Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 2: Special Michael Jackson Edition

When we all heard the news on Thursday, I shared "Forever Came Today: Ten Songs By Which To Remember Michael Jackson." At the time, I focused on many of the more poignant songs that Jackson sang in his lifetime that seemed to somehow speak to that initial moment of loss.

But now that a few days have passed, and the media is starting to focus on other elements of this story, I wanted to share my list of ten songs that immediately remind me of all the joy, the soul and the life that Michael Jackson brought to music at his best. After all, the Jackson family themselves have just asked fans not to "despair," so perhaps it's now okay for people to dance in Michael's memory.

By coincidence, my eleven-year-old son was attending tennis camp this week right next to the hospital where Michael Jackson was declared dead. Like many his age, my son knew who Michael Jackson was, but perhaps mostly as some sort of pop cultural punch line. So on the way to camp the next morning, I played my kid some of my favorite Jackson songs, and he immediately said, "Wow, Dad, that's Michael Jackson!"

Here are ten songs, all of which can still make his Dad think, wow, that's Michael Jackson!

"ABC" -- The Jackson 5
If only everything educational were so funky.

"DOCTOR MY EYES" -- The Jackson 5
Yes, Virginia, Michael Jackson and his brothers really could get people dancing to a Jackson Browne song.

"DANCING MACHINE" -- The Jackson 5
A song so undeniable, the Brothers even got the crowd at my Bar Mitzvah moving.

"BLAME IT ON THE BOOGIE" -- The Jacksons
There's going to be a lot of talk about who's to blame here. None of that talk will make you feel as good as this song.

"SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND)" -- The Jacksons
Sonically this song helped set the stage for Off The Wall, which in turn helped set the stage for everything that followed.

"ROCK WITH YOU" -- Michael Jackson
In the great Quincy Jones, Michael found a masterful collaborator with the musical knowledge to help him do anything he wanted to try. Here Michael helped forever capture in three minutes and twenty-three seconds what love and lust feels and sounds like.

"DON'T STOP 'TILL YOU GET ENOUGH" -- Michael Jackson
Disco was not a dirty word. Or at least it was a dirty word in the best sense.

"WANNA BE STARTIN' SOMETHING" -- Michael Jackson
The perfect way to begin a Thriller -- with a song about the desire to get something big going, and now.

"BLACK OR WHITE" -- Michael Jackson
Whatever else he did, Michael Jackson carried on that great Motown tradition of black and white people listening to the same great songs, even after he left the label. I still love that message -- and that guitar riff too.

"YOU ROCK MY WORLD" -- Michael Jackson
Now that Michael has become omnipresent, I keep hearing this song from his last album Invincible, which was by his standards a commercial disappointment, and liking it more and more. As it turned out, Michael Jackson was far from invincible, but he sure was good.

What Jackson songs continue to rock your world?

Comments

[ediva75]

Hey David what about this song? The DC R&B station was playing this on Thurs night and I didn't get a chance to call into the probably over flooded with phone calls station. But I purchased this on Amazon once I found this song. It is soo beautiful and I can't wait for the C's to come out with all of the underrated demo and unreleased songs!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2q2aDQBkPY

And I love my Truimph with Destiny running a good close second!!! I have new found respect for Destiny but have always loved Truimph. Time Waits For No One seems also seems an appriopiate song and title as well!!!

[upbeatdem]

Thanks for your blog. Here's my list:

1. I Wanna Be Where You Are
2. Rock With You
3. Man in the Mirror
4. PYT
5. Human Nature
6. Got To Be There
7. Maybe Tomorrow
8. Never Can Say Goodbye
9. Off the Wall
10. Remember the Time

RIP Michael! You will be missed.

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you upbeatdem
"I Wanna Be Where You Are" is one I've been playing. Thanks for mentioning it here.

[Cherubim]

Click on and ENJOY THESE VIDEOS!!!!!
"Rock With You"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKOF7FaYjPA
and
"Human Nature"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjywI7nc_PQ
and
"Remember the Time"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_n7cftdkl0

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks Cherubim,
That live "Human Nature" was great

[rjallen71]

Hey there David: here's my 10:

Remember the Time
Rock With You
Say, Say, Say
In the Closet
Stranger in Moscow
Off the Wall
Blame it On the Boogie
I'll Be There (actually, Mariah Carey did this song justice back in the 90's!)
Break of Dawn
Heal the World

I know, not the usuals, but I love the messages in all 10 and will listen to those before any other song. I heard "In the Closet" for the first time, and I am IN LOVE! Very sexy video that went with it! My husband's tongue was wagging at Naomi Campbell (I'll have to agree with him on that one...Michael scored when she did the video with him!) when we both saw it for the first time.

Others to consider:

Human Nature
Billie Jean
Thriller
This Time Around
Earth Song

Music is life, and I have Michael Jackson to thank for providing us with some of the best soundtracks of our lives! (Him along with Paul Simon, The Beatles, James Taylor, Natasha Bedingfield, Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver, Enya, The Who...)

Thank you for such a great article!

Rachael

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you Rachael,

And thanks for putting Gordon Lightfoot on that list. Did you see that Dylan recently spoke about how great Gordon is? It takes one to know one. Undervalued, as was Denver.

[rjallen71]

You're welcome!

My list of music is actually longer, and Michael Jackson is part of my Artist of Substance list, which I listed above. My Dad played a lot of oldies stuff and he only liked Michael Jackson when he was with the Jackson 5 (he played the vinyl when I was growing up in the early 80's), and introduced me to artists like Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Simon, The Beatles, and all the great Motown or Atlantic artists like Ray Charles, The Supremes, the OJays. Lots of great music out there that are largely underappreciated. John Denver is another favorite, took me back to childhood memories.

[drexel]

Reasons not to be cheerful Part 2: A month after featuring on its cover a runner up from a talent show for housewives and teenyboppers who hasn't even released an album yet, the formerly iconic, but now incredibly desperate Rolling Stone magazine features a band whose fans average age is probably about 10. How sad.

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Sad, or reflecting the times?

[Logic325]

Both?

[gocats5611]

Great article David.. Hard to come up with a top ten list of favorite MJ songs. I'm 34 years old, and am a little different than most at my age in that, I didn't really become a big fan until "Dangerous" came out, so it is my favorite album. I now love nearly everything MJ did, though strangely one of my least favorite songs "Heal The World" is also on Dangerous. Doesn't do it for me. But here is my top ten list if you twist my arm

1. Give In To Me - outstanding driving rocking song that was by far my favorite MJ song.. with an equally intense, amazing video starring MJ and Slash

2. Will You Be There - a simply beautiful song

3. Dirty Diana

4. Billie Jean

5. You Rock My World

6. Black or White

7. Earth Song

8. Blood On The Dance Floor

9. Invincible

10. Smooth Criminal

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks gocats -- going back to listen to a few of these, especially "Blood On The Dance Floor"

[ediva75]

Who would have thought a break up song could sound soo funky!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4j5EQCsbww

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Another triumph for "Triumph"
"Triumph" could kick "Victory"'s ass
This is almost as good as "Heartbreak Hotel"
what a groove
Thanks ediva75!

[AGarcia]

"Morphine"... No mention? Future classic...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkQd4zOLnjc

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Such an odd song, and now a disturbing one. But revealing, perhaps, and kickass.

[ediva75]

I discovered this song last year and wonder why in the world this was never released as a song!!

SUNSET DRIVER!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyEQhTajaEk

[ediva75]

OopsI meant to say why in the world this was never released as a single!!

Let me also add this version of a song he did on The Wiz:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwRhpJMJJ0E

As well as this cool *** demo version of PYT that is waay better than the finished album version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Qk7wKzpSU

And how about this underrated Jacksons cut:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vab1ZwdL0bY

[isleptwithjoeyramone]

Michael Jackson left such a huge catalog of great work, that some songs that are deserving of more attention get overlooked.

I was listening to 'Off The Wall' over the weekend, and 'Girlfriend' really stood out to me. It's a fun, lighthearted pop song that sounds like something Smokey Robinson would have recorded.

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Paul McCartney wrote "Girlfriend"
Smokey Robinson just told me that younger people thing Michael wrote "Who's Lovin You"
He made songs his own

[kathy001]

The thing I enjoyed most about Michael Jackson was his ability to seamlessly go from Pop to Disco to Soul to him own style to whatever style and peg each and every style. Actually, Michael's disco was the only disco I ever really liked. But my favorites of his were the soul songs like "The Way You Make Me Feel". His rythym and timing were so perfect. When I listen to that song everything about me starts swaying and bouncing.

[dkon101]

Not nearly enough love for "I Want You Back" (including Graham Parker's kinda good live version).
And for my money, "Man In The Mirror" live on the Grammy Awards was pretty brilliant, and I'm not being partial.
Now, if we can just make sure the overly treacly "She's Out Of My Life" doesn't make any of these lists...

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

I put those first two on my last list -- absolute classics

[MarinafromMaine]

Thank-you so much for this. I've been crying for days, not so much because he is gone, but because of how much he suffered. This list is just what I needed.

My absolute favorite was his semi-psychedelic disco video of "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." Pure and utter joy, so beautiful, he was clearly having a wonderful time.

BTW, I'm a huge fan of Laura Nyro as well. A song that I listen to every spring is "Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp," a song that isn't well known, but is one of the most sensual and evocative songs I know of. She never received the fame that her music and talent merits.

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

MarinafromMaine
Thanks for that.
Please check out Diane Birch -- you will love her I think.
And Patti Scalfia's last album had a strong Laura N influence too.

Best,
DW

[JeffmChicago]

My Top Ten Michael Jackson including with Jackson 5:
ABC - w/J5
Jam
Wanna Be Starting Something
Another Part of Me
Butterflies
Never Can Say Goodbye - w/J5
I Wanna Be Where You Are
Looking Through The Windows - w/J5
Got To Be There
Thriller

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

"Lookin' Through The Windows" sometimes gets overlooked. Good call.

[ediva75]

Love that song too!!!

[drord84]

I mention that I was born in '84 just to give perspective...
my top10 favs not in any particular order

Dirty Diana (still listen to that song almost daily)
Off The Wall (did not discover this song until the late 90's)
Rock With You
Ben
The Way You Make Me Feel (i knew every song on the Bad cd)
Remember The Time (the video sealed the deal)
Who Is It (crazy hip-hop beat)
You Rock My World (really slept on but I think it will become a classic)
PYT (really feel good, sampled often in hip-hop)
Beat It (no explanation needed)