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

"Man in the Mirror"

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Jackson's catalog is so deep that people tend to overlook this simple midtempo ballad from Bad. But beyond offering a fleeting glimpse of autobiography ("I'm starting with the man in the mirror/ I'm asking him to change his ways"), it's one of Jackson's most powerful vocals and accessible social statements, not to mention the best-ever use of a gospel choir in a pop song.

See pictures of Michael Jackson's famous friends at LIFE.com.

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