GLOBALRPH MUSICATLAS

Michael Jackson: Artist Essentials

Start with tightly constructed pop and dance records, then explore softer vocals, album grooves and carefully credited duets.

TOP SONGS BY ARTIST

40 selected recordings

An editorial sequence spanning the early solo voice, the major studio albums and later work. Extended grooves and quieter album tracks broaden the familiar singles without adding alternate versions as filler.

Selections and recommended order are MusicAtlas editorial choices.

40 date-supported selections12 beyond the yearly lists

All artist collections Saved Essentials

Save one reference to this artist collection. Your existing 75-song shortlist keeps its own entries.

ARTIST BACKGROUND

About Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson moved from childhood performances with the Jackson 5 into a separate adult solo career. Off the Wall combined funk, disco and soul, while Thriller brought pop, rock and R&B into a broader studio setting. His recordings in the 1980s and 1990s were closely accompanied by dance and ambitious music-video production. The Jackson 5 and the Jacksons remain group identities in their own right; his solo albums should not be treated as replacements for those earlier credits.

Artist background sources

Michael Jackson - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Jackson 5 childhood and separate adult solo career, Off the Wall and Thriller musical styles, and later dance and music-video work. | Retrieved 2026-10-17

Profile reviewed: 2026-10-17. Artist background does not establish a song's creative origin or release date.

Showing 10 of 10 selected recordings.

This depth selects the first 10 recordings in the recommended sequence. Changing the order rearranges those same selections.

When only a year is established, chronological order within that year is approximate.

01list
order

Billie Jean

Michael Jackson

First released: 1982 (year verified)

Original album: Thriller

Original studio recording

MusicAtlas editorial note: Begin with the precise bass-and-drum pulse and the way the vocal works around its spaces.

Details Listen on YouTube

Annual appearances: 1983

Release evidence and recording details

First released: 1982 (year verified)

Original recording release year; later singles and reissues do not replace this date.

Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: Michael Jackson
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: Thriller

Michael Jackson: Thriller
Official original album catalog establishes 1982 and identifies the track. Year precision accommodates pre-album singles in the same year; old hits on the HIStory compilation disc are not dated 1995. | Reviewed 2026-10-17

02list
order

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough

Michael Jackson

First released: 1979 (year verified)

Original album: Off the Wall

Original studio recording

MusicAtlas editorial note: The buoyant falsetto and detailed percussion make a joyful introduction to the dance records.

Details Listen on YouTube

Annual appearances: 1979

Release evidence and recording details

First released: 1979 (year verified)

Original recording release year; later singles and reissues do not replace this date.

Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: Michael Jackson
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: Off the Wall

Michael Jackson: Off the Wall
Official original album catalog establishes 1979 and identifies the track. Year precision accommodates pre-album singles in the same year; old hits on the HIStory compilation disc are not dated 1995. | Reviewed 2026-10-17

03list
order

Beat It

Michael Jackson

First released: 1982 (year verified)

Original album: Thriller

Original studio recording

MusicAtlas editorial note: Hear how the clipped pop structure accommodates a much harder guitar texture.

Details Listen on YouTube

Annual appearances: 1983

Release evidence and recording details

First released: 1982 (year verified)

Original recording release year; later singles and reissues do not replace this date.

Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: Michael Jackson
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: Thriller

04list
order

Rock with You

Michael Jackson

First released: 1979 (year verified)

Original album: Off the Wall

Original studio recording

MusicAtlas editorial note: A supple groove and light vocal touch give this performance an unusually easy flow.

Details Listen on YouTube

Annual appearances: 1979 | 1980

Release evidence and recording details

First released: 1979 (year verified)

Original recording release year; later singles and reissues do not replace this date.

Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: Michael Jackson
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: Off the Wall

05list
order

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

Michael Jackson

First released: 1982 (year verified)

Original album: Thriller

Original studio recording

MusicAtlas editorial note: Let the interlocking rhythm parts carry you through the long, increasingly layered finish.

Details Listen on YouTube

Annual appearances: 1983

Release evidence and recording details

First released: 1982 (year verified)

Original recording release year; later singles and reissues do not replace this date.

Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: Michael Jackson
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: Thriller

06list
order

Human Nature

Michael Jackson

First released: 1982 (year verified)

Original album: Thriller

Original studio recording

MusicAtlas editorial note: The airy keyboard setting exposes the quieter edges of the vocal.

Details Listen on YouTube

Annual appearances: 1983

Release evidence and recording details

First released: 1982 (year verified)

Original recording release year; later singles and reissues do not replace this date.

Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: Michael Jackson
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: Thriller

07list
order

Smooth Criminal

Michael Jackson

First released: 1987 (year verified)

Original album: Bad

Original studio recording

MusicAtlas editorial note: Short vocal bursts and sharply placed rhythmic details make the arrangement feel tightly wound.

Details Listen on YouTube

Annual appearances: 1987 | 1989

Release evidence and recording details

First released: 1987 (year verified)

Original recording release year; later singles and reissues do not replace this date.

Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: Michael Jackson
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: Bad

Michael Jackson: Bad
Official original album catalog establishes 1987 and identifies the track. Year precision accommodates pre-album singles in the same year; old hits on the HIStory compilation disc are not dated 1995. | Reviewed 2026-10-17

08list
order

Man in the Mirror

Michael Jackson

First released: 1987 (year verified)

Original album: Bad

Original studio recording

MusicAtlas editorial note: Follow the movement from a restrained opening to a broad, communal-sounding climax.

Details Listen on YouTube

Annual appearances: 1988

Release evidence and recording details

First released: 1987 (year verified)

Original recording release year; later singles and reissues do not replace this date.

Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: Michael Jackson
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: Bad

09list
order

Black or White

Michael Jackson

First released: 1991 (year verified)

Original album: Dangerous

Original studio recording

MusicAtlas editorial note: The lean guitar figure and direct refrain offer a brisk change of texture.

Details Listen on YouTube

Annual appearances: 1991 | 1992

Release evidence and recording details

First released: 1991 (year verified)

Original recording release year; later singles and reissues do not replace this date.

Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: Michael Jackson
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: Dangerous

Michael Jackson: Dangerous
Official original album catalog establishes 1991 and identifies the track. Year precision accommodates pre-album singles in the same year; old hits on the HIStory compilation disc are not dated 1995. | Reviewed 2026-10-17

10list
order

Thriller

Michael Jackson

First released: 1982 (year verified)

Original album: Thriller

Original studio recording

MusicAtlas editorial note: Treat the studio track as a carefully paced piece of musical theater, with atmosphere between the hooks.

Details Listen on YouTube

Annual appearances: 1984

Release evidence and recording details

First released: 1982 (year verified)

Original recording release year; later singles and reissues do not replace this date.

Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: Michael Jackson
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: Thriller

About this artist collection

Solo Michael Jackson recordings are kept separate from the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons. Paul McCartney, Siedah Garrett and Janet Jackson retain their duet credits.

First released means the earliest documented official public release of the selected recording. A year-only date does not assert a month or day. Later singles, chart years, compilations, remasters and reissues do not replace that date.

Michael Jackson annual entries (primary artist)

ALL 66 ANNUAL COLLECTIONS

1960-2025. Each year contains 150 selections.

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Michael Jackson: Artist Essentials

40 selected recordings

About Michael Jackson

About this artist collection

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