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Is Man in the Mirror the best song of all time?

IhateTheMedia

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What's the common ground on this? He has so many incredible songs, it's hard to decide which one is the best. But my heart says this one is so damn special, it has to be the best.
 
When he died there were a couple of songs that got more attention than the rest and man in the mirror got the most, not just by airplay but also by downloads.
That is a sign of the song being very good and well respected.

My countries radio stations hold best songs of all time post each year and MITM is always part of the list. So yes apparently it is up there, ot just for the fans but also for the wider public.

It most definitely is one of his top 5 signature solo songs together with billie jean, thriller, beat it and smooth criminal
 
Keep in mind that songs which were not written or co-written by Michael Jackson are not really appreciated by his fans as his best songs.

In any case, the 'Man In The Mirror' song deserved a better music video than this hotchpotch of various major, global news events and very famous/prominent people.
 
mj_frenzy said:
Keep in mind that songs which were not written or co-written by Michael Jackson are not really appreciated by his fans as his best songs.

In any case, the 'Man In The Mirror' song deserved a better music video than this hotchpotch of various major, global news events and very famous/prominent people.
Click to expand...
Watch Moonwalker then. You don't have to think while listening to music that way.
 
filmandmusic said:
When he died there were a couple of songs that got more attention than the rest and man in the mirror got the most, not just by airplay but also by downloads.
That is a sign of the song being very good and well respected.
Click to expand...
In the UK there was a campaign to get it to #1 in the download chart, but it failed. I guess that's the problem - there were too many MJ songs, instead of just being one or two. There was nothing to focus on, nothing obvious. I guess MJ doesn't really have a signature song (perhaps Billie Jean or Thriller).

filmandmusic said:
My countries radio stations hold best songs of all time post each year and MITM is always part of the list.
Click to expand...
In the UK there are at least 3 lists like this, and what I was gonna say was that MITM is never up there. Imagine, Bohemian Rhapsody and people like Whitney, Clapton and George Micheal are usually in the top 10.
 
mj_frenzy said:
Keep in mind that songs which were not written or co-written by Michael Jackson are not really appreciated by his fans as his best songs.

In any case, the 'Man In The Mirror' song deserved a better music video than this hotchpotch of various major, global news events and very famous/prominent people.
Click to expand...
Michael Jackson fans are strange obsessed weirdos if they can't appreciate songs written for Michael by other artists then.... I don't believe that's the case at all.

Rock with you, Off the wall, Human Nature , Man in the mirror , Thriller to name a few are some of his best or most iconic tracks.
 
the lyrics are one of the best American social criticism lyrics ever. I think only "In The Ghetto" tops it
 

Rock Records With a Cause: 40 Charity Singles​

15. "Man in the Mirror," Michael Jackson (1988)

Michael Jackson's charitable work continued in the '80s with "Man in the Mirror," the proceeds from which were donated to Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, a program for children suffering from cancer. Jackson would go on to found an entire charitable organization of his own called Heal the World, also dedicated to improving the lives of children around the world.
ultimateclassicrock.com

Rock Records With a Cause: 40 Charity Singles

A list of 40 charity singles released to benefit various causes.
ultimateclassicrock.com ultimateclassicrock.com
 
IhateTheMedia said:
What's the common ground on this? He has so many incredible songs, it's hard to decide which one is the best. But my heart says this one is so damn special, it has to be the best.
Click to expand...
His best song is definately BJ, and there are the reasons:
1. He wrote it all alone
2. It's his signature song
3. Best choreography
4. Best outfit
 
Man in the Mirror is a song. from the best discography of all time.
 
Annita said:
lol
Click to expand...
What's funny about that? He doesn't. Billie Jean is about as close as it gets. But there are so many songs that everybody says something different.

Even with the Jackson 5 it's hard to pick. Most would say I Want You Back, but there is a strong case for both ABC and I'll Be There.

laconcombremasque said:
Two good background stories on writing the song for MJ (interviews of the composer, Glen Ballard) :

https://www.songwritingmagazine.co....ichael-jackson-man-in-the-mirror-glen-ballard

https://www.stereogum.com/1832759/q...rror-his-other-classic-recordings/interviews/
Click to expand...
Thank you. Really enjoyed those.
 
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Ok I think we have to consider the following songs and I will add my reasoning with them

- Beat It. Nominated for its timeless message and the perfect fusion of pop, dance and rock. Michael’s vocal delivery is fast and ferocious and he made the world know here he was way more versatile as a singer than we all thought.
- Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough. Nominated because of the incredible layers in this song. This is wrongly labelled as just another disco track as in my opinion it elevates disco to the level of pure art. The strings, the percussion, the bass and everything else combined is orgasmic. Michael’s singing is again unparalleled and he surprised the world again that he could sing falsetto just as good as Marvin Gaye
- Billie Jean. Nominated because it is absolutely iconic in its simplicity which makes it genius. I think the strongest point besides the perfectly layered musical build up are the lyrics which are partly metaphorical. It also features one of his most visionary lines “cause the lie becomes the truth” It’s an exciting topic.
I also think it is here Michael perfected his vocal tics and it just adds extra salt and pepper to an already special song.
But perhaps it is even more remembered for its live performances and that is not quite relevant regarding the topic because we are talking about the song here.
- Wanna Be Startin Something. Nominated because of the enigmatic nature of the lyrics. It goes on about themes and topics he would revisited time and time again but never did he write as clever about it as he did here. I also love the added layer of name checking billie jean in here too. Michael really had a creative spin going while writing in this era. When you think the song is losing its momentum he comes up with an addictive African chant which turns the song into an anthem. It’s wild!
 
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