It’s time to rise as the new Michael movie is officially out in theaters! Michael Jackson was such an amazing person in so many ways. He was loving, thoughtful, talented, and beloved by so many people. Even the people who were very young or weren’t even born before Jackson unfortunately passed away, love Jackson very much. Of course, you have to know Jackson for his amazing music because if you don’t at least know him for that, you haven’t been raised right. With me being so excited about this movie coming out and going to go see it soon, I thought I would take a moment to share my top Michael Jackson songs and see if people agree with my choices!
“Bad”
My number one choice of Jackson’s songs has to be “Bad.” I love everything about the song: the tone, the music, the lyrics, everything! This was the first Jackson song that I was introduced to in a cartoon movie I watched as a little girl, and when I heard the song for the first time, I instantly became an MJ fan. I especially love the message of the song. It’s not about being violent or engaging in criminal activity; it’s about standing up for yourself and being confident. Jackson did a wonderful job portraying that message in the full music video, especially with the dancing showing that he is bad and powerful, but not the literal definition of “bad.”
“Beat It”
Of course, everyone has to know “Beat It” if you’re a true Jackson fan. This is the song that gets people up from where they are sitting and makes them want to dance, which is one of the main things I love about this song. I love how it is so catchy and it makes you happy when hearing it. This is a perfect song to listen to, especially nowadays with how the world is, since it’s an anthem for anti-violence. This song is an amazing representation of choosing to walk away from conflict and seeking peace rather than engaging with the conflict. I truly wish more artists would create more songs like this, especially since Jackson makes the song catchy for people to stay,listen, and understand what he is saying in the song.
“Smooth Criminal”
“Smooth Criminal” is such a classic, in my opinion, when it comes to Jackson songs. This song is about a woman named Annie being attacked in her apartment, inspiring the lyrics of the song “Annie, are you okay?” It’s such a good song to listen to,and how the music video is played out and the beats within the song come together. What makes the song amazing is how mysterious it is and how you can feel the tension as you listen. What makes this song even better is when you think about the song more and look deeper into the music video, it represents more than just an attack, it demonstrates violence, danger, and helplessness that anyone can experience. Jackson just makes it more engaging so that people can focus on what the issue is throughout the song.
“Thriller”
How can “Thriller” not be on the list of top Jackson songs? This is probably one of the only songs that Jackson has that doesn’t have a deeper message when compared to a lot of his other work. However, this song is such a classic, especially for Halloween. If you say you don’t like this song, you’re just lying. I love how Jackson stays true to the Halloween theme with horror movies throughout the song, but instead of making it so scary, it makes it engaging for everyone to enjoy the song. How can you hear the song and not do the “Thriller” dance as it plays? I love everything about the song from beginning to end: the beat, the dancing, the wardrobe, the lyrics fitting so well with the whole song. It’s just absolutely amazing. In all honesty, Halloween wouldn’t be the same without having “Thriller” as the main song you listen to during the spooky season.
“Billie Jean”
Last but not least, we have to give love and respect to “Billie Jean.” “Billie Jean” isn’t a typical song like some of the ones that are mentioned here, but it’s very iconic just as many of his songs are. I love how the song goes for a slower pace with the beat, it makes the song very unique. I love how the video is very simple, with Jackson showing the message of the false accusations, temptations, and dangers of having fame especially when you’re in a relationship. It represents how it can be hard to be famous when there are obsessive fans out there making false claims about your life. I feel like a lot of celebrities nowadays fail to address this because they always make it seem like everything about their life is perfect since they are in the spotlight.
What makes Michael Jackson’s songs so great to love and to listen to, is that he wasn’t just trying to make music. He wanted to use his talent and music to show many messages that people need to understand when living in this world. Jackson’s music had a huge impact on a lot of people and he believed that music could help make the world a better place for everyone (honorable mention to his song “Man in the Mirror”). Jackson may have left the world too soon, but his fans will always make sure to remember who he was, not just for his music, but because he wanted people to understand all of the messages behind his songs. I can’t wait to go moonwalk to the theaters to see Michael and enjoy all of his music and see how Michael Jackson became the person he is known to be today.