Michael's Favorite Songs

1812 Overture - Tchaikovsky





MJ, 1988 list of his favorite things:

“I spend hours listening to classical composers. Tchaikovsky is the greatest. I also love songs from the great musicals like “Climb Every Mountain” and “Happy Talk”, as well as modern pop groups like U2, ZZ Top and Van Halen. Here is my all time top ten.”

1812 Overture – Tchaikovsky

All Night Long - Mary Jane Girls





LL Cool J, Essence, September 30, 2009


He told me once that “Around the Way Girl” was one of his favorite songs because he like that ‘you got me shook up, shook down, shook out all your lovin’…’ , [which is from the Mary Janes Girls' "All Night Long,"] you know.

Another One Bites The Dust - Queen





Michael Jackson, Rolling Stone, Feb 17, 1983


Freddie invited Michael. He has been calling all week, mainly about the possibility of their working together. They’ve decided to try it on the Jacksons’ upcoming album. Though they are hardly alike — Freddie celebrated a recent birthday by hanging naked from a chandelier — the two have been friendly since Michael listened to the material Queen had recorded for The Game and insisted that the single had to be “Another One Bites the Dust.”

“Now, he listens to me, right Freddie?”

“Righto, little brother.”

Around The Way Girl - LL Cool J





LL Cool J, Essence, September 30, 2009


He told me once that “Around the Way Girl” was one of his favorite songs because he like that ‘you got me shook up, shook down, shook out all your lovin’…’ , [which is from the Mary Janes Girls' "All Night Long,"] you know.

Baby Love - Diana Ross and the Supremes





MJ, 1988 list of his favorite things:


“I spend hours listening to classical composers. Tchaikovsky is the greatest. I also love songs from the great musicals like “Climb Every Mountain” and “Happy Talk”, as well as modern pop groups like U2, ZZ Top and Van Halen. Here is my all time top ten.”

Baby Love – Diana Ross and The Supremes

Black Dog - Led Zeppelin





Russrags on Gearslutz:


1st off the song I always heard Michael singing around the Studio was “Black Dog” by Led Zep truly amazing to witness 1st hand.

Michael loved singing “Black Dog” and it was great hearing him sing it, but no recordings .. dang it !!!

Black Man - Stevie Wonder





MJ, Jet, 6th February 1984


“That’s why I love Stevie Wonder’s album called Songs in The Key of Life… He had a song called Black Man and I just jumped up screaming when I heard that record because he’s showing the world what the Black man has done and what other races have done… He named it Black Man and all these people who have got the album sing it. And that’s the best way to bring about the truth.”

Breathe Again - Toni Braxton





Toni Braxton, Pulse, 22 February 2010


I remember when I first met him; he came over to me which was a really big deal. We were at a charity ball and he came over to me and said, ‘Toni Braxton oh my God I love you, your voice is so incredible, so androgynous – it’s so unique. Breathe Again is my favourite song, let’s take a picture together.’

Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel





MJ, 1988 list of his favorite things:


“I spend hours listening to classical composers. Tchaikovsky is the greatest. I also love songs from the great musicals like “Climb Every Mountain” and “Happy Talk”, as well as modern pop groups like U2, ZZ Top and Van Halen. Here is my all time top ten.”

Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel

Climb Every Mountain - Sound of Music





Song that he first performed as a child in school, which lead to him pursuing singing.


MJ, 1988 list of his favorite things:


“I spend hours listening to classical composers. Tchaikovsky is the greatest. I also love songs from the great musicals like “Climb Every Mountain” and “Happy Talk”, as well as modern pop groups like U2, ZZ Top and Van Halen. Here is my all time top ten.”

Crazy In Love - Beyonce





P.Diddy on a TV Special For Michael:





“I was throwing this party for the MTV movie awards. You know, I was starting to plan to really do my entree on the scene as an actor.

I invited everybody, everyone was there, the Beckhams was there, I remember Beyonce was there, Jamie Foxx, Ashton, Cameron Diaz, Will Smith, Chris Rock. Everyone that was moving and shaking in Hollywood. So the party’s going on, the party’s off the chain, party’s already a success.

I remember Beyonce had just dropped Crazy In Love. I remember that was what was just killing the dance floor and she was there and I remember the DJ he ain’t played it yet, and the dancefloor was warmed up, and everyone was saying, “we want to hear the new Beyonce joint,” that’s how hot it was.

Security comes to get me and says, “You have a guest here, who wasn’t on the list.” I’m like who, he’s like “Michael Jackson.” I’m thinking they joking around with me, I’m thinking like you know they trying to maybe Punk me. This is like – I think Punk’d, Punk’d was out during this time, I’m not knowing what’s going on.

So then I go towards the back, back where like the catering was and it’s Michael. I’m like, “Michael, what’s up, what’re you doing?”

And he’s like, you know, “I’m here with Brett Ratner, you know we came to the party, is that cool, can we come?”

I was always impressed about how down to Earth he was. But this is actually down to Earth, he’s asking if it’s alright to come to this party. He said, like, “This party’s really hot. You gotta invite me to more of your parties.” And then he leans over to me and he’s like, we’re taking some pictures and he’s like, “Where’s Beyonce?” I’m like, I’m like I didn’t think I heard him correctly. He’s like, “You know, I heard she’s here, where’s Beyonce?”

And I’m like, “Okay, well hold on, let me go find out where she’s at.”

So I round up on B, B’s on the dancefloor and I’m like, “B, um, you know, Michael’s here, he wants to meet you.” So I get Mike, you know bring him over, he’s like, “I love the record,” whatever, whatever.

He goes to tell the DJ to play the record. DJ plays the record.

And um, I recall them dancing, I don’t want to be quoted for that, that could’ve been in my imagination, but I do recall them dancing or something but even if they never danced that’s the way it is in my mind, but I’m pretty sure that they did dance.

But the whole recollection of that is that – it was so real that Mike recognized the greatness in Beyonce early. He had no ego about it and was ready to meet her and give her hers and he was also ready to go for his as a man. I think we all as men at the time wanted to dance with Beyonce. Michael had the courage enough to come to a party, ask for Beyonce and even dance with her.

Dancefloor - Zapp and Roger





Frank Cascio


Brilliant, Michael Loved this song, would always play this song while he would get ready in the morning…

Everything I Own - Bread





Frank Cascio “My Friend Michael”


I remember him putting on a group called Bread. I didn’t pay too much attention to the music – I was too busy making fun of the name, But when I settled down for a minute and really listened instead of making sarcastic remarks, they became one of my favorite groups. I wanted to know everything there was to know about Bread. Yes, Bread was my jam.

Feel Up - Grace Jones





Russrags on Gearslutz:


Once I was out at Michael’s Studio on Havenhurt in Encino, and I was going through a stack of vinyl records sitting by the console. One of the records I came across was Grace Jones “Nightclubbing” I picked it up to look at it front and back and Michael got kind of excited about it too. He took the record from me and asked if I’d like to hear a song that was very influential to him, and I thought are you kidding, YES please. He put on a song called “Feel Up” from that record and I about fell over !!! All the little inflections Michael creates with his voice on his records, are present on this Grace Jones track from 1981. Please check this song out, anyone reading this thread will be glad they did.

Get On Up - James Brown





MJ, 1988 list of his favorite things:


“I spend hours listening to classical composers. Tchaikovsky is the greatest. I also love songs from the great musicals like “Climb Every Mountain” and “Happy Talk”, as well as modern pop groups like U2, ZZ Top and Van Halen. Here is my all time top ten.”

Get On Up – James Brown

Go Home - Stevie Wonder





Michael Jackson: For The Record by Chris Cadman:


The line “Go on, girl!” [in the song "The Way You Make Me Feel"] was inspired by Stevie Wonder’s song, Go Home, revealed by Michael as he and Stevie were in an elevator, trading lines from The Way You Make Me Feel. Stevie said knowing he’d inspired Michael made him feel pretty good.

Happy Talk - South Pacific





MJ, 1988 list of his favorite things:


“I spend hours listening to classical composers. Tchaikovsky is the greatest. I also love songs from the great musicals like “Climb Every Mountain” and “Happy Talk”, as well as modern pop groups like U2, ZZ Top and Van Halen. Here is my all time top ten.”

Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye





MJ, 1988 list of his favorite things:


“I spend hours listening to classical composers. Tchaikovsky is the greatest. I also love songs from the great musicals like “Climb Every Mountain” and “Happy Talk”, as well as modern pop groups like U2, ZZ Top and Van Halen. Here is my all time top ten.”

Heard It Through The Grapevine – Marvin Gaye