MJ only and no Jackson Five stuff? Otherwise “Bille Jean” because the groove gives it such a hook. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/15 "2004-01-02T19:27:31Z")
Errr… can I nominate **Thriller**? I mean, not really awesome or anything, but it was light, easy to love, and had a great music video. ---
**Author:** ![hroeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@hroeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hroeder)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/16 "2004-01-02T19:32:53Z")
What do they call those things? Oxymorons? A good Michael Jackson song? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/17 "2004-01-02T19:46:38Z")
Another Part of Me Dirty Diana The Way You Make Me Feel ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/18 "2004-01-02T19:52:10Z")
I used to share a house with a guy who had a habit of singing along to his Michael Jackson and Fresh Prince tapes. At five in the morning. Except calling what he did “singing” would be generous, what he did was more like mooing. After dealing with that for a couple of years, I am in no position to judge any song by Jacko. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/19 "2004-01-02T20:06:08Z")
The Way You Make Me Feel - great groove - great performance - the cd single came with a vox only track which showed his fantastic vocal control. The video fucked the song by having the long instrumental part repeated ad nausium for the repetitive dance routine. Anyone familiar only with the video version should hate it. J5 - Litle bitty pretty one ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240/20 "2004-01-02T20:14:39Z")
Smooth Criminal Dirtah Di- ah- nah [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-michael-jacksons-best-song/222240.md?page=2)