All The Jackson 5’s No. 1 Songs, Ranked
Music is full of little ironies. The Jackson 5 had four No. 1 songs. It would’ve been nice for them to have five No. 1 singles, but I guess that it was up to Michael Jackson’s solo career to pick up the slack. Three of those singles are timeless and beloved, but the other one has been left on the ash heap of history.
4. ‘The Love You Save’
Boy bands are sometimes seen as inherently artless and disposable. The Jackson 5 are a strong counterexample, as several of their songs have become indelible favorites. On the other hand, “The Love You Save” has been forgotten and justly so. The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits reports the track was a chart-topper, but that didn’t save it.
“The Love You Save” has some dated references to Christopher Columbus and Benjamin Franklin that you would never hear in a pop song today. The best funk music is like listening to a stick of dynamite going off. “The Love You Save” has the requisite energy, but it can’t find a hook to save its life. While the young Michael often sounded as effortless and natural as the band’s lead singer, he sounds rushed and uncomfortable here.
3. ‘ABC’
The Jackson 5 were young, but they often didn’t sound like it. “ABC” is an exception to the rule. Here, the lyrics, which reference the alphabet and numbers, make it clear that this is a song for kindergarteners. That’s not a terrible thing! In fact, “ABC” might be the best song ever written for kindergarteners. It certainly beats “Old Macdonald,” The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine,” and anything by The Wiggles.
The groove is so good that this song could have been about anything, and it would’ve been a hit. The cutesy lyrics work a lot better than they should. One can hear the influence of this track on some of Michael’s later funk tracks like “Rock with You” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.” Bubblegum music has a bad reputation, but “ABC” is close to bubblegum heaven.
2. ‘I’ll Be There’
Boy bands are generally good for fun pop songs. It’s rare for a boy band to craft something that’s emotionally moving. “I’ll Be There” is a rare pop song about fidelity and commitment. It’s so good that it’s easy to forget that it’s being sung by a child who likely had no idea what he was singing about.
Most of The Jackson 5’s songs were soul or funk tracks. Meanwhile, “I’ll Be There” is the most famous example of baroque pop from the 1970s. Baroque pop was a genre that peaked in the 1960s that combined elements of Western classical music with pop. If only this sound managed to live on in the mainstream!
1. ‘I Want You Back’
“ABC” is close to being the pinnacle of bubblegum pop, but “I Want You Back” is the real deal. It might also be the best boy band song of all time. Maybe One Direction or the Backstreet Boys will live up to its longevity, but it’s hard to imagine any of their songs will last over 50 years like “I Want You Back” has.
The opening notes of “I Want You Back” are perfection. The instrumentation speaks to everyone, no matter what genres they typically enjoy. If one Motown song survives into the next century, it’ll be “I Want You Back.”
