I Wanna Be Where You Are
Michael Jackson | Artist Essentials
First released: 1972 (year verified)
Original studio recording
MusicAtlas editorial note: The crisp rhythm and nimble melody make this early solo performance immediately inviting.
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Release evidence and recording details
First released: 1972 (year verified)
The label-owned chronology explicitly dates the original solo release, not the later compilation.
Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: Michael Jackson
Role in this collection: Primary artist
Original single: I Wanna Be Where You Are
uDiscover Music / Universal Music: The Definitive Collection chronology
Explicitly dates the original solo releases Got to Be There to 1971, and Ben and I Wanna Be Where You Are to 1972. The 2009 compilation and 2026 reissue dates are not used. | Reviewed 2026-10-17
In the yearly lists
These are listening-list appearances, separate from the first-release date.
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.
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