Michael Jackson's Cinematic Songs

[DJs_Doodles]

What is, in your opinion, the most cinematic sounding songs in Michael Jackson's discography?

As most of already know, Michael combined music and film into his creative endeavors, even having plans to direct his own movies one day and abandon the music world entirely in favor of film. As for his music alone, I've noticed just how much of it sounds straight out of a movie/musical soundtrack. Here are some of the most notable ones (for me, anyways):

1. Got To Be There
2. Maria (You Were the Only One)
3. Ben (This was already part of a movie soundtrack, which makes it make sense.)
4. In Our Small Way
5. Greatest Show on Earth
6. Almost every song from the "Music and Me" album (Which was also mostly based off of numbers from musicals.)
7. One Day in Your Life
8. You Are There
9. Dapper Dan
10. Workin' Day and Night
11. Can You Feel It
12. She's Out of My Life
13. This Place Hotel (Heartbreak Hotel)
14. I'm In Love Again (w/ Minnie Riperton)
15. Goin' Back to Alabama (A Kenny Rogers song he sang backing vocals on.)
16. Just Friends (A duet with Carole Bayer Sager.)
17. The Girl Is Mine
18. Thriller
19. Carousel
20. Someone in the Dark (A song made for the obscure "E.T. Storybook.")
21. Almost every song on "Bad" (including Price of Fame, Al Capone, and I'm So Blue)
22. Heal the World
23. Will You Be There
24. Keep the Faith
25. Gone Too Soon
26. Earth Song
27. Stranger in Moscow
28. Childhood
29. History
30. Little Susie / Pie Jesu
31. Smile
32. Ghosts / Is It Scary (Part of the soundtrack to "Ghosts.")
33. You Are My Life
34. Cry
35. The Lost Children
36. Whatever Happens
37. Threatened
38. Farewell My Summer Love
39. When I Come of Age
40. If'n I Was God
41. Best of Joy / The Toy
42. Blue Gangsta
43. Do You Know Where Your Children Are
44. All In Your Name (w/ Barry Gibb)
45. A Place With No Name
46. Mind is The Magic

This is quite a lot and I do intend to make a playlist with these songs one day, to give a more cinematic Michael Jackson experience. Do you agree/disagree with any of these? Which songs would you include?

 

[Agonum]

What is, in your opinion, the most cinematic sounding songs in Michael Jackson's discography?

As most of already know, Michael combined music and film into his creative endeavors, even having plans to direct his own movies one day and abandon the music world entirely in favor of film. As for his music alone, I've noticed just how much of it sounds straight out of a movie/musical soundtrack. Here are some of the most notable ones (for me, anyways):

1. Got To Be There
2. Maria (You Were the Only One)
3. Ben (This was already part of a movie soundtrack, which makes it make sense.)
4. In Our Small Way
5. Greatest Show on Earth
6. Almost every song from the "Music and Me" album (Which was also mostly based off of numbers from musicals.)
7. One Day in Your Life
8. You Are There
9. Dapper Dan
10. Workin' Day and Night
11. Can You Feel It
12. She's Out of My Life
13. This Place Hotel (Heartbreak Hotel)
14. I'm In Love Again (w/ Minnie Riperton)
15. Goin' Back to Alabama (A Kenny Rogers song he sang backing vocals on.)
16. Just Friends (A duet with Carole Bayer Sager.)
17. The Girl Is Mine
18. Thriller
19. Carousel
20. Someone in the Dark (A song made for the obscure "E.T. Storybook.")
21. Almost every song on "Bad" (including Price of Fame, Al Capone, and I'm So Blue)
22. Heal the World
23. Will You Be There
24. Keep the Faith
25. Gone Too Soon
26. Earth Song
27. Stranger in Moscow
28. Childhood
29. History
30. Little Susie / Pie Jesu
31. Smile
32. Ghosts / Is It Scary (Part of the soundtrack to "Ghosts.")
33. You Are My Life
34. Cry
35. The Lost Children
36. Whatever Happens
37. Threatened
38. Farewell My Summer Love
39. When I Come of Age
40. If'n I Was God
41. Best of Joy / The Toy
42. Blue Gangsta
43. Do You Know Where Your Children Are
44. All In Your Name (w/ Barry Gibb)
45. A Place With No Name
46. Mind is The Magic

This is quite a lot and I do intend to make a playlist with these songs one day, to give a more cinematic Michael Jackson experience. Do you agree/disagree with any of these? Which songs would you include?

Is there a reason for the exclusion of The Jackson Five and The Jacksons? I see a grand total of one song of theirs in your list.

You’ve made a fine selection. I would perhaps add (in no particular order) Xscape, Speechless, For All Time, Dream Away, Monkey Business, Much Too Soon, and Sunset Driver. And then a whole bunch of J5 and Jacksons songs.

 

[filmandmusic]

For All Time is the climatic ending of a romcom imo

 

[DJs_Doodles]

Is there a reason for the exclusion of The Jackson Five and The Jacksons? I see a grand total of one song of theirs in your list.

I have thought about it, but I mostly wanted to focus on songs that are Michael's solo songs + more little-known collaborations. And I just couldn't resist adding Can You Feel It to the list. But now that you mention it, one day, I'll go through the discography of the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons and add some to my playlist as well.

 

[Agonum]

Tell Me I’m Not Dreaming (with Jermaine), Eaten Alive (Diana Ross), and Torture (Jacksons) belong in the list. And Muscles (Mrs Ross again). Maybe Centipede (Rebbie) as well. And Somebody’s Watching Me (Rockwell).

 

[DJs_Doodles]

Here is the Spotify playlist I have made with most of MJ's cinematic songs (I say "most of" as not every song I wanted to add is available on Spotify). I have also added extra songs suggested by your replies.

Enjoy!

 

[Saka21]

Maybe I'm weird, when I listen to We're Almost There I always think of old romantic movies, it would fit nicely in a scene of a couple with just the music in the background and no dialogue at all

 

[DJs_Doodles]

Maybe I'm weird, when I listen to We're Almost There I always think of old romantic movies, it would fit nicely in a scene of a couple with just the music in the background and no dialogue at all

Good choice. A lot of Michael's Motown solo songs (Music and Me songs in particular) do have a cinematic feel to them, don't they?

I've added this song to the playlist.

 

[StarlightXX]

There were definately a lot of cinematic songs on HIStory, given that Michael wanted to make a powerful album with a strong message and utilised Hollywood strings.

I Just Can't Stop Loving You from Bad is cinematic, in a Disneyesque way. I also like how the key changes during the chorus, and Michael worked on the key changes in Will You Be There and You Are Not Alone.