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Songs whose brilliance STILL stuns you?

AlwaysThere

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I was listening to “Earth Song” a few minutes ago, for the first time in a while, and I was struck by how brilliant that song is. The vocal performance, the production, the arrangements, the chorus melody… I’ve heard it a million times over the years, and I still find myself in awe.

Same goes with “Black or White.” That was the song that got me into MJ in the first place, and I still think it’s among the best examples of genre-bending in pop music. It jumps from one to the other without ever sounding messy or jumbled.

What about you all? What songs, no matter how many times you may have heard them, still leave you surprised?
 
You are not alone. It was one of the first songs I heard at the start of my Michael journey. I still love the way it starts and builds up higher and higher towards the end.
 
Earth Song is certainly a true masterpiece of pop music, if it can even be considered pop music. I completely agree with you on that. It is one of those songs that wouldn't work if it wasn't done by Michael Jackson. Absolutely phenomenal!

Another one which does it for me is Liberian Girl. Such a beautiful soundscape and those harmonies...man! It can certainly be defined as a sonic fantasy, to use the words of the late great Bruce Swedien.

Keep The Faith is so underrated! The last 2 minutes of that song give me goosebumps. Especially when it's just Michael and the choir singing.

Another one would be We've Had Enough. Such a timeless song and message.

To be quite frank, there are so many songs which Michael did, that are absolutely incredible. It is very hard to pick.
 
dethorro said:
Earth Song is certainly a true masterpiece of pop music, if it can even be considered pop music. I completely agree with you on that. It is one of those songs that wouldn't work if it wasn't done by Michael Jackson. Absolutely phenomenal!

Another one which does it for me is Liberian Girl. Such a beautiful soundscape and those harmonies...man! It can certainly be defined as a sonic fantasy, to use the words of the late great Bruce Swedien.

Keep The Faith is so underrated! The last 2 minutes of that song give me goosebumps. Especially when it's just Michael and the choir singing.

Another one would be We've Had Enough. Such a timeless song and message.

To be quite frank, there are so many songs which Michael did, that are absolutely incredible. It is very hard to pick.
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Agree, Earth Song still gives me goose bumps as the first time i've heard it. I've heard of MJ songs so much in my life that I don't get the "first time I heard it" feeling, but for some reason Earth Song is the exception. I feel transported to another dimension when I hear it.

One of the reasons why I can guess is because, it was the very last song he rehearsed in the late/early hours of 24th/25th. Also the topic of the song being a much relevant topic to this very day.

His vocals are stunning and quite frankly out of this universe.
 
When I was a kid I never heard anything like “will you be there” before. i have talked about my first experience with this song on the radio and how it left me a ten year old in tears on the sofa before In other threads.
The combination of the ever ascending choir with Michael’s empathic singing on top of it released a lot of emotions in me.
When the song reaches its climax it all comes down to a lengthy piano outro which then evolves in a very emotional spoken outro. Back then I did not really understand the words but I felt it either way. It came in hard and tears started to flow.
It was quite a shock to me as I was this kid that loved action movies to find myself sobbing over a song. I never heard anything like it and I haven’t ever since.

For Earth Song I had a somewhat similar experience, I first heard it while waiting in the car when my mother was buying groceries in 1995. Suddenly the host announced Michael’s new song, this was usually enough for me to get goosebumps on my arms and then this song starts and it doesn’t sound like any other song you hear on the radio normally. It didn’t make me cry but I distinctly remember thinking “how awesome is this song”. I went from being restless and annoyed because I wanted to be home to complete calmness and being completely awe inspired by a song which almost broke the volume level of the car radio (I did turn it up to the max). I remember thinking about the songs for the next few days, I couldn’t wait to her it a again.

It was such an exciting time to be a fan because Michael often moved away from pure pop songs after Bad and you were never quite sure what was to come. It felt like many people were really anticipating his music “ what will he come up with now” both in songs as in music videos. He was not a pop artist anymore but in my opinion a guy who expanded minds. Many of these tracks are not radio friendly yet they got heavy rotation. This period somehow culminated with the 1996 performance on the world music awards. At this moment in time Michael almost didn’t feel like a singer anymore but more as a deity. The pure chaotic screaming mayhem in the small arena and other celebrities all looking at MJ performing with eyes of wonder, disbelief and some even in shock both negatively and positively, it was totally unseen.
When Michael was huge in the 80s he never quite reached this level of otherworldliness (I mean this in a positive groundbreaking way) than he did in mid the 1990s.

It’s great that Michael was able to release songs like WYBT and ES and to have them played on the radio. It opened me up as I realized not all songs had the same build up and structure.

I had over the years lots of emotional moments with his music but WYBT was the first and most powerful one. Other songs with a big impact on my soul were heal the world, one day in your life, ben, they don’t care about us, childhood, Too Young, Music and me, Maria ( you were the only one), be not always, scared of the moon, Is It Scary and someone in the dark (this track is my all time favorite MJ song and morbidly the one I want played at my funeral lol)
 
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Little Susie. When I first heard the song, I was stunned. It was a departure from his previous songs. It was totally different. The classic orchestral feel, the haunting lyrics, the impeccable vocal delivery, Little Susie never fails to amaze me.
 
Good thread idea mate

Don't Stop Til' You Get Enough, he was 20 when he wrote and co-produced this masterpiece. That blows my mind.

Billie Jean, sometimes I think I've heard and watched MJ perform this song so much it doesn't impress as much now. Then I listen to it with headphones and it just gets me like I've never heard it before in my life. The funk, the rhythm, those fraught vocals. Phenomenal

Smooth Criminal. My favourite song, whenever I hear it I get that same thrill as I did the first time. The production in this song is mind blowing, its like 4 minute movie. The only thing that outshines the production is the vocals

Will You Be There. It's astonishing how emotional and uplifting this song is. I'm glad MJ didn't do lots of songs like this because it makes it so much special. You really feel MJ's soul in this one


I could write about more songs but I don't want to hog the whole thread
 
Nite Line said:
Little Susie. When I first heard the song, I was stunned. It was a departure from his previous songs. It was totally different. The classic orchestral feel, the haunting lyrics, the impeccable vocal delivery, Little Susie never fails to amaze me.
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Want to hear something kinda cool? I teach college and we just started a new semester. This past week my students were working individually on something and one of them asked me what music I'm currently obsessed with. And I was like well all things Michael Jackson, of course. Three students in this one class freaked out with excitement, but one of them in particular was like screaming with happiness lol. She was freaking out and going on and on about Michael. So I asked her what her current favorite MJ song is and she said Little Susie! I was so excited because it's not at all what I expected. But she just went off about how it's such an incredible and beautiful song. It made me so happy to hear a deep cut like that getting some love!
 
Will You Be There is a work of art. The full album version especially just takes my breath away. Just... Wow! Nearly eight minutes of emotionally touching perfection.

Honestly the entire Dangerous album, to me, is Michael's masterpiece. Yes Smooth Criminal is my favorite song, but the Dangerous album... Taken as an entire work, it's just extremely strong all the way through. His strongest, in my opinion.

Speaking of Smooth Criminal, though... Yes! The rhythm, the one-of-a-kind lyrics, the vocals... It makes you wanna dance, but then you actually stop and listen and you go, "...wait, what kinda lyrics am I actually even dancing to??" Lol! But that's what makes it so good, and my personal favorite. Plus it's just a pop classic in general.

And speaking of murder ballads... Little Susie. It's so unlike anything else Michael has done, and... I'd have loved more like it! It's breathtaking, heartbreaking, tragic... Goodness, now I wish the classical album had actually happened... Ugh. Excuse me while I cry. No, the lyrics don't help either.

Earth Song. This song is special to me. It was my introduction to Michael when I was a little girl, and also one of his most conscious songs. Everything about it is just... Solid all the way through, and continuously relevant. But the fact that the song that introduced me to Michael was also the very last one he rehearsed... It feels like a bookend to me, it's almost like my own personal poem. It all ended where it started.

Human Nature. This song is also special to me because of singing lessons, which I sadly no longer take. I wasn't even an active Michael fan yet at the time, though I did respect him. Either way, this song is simply a masterpiece both lyrically and musically, and it calms me when I'm upset.

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'. Yes! The rhythm, the vocals, the African choir... Honestly I think it might very well be one of Michael's earliest "works of art". My favorite off Thriller together with the aforementioned Human Nature.

Stranger In Moscow. Other than being fantastic both musically and lyrically, I can also relate to it... That feeling of loneliness, man I feel that, and always have.

She's Out Of My Life. For the record, I love the entirety of Off The Wall to bits (another of Michael's finest, in my opinion), but I wanted to mention this song solely for Michael's vocal delivery. It would've been a fairly standard (although by no means bad) song if dung by anyone else, but the way Michael sings it lifts it to a whole other level. It's also a nice break from all the (fantastic, mind!) grooving on the rest of the album, haha.

For All Time. I'm so glad we got this song during Michael's lifetime. Thriller 25 was worth it for that alone. There's just something about it that touches my heart... it's hard to describe. Despite being "Thriller-esque" it was actually recorded during the Dangerous sessions, maybe that has something to do with it? The quality of that album rubbing off? Lol! 😂

Morphine. Goodness, that song's intense. It mostly goes hard, but then turns into something more ballad-like, like a rhapsody, only to pick up again. The ballad part sounds soothing at first, but then you realize how scary the lyrics actually are. And then you remember what song you're listening to. Yes, good morning to you too.

Is It Scary. Let's just say I feel attacked, lol. Also the music is just fantastic, especially during the chorus.

Let's go all the way back. Ben! Yes it's about a rat, I don't care. It's still a very touching song sung wonderfully by a certain very talented little boy. And comparing the original with the adult live performance... Ahh, I just love doing that!

There's so much more... So, so much. I could write an entire essay, perhaps even ten of them, but I'm currently battling insomnia (what's new) and should go to bed already. Someone kick me please! 🤣
 
I honestly could go on and on about his songs all being masterpieces in their own right lol. For me lately, it's been Will You Be There, You Are Not Alone, and Earth Song. Due to the fact of the longevity-like brilliance and flow of the power his voice brings to these lyrics still blows me away.
 
There’s something about “Heartbreak Hotel” that does it for me everytime that I hear it. The opening chords, the music, the lyrics, Michael’s voice. I’ve always thought this was an underrated Masterpiece. “Lady In My Life” gives me chills everytime I hear him sing it. The most beautiful and sexy ballad ever, IMO.
 
Who Is It
The Lady in My Life
Liberian Girl
This Place Hotel / Heartbreak Hotel ACAPELLA 🙏
Is It Scary
Little Susie

I almost never listen to Earth Song, it's a really special song. I prefer watching the video when I want to hear the song. :giggle:
 
Not sure of the scope of the question... Almost all songs from Off The Wall to HIStory are masterpieces... I rarely listen to them now because I know them, but any time I'll listen to them I think they are masterpiece... Then it depends how often you would listen to them. Even the few songs that I'm not necessarily fond of are masterpieces.
If I had to pick some weakest ones I'd say Girlfriend, and D.S. , though both are OK songs in their own way. Regarding Invincible I'm not so sure... I'm sure the weak one for me would be 2.000 watts

In a different register, it seems that I can't get bored of Little Christmas Tree.
 
I could agree with al lot of the above... but I have to mention Money. That track never ceases to amaze me. It's the combination of Michael almost narrating the verses, like it's spoken word... (some people call it rap, but I am not sure that's the right way to describe it), combined with incredible layered harmonies (especially at the end). I can listen to that for hours. It's a brilliant song.
 
I agree with Money - it's a great song. I really love that song. - HIStory has so many amazing songs. Incredible album.

If you remove the long intro I really like the song History too.
 
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