Of course not.
Instead of going through Michael's entire back catalog and choosing his greatest, I decided to go into my iTunes library and look out how many times I've played his music. It turns out that many of the songs I would've chosen for a Top 10 list were in my own personal Top 10 most played. So, I've decided to share my most played Michael Jackson songs (as of today).
10. Stranger in Moscow (114 plays) - Michael's 1997 single from his album HIStory is one of his most personal recordings, as well as one of his most affecting. On an album that expressed his outrage and anger over the world's treatment of him, it was this record that really conveyed the most common feeling of his life: loneliness.
9. Beat It (116 plays) - That Van Halen guitar riff. Michael's growling vocals. Those warnings of danger. It could only be "Beat It", his 1983 blockbuster that helped Thriller become a multi-million seller. This was the song that proved his skill at genre-busting; "Beat It" is clearly a rock song, yet was played by R&B and pop radio. Even though it's 27 years old, it still packs the punch it did in the beginning, hence it being played over 100 times by me.
8. You Rock My World (119 plays) - It still surprises me to this day how this song only peaked at #10 on the charts. Sure, it doesn't stand as tall as Michael's other classics, but it was classic Michael. It was funky, melodic, and Michael sounded in top form, even taking a slightly lower tone. It was also one of the first MJ songs of my generation, which also explains my penchant for it.
7. Jam (153 plays) - Michael opened his Dangerous Tour in 1992 with this hard-driving song, and I fell in love with it. "Jam" was a powerful fusion of new jack swing and rock, which would be the signature sound of his later releases. Of course, this was the gold standard. Why is there such a gap between this and "You Rock My World"? Because this was my favorite song of his to dance to.
6. Scream featuring Janet Jackson (171 plays) - I love Michael. I love Janet. Them together? How about a match made in heaven? A match I love playing whenever my Top 200 playlist is on my iPhone.
5. You Are Not Alone (203 plays) - This song made history as the first song to debut at the top of Bllboard Hot 100. It is also one of his best songs ever in my opinion (he didn't write it, by the way). Of course, immediately after his death, I had this song on repeat, maybe for hours.
4. Black or White (213 plays) - I've always loved this song, ever since I saw the music video. It has a positive (albeit ironic) message and it's got a kickass guitar riff courtesy of Slash; what else do you need. Of the songs in the Top 10, this may be one of the two easiest to listen to continuously for me.
3. Billie Jean (214 plays) - The definitive Michael Jackson song, "Billie Jean" is everything that Michael stood for as a pop behemoth. Surprisingly, it's not my most played MJ song, but there is no denying this song's impact on the world of music.
2. Remember The Time (249 plays) - Some of my favorite Michael songs were the light, fun ones. This was probably his last one. "Remember The Time" was a pure R&B record, and it was one of his best. He sounded like he was having a great time on this record, and this was the Michael I wanted to remember, which is why it has so many plays ahead of the other eight songs on the list.
1. Man in the Mirror (307 plays) - This is my favorite Michael Jackson song, and it is in my Top 20 of my most played of all time. All I can say is that it is a beautiful, brilliantly constructed ballad about personal responsibility for the world around us that gained all kinds of significance at his passing. In the weeks following his death, I probably played this song more than any other in my 2500+ music library.
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