Most underrated MJ’s work

[mj_frenzy]

In my opinion, “Ghosts” (short film).

Although it came out in 1996 (when MJ was in the limelight at that time) and had a decent story along with some pretty frightening special effects and very good dance routines, it seems to me that it didn’t attract much attention or achieved popularity.

(I don’t go for “Invincible” because that album was not good - or not as good as his other albums - for a number of reasons).

 

[analogue]

His work with The Jackson's and his Motown solo albums.

 

[Dilan]

invincible

 

[Zakk]

His work with Kingdom Entertainment: 'Ghosts' deserves to be exposed on a wide scale Blu-Ray/DVD/CD release. He put so much work into it, it would be nice to see the 1993 footage as bonus' also. The Brunei shows, both being shot in high def by Gavin Taylor's crew. Including Michael's arrival in the country, getting off the plane etc.! 'Invincible' also, i'm certain if he conducted a world tour and released more singles it would have sold far more copies. Dare i say 'One More Chance' too? and i think 'Smooth Criminal' should be re-released with a Moonwalker 30th anniversary, to try and push a number one...

 

[Doggone]

I was thinking about this yesterday.

Smooth Criminal, Will You Be There, Who Is It, Thriller, WBSS, ITC, RTT and Ghost are definetely underrated. These songs should have been #1. They deserve it and #1 is written all over them. I just don't get why these songs weren't on the top.

Then there's TDCAU. It makes me angry how the media, radio stations and jews treated this song. This song deserved #1. It's better than YANA.

And as last there are some songs that were not released as a single in the US. But they should have been. WDAN, Get On The Floor, Liberian Girl, JGF, Give in to me, Tabloid Junkie, Earth Song, Speechless and Whatever Happens. These are just missed opportunities that had a big chance of being #1.

13 #1 singles for Michael is not enough. He is the King of Music. He should have more.

 

[HIStory]

^ While Smooth Criminal and Thriller did not go #1 when they were released, I would not call them underrated. They are two of the most played and best known pop classics. Def. not underrated. #1 is not everything.

(Just an interesting fact. These were the six songs ahead of Smooth Criminal when it achieved it's highest US chart position (#7). How popular are these today. I will include their number of spins on Spotify:

1. Phil Collins - Two Hearts (number of spins on Spotify: 1,370,620)
2. Taylor Dayne - Don't Rush Me (172,534)
3. Def Leppard - Armageddon It (666,157)
4. Bobby Brown - My Prerogative (2,275,413)
5. Sheriff - When I'm With You (429,931)
6. Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn (15,112,173)

Meanwhile: Smooth Criminal: 40,256,497

So... :beach:

So yeah, #1 and chart positions are not everything in how a song is rated on the long term. )

 

[loka]

The whole Invincible album...

Some songs like "DS", "HeatBreaker", "I can't let her get away""Is it Scary"...

 

[analogue]

When it comes to his albums from Off The Wall to Invincible, I'd say that Blood On The Dance Floor is the most underrated. Lots of people skip over it, or don't count it, because they view it has only a remix album. I prefer to look at it as an E.P

 

[Doggone]

^ While Smooth Criminal and Thriller did not go #1 when they were released, I would not call them underrated. They are two of the most played and best known pop classics. Def. not underrated. #1 is not everything.

(Just an interesting fact. These were the six songs ahead of Smooth Criminal when it achieved it's highest US chart position (#7). How popular are these today. I will include their number of spins on Spotify:

1. Phil Collins - Two Hearts (number of spins on Spotify: 1,370,620)
2. Taylor Dayne - Don't Rush Me (172,534)
3. Def Leppard - Armageddon It (666,157)
4. Bobby Brown - My Prerogative (2,275,413)
5. Sheriff - When I'm With You (429,931)
6. Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn (15,112,173)

Meanwhile: Smooth Criminal: 40,256,497

So... :beach:

So yeah, #1 and chart positions are not everything in how a song is rated on the long term. )

But being #1 acknowledges that it is REALLY appreciated. Can't understand why you guys have peace Smooth Criminal not being #1.

 

[Doggone]

BTW it's a matter of time that Rihanna is going to pass Michael Jackson with her #1 singles. They both have 13. Rihanna is coming with a new album in the near future. So expect that she will have at least one #1 single from the album.

 

[HIStory]

But being #1 acknowledges that it is REALLY appreciated. Can't understand why you guys have peace Smooth Criminal not being #1.

No. Being #1 just means a temporary mood of the public which does not say anything about the long term relevance of a song or an artist. There are a lot of songs which were #1s and no one remembers them any more. It's just a piece of statistics but it does not say anything about whether a song is considered a classic or not or how much it is "REALLY appreciated" on the long term. There are songs which were never #1 yet they are more classics than most #1s. The list I posted illustrates that very well. How can anyone claim that Two Hearts by Phil Collins is a more popular, more appreciated song on the long term than Smooth Criminal just because it was #1? Facts show otherwise.

 

[Prince Of Pop]

The Dangerous album. From MJ fans, it gets it's well deserved respect, but the media totally ignores this album. It is by far, IMO, Michael's best album...EVER.

 

[HIStoric]

The Dangerous album. From MJ fans, it gets it's well deserved respect, but the media totally ignores this album. It is by far, IMO, Michael's best album...EVER.

Dangerous was his artistic and creative peak imho. Love that album to bits :heart: ^_^

 

[analogue]

Who Is It, Give Into Me and Will You Be There are the perfect trilogy of songs

 

[OnirMJ]

BTW it's a matter of time that Rihanna is going to pass Michael Jackson with her #1 singles. They both have 13. Rihanna is coming with a new album in the near future. So expect that she will have at least one #1 single from the album.

Her latest single "Bitch Better Have My Money" is pure crap. I hope the rest of the album will also be like that. FourFiveSeconds was pretty great but it didn't reach #1 even though it had Paul McCartney on it and huge promotion around it (Grammy performance...).

 

[HIStoric]

FourFiveSeconds was pretty great but it didn't reach #1 even though it had Paul McCartney on it and huge promotion around it (Grammy performance...).

Looking at Wikipedia, it seems to have got Top 10 in most countries with Top 5 in the majority of those countries - that's pretty good tbh. Personally I couldn't really care if Rihanna got more #1's than Michael. I do like many of her songs but at the end of the day, it doesn't really change anything. Michael is by far the superior artist.

 

[HIStory]

Aren't there artists already with more #1s than MJ? I don't know why we should care about Rihanna especially. #1s don't matter that much. Long term persistency matters a lot more.

 

[OnirMJ]

Aren't there artists already with more #1s than MJ? I don't know why we should care about Rihanna especially. #1s don't matter that much. Long term persistency matters a lot more.

Of course. But it's always better to be #4, than #5. Also, it's one thing being beaten by The Beatles, Elvis and even Mariah and another thing is being beaten by Rihanna.

With that said, in my book MJ has 18 #1 hits, not 13 and he is #2 on that list tied with Elvis and Mariah.

 

[HIStory]

^ I really don't care if he is #4 or #5. It hardly means anything on the grand scheme of things. And it's bound to happen that some of MJ's stats will be beaten. So what are you going to do? Be stressed about it every time it happens?

The only record I really care about Thriller being the best selling album of all times. I just love that record, so I would not like that to be beaten. I also think it's a nice indicator to see how popular Michael still is on various streaming services. That is important because it shows he is still relevant and his music has persistency. But I'm not worried about Billboard #1s. They mean a lot less to me. Michael's legacy is safe and it does not depend on how many #1s he had and how many #1s others have.

Two of the most persistent albums on long term popularity are Bob Marley's Legend and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. The former never was #1, the latter was #1 only for one week. Yet, they are two of the best selling albums of all times due to persistency. That's a lot more important than #1.

 

[OnirMJ]

^ I really don't care if he is #4 or #5. It hardly means anything on the grand scheme of things. And it's bound to happen that some of MJ's stats will be beaten. So what are you going to do? Be stressed about it every time it happens?

The only record I really care about Thriller being the best selling album of all times. I just love that record, so I would not like that to be beaten. I also think it's a nice indicator to see how popular Michael still is on various streaming services. That is important because it shows he is still relevant and his music has persistency. But I'm not worried about Billboard #1s. They mean a lot less to me. Michael's legacy is safe and it does not depend on how many #1s he had and how many #1s others have.

Two of the most persistent albums on long term popularity are Bob Marley's Legend and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. The former never was #1, the latter was #1 only for one week. Yet, they are two of the best selling albums of all times due to persistency. That's a lot more important than #1.

Agreed. I just don't like Rihanna.

 

[Doggone]

With that said, in my book MJ has 18 #1 hits, not 13 and he is #2 on that list tied with Elvis and Mariah.

This counts for me too. But the problem is that they don't see it as we do...

The only record I really care about Thriller being the best selling album of all times. I just love that record, so I would not like that to be beaten. I also think it's a nice indicator to see how popular Michael still is on various streaming services. That is important because it shows he is still relevant and his music has persistency. But I'm not worried about Billboard #1s. They mean a lot less to me. Michael's legacy is safe and it does not depend on how many #1s he had and how many #1s others have.

They may mean a lot less to you. But they don't mean a lot less to others. I mean, critics/experts/viewers judge on this. They look on how many #1 hits an artist has.

 

[HIStory]

This counts for me too. But the problem is that they don't see it as we do...



They may mean a lot less to you. But they don't mean a lot less to others. I mean, critics/experts/viewers judge on this. They look on how many #1 hits an artist has.

Only stupid critics judge based on how many #1s an artist has. And there is nothing expert-like in judging an artist based on #1s.

 

[Tony R]

It's well known to anyone with an ounce of sense that Michael has had less number ones than some others (especially in UK) because he is primarily an album artists.

So many purchased the album there was no need to buy the single.

In the Bad and Dangerous eras especially every time a single was released the album rocketed up the charts.

So where artists like Rihanna may soon overtake him in terms of number one singles, her albums barely make a dent sales wise.

Also, in MJ peak times you had to physically go to the store and buy a single costing around £4. In the era of 79p download you can make whilst on your phone, it's much easier for a single to hit number one and be forgotten about and never played again. It is so disposable.

 

[EiANDiWAY]

This!

 

[Psychoniff]

Destiny
Triumph
and both corresponding tours

Dangerous album which to many die-hard MJ fans is considered to be his masterpiece, his magnum opus, similar to the Beatles' St Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club, The Beach Boy's Pet Sounds and Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope.

Several songs of the His Tory album illustrate his composing skills at his best like Stranger In Moscow, Earth Song, Tabloid Junkie, Little Susie and They Don't Care About Us

And his original songs of the Blood On The Dance Floor remix album which in my opinion was halfway to becoming a concept album.

His unique and expansive vocal range. He often gets written off as a weak vocalist.

His eclectic mastering of different dancing styles, he was primarily known for polarizing complicated street/urban dance moves but he also mastered and incorporated Latin, show tune, tap, musical, blackface minstrelsy, mime, Broadway and other styles.

 

[mj_frenzy]

Dangerous album which to many die-hard MJ fans is considered to be his masterpiece, his magnum opus, similar to the Beatles' St Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club, The Beach Boy's Pet Sounds and Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope.

I think that “Dangerous” is closer to “Janet” (in terms of sound, both were different in regard to previous albums).

Also, “HIStory” (2nd disc) is closer to “The Velvet Rope” (dark mood).

 

[TinnyandOdd]

Dangerous album which to many die-hard MJ fans is considered to be his masterpiece, his magnum opus, similar to the Beatles' St Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club, The Beach Boy's Pet Sounds and Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope.

I've always thought this, and while as we speak I'm listening to it on vinyl, it just solidifies that thought.

 

[zuriyal]

The whole Invincible album...

Some songs like "DS", "HeatBreaker", "I can't let her get away""Is it Scary"...

Definitely agree with Is It Scary, I've been so hooked on that song lately! BOTDF being a remix album didn't give some of the really great new songs their opportunity to shine unfortunately :/

 

[Doo Doo Head]

Everything during the 'Blood On the Dance Floor' "era". So the album and 'Ghosts' definitely.

 

[reibish]

slightly hijacking this thread (going back to the discussion on the first page), when I bought my TII tickets I started a best-of list to share with my friends on facebook, very few of whom were fans. For some reason I didn't finish it, then obviously didn't have the heart to for a long time after he died. I finally put it on Facebook right around the time Michael was released, so I'll share it here. (It mostly excludes the Michael tracklist namely because I selected the songs before he died, and because I didn't want to highlight posthumous work)

In March 2009, in the midst of Michael's This is It tour announcement, I drafted this top ten--because there is far, far more to Michael's catalog than Thriller and Bad. Shortly after the tour sold out, he launched a campaign on his website to let fans vote on 22 songs for the show (about a 2.5 hour set), and almost every single one of his 400+ song solo catalog was up for grabs. Whether or not he took the votes into consideration is debatable but I was surprised to see the selection...then I started to think about which songs I'd really like non- or casual fans to hear if I could make them sit down and listen to, that truly showcase his musical genius...that they've never even heard of. "Billie Jean" is not his only masterpiece. It was just one of the first few.This draft has been sitting here since that week. Parts have been edited/expanded, but for the most part, this is the original note I started March 2009. I thought that in light of the posthumous release "Michael," a collection of (mostly) vaulted songs, I would finally finish this up and share it with you.

These songs were chosen very carefully, though they are not in any particular order. These are the criteria each song met in order to narrow down the list:

• Could not have been officially released as a single
• Is not slow-tempo
• Released on an actual album*, only including the seven major albums of his adult solo career: Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory, Blood on the Dance Floor**, and Invincible. Does include re-releases and special editions. Michael recorded four solo albums prior to Off the Wall, and while they are worth exploring on their own, they were simply record label productions and he had little or no creative control over any of them.

*one exception, because it is THAT awesome. I'm sure if that album were ever re-packaged as a Special Edition, it would be included. There is another exception but it was included later on an official release.

**Blood on the Dance Floor is officially categorized as a remix album, not studio. However, many fans tend to disregard this (compared to releases such as Thriller 25). I consider it a studio album because Michael was so heavily involved with the production of the entire record and remixes, not just the five fresh tracks.
-------
March 12, 2009

So you may not know, but you will soon anyway, but I am a HUGE Michael Jackson fan. Like, been a fan since the womb, the whole nine yards. I remember the Black or White video debut, and I was only four. Okay? Okay.

But anyway, as much as I LOVE his awesome hits that put him in the record books and in virtually every home in the country, and the world, those really are just the tip of the iceberg on what his collection includes. To give you an idea, my MJ music folder on my computer contains in excess of 5GB of music, and I'm pretty sure I'm missing some.

But fear not, friend! For I have selected the ten best songs that are either completely underrated or just unknown. They really are in no particular order. Give 'em a listen! You just might be surprised.

10: Threatened (Invincible, 2001, #16)
Invincible, his most recent feature studio album (2001), has this gem tucked away as the very last track. This song, in short, is bangin'. Many who are familiar with it sort of refer to it as a Thriller 2.0, and in some ways it is, but make no mistake, it is truly a beast of its own. Much of Invincible is in-your-face aggressive, and this is a perfect example of its theme. It opens with a Rod Serling intro, then immediately breaks into the meat of the song: an intense bass line, a hard beat, and the use of phone chirps as gray noise and rhythm accompaniment. Invincible in its entirety was not well-received in 2001 by critics because it was so ahead of its time. Today, "Threatened" would not only fit perfectly into mainstream radio, it would exemplify exactly what the self-produced pop stars are trying to achieve and blow them out of the water. (Lady Gaga, anyone?)

9: Whatever Happens (Invincible, 2001, #15)
This is also on Invincible, once again tucked away into the deep, dark corners of The Last Few Tracks On a Sixteen-Song Record. With very few exceptions, Michael doesn't really do "acoustic" but this is definitely close enough! Many people think the definition of a ballad is a slow love song. Not true. A ballad is something that tells a story. Michael has always wanted to tell stories, and "Whatever Happens" paints a bittersweet tale of a young couple going through major life problems and the effects of stress on their relationship. Check out the feature of Carlos Santana!

8: Morphine (Blood on the Dance Floor, 1997, #2)
In 1997, Michael released a dance album, Blood on the Dance Floor. Seven songs from his previous record, HIStory, were remixed, with five new tracks. This one blows them all out of the water. It's hard, it's dark, and it's weird. It's graphic and he uses very explicit language that casual listeners are not used to hearing. It's not only about drug use (and angry sex), and a pretty strong comment about the social, mental, and emotional struggles of addiction, but I'm also pretty sure he wrote it while in the middle of a relapse. This could probably be the most personal song he's ever released. It's like nothing you've ever heard from him before, and will take you by surprise. I could go on and on for days about this track. If you listen to nothing else on this list, listen to Morphine.

7: Xscape (Invincible sessions, 2001, unreleased)
A song most unfortunately cut from the final tracklisting of Invincible. There were plans to release it as a digital single. However, it was leaked before that plan could come to fruition, and, frustrated with Sony and the piracy of the song, Michael backed out of the digital release. Xscape is strong and intense--Michael did not get softer as he grew older. The chorus is catchy, despite its aggression. Michael's love of cutting edge studio work, synthesizers, his inhuman beatboxing, and classic stacked vocals all fuse to make one astounding pop song that, much like the rest of Invincible, was a decade ahead of itself.

6: Streetwalker (Bad [Remastered Special Edition], 1987/2001, #13)
"Streetwalker" seems to be part of a trilogy of songs, the other two of which are on the final cut of the album: The Way You Make Me Feel and Dirty Diana. If you listen to Streetwalker, TWYMMF, and Dirty Diana in that order, they seem to tell a story, lyrically and musically: boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy loses girl. "Streetwalker" puts the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) philosophy to great use: simple, walking bass line, easy beat, bouncy horns...and a chorus that will be stuck in your head for days. It all flows together into this pure pop song of gold. The vocals are loud and somewhat raw, but blended with the ear-candy accompaniment, which unfortunately made it more of a "transition" song between Thrillerand Bad, rather than the strong anthems that Bad is chock-full of, which is probably why it was cut.

5: Come Together (HIStory, 1995, Disc 2, #8)
We all know that Michael has 50% stake in the Beatles/ATV catalog ...so why not put it to use? I have heard other famous covers of this song, and of course the original, but I just love this version. It's got a healthy chunk o' funk that breathes some life into it. I think it kind of puts a little bit of walk to the talk in the message of the song, and puts the listener on the dance floor. There isn't much else to say, since most reading this will already be familiar with the Beatles version.

4: Too Bad (HIStory, 1995, #12)
HIStory was the first album where the world heard an angry Michael. Not frustrated, despaired, or sad...but angry. Pissed off. Furious! HIStory was his first chance to speak out after surviving the arguably most successful extortion ever recorded. The album is pierced with electrifying cries, exclamations about the injustice of tabloid media, racism, poverty, corrupt law enforcement, and then, finally, the third-to-last song of the album, the last of the anthems full of enraged independence, we hear Michael's comment on the obvious bloodlust most of the world has for him. The quality of production in this track is unmatched, and for all the amazing work on HIStory, this is arguably the best of the entire album. The samples, pedal, beatboxing, and raw vocals will take you by surprise. Listen for a rap by none other than Shaquille O'Neal--even despite his lack of musical prowess, his smooth baritone rhymes provide relief in the middle of the song, which otherwise has you so tense and on the edge of your seat, you'll never realize that you're holding your breath!

3: We Are Here to Change the World (Captain Eo, 1986)
Do you love cheesy 80s music? Did you ever see Captain Eo? This is the theme song from the short 3D film he made for Disney. There isn't much to say about it, except that it is the ultimate in amazingly awesome yet totally stereotypical in a way that only 80s music can be. Something that I love most about this track, however, is the way he punches out the lyrics, peppered with vocabulary that is uncommon in popular music, though pretty typical for an MJ track. It's an instant feel-good song.

2. Get On the Floor (Off the Wall, 1979, #4)
There is no way anyone can complete a list of Michael's best work without mentioning Off the Wall. Most people are likely to think that because Thriller is the most successful album, that it was his breakthrough. Wrong! Off the Wall was a Big Deal when it was released, and blew people's minds (anyone alive at the time can attest to that statement, I'm sure!). It was the first of three albums Michael and Quincy Jones collaborated on, and Michael had much more creative freedom than he did with Motown--and it shows. Get on the Floor is a perfect example of Off the Wall, and definitely the best song on the album. From the first explosive chord, your ears are treated to a fresh, poppin' bass line from Louis Johnson, funky guitars, booming horns, and one amazing hook. Something amazing about this track is that each component of the song gets stuck in your head, not just the melody. While this song's era is pretty clear, there is a breakdown at 2:50 that will make you think you're in a modern nightclub--and this song was written in the 70s! Any time this song comes on, it's an instant party.

1. Workin' Day and Night (Off the Wall, 1979, #3)
In addition to all the information shared about Off the Wall in the previous list item, this song is one of the best kept secrets in the entire discography. Michael included it on both the Badand Dangerous world tours--though it is probably the least "known" song included, everyone goes crazy! (Click the links to watch). It's groovy, sexy (yes, I said "sexy"), and a fantastic R&B/disco fusion track. The percussion is rich and varied, the horns are golden, and we hear a touch, or preview, if you will, of Michael's aggressive shouting vocal style that he showcased on his later work. This track is so bad-ass that Michael sampled himself from this song for Scream (HIStory, 1995). It is THAT good. Off the Wall as a whole album, especially in hindsight, is a fantastic preview of everything Michael had to offer as an artist, and then some.


The purpose of this list, and its criteria, is to make it as easy as possible for people to access these songs, and to demonstrate what has always been available. Michael's entire catalog is simply too grand in magnitude and in a state of constant expansion to really consider everything. People refer to Thriller all the time, and say it's the only good thing he did, when they really have no clue what came before and after, and have never bothered to find out. This is what those people have been missing, right under their noses, for thirty years.

It's all for L.O.V.E.


Oh wait...what do we have here?

Do You Know Where Your Children Are? (12 O'Clock) (unreleased)

There are few words that could describe a song as amazing as this. Its story is heartbreaking tale about a young girl who runs away from her sexually abusive family only to face being a victim of human trafficking and child prostitution. Yeah. But it is probably one of the most infectious melodies Michael has ever written, and became an instant favorite among many die-hard fans. Everything about the song is so simple, but it's an instant, bumpin' repeat. This song is being included as a "bonus," again, after the whole drama of the posthumous album Michael, and some very smart and kind soul in the Jackson camp somewhere thought to kindly not only leak the entire album, but this song with it. Such a shame it wasn't on the album, and with the viral explosion it had on the internet after it was leaked in November, will probably never be on any release after. Please let me know if you'd like a better copy, the sound in the YouTube clip leaves much to be desired. I love to share this song!