The Blog
Michael Jackson Lore
Sourced, long-form articles about Michael Jackson's records, performances and career: how the songs were made, how they charted, and why they still hold up. Written and fact-checked by Jordan Hale.
October 30, 2026 · 4 min read · Performance
Michael Jackson Captain EO: Disney’s 1986 Musical Space Adventure
Captain EO was a 3D Disney attraction film starring Jackson, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and executive-produced by George Lucas.
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October 30, 2026 · 4 min read · Performance
Michael Jackson Remember the Time: Cast, Director and Story
John Singleton’s Egyptian-set short film pairs Jackson with Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson in a story built around a royal court and a dance escape.
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October 29, 2026 · 4 min read · Albums
Michael Jackson Blood on the Dance Floor: The 1997 Song, Teddy Riley Credits and Remix-Album Distinction
The title song is an original Jackson–Riley recording, while its parent album combines five new-to-album tracks with eight HIStory remixes.
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October 29, 2026 · 4 min read · Guide
Michael Jackson Movies: The Wiz, Moonwalker and This Is It
Jackson plays a fictional character in The Wiz, anchors a musical fantasy collection in Moonwalker and appears in rehearsal footage in This Is It.
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October 28, 2026 · 3 min read · Reference
Michael Jackson Who Is It: Bill Bottrell’s Production Credit and the Song’s Layered Structure
A credits-first explanation of Who Is It, its extended album arrangement and the difference between original production and later remixes.
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October 28, 2026 · 3 min read · Music history
Michael Jackson Stranger in Moscow: Brad Buxer’s Creation Account and the Sound of Isolation
An attributed account of the song’s development, its place on HIStory and the musical devices behind its restrained atmosphere.
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October 27, 2026 · 3 min read · Music history
Michael Jackson P.Y.T.: James Ingram’s NPR Recollection and the Separate Demo
Why the released P.Y.T. belongs to James Ingram and Quincy Jones, and why Jackson’s earlier demo should not be treated as the same composition sped up.
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October 27, 2026 · 3 min read · Reference
Michael Jackson Liberian Girl: Letta Mbulu’s Swahili Voice and Caiphus Semenya’s Arrangement
Identify the opening voice, distinguish Swahili from the song’s Liberian setting, and explore the credited arrangement.
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October 26, 2026 · 3 min read · Reference
Michael Jackson Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough: Writing Credits and the Instruments Driving the Groove
A track-specific account of Jackson’s songwriting, percussion role, falsetto vocals and the credited rhythm section.
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October 26, 2026 · 3 min read · Music history
Michael Jackson Beat It: Eddie Van Halen’s Solo Versus Steve Lukather’s Rhythm Guitar
Separate the famous guest solo from the riff, rhythm guitar and bass work that support this rock-and-pop crossover.
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October 25, 2026 · 3 min read · Reference
Michael Jackson's Last Song: What Does 'Last' Actually Mean?
Last album, last new single, later release and final recording session are different questions. Invincible, One More Chance, This Is It and Best of Joy need separate labels.
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October 25, 2026 · 3 min read · Music history
Michael Jackson Rock with You: Rod Temperton’s Credits and the 1979 Laser-Lit Video
Who wrote Rock with You, who played on it, and how its 1979 Bruce Gowers video differs from its later online upload.
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October 24, 2026 · 3 min read · Music history
Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney: The Songs They Recorded Together
The Girl Is Mine, Say Say Say and The Man are the three original joint recordings. Their release order differs from their recording history.
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October 24, 2026 · 3 min read · Music history
Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder: Just Good Friends and Get It
Their two 1987 album duets belong to different catalogues: Just Good Friends on Bad and Get It on Wonder's Characters.
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October 23, 2026 · 3 min read · Music history
Who Wrote Human Nature?
Steve Porcaro and John Bettis wrote Human Nature. Jackson's official credits distinguish their composition from his vocals and the track's arrangement.
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October 23, 2026 · 3 min read · Music history
Who Wrote Man in the Mirror?
Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard wrote Man in the Mirror. Their accounts reveal how an outside composition became a defining Jackson performance.
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October 22, 2026 · 3 min read · Music history
What Was Michael Jackson's First Song?
Big Boy was the Jackson 5's debut single; I Want You Back launched their Motown singles; Got to Be There was Jackson's first solo single.
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October 22, 2026 · 3 min read · Reference
How Many Songs Did Michael Jackson Write?
There is no definitive single total. The Songwriters Hall of Fame says more than 150, but a reliable count must define what it includes.
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October 21, 2026 · 4 min read · Reference
Michael Jackson Movie: What Michael Is and Who Stars in It
Michael is a dramatized biographical film, not a documentary. Here are its verified lead performers, creative credits and connection to Jackson’s early career.
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October 21, 2026 · 3 min read · Reference
Did Michael Jackson Write His Own Songs?
Yes. Michael Jackson wrote songs alone and with collaborators, while also recording major songs by other writers. The credits explain the distinction.
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September 30, 2026 · 3 min read · Guide
Michael Jackson Songs: Where to Start Listening by Mood
Six albums, more than a hundred songs. If you are new to Michael Jackson's music, or only know the big hits, this guide suggests where to start depending on what you like, with three tracks per album beyond the obvious singles.
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September 30, 2026 · 4 min read · Guide
How the MJ Era Quiz Works: Questions, Scoring and What Your Result Means
A transparent explanation of our quiz: why there are six eras, how each answer is scored, how ties are broken, why the result is for fun rather than a psychological test, and how we chose the personality traits for each era.
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September 30, 2026 · 4 min read · Reference
Every Michael Jackson Hot 100 Number One, 1972 to 1995
A reference list of the thirteen singles credited to Michael Jackson as a solo artist that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, with the album each came from, the weeks it spent at the top, and a note on what makes each one work.
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April 12, 2025 · 3 min read · Music history
Era Guide: This Is It and the Chapter That Never Happened
In March 2009 Michael Jackson announced a run of concerts at London's O2 Arena. He passed away before the first show. What was planned, what the rehearsal film shows, and what has been released since.
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April 2, 2025 · 3 min read · Albums
Invincible (2001): The Cost, the Conflict and the Music
Invincible was Michael Jackson's last studio album released in his lifetime. It debuted at number one, was reported to be one of the most expensive albums ever recorded, and was caught in a public dispute with his label. Here is what is on the record.
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March 24, 2025 · 3 min read · Reference
The Night Michael Won Eight Grammys: February 28, 1984
At the 26th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Michael Jackson won eight awards in one night, a record later tied by Santana. The full list, what each award was for, and the context of that year.
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March 18, 2025 · 3 min read · Performance
Super Bowl XXVII: The 1993 Halftime Show That Changed the Format
Before 1993 the Super Bowl halftime show was mostly marching bands and themed revues. Michael Jackson's performance at the Rose Bowl turned it into a showcase for the biggest star in music, and set the model the NFL still uses.
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March 10, 2025 · 4 min read · Guide
Why Michael Jackson's Music Still Matters in 2026
More than four decades after Thriller, Michael Jackson's records remain part of everyday listening. We look at the concrete reasons: songwriting, production, dance and video, and how newer artists still borrow from them.
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March 4, 2025 · 3 min read · Music history
Neverland Ranch: What It Was, and What It Became
Michael Jackson bought a California ranch in 1988 and named it after Peter Pan's island. A factual history of the property: what was built there, how it was used, and what happened to it after he left.
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February 26, 2025 · 3 min read · Albums
Dangerous: How Teddy Riley and New Jack Swing Rebuilt Michael's Sound
For his first album without Quincy Jones, Jackson hired the producer behind new jack swing. How Dangerous was made, what its singles did, and why many fans now rank it among his best records.
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February 20, 2025 · 4 min read · Music history
Before Off the Wall: The Jackson 5 Motown Years
From Gary, Indiana to four consecutive number-one singles in 1970: how the Jackson 5 were signed, who wrote their hits, why they left Motown, and what those years taught the future solo star.
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February 15, 2025 · 4 min read · Performance
Smooth Criminal and the Physics of the 45-Degree Lean
The Smooth Criminal lean looks impossible because, for an unassisted human body, it is. How the illusion was done on film, how a patented shoe made it possible on stage, and what a 2018 medical paper said about it.
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February 10, 2025 · 4 min read · Music history
Earth Song and the HIStory World Tour
Earth Song took years to complete, topped the UK chart over Christmas 1995, and became the emotional centrepiece of Jackson's last full world tour. How it was made, how it was staged, and why it was never a US single.
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February 4, 2025 · 4 min read · Performance
Black or White: Inside the 1991 Global Video Premiere
In November 1991 the Black or White short film premiered on several US networks and in many other countries on the same evening. How the song was made, what the video's morphing effect did, and why its final minutes caused an argument.
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January 30, 2025 · 4 min read · Albums
Off the Wall: The Album That Made Michael an Adult Artist
Released in August 1979, Off the Wall was Michael Jackson's first solo album for Epic and the start of his work with Quincy Jones. A track-by-track look at how it was built, how it charted, and why it is still the easiest way into his music.
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January 26, 2025 · 4 min read · Performance
Michael Jackson Thriller Music Video: Cast, Director and Making of the Film
A horror-film director, a werewolf make-up artist, a choreographer from Broadway and a documentary deal that paid the bills: how the Thriller short film was made, and why it became the first music video in the National Film Registry.
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January 22, 2025 · 4 min read · Music history
Michael Jackson Billie Jean: The Story Behind the Bassline
How a song Michael Jackson worked out in his head became Thriller's defining single: the arrangement, the arguments over the intro, the mix, the video, and what the record changed at MTV.
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January 18, 2025 · 4 min read · Performance
Five Looks That Defined the Bad Era on Stage and Screen
Buckles, a white suit, a military jacket and a single glove: a practical look at five Bad-era outfits, what they were designed to do in a stadium or on camera, and where you can see each one.
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January 14, 2025 · 5 min read · Music history
Quincy Jones & Michael Jackson: Inside the Thriller Sound
Three albums, one engineer, and a team of session players: how Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and Bruce Swedien built Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad, and what their working method changed about pop records.
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January 10, 2025 · 5 min read · Performance
Michael Jackson Moonwalk: The Motown 25 Performance and Its Origins
Taped in Pasadena on March 25, 1983 and broadcast on NBC that May, a four-minute Billie Jean performance introduced the moonwalk to a mass audience. Here is what actually happened, where the move came from, and why it landed so hard.
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