With all of news about Michael Jackson going on, it got me thinking. I have been a MJ fan since Off the wall. To this day, when I hear “Rock with You” I feel the need to lace up my “skates”, feather my hair and hit the roller rink. Good times. But I digress. I am not here to comment on who Michael Jackson was as a person. We seem to have plenty of tools in this society who will do that. I am also not here to talk about the many mega hits that MJ had. There all over the air waves as part of the tribute to his music. No I am here to talk about something else. 10 songs that you should be listening to that you don’t know Michael Jackson did or forgot they existed.
10. Ease on Down the Road: I don’t know who actually gets credit for this song on iTunes, but dam. Why is this song still not on Billboards top 100? Heavy cool 70s base, funky dance. I defy anyone to listen to the entire song and not smile
9. State of Shock: A duet with Mick Jagger. Need I say more?
8. Blame it on the Boogie: I just got this one a few years ago. Where had this gem been hiding?
7. You can’t win. Ever wonder how Mike would have done with more of a jazz feel. Wonder no more
6. Thriller. I know, this is a big hit. But the reason I have it here is the following. Thriller gets a lot of attention for its video. The short film. And yeah, it was a cool video that had never been done before. But this tune is rocking. It needs no video or Vincent Price voice over to make it work. There just isn’t a bad note in this whole song. (By the way, When I was growing up Vincent Price was everywhere. Thriller, playing the bad guy on the Brady Bunch and he also appeared in a shit-load of Scooby doo cartoons)
5. Somebody’s Watching Me: Done by Rockwell and now appearing in those annoying that’s the money you could have been saving with Geico or whoever. MJ sings the chorus on this song and he makes it. In fact, the parts of the song that Rockwell sings blow like the wind. But the chorus is vintage Mike right during his Thriller days.
4. Just Good Friends. Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. These two could sing anything and make it sound good
3. I can’t help it. From the album Off the wall, it’s got a great R&B beat. I used to listen to this one over and over when I was thinking about whatever girl I was never going to ask out. I couldn’t help it. Get it?
2. Say, Say, Say. A duet with MJ and Sir Paul, but this tune is more Michael. It also brings up the point of why doesn’t every song have a cowbell or harmonica in it?
1. Can you feel it: From the Jacksons on some tour that probably bombed or got cancelled due to a sick monkey? Classic MJ sound. The chorus with the Jackson 5 guitar is sick. You can almost hear the introductions being made: Disco this is Funk, Funk this is Disco, now you two play nice.
