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What songs should be in the biopic?

Really love the way you opened this thread with the magic that the biopic should encapsulate and I'm 100% here for it!!!
I've wondered quite a lot of times which songs I deem absolutely necessary for this biopic because as it probably will attract a lot of people outside the fandom, it could feel weird to them, hearing some rare deepcuts.
That being said, I hope they put in enough material out of each of his albums to really shine a light on his development as an artist. I definitely want some balance and hopefully not just a 2-3 hour loop of Billie Jean and Thriller...

Some songs - besides the classics - which would not only highlight his artistry but showcase his character would be:

1) Childhood !!!
2) Money
3) Tabloid Junkie
4) Unbreakable
5) Will You Be There (Pretty positive this one will be in it, since it is still a very popular and well known song especially outside the US)
6) Is It scary
7) What More Can I Give (maybe even show his love for singing in spanish)

Even if we hear some songs for only a few second while he's recording them in the studio, it would at least put them in some sort of spotlight and they would also most certainly land on that soundtrack playlist :)
 
UMJKtF said:
I've wondered quite a lot of times which songs I deem absolutely necessary for this biopic because as it probably will attract a lot of people outside the fandom, it could feel weird to them, hearing some rare deepcuts
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Exactly. You can imagine how panned the movie would be if it was full of stuff like Streetwalker and Chicago, lol. Everybody would just be confused. It would be a huge wasted opportunity.

UMJKtF said:
That being said, I hope they put in enough material out of each of his albums to really shine a light on his development as an artist. I definitely want some balance and hopefully not just a 2-3 hour loop of Billie Jean and Thriller...
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I would imagine 2-3 songs from each album.

I wonder how much Motown stuff there will be, or whether they will pretend that he was born at 20 years old.

But you're right, we all know what Thriller sounds like, we don't need it taking up 6 minutes in the movie.
 
I said this earlier in the year but I would bet Dreams Away is in the biopic and I'd guess it'll play over the credits. The lyrics are just too perfectly matched for the biopic to not be used
 
I don't know about "should," but I Want You Back, ABC, I'll Be There, Billie Jean, Thriller and Man in the Mirror are gonna be there 100%
 
i Hope many songs from dangerous, History and invincible albums.
 
Something like this I would love. Obviously there will be very few (if any) songs played in full. Most will just be short snippets as well as instrumentals.

ABC
I want you back
The love you save
Music and Me
One Day In Your Life
Can you feel it
Blame it on the boogie
Heartbreak Hotel
Don't Stop Till You Get Enough
Rock With You
Off The Wall
Wanna Be Starting Somethin
Thriller
Beat it
Billie Jean
Human Nature
Bad
Smooth Criminal
I just Can't Stop Loving You
Man In The Mirror
Black or White
Heal The World
Will You Be There
Someone Put Your Hand Out
Scream
Stranger in Moscow
Earth Song
Childhood
Smile
Blood On The Dance Floor
You Rock My World
For All Time
 
Do you know what kind of scene in the biopic would be cool? When Q decides on the tracklist for Bad and then all the songs from the sessions are played briefly and some of the outtakes are then used as a soundtrack.
 
R1chard said:
I wonder how much Motown stuff there will be, or whether they will pretend that he was born at 20 years old.
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Now that's a question I haven't thought about at all...
I could imagine them speed running through the motown era with a montage of songs like I Want You Back and I'll Be There - Moonwalker style - and then really starting with the story around the writing process of Off The Wall.
Yet, I also see them using up a good 15-20 minutes to showcase Michaels upbringing and his relationship with his siblings as well as the abuse he suffered from Joe of course...

God, I just hope they thought about the pacing thoroughly because the wrong focus on the wrong subject for too long could ruin the experience for a lot of average movie goers.
Michael really lived like 5 different lifes during his 50 years on this earth, so doing his legacy justice in just 2-3 hours sounds like an awfully difficult task to execute.
 
Who Is It
Stranger in Moscow
Morphine
Is it Scary
Those are my bids for now
 
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Hot_Street said:
these are essential:

I Want You Back
ABC
The Love You Save
I'll Be There
Ben
Dancing Machine
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That would be my pick too, but I would just add to that list "Who's Loving You" recorded live in Indiana, just because those are the most impressive vocals ever recorded by baby Michael and no song can better show to the audience the level of talent that little boy had! "Music and Me" would also be a great choice for the ending credits.
 
UMJKtF said:
Now that's a question I haven't thought about at all...
I could imagine them speed running through the motown era with a montage of songs like I Want You Back and I'll Be There - Moonwalker style - and then really starting with the story around the writing process of Off The Wall.
Yet, I also see them using up a good 15-20 minutes to showcase Michaels upbringing and his relationship with his siblings as well as the abuse he suffered from Joe of course...
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Hmm, yeah I wonder what will be the focus and mood. Probably can't go all-in on the pity angle.

UMJKtF said:
doing his legacy justice in just 2-3 hours sounds like an awfully difficult task to execute.
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I think 3 hours would put a lot of people off.

Hot_Street said:
these are essential:

I Want You Back
ABC
The Love You Save swap for Never Can Say Goodbye
I'll Be There
Ben
Dancing Machine swap for Doctor My Eyes or Lookin Through the Windows
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I'd change as above, maybe add Ain't No Sunshine and One Day in Your Life. Otherwise it just comes across as formulaic.

etoile 37 said:
"Music and Me" would also be a great choice for the ending credits.
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The Thriller musical actually starts with that songs, which I always found odd.
 
R1chard said:
I'd change as above, maybe add Ain't No Sunshine and One Day in Your Life. Otherwise it just comes across as formulaic.
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The Love You Save is more important:
“The Love You Save” displaced the Beatles’ last number one-single, “The Long and Winding Road.”
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medium.com

âThe Love You Saveâ: Remembering Jackson 5-Mania by Mark Anthony Neal

Often forgotten in remembrances of Michael Jacksonâs fame and infamy was the Jackson Fiveâs first full-blown national tourâââand theâ¦
medium.com medium.com
 
I guess I've just grown bored of The Love You Save because of hearing it way too much.

Also, that link is meaningless and doesn't make it "more important". In any case, it's better to go with what's a good song, and for reasons of balance in the movie (ie the right mix of slow and fast songs, or whatever).
 
I have a question that might be a bit off topic although still fitting: Is it sure that the original MJ Songs with Michaels voice are included? Or is it Jaafar singing MJs songs? (I really hope for the orginal songs, I have my problems to enjoy MJ songs sung by other people like in the musical or at cover shows)
 
mind&magic said:
I have a question that might be a bit off topic although still fitting: Is it sure that the original MJ Songs with Michaels voice are included? Or is it Jaafar singing MJs songs? (I really hope for the orginal songs, I have my problems to enjoy MJ songs sung by other people like in the musical or at cover shows)
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We don't know. I'm personally hoping they'll use Mj's voice as much as possible. I wouldn't enjoy it being Jaafar, either.
 
Just a quick thought from the last minute: The biopic should include all the songs that ever involved MJ. So people would stop ignoring 95+% of his discography. Doesn't matter if the biopic ends up 24h long of so, they just get attached to their seats until they finish listening to it all from Big Boy to Xscape (or Thriller 40 depending on how you order things). To be name "the full MJ experience".
 
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It depends what route they go down really

Hopefully they just use Michael's vocals throughout, if the biopic plays as a triumph rather than a tragedy, than they'll be more pop/radio friendly songs in it. Knowing the estate, they'll be very little music represented post Bad era.

I still think it'll end on a performance of Man In The Mirror and Dreams Away will play over the credits.
 
R1chard said:
I Want You Back
ABC
The Love You Save swap for Never Can Say Goodbye
I'll Be There
Ben
Dancing Machine swap for Doctor My Eyes or Lookin Through the Windows

I'd change as above, maybe add Ain't No Sunshine and One Day in Your Life. Otherwise it just comes across as formulaic.
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"The Love You Save" should be in there, because it was really a big deal that their first four songs went to number 1, but if they have time to add one more J5 song, then "Never Can Say Goodbye" should definitely be the one!

"Lookin' Through the Windows" is one of my favorite J5 songs, but "Dancing Machine" really is a must, the Robot dance move was Michael's first iconic dance move before the Moonwalk.
 
If it were up to me, I would put a lot of Motown songs in the biopic. But only a few songs have historical significance.
 
etoile 37 said:
"The Love You Save" should be in there, because it was really a big deal that their first four songs went to number 1
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But it's not a good song, and it also doesn't mean it would fit the movie. That's just not a good enough reason to fill the movie with filler.

Honestly, if it opened with those 4 songs it would make me think the whole thing was on autopilot.

If boasting about that achievement is so important to them, it's more economical just to start with I'll Be There and have the family celebrating that "this is our 4th #1!"

etoile 37 said:
"Dancing Machine" really is a must, the Robot dance move was Michael's first iconic dance move before the Moonwalk.
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It's barely known outside the USA. By that point in their career, Michael was focused on worldwide success, so Blame It on the Boogie, Shake Your Body and Can You Feel It would all tell the story better.
 
R1chard said:
But it's not a good song
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That's just your opinion. It's my favorite J5 song, so clearly we will have to disagree on that.

R1chard said:
Honestly, if it opened with those 4 songs it would make me think the whole thing was on autopilot.
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I doubt they would open with those four songs, surely they would want to show how hard the Jackson 5 had to work to get to Motown, so I would expect to see them doing some covers in talent shows, strip clubs, the Apollo Theater, etc.

R1chard said:
It's barely known outside the USA. By that point in their career, Michael was focused on worldwide success, so Blame It on the Boogie, Shake Your Body and Can You Feel It would all tell the story better.
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I'm gonna take a guess and say that "Dancing Machine" is not a song you like, am I right? For me, "Dancing Machine" is really iconic and I would really feel like something is missing if it wasn't included (and I say this as someone outside of the USA).
 
SmoothCriminal1995 said:
It depends what route they go down really

Hopefully they just use Michael's vocals throughout, if the biopic plays as a triumph rather than a tragedy, than they'll be more pop/radio friendly songs in it. Knowing the estate, they'll be very little music represented post Bad era.

I still think it'll end on a performance of Man In The Mirror and Dreams Away will play over the credits.
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That is my biggest wish as well as my biggest fear :cry:
 
Guys i know you all are excited for the movie but there's something u guys gotta realise is to cover everything and I mean EVERYTHING that Mike said and did in a movie is impossible there's not much tape length to record sooo much.
 
Given Mick Jagger's role, it's clear that State of Shock will be on the soundtrack. Who among you expected or hoped for that?
 
Can't say I expected it. Like, I have no idea - none of us have any idea how the movie will flow, what era they're going to focus on, what genre of song they'll be biased towards, what relationships they will bring out, etc. it's all completely unknown, so we don't know what the soundtrack will look like.
 
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