The 3 Most Essential Michael Jackson Songs

Michael Jackson—well, what can you say? He’s the greatest performer of all time. His vocal prowess was like lightning claps. His songwriting was like candy. And his dancing skills were the stuff only others could dream of. And in his time as a solo artist, he released 13 No. 1 hit singles. As an artist, what more could you ask for?

And while we could dive into any number of his iconic tracks, we boiled down the list to three essential songs here below. A trio of track that showcase the range and impact of the Gary, Indiana-born King of Pop. Indeed, these are the three most essential Michael Jackson songs.

[RELATED: The Story Behind How Quincy Jones Nearly Cut “Billie Jean” From Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’]

“Beat It” from Thriller (1983)

Released over 40 years ago and you can still immediately hear the music and vocal delivery in this song as soon as the title is uttered. Written by Michael Jackson, produced by Quincy Jones, and featuring Eddie Van Halen on guitar, the track (of course) hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. And the music video for “Beat It” is arguably Jackson’s first breakout from a global visual standpoint. In it, two city gangs battle it out to the music, culminating in a knife fight the King of Pop breaks up. Jackson’s red leather jacket became iconic after the fact. Melding rock and dance pop, this song from Thriller, which is the best-selling album of all time, turned the artist from star into solar system.

“Billie Jean” from Thriller (1983)

Another from Jackson’s eternal album Thriller, this song is likely his most popular, which is saying a lot. Featuring a sticky, almost disco drumbeat that builds into synth chords, Jackson sings about a woman who claims he is the father of her son. The track, he said, was based on groupies who would hang around him and his brothers, claiming they fathered their children. This song led to another iconic music video with lit-up sidewalks and Jackson dancing on his toes. The song, written by Jackson and co-produced by Jones, also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of the most well-known pop songs of all time.

“Dirty Diana” from Bad (1987)

This rock song from the pop star details the story of a woman who has her sights on the singer and just won’t let go of her want for celebrity. Written by Jackson and produced by Jones, it’s another about the unabashed and even dangerous behavior groupies. When the song was released it was speculated to be about Diana Ross or Princess Diana, but those claims were quickly debunked. As far as the track itself, the No. 1 single on Billboard Hot 100 showcases an aggressive and even vulnerable version of Jackson. He’s driven to his wit’s end. Trapped. He must escape. And he does so by telling the story of the stalker.

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