MY TOP 12 ALL TIME FAVORITE MICHAEL JACKSON SONGS

There was no way I was going to let the one-year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death pass without paying tribute to him in some way.

Like many of you, I have that where-were-you-when-you-found-out memory.

I was sitting Indian style in front of my TV, clenching my jaws and biting my nails, trying to ignore the indelible song in my heart that told me the King of Pop was indeed gone.

When the news was officially announced, I shed a few tears and pissed off more than a few of my neighbors by blasting my favorite MJ cuts until the wee hours of the morning.

To celebrate his music on the one-year anniversary of his death, I present to you my favorite 12 Michael Jackson songs of all time.

Putting this list together was no small feat. Asking me to name my favorite Michael Jackson songs is like asking Claire Huxtable which Cosby kid she liked the best.

But after several days of deliberation and many hours of head nodding and toe tapping, I was able to come up with a list I'm proud of.

You won't find "Thriller" here, the postmortem inspired juggernaut that became a pop culture phenomenon based on the groundbreaking video and Jackson's often copied but never dupilicated choreography. The song alone, however, just never did anything for me.

You also won't find any of Jackson's pre-teen work on the list. As tempted as I was to add some of my favorites...

Got To Be There



Never Can Say Goodbye



...they're technically Jackson 5 songs and not part of MJ's solo catalog.

So, without further ado...

My Top 12 All Time Favorite Michael Jackson Songs

12
Scream 

By this point in his life, Jackson had been to hell and back. He and his baby sister, Janet, give the world the finger in this aggressive, rock and roll, electric guitar-driven masterpiece - and I love every second of it.

"Tired of injustice, tired of the schemes/Kind of disgusted, so what does this mean/Kicking me down, I've got to get up/It's jacked as it sounds, the whole system sucks"

11
Remember The Time

Magic Johnson. Iman. Eddie Murphy. This John Singleton directed video was star-studded but no one was able to upstage Jackson's lyrical delivery in this Egyptian extravaganza where he croons and reminisces about an old love.

"Do you remember when we fell in love, We were young and innocent then/Do you remember how it all began, it just seemed like heaven so why did it end"

10
You Are Not Alone 

This sappy ballad written by R. Kelly pulls at my heart strings every. single. time. Jackson gives a voice to the internal thoughts of those mourning the loss of someone they loved dearly. It would go on to become his last number one single before his untimely death.

"Another day has gone/I'm still all alone/How could this be/You're not here with me/You never said goodbye/Someone tell me why did you have to go and leave my world so cold"

9
Butterflies

This love song (co-written by Marsha of Floetry) from Jackson's final studio album, Invincible, makes my heart melt into a syrupy mess. His falsetto game is top-notch as he sings to a woman who has sent his heart aflutter.

"I caress you, let you taste us, just so blissful listen/I would give you anything baby, just make my dreams come true/Oh baby you give me butterflies"


8
Off The Wall

On Friday afternoons, I like to bury my corporate alter-ego by playing the title track to Jackson's 1979 smash hit Off The Wall. Jackson begs us all to let our hair down in this ode to late night fun and debauchery. So, if I get into any hoshit on the weekends, blame Michael!

"So tonight gotta leave that 9to5 upon the shelf and just enjoy yourself/C'mon and groove and let the madness in the music get to you/Life aint so bad at all when you live it off the wall"

7
Human Nature

Jackson gives the cityscape a heartbeat and yearns to mingle with her in this laidback, mellow hit. His vulnerability is palpable and his soft delivery sounds like a cry for normalcy in a life that provided anything but.

"Get me out into the night time, four walls won't hold me tonight/If this town is just an apple, then let me take a bite"

6
 Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough

This song right here makes me wish I was born in the 70's just so I could have cut the rug under the strobe light in somebody's disco. I lose myself to this funky dance number the moment Jackson screams "Ooooh" and those horns start to blare.

"Touch me and I feel on fire/Aint nothing like a love desire/I'm melting like hot candle wax/Sensation lovely where we're at"

5
Billie Jean

I dare you - as a matter of fact - I double dare you to find a song with an iller bass line than "Billie Jean's." Jackson wasn't playing any Maury Povich paternity test games on this slick, mid-tempo second single from the greatest selling album of all time.

"Billie Jean is not my lover/She's just a girl who claims that I am the one/But the kid is not my son"

4
Man In The Mirror

Jackson was just as known for his philanthropic work as he was for his music. In this tearjerker, he demands that his fans stand up and make a change in the world, starting with themselves.

"As I turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat, this wind is blowing my mind/I see the kids in the street without enough to eat/Who am I to be blind, pretending not to see their needs"


3
Rock With You

Everyone has that one MJ song that takes them back to their childhood. This would be mine. I remember being a little boy at my god mother's house watching the grown folks smoke cigarettes, sip beer and two-step to this banger in the living room. Good times. Great Memories.

"Out on the floor, there aint nobody there but us/Girl when you dance, there's a magic that must be love"

2
The Lady In My Life

Remember true R&B? When it was less about making the neighbors know your name and more about expressing your love and feelings? This song is the epitome that. Jackson puts his heart on the line and gives us a classic slow jam in the process.

"I will keep you warm through the shadows of the night/Let me touch you with my love, I can make you feel so right"

1
P.Y.T. Pretty Young Thing

This song brightens up my mood every time I hear it.  And if you're throwing a function and want to get the party started, play this up-tempo classic and the crowd will have no choice but to hit the dance floor. The answer/call section in the bridge makes me squeal and reveal to the world just how much I love and miss Michael Jackson.

“Nothing can stop this burnin’ desire to be with you, gotta get to you baby/Won’t you come it’s emergency, cool my fire yearnin’ honey come set me free.”

Does my list make the grade?

Are all your favorites mentioned?

Or did I forget a few noteworthy classics?

What are your favorite Michael Jackson songs?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.