Top 10 Michael Jackson Songs
From enlisting Eddie Van Halen for the guitar solo in "Beat It" to borrowing the now famous refrain "Mama-se, mama-sa, mama-coo-sa" from a Cameroonian saxophonist, Michael Jackson's very best songs drew from influences far and wide
"Beat It"
Jackson never got much credit for being a pioneer, but his melding of rock and R&B preceded the meeting of Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith by four years. Besides featuring one of the best guitar solos in pop history (provided free of charge by Eddie Van Halen, in a move his accountant no doubt regrets) it's the best example of Jackson's ability to bridge moods and genres. It's tense and spooky, it rocks, and yet you can't help but to dance to it. It's Jackson's best.
Watch TIME's video "Appreciating Michael Jackson, the Musician."
View the full list for "Top 10 Michael Jackson Songs"Latest Lists
Most Popular »
- Want to Boost Your Memory? Try Sleeping on It
- Dubai's Woes Are a Blow to Its Ambitious Ruler, Sheik Mo
- The '00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade from Hell
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- Amanda Knox Murder Trial Moves Toward a Climax
- 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' Muppet-Style
- The Women of Islam
- The Lesson of Dubai: The Crisis Is Not Over
- What's Wrong with Notre Dame Football?
- Colleges Fight Back Against Anonymous Gossip Sites
- Want to Boost Your Memory? Try Sleeping on It
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- The '00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade from Hell
- Dubai's Woes Are a Blow to Its Ambitious Ruler, Sheik Mo
- Will Private Equity Be the Next Meltdown?
- The Dark Side of Darwin's Legacy
- New Evidence That Early Therapy Helps Autistic Kids
- Wish Fulfillment? No. But Dreams Do Have Meaning
- Sex, Please, We're British: London's Erotica Expo
- Energizer Bunnies: Turning Rabbits into Green Fuel
RSS