So I don't mean songs like Who Is It or Morphine, that get a lot of love inside the community rather than outside. But I mean songs that we rarely discuss.
For me, it's:
Off The Wall - Burn This Disco Out
Just yet another Rod Temperton funky piece of wonder and a perfect album closer for the album.
Thriller - Lady In My Life
Ok, it's hard to get an under-rated song from Thriller as I guess we've discussed them all to death, but this may well be MJ's sexiest song to date (is he saying 'I wanna give you one' near the end?). The full version released by Rod a few years ago brought even more joy & pleasure. I was also going to plump for 'The Girl Is Mine', as that doesn't get enough love
Bad - Speed Demon
I just typed & retyped Liberian Girl then came down on the side of Speed Demon, (actually now I've chosen that phrase, good job I didn't choose the other!). Speed Demon may be Bad's funkiest number. One of those MJ tracks that shouldn't work but it does. On paper it's nothing, but I reckon Mike just had that incessant hook in his head & just knew that it would work. Love the way it segues into LG also.
Dangerous - Keep The Faith
Or Gone Too Soon. Both are just brilliant. Although KTF suffers a little from it's synthesised 80s production (the only track on the album that is very similar to Bad), I adore the lyric, sentiment, melody & of course the vocal delivery. 'Dust of your butt & get your self-respect back'. Love it. Wish he'd have done a MITM/KTF live medley.
HIStory - Little Susie
Why don't you all love this? It's a masterpiece. Admittedly in these days of playlists, shuffle, streaming & instant gratification with music - a two and a half minute introduction can be hard to justify. But reward yourself by giving some time to it. I've written this about it before & I stand by it.
The sounds of a young girl opening a music box and singing along to the tune fill two minutes before the powerful chords of 'Sunrise Sunset' come in. You have been introduced to 'Little Susie'. Take a trip down her life as you hear a song different to anything Michael has done before. It is an ode to a girl killed by neglect. Hauntingly beautiful, lyrically & vocally, the song stands out as a masterclass in songwriting. I've spoken about Michael's diversity before but quite how an album can have songs as dissimilar as They Don't Care About Us, Earth Song and Little Susie on it make me shake my head in wonder.
Invincible - Whatever Happens
Okay, maybe not fully neglected by fans, I nearly went for You Are My Life as I like that also, but plumped for this.
The best Michael Jackson single that never was. Whatever Happens is a collaboration with Carlos Santana, two 8 times Grammy winners putting together a piece of genius. This is one of the tracks that would have torn up people's preconceptions of what a Michael Jackson song is. Just when they thought they heard everything he had to offer and the best was over, this song should have hit the airwaves. A Latin tinged R&B medium paced tune with little nods here and there to Jackson's previous work "He's working day & night", this could have started a new wave of hysteria. With a different song could have come an equally different video that was toned down, restrained by fabulous in its genius. Vocally it's awesome, like most Michael tracks, especially when he cuts loose at the end with the ad-libs.
For me, it's:
Off The Wall - Burn This Disco Out
Just yet another Rod Temperton funky piece of wonder and a perfect album closer for the album.
Thriller - Lady In My Life
Ok, it's hard to get an under-rated song from Thriller as I guess we've discussed them all to death, but this may well be MJ's sexiest song to date (is he saying 'I wanna give you one' near the end?). The full version released by Rod a few years ago brought even more joy & pleasure. I was also going to plump for 'The Girl Is Mine', as that doesn't get enough love
Bad - Speed Demon
I just typed & retyped Liberian Girl then came down on the side of Speed Demon, (actually now I've chosen that phrase, good job I didn't choose the other!). Speed Demon may be Bad's funkiest number. One of those MJ tracks that shouldn't work but it does. On paper it's nothing, but I reckon Mike just had that incessant hook in his head & just knew that it would work. Love the way it segues into LG also.
Dangerous - Keep The Faith
Or Gone Too Soon. Both are just brilliant. Although KTF suffers a little from it's synthesised 80s production (the only track on the album that is very similar to Bad), I adore the lyric, sentiment, melody & of course the vocal delivery. 'Dust of your butt & get your self-respect back'. Love it. Wish he'd have done a MITM/KTF live medley.
HIStory - Little Susie
Why don't you all love this? It's a masterpiece. Admittedly in these days of playlists, shuffle, streaming & instant gratification with music - a two and a half minute introduction can be hard to justify. But reward yourself by giving some time to it. I've written this about it before & I stand by it.
The sounds of a young girl opening a music box and singing along to the tune fill two minutes before the powerful chords of 'Sunrise Sunset' come in. You have been introduced to 'Little Susie'. Take a trip down her life as you hear a song different to anything Michael has done before. It is an ode to a girl killed by neglect. Hauntingly beautiful, lyrically & vocally, the song stands out as a masterclass in songwriting. I've spoken about Michael's diversity before but quite how an album can have songs as dissimilar as They Don't Care About Us, Earth Song and Little Susie on it make me shake my head in wonder.
Invincible - Whatever Happens
Okay, maybe not fully neglected by fans, I nearly went for You Are My Life as I like that also, but plumped for this.
The best Michael Jackson single that never was. Whatever Happens is a collaboration with Carlos Santana, two 8 times Grammy winners putting together a piece of genius. This is one of the tracks that would have torn up people's preconceptions of what a Michael Jackson song is. Just when they thought they heard everything he had to offer and the best was over, this song should have hit the airwaves. A Latin tinged R&B medium paced tune with little nods here and there to Jackson's previous work "He's working day & night", this could have started a new wave of hysteria. With a different song could have come an equally different video that was toned down, restrained by fabulous in its genius. Vocally it's awesome, like most Michael tracks, especially when he cuts loose at the end with the ad-libs.