Michael Jackson vs. Madonna: Whose ‘Human Nature’ Song Is Better?
Michael Jackson and Madonna had so much in common during their peak years in the 1980s and 1990s but their songs were distinct from each others. Interestingly, they had hit songs with the same title several years apart. Of course, these two tracks have very different things to say about the same topic.
1 of Michael Jackson’s more sexual songs is a nice change of pace
Jackson was the King of Pop, but he knew how to make good rock music. In 1982, he released his soft-rock ballad “Human Nature,” which is likely the best ballad of his solo career. It sounds a bit like Toto’s “Africa,” which makes sense considering that it was co-written by Toto’s Steve Porcaro. However, the King of Pop had a far better vice than anyone in Toto, so “Human Nature” is better than “Africa” by a wide margin.
So, what did Jackson have to say about human nature? The lyrics of the song are a little oblique upon first listen. However, they tell a cohesive story. “Human Nature” is about Jackson deciding to enjoy himself in New York City and finding a woman to keep him company for the evening. For a singer who gave us sex-negative songs like “Billie Jean” and “Dirty Diana,” “Human Nature” is a warm and inviting change of pace.
Madonna took the concept of human nature in a more scandalous direction
In 1994, Madonna released an R&B song called “Human Nature.” She’s not known for her R&B songs, but she proved time and time again that she knows her way around the genre. “Take a Bow,” “Secret,” “Erotica,” “Justify My Love,” and “4 Minutes” are all R&B or R&B-adjacent songs. “Human Nature” has one of the best synthesizer riffs in her catalog.
In the latter track, Madonna sings that she shouldn’t have to stop talking about sex because it’s just part of human nature. The tune was partly a response to the backlash Madonna received for her scandalous album Erotica. However, the tune also serves as a mission statement for the Queen of Pop’s career. It also has a nice callback to Madonna’s earlier single “Express Yourself” with the line “Express yourself, don’t repress yourself.”
Michael Jackson’s song charted a lot higher than Madonna’s
Jackson’s “Human Nature” was a considerable hit. It reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for seven weeks. Its parent album, the incomparable Thriller, topped the Billboard 200 for 37 of its whopping 630 weeks on the Billboard 200. While “Human Nature” wasn’t one of the biggest hits from Thriller, it helped give the album some texture and variety. The track garnered more attention when Chris Brown sampled it for “She Ain’t You.”
Madonna’s “Human Nature” was a much more modest hit. The single peaked at No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 15 weeks on the chart. It spent a long time on the chart for a song that never even reached the top 40. The track appeared on Bedtime Stories, Madonna’s most extensive foray into contemporary R&B. The record hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and spent 48 weeks on the chart.
Jackson and Madonna had different views of human nature but they were both great.
