All Michael Jackson Songs That Hit No. 1, Ranked
Thirteen of Michael Jackson‘s songs reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Some of those songs are incredible. On the other hand, one of them is about a killer rat.
13. ‘Ben’
“Ben” is a ballad about a killer rat that became Jackson’s first solo No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was from the film Ben, the sequel to the killer rat movie Willard. The ballad is more of a weird piece of trivia than a real song.
12. ‘I Just Can’t Stop Loving You’ with Siedah Garrett
Jackson dabbled in numerous genres. Sadly, he wasn’t able to elevate easy-listening music with “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.” While this was a No. 1 single during Jackson’s peak period, it doesn’t have an accompanying music video.
11. ‘Say Say Say’
The best thing about “Say Say Say” is that it’s not Jackson’s other Paul McCartney duet, “The Girl Is Mine.” “Say Say Say” is better than other dance songs by Paul, but it’s subpar for MJ.
10. ‘You Are Not Alone’
“You Are Not Alone,” Jackson’s final No. 1 single, was written by R. Kelly. The tune has a memorable melody and a powerful choir, but its origins might make some listeners want to turn off the radio as quickly as possible.
9. ‘Man in the Mirror’
“Man in the Mirror” is perhaps Jackson’s best uplifting song. Siedah Garrett, Jackson’s duet partner for “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” co-wrote this ballad with Glen Ballard, who is most famous for producing Alanis Morissette’s album Jagged Little Pill.
8. ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’
“The Way You Make Me Feel” starts out as a regular love song, but when that chorus hits, it’s one of the best moments in the singer’s career. The joy in this song is addictive.
7. ‘Bad’
With a funky groove reminiscent of Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters,” Jackson showed off his macho side with “Bad.” The track flips the aggressive call for peace in “Beat It” on its head.
6. ‘Dirty Diana’
“Dirty Diana” is perhaps the King of Pop’s most famous rock ‘n’ roll song. The tune proves Jackson could have been a great 1980s hair metal singer if he wanted to be.
5. ‘Rock with You’
“Rock with You” isn’t as flashy as some of the other songs on this list, but its simple yet effective groove makes it a perfect dance song. Those instrumental flourishes on the bridge are otherworldly.
4. ‘Black or White’
“Black or White” is a “message song,” but it’s so fun it doesn’t feel like it’s preaching. The track nicks some of its melody from Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf” but far surpasses its predecessor.
3. ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’
Disco died in 1979, and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” was a great song for the genre to go out on.
2. ‘Beat It’
“Beat It” is a bizarre mix of musical aggression, lyrical pacifism, bell-like synthesizers, and Eddie Van Halen. It’s one of the best songs of the 1980s.
1. ‘Billie Jean’
“Billie Jean” is dark, paranoid, and danceable. It shouldn’t work, but it does.
Artists like Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, and Chris Brown have all drawn lots of influence from Jackson but has any subsequent pop star equaled this string of No. 1 singles?
