Could have been the J5 (& MJ solo ) more successful if Berry Gordy had chosen better songs?

[Fuzball]

Could have been the J5 -respectively MJ solo- more successful if Berry Gordy had chosen and released better songs, especially after ABC?

For instance, had "If the shoe don't fit" (although not a favorite of mine) been released on "Maybe Tomorrow" it could have been easily the groups fifth number one hit.

IMO there are plenty other 'stronger' songs (then unreleased session outtakes) that could/should have been released on several J5/MJ solo albums, but for whatever reason Berry often chose to go with filler songs instead.

 

[JichaelMackson]

After "I'll be there" the string of hits continued both solo as for the J5 and even for Jermaine. But the novelty wears off, there's nothing Gordy could have done about it.
If the Beatles had continued being a band their string of top 10 hits would have stopped too eventually.

 

[Seldervi]

As a big Jackson 5 fan (especially for their 1972-1973 works), there are I few songs I honestly feel like should've been on their albums. One of these tracks is possibly the first song the J5 ever wrote (at least it's one of the first songs written by the group), written in 1972 & possibly recorded in the studio, called "Brand New Thing". Since Berry didn't want them writing their own songs, the song got the axe. A shorter version of the song was performed on TV for "Hellzapoppin" on March 1st, 1972, & a full version was performed in 1972 as the opening number of their "Third National Tour", & their "European Tour", along with being interpolated with the song "Goin' Back To Indiana".

Honestly this song could've worked wonderfully as an album opener, & is one of my favorite J5 tracks.

 

[DuranDuran]

What exactly is "filler"? The J5 albums weren't really any different than many Motown albums of that time period, or soul/R&B albums in general released then. It was common for R&B records of the 1960s & early 1970s had remakes of other songs. So were albums of other genres. The early Beatles & Rolling Stones records had lots of covers. Some jazz albums had instrumental versions of hit songs. Jazz singers also did a lot of the same songs. That's how certain songs became to be known as standards, such as Fever. Country records had remakes of soul & pop hits.

Anyway, getting a radio hit (then and now) usually has more to do with payola (at least in the USA), than the songs themselves. Being a big hit doesn't really mean much in the long run. There's many Top 10 songs that are long forgotten and do not get played today or very little. Like I never hear Gimmie Dat Ding by The Pipkins which was in the pop Top 10 the same time as The Love You Save by the J5. How many hits from the 1920s get a lot of play now? And like I mentioned in the P.Y.T. thread, there are songs that weren't big hits like Back In Black, Old Time Rock And Roll, Bad To The Bone, Isn't She Lovely, etc still get played today or get used in commercials, video games, and movies/TV shows.

 

[DuranDuran]

If the Beatles had continued being a band their string of top 10 hits would have stopped too eventually.

Paul McCartney continued to have hit singles until the early 1980s. So that is sort of the same thing. The J5 were more a teen idol group, which usually have a short time of popularity. Very few continue have success as an adult, or after their voice changes.

 

[NatureCriminal7896]

They was very very popular. as a group and when Michael and Jermaine went solo. well, Michael was more then Jermaine. like everyone saying they was a boyband. they was getting older and their fans was growing too and moving on with their lifes.

yes the band had adult fans but their target people were pre-teens and teenagers to add something kids could enjoy. like everyone saying having a song on 10 hits list means nothing. also all groups tend to break up because they get older and wanna do other things.

 

[NatureCriminal7896]

I liked them when they did covers. though I wish they did more unrelease songs. :\ either way like my last post said it wouldn't matter as of getting older etc.