originally wrote a detailed response covering Michael's entire output as a solo artist, but it didn't post for some reason.
here are the adult years:
'off the wall' - 'girlfriend' (sounds more like an immoral j5 song, along the lines of 'mama's pearl'), 'get on the floor' and 'burn this disco out' (musically I find them to be overwhelming and they have a dark energy due to the deep vocals and somewhat reckless lyrics), 'she's out of my life' - (works better as a live performance for me. slow..)
'thriller' - 'baby be mine' (lyrics are too ordinary and michael's voice sounds strained. the back beat is too similar to 'rock with you' - even down to the intro. there are certain sounds that prevent it from being the smooth groove it wants to be. I don't think it warrants the pitch shift) 'lady in my life' (despite the beautiful vocal, there's a lingering sadness I can't quite put my finger on. such a downer for the closing song. slow too..)
*note* I rarely venture beyond this point, as Michael's music became darker and angrier - to the point that it traumatised me. however, I have the experience to discuss these albums.
'bad' - 'bad' (contradicts the peaceful message of 'beat it' both lyrically and visually. I think Michael gave into the pressure from the media and his management to appear as edgy as his peers. his art was already compelling without that. he may have sacrificed his good role model status as a result). 'dirty Diana'...
'dangerous' - 'jam', 'why you wanna trip on me', 'in the closet', 'she drives me wild', 'dangerous', 'who is it', 'give into me', and 'keep the faith'.
it's difficult to hear Michael beneath the low, clenched teeth growls and yells. so little joy! there's a way to be groovy without being dark and industrial.
'history' - 'scream', 'they don't care about us', 'this time around', 'd.s', 'money', 'tabloid junkie', '2bad' (understandable meltdowns in response to a terrible situation. by right, they should not exist) 'history' and 'little Susie' (overblown productions with more focus on long intros and audio clips than actual songs. disjointed listens). 'come together' (a cover recorded over 10 years ago..)
'blood on the dancefloor' - tracks 1-5 (outtakes from previous albums and projects. not new by any means. again, full of misery. I prefer a few of the house remixes.
'invincible' - I only really like 'you rock my world' and 'butterflies'. the darker elements from the past are still present here. however, it's largely slow and forgettable.