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"Billie Jean"
Song
B-side"It's the Falling in Love"/"Can't Get Outta the Rain"

"Billie Jean" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The track was written by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones for the singer's sixth solo album, Thriller (1982). Originally disliked by Jones, the track was almost removed from the album after he and Jackson fell out. The song's lyrics refer to a real life experience, in which a female fan claimed Jackson fathered one of her twins. The song rose to prominence through the distinctive bass line and Jackson's vocal hiccups. The dance-pop R&B song was mixed 91 times by Bruce Swedien before the final product was decided upon, and showcased Jackson's vocal range.

Following the successful chart performances of Thriller and "The Girl Is Mine", "Billie Jean" was released on January 3, 1983, as the album's second single. "Billie Jean" was a worldwide commercial and critical success; becoming one of the best-selling singles of 1983, and dominating the the US and UK charts simultaneously. Considered one of the most revolutionary songs in history, "Billie Jean" was certified platinum in 1989.

Honoured numerous times—including two Grammy Awards, one American Music Award and an induction into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame—the song and music video propelled the sales of Thriller, becoming the best-selling album of all time. The song was promoted with a groundbreaking video that broke down MTV's racial barrier, and an iconic performance on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, in which Jackson premiered the moonwalk. The song was also promoted through Jackson's Pepsi commercials; during the filming of one commercial, Jackson suffered severe burns to the scalp. Covered and sampled by modern artists, including a 2008 remix by Kanye West, "Billie Jean" sealed Jackson's status as an international pop icon.

Background

According to Jackson's autobiographer J. Randy Taraborrelli, "Billie Jean" was derived from a real life experience the singer faced in 1981. The Magic & The Madness documents how a young woman wrote a letter to Jackson, informing the singer that he was the father of one of her twins.[1][2] Jackson, who regularly received letters of this kind, had never met the woman and ignored it. The woman sent more letters to Jackson, claiming that she loved him and wanted to be with him. She wrote of how happy they would be, bringing up the child together. She pondered how Jackson could ignore his own flesh and blood. Due to the stress, the singer suffered from nightmares.[1]

Following the letters, Jackson received a parcel containing a photograph of the fan, as well as a letter and a gun. Jackson was horrified—the letter asked that the pop star kill himself on a certain day and at a specific time. The fan would do the same once she had killed their baby. She wrote that if they could not be together in this life, then they would be in the next. To his mother's dismay, Jackson had the photograph framed and hung above the dining room table. Afterward, the Jacksons discovered that the female fan had been sent to a mental asylum.[1]

Jackson stated in his autobiography, Moon Walk, that the song was based on the groupies he and his brothers encountered whilst part of The Jackson 5. "There never was a real Billie Jean. The girl in the song is a composite of people my brothers have been plagued with over the years. I could never understand how these girls could say they were carrying someone's child when it wasn't true."[3][4]

Recording

With his female fan in mind, Jackson wrote "Billie Jean", and Jackson later stated that when writing the song, he knew it would be a hit. "A musician knows hit material. Everything has to feel in place. It fulfills you and it makes you feel good. That’s how I felt about 'Billie Jean'. I knew it was going to be big when I was writing it". The singer explained that he was so absorbed by the song that, during one instance, he didn't notice that his car had caught fire as he drove down a freeway with a friend until a passing motorcyclist informed him. Jackson noted, "The kid probably saved our lives".[5][3]

The pop star faced numerous disagreements with the song's producer. Quincy Jones did not want "Billie Jean" to appear on Thriller; he felt that the song was too weak to be part of the collection.[1] The producer disliked the demo and didn't care for the song's bass.[6] Jones wanted to cut Jackson's 29 second introduction, which Jackson insisted be kept. "I said, 'Michael we’ve got to cut that intro'" Jones later recalled. "He said, 'But that’s the jelly!'...'That’s what makes me want to dance'. And when Michael Jackson tells you, 'That’s what makes me want to dance', well, the rest of us just have to shut up".[5] Jones also wanted to change the track's title to "Not My Lover", believing that people would think the song referred to the tennis player Billie Jean King. Jackson refused to change the title and asked Jones to give him co-producing credits for the track; he felt that the demo tape sounded exactly like the finished product. In addition, Jackson wanted extra royalties. Jones granted neither and the two fell out for a period of time.[1][6]

Having sorted their differences, Jones had Jackson sing his vocal overdubs through a six-foot-long cardboard tube.[5] Jackson's entire lead vocal was performed in one take; he had received vocal training every morning throughout the production.[4] Jazz saxophonist Tom Scott play the lyricon, a rare wind-controlled synthesizer. Bass guitarist Louis Johnson was then brought in. Johnson played his part on every guitar he owned, Jackson finally settling for a Yamaha bass.[5] Greg Phillinganes was also drafted in to play the keyboard. He later said of the song, ""Billie Jean" is hot on every level. It’s hot rhythmically. It’s hot sonically, because the instrumentation is so minimal, you can really hear everything. It’s hot melodically. It’s hot lyrically. It’s hot vocally. It affects you physically, emotionally, even spiritually".[5]

The song was mixed by Bruce Swedien ninety-one times; unusual for Swedien, who usually mixed a song once.[6] Jones had told Swedien to create a drum sound that no one had ever heard before. The mixer was also told to add a different element, "sonic personality". "What I ended up doing was building a drum platform and designing some special little things, like a bass drum cover and a flat piece of wood that goes between the snare and the hi-hat", Swedien later wrote. "The bottom line is that there aren't many pieces of music where you can hear the first three or four notes of the drums, and immediately tell what the piece of music is". He concludes, "But I think that is the case with 'Billie Jean'—and that I attribute to sonic personality".[5][6]

Composition

"Billie Jean"
"Billie Jean", written by Jackson, showcased the singer's vocal range. Laced with interjections and vocal hiccups, the song also features a prominent, repetitive, bass line.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Billie Jean" is considered a dance-pop R&B song. It opens with a drum beat; kick, snare and hi-hat, containing hardly any reverberation. The pattern continues unchanged throughout the entire song. After four bars, a repetitive bass line enters. It never rests for more than an eighth note and centers on a seventh. Each time it passes through the tonic the note is doubled by a distorted synth bass, played in unison with a shaker. This is followed by a repetitive three-note synth, played staccato with a deep reverb. The defining 1m-2m-flat-3-2m chord progression is then established. Jackson's quiet vocals enter, accompanied by a finger-snap, which comes and goes during the verses, as the rhythm and chord progression repeats.[4]

According to Inside the Hits, the lyrics refer to the commotion created by Billie Jean on a dance floor. She entices the crowd with a seductive come-on before luring Jackson to her bedroom, through the fragrance of her perfume. Jackson's vocal range spans from a high baritone to a falsetto and he usually writes melodies to show this range. In the verses of "Billie Jean", the singer's vocals range from a tenor to a low falsetto. The chorus is tied to a four note falsetto and only in the last line does Jackson peak at a full octave.[4]

Following the two sharp repeats of "do think twice", at the end of the third verse, a cello-like synth cuts the chords of the fourth verse. Upon hearing that the baby's eyes resembles Jackson's, a voice laments, "oh no". This is met with Jackson's signature falsetto "hee hee".[4] The bridge debuts the strings, holding a pedal tone with the exception of two lines and a chord leading into the chorus. Violins are then played, followed by a four-note minor guitar solo. During the solo, vocal shouts, screams and laughs are added. Throughout this, the chord progression remains unaltered and is laced with Jackson's vocal hiccups. All the musical and vocal elements are brought together in the final chorus. In the fade, Jackson repeats the denial of fathering Billie Jean's child.[4]

Release and reception

December 1, 1982, saw the commercially successful release of Thriller, in time for Christmas shoppers.[7] A month later, on January 3, 1983, "Billie Jean" was released as the album's second single, following Jackson's successful duet with Paul McCartney on "The Girl is Mine".[8][9] The song topped the Billboard's Hot 100 chart, where it remained for seven weeks. Topping the R&B chart within three weeks, "Billie Jean" was Jackson's fastest rising number one single since "ABC", "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There" in 1970. Remaining at number one for nine weeks, the single was eventually toppled by The Gap Band's "Outstanding".[8] The song peaked at number nine on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.[9] Reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart, "Billie Jean" and Thriller topped both the singles and album charts in the same week. This occurred on both sides of the Atlantic simultaneously; a feat very few acts have ever achieved. The song was the third best selling single of 1983 in the US, and ninth in the UK.[8] The song also reached number one in Spain and Switzerland, the top ten in Austria, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden, and number 45 in France.[10]

In a Rolling Stone review, Christopher Connelly describes "Billie Jean" as a "lean, insistent funk number whose message couldn't be more blunt: 'She says I am the one/But the kid is not my son'". He adds that the track is a "sad, almost mournful song, but a thumping resolve underlies his [Jackson's] feelings".[11] Blender states that the song is "one of the most sonically eccentric, psychologically fraught, downright bizarre things ever to land on Top 40 radio". Adding that it was "frighteningly stark, with a pulsing, cat-on-the-prowl bass figure, whip-crack downbeat and eerie multi-tracked vocals ricocheting in the vast spaces between keyboards and strings". Overall, the magazine described the track as "a five-minute-long nervous breakdown, set to a beat".[5] Stylus Magazine said of the song, "It’s one of the best representations of film noir in pop music, ending with no resolution except a single mother and selfish, careless scumball".[12] In a review of Thriller 25, Allmusic observes that "Billie Jean" is "startling" in it's "futuristic funk".[13] The track also won praise from Jackson biographers. Nelson George stated that Jerry Hey's string arrangement added danger to "Billie Jean", with J. Randy Taraborrelli adding that it was "dark and sparse" by Quincy Jones' production standards.[14][1]

"Billie Jean" has been recognised with numerous awards. At the 1984 Grammy Awards the song earned Jackson two of a record eight awards; Best R&B Song and Best R&B Male Vocal Performance. Winning the Billboard Music Award for favourite dance/disco 12" LP, their 1980's poll named "Billie Jean" as the "Black Single of the Decade". The American Music Awards recognised the track as the Favourite Pop/Rock Single. Cash Box honoured the song with the awards for Top Pop Single and Top Black Single. The track was recognised with the Top International Single award by the Canadian Black Music Awards, and rewarded with the Black Gold Award for Single of the Year. "Billie Jean" has also been awarded for it's sales, winning the National Association of Recording Merchandisers Gift of Music award for best selling single in 1984. By 1989, the standard format single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of at least one million units.[15][16] The digital sales of "Billie Jean" were certified gold in 2005, for shipments of at least 500,000 units.[17]

Promotion

Music video

Jackson in the music video for "Billie Jean".

The short film for Jackson's "Billie Jean" is considered the video that brought MTV, a relatively unknown music channel, to mainstream attention. It was the first video by a black artist to be aired by the channel, as they felt black music wasn't "rock" enough.[18] Directed by Steve Barron, the video shows a paparazzo following Jackson. The paparazzo never catches the singer, and when photographed Jackson fails to materialise on the developed picture. Dancing his way to Billie Jean's hotel room, Jackson walks along a sidewalk, each tile lighting up at his touch.[18][19] Performing a quick spin, Jackson jumps and lands, freeze framed, on his toes. Upon arriving at the hotel, Jackson climbs the staircase to Billie Jean's room. Each step lights up as he touches it and a burnt out "Hotel" sign illuminates as he passes. Arriving at the scene, the paparazzo watches as Jackson disappears under the covers of Billie Jean's bed. Trailed by the police, the paparazzo is then arrested for spying on the couple.[18] Jackson had sported a new look for the video; Jheri curled hair and a surgically sculpted nose. Wearing a black leather suit with pink shirt and bow tie, Jackson's look was copied by children around the country. The imitation was so severe that Bound Brook High School banned pupils from wearing single white gloves; this was met with pupil protests.[18]

Walter Yetnikoff, the president of Jackson's record label, CBS, approached MTV to play the "Billie Jean" video. MTV initially refused to play "Billie Jean" as they felt black music wasn't "rock" enough. Yetnikoff became enraged with the refusal, and threatened to go public with MTV's stance on black musicians. "I said to MTV, ‘I’m pulling everything we have off the air, all our product. I’m not going to give you any more videos. And I’m going to go public and fucking tell them about the fact you don’t want to play music by a black guy.’"[5] MTV relented and played the "Billie Jean" video in heavy rotation.[5] With the airing of the video, Thriller went on to sell an additional 10 million copies.[20] The short film earned Jackson the Billboard Video Award for Best Overall Video and was inducted into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame in 1992.[15] In a 2005 poll, the music video was ranked as the fifth greatest music video ever. The poll was of 31 pop stars, video directors, agents and journalists, including Natasha Bedingfield, Björk, Fatboy Slim, Avril Lavigne and Amy Winehouse. Thriller ranked at number two, behind Johnny Cash's "Hurt".[21] The video was also ranked as the 35th greatest music video in a list compiled by MTV and TV Guide at the millennium.[22]

Motown 25

File:Michael Jackson - Motown 25.jpg
Jackson executing the moonwalk during his performance on Motown 25.

March 25, 1983, saw Jackson perform "Billie Jean" to critical and popular acclaim. Staged at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever was a celebration of Motown Records' twenty-fifth anniversary. Organised by Suzanne De Passe, the event was to feature all the previous Motown employees. The Motown stars were to reunite for one evening, paying tribute to Berry Gordy and acknowledging his effect on their lives. Jackson initially refused the invitation, stating that he wouldn't want to perform live. The musician didn't want to reunite with his brothers either. Jackson reconsidered after a personal visit from Gordy, whom the singer had a great respect for. Jackson would perform on the condition that he have a solo spot. Gordy agreed and it was decided that the singer would perform "Billie Jean".[23]

Following performances by Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Mary Wells, The Jackson's took to the stage. It was the first time that the Jackson brothers had performed together in eight years. Singing a medley of their old hits, The Jackson's finished with "I'll Be There" and left Michael alone on stage. After addressing the audience, Jackson went into his routine. Wearing black pants, leather penny loafers and a single white rhinestone glove, Jackson snapped a fedora to his head and struck a pose—his right hand on his hat and his left leg bent. Throwing the hat aside, Jackson lip synced to "Billie Jean".[23] Then, during a musical interlude, the singer executed a move which many claim to have sealed his status as a pop icon.[24][25] Gliding backwards, Jackson performed the moonwalk, before spinning on his heels and landing en pointe.[23] It was the first time Jackson had performed the moonwalk in public, having practiced it in his kitchen prior to the show.[26]

The performance was watched by 50 million people and earned Jackson an Emmy nomination.[27][28] With the performance Jackson reached a new audience and increased the sales of Thriller, eventually becoming the biggest selling album in the world.[26] The day after the performance, Jackson was called by his childhood idol Fred Astaire who commending the singer. Another childhood idol, Sammy Davis Jr., later received Jackson's black sequined jacket, having admired it during the performance.[26]

Jackson stated that he was disappointed in his performance; he'd wanted to remain on his toes longer than he had.[23] Jackson also revealed that "Billie Jean" is one of his favourite songs to perform live, but only when he doesn't have to do it the same way. "The audience wants a certain thing - I have to do the moonwalk in that spot", he later said. "I'd like to do a different version".[15]

In a Top 100 list, compiled by VH1 and Entertainment Weekly in 2000, Jackson's performance was ranked as the sixth greatest rock 'n' roll TV moment.[29] Five years later, Entertainment Weekly named Jackson's Motown 25 performance as one the most important pop culture moments in history. "It was a moment that crossed over in a way that no live musical performance ever had. There was a messianic quality to it", Entertainment Weekly editor Steve Daly commented.[30]

Pepsi commercials

In 1984, Pepsi sponsored The Jacksons' Victory Tour. In return, Michael and his brothers were to star in two commercials for the company.[31] Jackson had reworked "Billie Jean" for the commercial and entitled it "Pepsi Generation". The song was used as the official jingle for the commercials and released as a 7" promo single. "The Choice of a New Generation" campaign was launched in February 1984 and was attended by 1,600 people. They were issued with the a programme as well as the 7" single.[32] The filming of the second commercial gained noteriety after Jackson's hair caught fire—a firework had exploded, leaving the singer needing reconstructive surgery.[33][34][35] The commercials were later premiered at the Grammy Awards, where Jackson wore a hairpiece—to cover the burns—upon collecting a record eight awards.[31][36]

Charts

Chart Peak
position
Austrian Singles Chart 2 [10]
French Singles Chart 45 [37]
German Singles Chart 2 [38]
Italian Singles Chart 7 [39]
Netherlands Singles Chart 4 [40]
Norwegian Singles Chart 6 [41]
Spanish Singles Chart 1[42]
Swedish Singles Chart 2 [43]
Swiss Singles Chart 1 [44]
UK Singles Chart 1 [8]
US Billboard Hot 100 1 [8]
US R&B Singles Chart 1 [8]

Chart procession and succession

Preceded by Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number-one single
February 12, 1983 - April 9, 1983 		Succeeded by
Preceded by UK number-one single
27 February 1983 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
March 5 1983 - April 16 1983 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Australian Kent Music Report number-one single
April 9, 1983 - May 9, 1983 		Succeeded by

Billie Jean 2008

Jackson's original version of "Billie Jean" was remixed by rapper Kanye West for Thriller 25, a 25th anniversary reissue of Jackson's Thriller. Entitled "Billie Jean 2008", the remix garnered a mixed reception, most critics feeling that it was impossible to improve upon the original. Bill Lamb, of About.com, described the remix as "lifeless", adding that it sounded like West had "entered the studio fully intimidated by the genius of the original".[45] Pitchfork Media's Tom Ewing explained that a guest verse "might have added dynamics to the mix's clumsy claustrophobia".[46] Mike Joseph, reviewing Thriller 25 for PopMatters, described the track listing of the reissue as "pleasant" - West's "lazy" remix the only exception. He adds, "You’ve been given the opportunity to remix the most iconic single from one of the most iconic albums of all time, and all you can do is stick a drum machine on top of the song’s original arrangement?".[47] Rob Sheffield, of Rolling Stone, disliked the removal of the original bass line, comparing it to "putting Bobby Orr on the ice without a hockey stick".[48] IGN's Todd Gilchrist praised West's reworking, stating that it was a "pretty great track". He added, "it almost overplays the track's originally understated drama, his additions enhance the song and demonstrate that in a contemporary context".[49]

Cover and sample versions

"Billie Jean" has been covered and sampled on numerous occasions. One of the earliest samples of "Billie Jean" was in 1983, when Clubhouse mixed Steely Dan's "Do It Again" with "Billie Jean". The subsequent track, "Do it Again/Billie Jean", charted at number 11 in the UK and number 75 on the Hot 100 in America. Detroit musicians Slingshot covered the remix, taking it to number 25 on the R&B singles charts.[22]

LL Cool J sampled "Billie Jean" on "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf", which he contributed for Simply Mad About the Mouse in 1991. R&B group BLACKstreet sampled "Billie Jean" on their remix of "No Diggity" in 1996. The song reached number one on the Hot 100 & R&B singles charts in the US, remaining there for four weeks. It peaked at number nine in the UK.[22] PopMatters described the song's inclusion on The Very Best of BLACKstreet as a "horrible mistake"; "their rendition doesn’t fall under the umbrella of Very Best anything".[50]

The Bar-Kays parodied the song on "Dirty Dancers", featured on the 1996 album The Best of the Bar-Kays, Volume 2. The Bates covered "Billie Jean" in 1996, peaking at number 67 on the UK Singles Chart. Linx covered the song in 1997, retitling it "Billie Jean Got Soul". The song was sampled by Chanté Moore, for her song "I Started Crying" from the 1999 album This Moment Is Mine.[22]

Ian Brown took the song to number five on the UK charts in 2000, it appearing on the B-side of "Dolphins Were Monkeys". Brown later commented, "I love Jackson. I want to do a Jackson EP with 'Thriller', 'Beat It', 'Billie Jean' and 'Rockin' Robin' or 'ABC' on it. Hopefully I'll get it done". The singer later covered "Thriller" on his second solo album, Golden Greats.[22][51]

In 2001, Pras sampled "Billie Jean" on his cover of "Avenue", featured on the Ghetto Supastar album. Babyface also sampled the track on the "G-Clef Billie Jean Remix" of "There She Goes", a song from Face2Face.[22]

"Billie Jean" was covered by American rock musician Chris Cornell for his Carry On album in 2007. Cornell said of his cover, "I didn't plan on it. It just sort of happened organically. I changed the music quite a bit, I didn't touch the lyrics. And it's not a joke. I took a completely different approach to it, musically".[52] Cornell had previously performed the song live in Europe, including an acoustic set in Stockholm, Sweden in September, 2006.[22][52] He later added, "I was getting ready to do some acoustic shows on a promotional tour for Revelations and I just wanted to have fun with it".[53] The cover received favourable reviews from critics, MTV noting the "bluesier, more pained and impassioned feel" which stripped away "any pop elements of the original".[53] Los Angeles Times described the track as "a grim, spooky take on Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean". They added that his cover is "amusing enough, even if it sounds a lot more like Metallica's 'Nothing Else Matters'". They concluded that "Jacko's mega hit survives the stunt translation".[54]

Cornell's version was performed live by David Cook on the seventh season of American Idol. After covering Cornell's cover, the Idol judges praised him for his "originality".[55] Whilst some news organisations criticized Cook for covering a cover version, others praised him for singing the song well.[55] Cornell was surprised and flattered by the cover, but was also concerned that Idol viewers may have thought Cook created the interpretation. Cornell said of Cook's cover, "This is something where they know I came up with this arrangement and reinvented the song. I stuck my neck out being a guy that comes from the indie rock world doing a Michael Jackson song." He added, "Don't get me wrong. He sang it great. But it was literally a note-for-note take on what I came up with."[56]

Destiny's Child performed "Billie Jean" as part of a medley, which included their own hit song "Bootylicious", on the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special. The event, a celebration of Jackson's 30th year as a solo entertainer, also featured Jackson performing the song with Guns N' Roses' guitarist Slash.[22] "Billie Jean" was also performed live by Chris Brown at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2007. Following Rihanna's performance of "Umbrella", Brown payed homage to Jackson's Motown 25 presentation, executing a hat toss and crotch grabs. The VIPs acknowledged Brown's performance with a standing ovation.[57]

Legacy

Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" is considered one of the most revolutionary songs in the history of pop music. Accompanying a single with a high-production music video was groundbreaking, and introduced white viewers to black music. Referenced by performers such as Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown and Usher, "Billie Jean" aided Thriller in becoming the biggest selling album of all time.[58][59] The Guardian reflected that more thought went into the production of this single than would go into the entire recording careers of Axl Rose, Coldplay, Shania Twain or Gwen Stefani".[58] The performances of the song overshadowed the track; many preferred watching Jackson perform the song rather than simply listening to it. The song and accompanying performances would solidify Jackson's status as a pop icon.[58]

Frequently listed in greatest song polling lists, "Billie Jean" was named the greatest dance record of all time by BBC Radio 2 listeners. Revealing the winner, presenter Zoe Ball said, "I'm delighted that "Billie Jean" has been voted the greatest dance record ever made. This is Jackson at his best. This track is way up there for me - Jacko's rendition of it at the Motown 25th anniversary show has got to be one of the great live performances of all time. The bass line is awesome, the production is killer. It's just perfect."[60] In a list compiled by Rolling Stone and MTV in 2000, the song was listed as the sixth greatest pop song since 1963. "I Want You Back" and "Beat It" were placed at numbers nine and 22 respectively. The Beatles' "Yesterday", which Jackson owns the rights to, was placed at number one.[61]

In a 2005 poll conducted by Sony Ericsson, "Billie Jean" was ranked as the world's third favourite song. Over 700,000 people in 60 different countries cast their votes. Voters from the UK placed "Billie Jean" at number one, ahead of "Thriller", with a further five of the top ten being solo recordings by Jackson. The song was also placed at number seven in MTV Europe's All-Time Top Ten R&B Songs. In a survey of over 600,000 people, Channel 4 and HMV revealed "Billie Jean" as the 16th best song in the Music of the Millenium poll.[22]

In an interview, R&B artist Pharrell Williams stated that "Billie Jean" was one of his favourite songs. "It is hard to say if there is a greater song than "Billie Jean". I think there will never be a song like this one again, with this bass line, with this kind of effect, this eternalness, this perfection."[62] The song has featured in the film Charlie's Angels and the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. When re-released, as part of the Visionary campaign in 2006, "Billie Jean" charted at number 11 in the UK. Remaining in the top 200 for over 40 weeks, it was the most successful reissue by some distance.[22] To this day, "Billie Jean" is still in heavy rotation; it is played on over 90% of the world's radios and receives more than 250,000 spins per week in clubs around the world.[62]

Credits

  • Written, arranged and composed by Michael Jackson
  • Produced by Quincy Jones
  • Lead and background vocals by Michael Jackson
  • Drums by Leon "Ndugu" Chancler
  • Bass by Louis Johnson
  • Guitar by David Williams
  • Emulator by Michael Boddicker
  • Rhodes & Synthesizer by Greg Phillinganes
  • Synthesizer by Greg Smith
  • Synthesizer & Synthesizer Programming by Bill Wolfer
  • Vocal, Rhythm and Synthesizer Arrangement by Michael Jackson
  • String Arrangement by Jerry Hey
  • Strings Conducted by Jeremy Lubbock
  • Mixed by Bruce Swedien

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Taraborrelli, pp. 223–224
  2. ^ Murphy, Sport (January 27, 2008). "Man in the moonwalk". New York Post. Retrieved February 15, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b Jackson, pp. 192–194
  4. ^ a b c d e f Wadhams, pp. 418–422 Cite error: The named reference "Wadhams" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born: Number 1". Blender. (October, 2005). Retrieved February 15, 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ a b c d Halstead, pp. 36–37
  7. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 222
  8. ^ a b c d e f Halstead, pp. 37–38
  9. ^ a b George, p. 39
  10. ^ a b "Austrian Singles Chart Archives". austriancharts.at. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
  11. ^ "Rolling Stone's Thriller review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 21, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ "Thriller - The Diamond". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
  13. ^ "Allmusic's Thriller 25 review". Allmusic. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
  14. ^ George, p. 23
  15. ^ a b c Halstead, pp. 38–40
  16. ^ George, pp. 39–43
  17. ^ "RIAA database". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
  18. ^ a b c d Campbell, p. 58
  19. ^ Weitner, Sean. "Michael Jackson: A Life in Film". Flak magazine. Retrieved February 15, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ Cocks, Jay (December 26, 1983). "Sing a Song of Seeing". Time. Retrieved February 15, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ Smith, David (January 30, 2005). "Cash tops Thriller with best video ever". The Guardian. Retrieved February 15, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Halstead, pp. 39–41
  23. ^ a b c d Taraborrelli, pp. 234–240
  24. ^ Leopold, Todd (June 6, 2005). "Michael Jackson: A life in the spotlight". CNN. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
  25. ^ Cannon, Bob. "A Giant Step for Jackson". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 15, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ a b c Campbell, pp. 65–68
  27. ^ "A Glance at the Career of Michael Jackson". Fox News Channel. (June 14, 2005). Retrieved February 15, 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ Harris, Chris (January 14, 2008). "Michael Jackson, Akon Are 'Startin' Somethin' On Thriller 25 Track". MTV. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
  29. ^ "Top Rock TV Moment A Really Big Show". CBS News. (July 24, 2000). Retrieved February 15, 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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  62. ^ a b Thriller 25: The Book, p. 26

References

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