The selection of the lead singles

[mj_frenzy]

Generally speaking, a lead single is not considered (always) the best track on an album. Many times it has to do with the record company rather than the singer himself, & as a result of that, a lot of other parameters/circumstances must be taken into account right before its release.

Regarding MJ, I think he really had the final word also on that matter, so I believe the selection of the lead singles was not exclusively a matter of the marketing/promoting policy. Also, I am not going to explain the selection of his lead singles at great length (for obvious reasons), but I will only try to comment on these songs in a nutshell:

‘Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough’:

MJ introduced himself as a solo artist in the most emphatic manner. I think the falsetto is exactly what made this song sound iconic while its relentless percussion (once hearing it) seems to stick into your head forever. Also, I wish MJ had incorporated its intro into his shows (as he did in 1995 during his ‘Video Music Awards’ performance).

Needless to say, I have no option but to agree with that decision.

‘The Girl Is Mine’:

I think that ‘The Girl Is Mine’ was among his weakest songs he has ever recorded & this collaboration for me never made sense. Also, when it comes to duets/featured artists, I think, for the most part, MJ deserved much better collaborators.

Regarding this album, the selection of the singles (& especially the timing of their releases) was done in a rather unorthodox way, so the choice of ‘The Girl Is Mine’ (as the lead single) probably should not surprise me.

‘I Just Can't Stop Loving You’:

There is no doubt this song was not the best track on the ‘Bad’ album. In fact, it is not even on the same level with the other, far superior ballad of that album (‘Liberian Girl&#8217. The meaningless, spoken intro sounded totally out of place & hopefully they realised that rather early & removed it.

It seems that MJ had a weakness for this specific ballad, so I suppose the decision to be released as the first single made a lot of sense.

‘Black Or White’:

Surprisingly, this time a global themed song (accompanied with a global oriented music video) was chosen to be released as the first single.

This lead single was (thematically) very different from the previous, three singles &, in my opinion they did the right thing in regard to that matter. In many respects, ‘Dangerous’ was a totally different project &, as such, it had to be treated/promoted not in the ordinary way.

‘Scream’:

I have always regarded this album as a musical therapy for MJ rather than a way to dominate the charts (or surpass his previous albums in terms of sales).

In this spirit, I think the selection of ‘Scream’ was the best possible choice. Not only is this song (musically) very strong, but also its release (as a lead single) had a symbolic role. In other words, the fact that Janet contributed (vocally) to this song & conveyed its serious (personal) message along with her brother emphasized the amount of support that MJ received from his family during that period.

‘You Rock My World’:

This song was not the best track on that album, but at the same time I firmly believe that it was the safest choice as a lead single. It was a radio-friendly song (lyrically & musically), it has a decent basic, rhythmic groove, but undoubtedly failed to live up to the anticipation & change the course of the music (as his previous songs did effectively in the past).

Finally, I have to admit that it really annoyed me that the first word he uttered (on his most anticipated lead single) had to do with the name of a producer (‘Darkchild&#8217. I can understand that it was regarded (back then) as a way of a ‘sonic signature’ that was widely being used by Rodney Jerkins on the songs he produced, but from that point onwards MJ seemed to follow the trend (instead of being the trendsetter).

 

[Euan]

MJ deserved much better collaborators.

I'm interested who you think would be suitable?

Interesting read. Thanks

 

[Bringing Brighter Days]

The Girl Is Mine was vintage MJ......that was a awesome song, the chemistry between MJ and Paul McCartney was bonafide magic....

when that song hit, young guys were saying on the daily, "I'm a lover, not a fighter"....

great songs w/great word play, a song that was radio friendly, that appeal to music listeners of all ages, something for men and women

#1 R&B, #2 POP

 

[Themidwestcowboy]

The Girl Is Mine was vintage MJ......that was a awesome song, the chemistry between MJ and Paul McCartney was bonafide magic....

when that song hit, young guys were saying on the daily, "I'm a lover, not a fighter"....

great songs w/great word play, a song that was radio friendly, that appeal to music listeners of all ages, something for men and women

#1 R&B, #2 POP

Thank you. Finally we agree on something. The Girl Is Mine is one of my fav MJ songs. MJ + Paul = Gold. They made amazing music together.

This is a good thread Frenzy! I'll go in to depth and contribute with more later.

 

[Euan]

MJ + Paul = Gold. They made amazing music together.

Your absolutely right, Say Say Say is also a great song.

Interested to see what the new remix is like!

 

[barbee0715]

‘I Just Can't Stop Loving You’:

There is no doubt this song was not the best track on the ‘Bad’ album. In fact, it is not even on the same level with the other, far superior ballad of that album (‘Liberian Girl’). The meaningless, spoken intro sounded totally out of place & hopefully they realised that rather early & removed it.

It seems that MJ had a weakness for this specific ballad, so I suppose the decision to be released as the first single made a lot of sense.

I have a weakness for this ballad myself, so I was extremely happy that it was the first single. It's both gorgeous and romantic.

‘You Rock My World’:

This song was not the best track on that album, but at the same time I firmly believe that it was the safest choice as a lead single. It was a radio-friendly song (lyrically & musically), it has a decent basic, rhythmic groove, but undoubtedly failed to live up to the anticipation & change the course of the music (as his previous songs did effectively in the past).

Finally, I have to admit that it really annoyed me that the first word he uttered (on his most anticipated lead single) had to do with the name of a producer (‘Darkchild’). I can understand that it was regarded (back then) as a way of a ‘sonic signature’ that was widely being used by Rodney Jerkins on the songs he produced, but from that point onwards MJ seemed to follow the trend (instead of being the trendsetter).

I don't care for the "Darkchild" intro, but the song itself was perfect to come back on the scene with-

The Girl Is Mine was vintage MJ......that was a awesome song, the chemistry between MJ and Paul McCartney was bonafide magic....

when that song hit, young guys were saying on the daily, "I'm a lover, not a fighter"....

great songs w/great word play, a song that was radio friendly, that appeal to music listeners of all ages, something for men and women

#1 R&B, #2 POP

AGREED!! A great song and they're great together.

 

[Doggone]

The Girl Is Mine and, especially, Scream deserved to be #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Scream has a strong message, great choreography and a nice a duet with his sister. It should have received more credit. I love the song.

Don't understand why people don't like the spoken intro on IJCSLY. I LOVE IT! How should have sticked with it and shouldn't have removed it from the single version.

 

[JM77]

Excited for new remixes - hyped up for the Say Say Say 2015 remix!

 

[mj_frenzy]

I'm interested who you think would be suitable?

Interesting read. Thanks

This is a good thread Frenzy! I'll go in to depth and contribute with more later.

Thanks for your nice comments!

Generally, I am not really a fan of duets because I think many prerequisites have to be fulfilled for a really successful result.

In regard to your question, I wish MJ had collaborated vocally with (some of) the following female singers, for example:

- Amii Stewart
- Aaliyah
- Monica Denise Brown
- Vanessa Williams
- Andrea Jane Corr (The Corrs)
- Cheryl ‘Coko’ Clemons (SWV)
- Rozonda Ocelean "Chilli" Thomas (TLC)
- Belinda Carlisle

(the above list is not in priority order)

 

[Tony R]

Thanks for your nice comments!

Generally, I am not really a fan of duets because I think many prerequisites have to be fulfilled for a really successful result.

In regard to your question, I wish MJ had collaborated vocally with (some of) the following female singers, for example:

- Amii Stewart
- Aaliyah
- Monica Denise Brown
- Vanessa Williams
- Andrea Jane Corr (The Corrs)
- Cheryl ‘Coko’ Clemons (SWV)
- Rozonda Ocelean "Chilli" Thomas (TLC)
- Belinda Carlisle

(the above list is not in priority order)

You're just listing your favourite it seems. MJ plus Belinda Carlisle is laughable.

The reason TGIM as lead single for Thriller is explained in Moonwalk.

Such a high profile duet needed releasing first before it got played to death on radio, thus overshadowing the obvious first single of Billie Jean whilst taking the magic of it when it finally was released.

 

[Gatesy2006]

I liked YRMW as the lead single at the time, but looking back on it now I hate it, MJ supposedly didn't want it as the lead single either and wanted Unbreakable.

BOW and Scream are great choices for lead singles.

 

[Spaceship]

I definitely feel that starting with Thriller, Michael had a hobby of picking out "safe" songs to be the lead singles to his albums. "The Girl Is Mine", "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Black or White", "Scream" and "You Rock My World" were all by no means "bad", but musically, I wouldn't consider them to be groundbreaking at all.

This is actually what a lot of artists do, and that's perfectly fine. A lead single doesn't have to be groundbreaking; it's just supposed to be something that gets people talking. All of Michael's lead singles succeeded in this regard.

 

[mj_frenzy]

You're just listing your favourite it seems. MJ plus Belinda Carlisle is laughable.

The reason TGIM as lead single for Thriller is explained in Moonwalk.

Such a high profile duet needed releasing first before it got played to death on radio, thus overshadowing the obvious first single of Billie Jean whilst taking the magic of it when it finally was released.

Honestly, your constant inability to express a personal opinion (regarding the topic of the threads) does not surprise me at all.

Also, the fact that you come always into threads using such comments (in an effort I suppose to gain some attention) is not only laughable but also extremely amusing, & also does not surprise me at all.

Bear in mind that you are not obliged to comment on each & every one thread.

Finally, what is written on ‘Moonwalk’ is known for years &, obviously I did not wait to learn that from you today.

I liked YRMW as the lead single at the time, but looking back on it now I hate it, MJ supposedly didn't want it as the lead single either and wanted Unbreakable.

BOW and Scream are great choices for lead singles.

I doubt if ‘Unbreakable’ (as the lead single) would have change for the better the course of events during that time.

Also, I agree with you about these two lead singles (‘Black Or White’, ‘Scream&#8217.

I definitely feel that starting with Thriller, Michael had a hobby of picking out "safe" songs to be the lead singles to his albums. "The Girl Is Mine", "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Black or White", "Scream" and "You Rock My World" were all by no means "bad", but musically, I wouldn't consider them to be groundbreaking at all.

This is actually what a lot of artists do, and that's perfectly fine. A lead single doesn't have to be groundbreaking; it's just supposed to be something that gets people talking. All of Michael's lead singles succeeded in this regard.

This is a really interesting aspect behind the selection of the lead singles &, in my opinion it is not only perfectly fine but also commercially wise.

 

[JM77]

Thanks for your nice comments!

Generally, I am not really a fan of duets because I think many prerequisites have to be fulfilled for a really successful result.

In regard to your question, I wish MJ had collaborated vocally with (some of) the following female singers, for example:

- Amii Stewart
- Aaliyah
- Monica Denise Brown
- Vanessa Williams
- Andrea Jane Corr (The Corrs)
- Cheryl ‘Coko’ Clemons (SWV)
- Rozonda Ocelean "Chilli" Thomas (TLC)
- Belinda Carlisle

(the above list is not in priority order)

I wish he had collaborated with them all too personally I think if Chilli ever had collaborated with MJ, she would have wanted much more than that - she was practically in love with MJ <3 Watch this video clip: [video=youtube;V5g_dBhajQc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5g_dBhajQc[/video]

 

[MAQ]

Imo his choices for lead singles in the 90s' albums and Invincible and Off the Wall were much better than in the 80s.

I also agree with mj_frenzy over TGIM. To this day, I have listened to that song only, maybe, 4 or 5 times. It's so damn slow paced and somewhat cheesy - no other mj song has that much cheesiness (other than maybe Baby Be Mine and that spoken intro of YRMW).

 

[HIStoric]

Don't understand why people don't like the spoken intro on IJCSLY. I LOVE IT! How should have sticked with it and shouldn't have removed it from the single version.

I dunno, I always found it... a bit... uncomfortable really.

 

[Doggone]

I liked YRMW as the lead single at the time, but looking back on it now I hate it, MJ supposedly didn't want it as the lead single either and wanted Unbreakable.

BOW and Scream are great choices for lead singles.

In my opinion, Black or White shouldn't have been the lead single. It should have been Remember The Time. Black or White was meant to be a successful single. It would have been #1 all over the world no matter what. It's a great song. Remember The Time could have been #1 too if it was released as the lead single. People would have been all hyped up about a new MJ song, bringing it to #1.

 

[Themidwestcowboy]

In my opinion, Black or White shouldn't have been the lead single. It should have been Remember The Time. Black or White was meant to be a successful single. It would have been #1 all over the world no matter what. It's a great song. Remember The Time could have been #1 too if it was released as the lead single. People would have been all hyped up about a new MJ song, bringing it to #1.

Black or white was a perfect crossover song and was the perfect single. Not only was it well received in America but around the world. It became a global anthem and it carried an important message. Remember the time is a great song but I doubt it would have been a global smash the way BoW was.

 

[Doggone]

Black or white was a perfect crossover song and was the perfect single. Not only was it well received in America but around the world. It became a global anthem and it carried an important message. Remember the time is a great song but I doubt it would have been a global smash the way BoW was.

That's what I'm saying. Black or White was meant to be a successful song. It would have carried the same message and it would have received the same positive reviews and it would have been a global anthem if Michael didn't pick BoW as the lead single. BoW didn't become a global anthem because of it was chosen as the lead single, it was meant to be. That's why Remember The Time should have been the lead single. Everyone would have been hyped and make Remember The Time even a bigger commercial success/a new number one.

 

[MAQ]

In my opinion, Black or White shouldn't have been the lead single. It should have been Remember The Time. Black or White was meant to be a successful single. It would have been #1 all over the world no matter what. It's a great song. Remember The Time could have been #1 too if it was released as the lead single. People would have been all hyped up about a new MJ song, bringing it to #1.

You have a point...

 

[DuranDuran]

The Girl Is Mine

People wondering why The Girl Is Mine was first, during that time soft rock & adult contemporary was a big thing on the Top 40 during the early 1980s before MTV hit big and those acts lost popularity. Like Air Supply and Christopher Cross. Country music crossed over to pop radio more too because of Urban Cowboy. There was less overly R&Bish music played on pop stations after the disco demolition riot. A lot of what was called disco was really late 1970s R&B and funk, and R&B got lumped in the 'disco sucks' backlash and many Top 40 stations would avoid playing it and soft rock and Journey/Boston/Styx/Bob Seger type rock took over. Paul was still popular then too and The Girl Is Mine fit with the other stuff on Top 40 like Sheena Easton, Olivia Newton John, Al Jarreau, and Melissa Manchester. Dionne Warwick had a pop comeback with a Barry Manilow produced album. Paul McCartney had some R&B hits during that time with Coming Up & Ebony And Ivory. Ebony And Ivory was a adult contemporary style song not that different from The Girl Is Mine.

 

[mj_frenzy]

I wish he had collaborated with them all too personally I think if Chilli ever had collaborated with MJ, she would have wanted much more than that - she was practically in love with MJ

I agree, ‘Chilli’ always showed her great admiration for MJ.

That's what I'm saying. Black or White was meant to be a successful song. It would have carried the same message and it would have received the same positive reviews and it would have been a global anthem if Michael didn't pick BoW as the lead single. BoW didn't become a global anthem because of it was chosen as the lead single, it was meant to be. That's why Remember The Time should have been the lead single. Everyone would have been hyped and make Remember The Time even a bigger commercial success/a new number one.

I think a few other parameters should be taken into account regarding the choice of ‘Black or White’ as the lead single, for example:

In retrospect, it seems that the huge controversy (which the full version of the music video brought on) was the result of a very careful, strategic plan that meant to boost (as it did) the sales of that album.

Additionally, there is no doubt that ‘Black or White’ was destined to be a successful song & it would have put the same message across regardless of the timing of its release. But you should take into account that it was also a matter of priorities regarding the path they wanted to follow with that album. In other words, the global theme of the album needed a lead single that would have set the pace & reinforced (from the very start) the seriousness of its message(s).

In short, ‘Black or White’ as a lead single took by storm the worldwide charts &, from a marketing perspective, it served the album’s purpose to a tee.

Finally, I think that Black or White’ was far better than ‘Remember the Time’, not only musically but also lyrically. As a matter of fact, ‘Remember the Time’ was not among his best new jack swing tracks, that’s why it still amazes me that it got an official release prior to far superior (new jack swing) singles, like ‘In the closet’ & ‘Jam’.

 

[Themidwestcowboy]

That's what I'm saying. Black or White was meant to be a successful song. It would have carried the same message and it would have received the same positive reviews and it would have been a global anthem if Michael didn't pick BoW as the lead single. BoW didn't become a global anthem because of it was chosen as the lead single, it was meant to be. That's why Remember The Time should have been the lead single. Everyone would have been hyped and make Remember The Time even a bigger commercial success/a new number one.

Oh I see where you're coming from. You raise valid points.

 

[KOPV]

I remember hearing a few times that it was a tactic to release a song that was not the strongest THAN hit them with something unexpected after. I think that was mentioned in the Thriller recordings??? I don't remember! but the same thing fallowed in Bad

 

[MAQ]

I remember hearing a few times that it was a tactic to release a song that was not the strongest THAN hit them with something unexpected after. I think that was mentioned in the Thriller recordings??? I don't remember! but the same thing fallowed in Bad

That's pretty clever.. However it could turn out to be a disaster. Like, what if the first single gets furiously degraded? By the people I mean - not the critics.

 

[mjprince1976]

I kind of agree mostly. I believe that for a dance or pop artist who does a wide mix of songs - dance, poppy melodies, ballads, rock and soulful dance songs like Michael, you need a song with all those ingredients to launch a project. Mostly he has reached it.

For Don't Stop, I totally agree, a very upbeat dance song, plus it has a very catchy melody and its a powerful in your face song. Plus the video would help sell it. there's a lot of top notch material on Off the Wall, yet this is the best song. Possible other first singles would be Workin Night and Day, which is also a catchy song and has a get on the floor feel (Could have been a 3rd single too). Rock with you as well, but that was single #2 and became the second iconic number 1 for the adult Michael Jackson.

Agree too, about the Girl is Mine, right before Michael made his huge push, at a time, when Black and White music was still separate and the addition of an iconic white musician like Paul McCartney, ensured it would be a big hit (2) and it was a good if somewhat underwhelming start. At the time (November 1982), MTV still had a racist White musicians only videos and a lot of first rate Black music was not hitting like it should (After the Rock and Roll, Motown and Sexy Soul/Disco output of the 1955 - 1979) Black music had moved out of prominence and the 1979/82 era was a revival of ultra white rock and country and western type hits (Elvira, Love a Rainy night, 65 love affair/Queen of hearts etc). part of it could be played up with the anti disco backlash in which blacks and gays were blamed for polluting the mainstream with low quality disco music.

In my opinion a load of racist crap, the 1979/1982 period is comparable to the neo racism of now with many whites being openly racist against blacks and blaming Obamacare and Black Lives matter etc. So Billie Jean would have been a better 1st single, but may have not hit #1 if released in 1982 rather than early 1983.

In one of my Prince books, it mentions the video for Prince's 1999 was added to the MTV Playlist on December 16th 1982 and it was the first Black video played on the network after Warner Brothers and Columbia both threatened to pull all their artists videos from MTV unless it ended the colour bar. (MTV started in August 1981). Billie Jean was shipped to the channel on January 12 1983 and became very popular. Diana Ross and Lionel Richie videos were also added to the playlist. The effects were immediate with Michael hitting #1 with Billie Jean in March 1983, when sales of Thriller (0.8 million in March 1983) really took off selling 1 million copies in April 1983 and 2 million more in May (After Motown 25 was shown with Michael moonwalking), and Prince scored a #6 hit with Little Red Corvette. By the end of 1983, Thriller had sold 13 million copies and Princes 1999 released in October 1982 went from 200k in Jan 1983 to some 2.5 million.

So in this regard, Girl was a better single to drop and they had another duet #1 in December 1983 with Say, Say, Say.

Agree with Bad single "I just can't stop loving you", the smouldering ballad is so 1987, although I still think Bad may have been a great 1st single too as it has the instant epic feel to it. TWYMMF was not a good choice for 1st single as great as it is, its too MJ for some casual listeners. A part of me says that maybe Smooth Criminal may have been a great lead off single, for its sheer danceability.

I think Black or White may have been a good choice, but it hit more for its controversy with the video than the song. I really think Give in To Me and Remember the Time may have been better 1st singles, with Jam a good choice too. In fact had Jam been released earlier with a NBL tie in,it would have gone #1.

Scream was not a good choice, its a good song, but not a good first single choice and is a bit too angry, the album could have been better started with You Are not Alone, a tender ballad, well written and offering a sincere and thankful Michael to the world. Plus it was bizarre for Michael to put out a song with the f word out let alone as a lead single and its the reason it was his first album starter not to hit #1. Contrast with You are Not Alone which was a well deserved #1 hit. By this time, the #1s were less assured and he never had any after this.

You Rock my world is not the best song on Invincible, but probably his most catchy on it and it has all the classic Dance Michael touches and the neo Smooth Criminal feel to it. To me my favourite song on it is Butterflies, which should have been the 1st single, even if it is a bit quiet and meek for a in your face instant hit. Still the nu soul feel may have roped someone in.

Well thats my opinions there.

 

[mjprince1976]

Thanks for your nice comments!

Generally, I am not really a fan of duets because I think many prerequisites have to be fulfilled for a really successful result.

In regard to your question, I wish MJ had collaborated vocally with (some of) the following female singers, for example:

- Amii Stewart
- Aaliyah
- Monica Denise Brown
- Vanessa Williams
- Andrea Jane Corr (The Corrs)
- Cheryl ‘Coko’ Clemons (SWV)
- Rozonda Ocelean "Chilli" Thomas (TLC)
- Belinda Carlisle

(the above list is not in priority order)

Great idea, or maybe even he had collaborated with some of Prince's Proteges

Sheila E
Vanity 6
Carmen Electra
Sheena Easton
Mayte

Imagine what the music would sound like?

 

[MAQ]

Scream was not a good choice, its a good song, but not a good first single choice and is a bit too angry, the album could have been better started with You Are not Alone, a tender ballad, well written and offering a sincere and thankful Michael to the world. Plus it was bizarre for Michael to put out a song with the f word out let alone as a lead single and its the reason it was his first album starter not to hit #1. Contrast with You are Not Alone which was a well deserved #1 hit. By this time, the #1s were less assured and he never had any after tthis

This is probably the first time I've heard someone downplay Scream's success. I'm not offended (why would I be?), just a little surprised.

It debuted at #5, the first single to debut on the chart that high and stayed in the top ten for 6 weeks. Keep in mind that during this time, Michael's reputation in the US - because of the bad press and tabloids and general negativity - was tarnished and being an MJ fan wasn't "cool" anymore. The entire HIStory album sold only between 3 and 4 million copies in the US while it sold more than 16 million copies internationally.

Plus, I think Michael did the right thing in not sugarcoating anything. That's probably the first time Michael did something out of pure emotion. Not saying that Scream doesn't have commercial potential - but the subject matter was much mature and it showcased MJ's emotions in a very powerful way. And that's what HIStory was about.

 

[DuranDuran]

Top 40

Black music had moved out of prominence and the 1979/82 era was a revival of ultra white rock and country and western type hits (Elvira, Love a Rainy night, 65 love affair/Queen of hearts etc).

I don't think that's entirely accurate. Some black performers still recieved Top 40 airplay during the early 1980s like Kool & The Gang, Stevie Wonder, George Benson, Commodores/Lionel Richie, Al Jarreau, Pointer Sisters, and Dionne Warwick. There was also airplay by white acts who made R&B like Hall & Oates and Michael McDonald. Teena Marie, another white act, did not get pop airplay probably because her music was too R&B/funk and not crossover style like Kool & The Gang or later Billy Ocean. She finally got a crossover hit with Lovergirl around 1984. A lot of the crossover like Al Jarreau had the many of same musicians as the Michael McDonald, which was called Westcoast which featured Jay Graydon and also members of Toto. Even Van Halen (Roth era) had some R&B elements, but they mostly got AOR airplay, not Top 40 until the 1984 album.

 

[DuranDuran]

Great idea, or maybe even he had collaborated with some of Prince's Proteges

I don't know about that, but Mike did have discussions with Kraftwerk in the mid 1980s about doing a collaboration, but they turned him down, like they have done with all such requests from other acts. They did not want to give their sound away was the reason. This was mentioned in a Kraftwerk biography book. John Taylor from Duran Duran mentioned in an interview once that Mike called them up to work with the group but there was scheduling conflicts, so nothing became of it.