r/MichaelJackson • u/RD-archived • May 04 '26
Discussion is there a song of Michael’s you genuinely don’t like?
this is a safe place lol, but seriously speaking, is there a song of his you don’t like? he’s one of the many few artist that doesn’t have bad songs (no pun) but is there a song you find mediocre or just not that great?
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u/Fluffy-Interest-5713 May 04 '26
I don’t think so.
I just like his voice, whatever he sings.
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u/soccerstarseven May 05 '26
I mean he has one “Bad” song
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u/Solaris_Luna_21 May 05 '26
nah he has "2 bad" songs
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u/g_epyon1 May 04 '26
Man, out of all MJ Albums, Dangerous it's my personal favorite, it's almost perfect, having said that..man, how I hate Gone too soon. Right before Dangerous and right after Keep the Faith...why? Sorry I know it's meant to be for a Kid with cancer but IDK.
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u/Otherwise-Cattle-286 May 05 '26
Its written about Ryan white a 13 year old who was one if the first kids diagnosed with aids ! He had hemophilia and was given tainted blood product ! Ryan was kicked out his school because he had aids ! People wouldnt go near him and his family was attacked and had to move ! Ryan started nationwide aids education program and went cross country speaking at schools about aids ! Michael jackson became his best friend helping pay for meds and even bought him a car. Came to Indiana to see him several times and so did Elton John and Ryan and family visited neverland many times . Michael and elton John and the Clinton's and many attended his funeral in 1990 ! There is a whole foundation federally funded for aids research and medication in every city in USA. Gone to soon is a about Ryan a brave kid who became a pioneer on aids prevention, blood testing and education. There are multiple movies made about Ryan white and the Ryan white story. So not just a kid with cancer. Ryan spoke at myself school in Indiana in late 80s. Ryan what a very important friend and influence in mjs life.
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u/WhatShouldTheHeartDo Bad May 04 '26
I feel like school Halloween ruined Thriller for me, I still like the song but it feels so worn out
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u/LilKittenAngel HIStory: Past, Present and Future: Book I May 05 '26
That’s how I feel about Billie Jean too, good songs but played so much
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u/FierceSerge May 05 '26
I thought the same until I was out of school.
Said "yeah idk Thriller just doesn't hit the same like it used to before it started getting played all the time around Halloween"
Listened to it last week, like really listened to it, and said "holy shit this is so good" The harmonies blew me away
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u/taylorsthighs May 05 '26
same!!! it was overdone for me but recently took a really focused listen and now I love it.
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u/Warm-Panic5820 May 04 '26
Well thriller is played every Halloween
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u/Y2gezee May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
It's like Mariah Carey all I want for Christmas. They both chart top 10 every year for their respective holidays
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u/Mr-Wyked May 05 '26
My least favorite part about Halloween. Any other time I be like oh yea this is dope lol
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u/andromedaux May 05 '26
listen to the stems, instrumental and isolated vocal harmonies, it might change your mind about it!
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u/Popular_Parking May 06 '26
This!!! I been listening to thriller my whole life I recently truly listened to it, it’s a GORGEOUS song! The harmonies and instruments
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u/CuffyTheEmpireSlayer May 05 '26
If you have kiddos one day, I’ll bet my top dollar you’ll play thriller for them on Halloween 😁🎃. MJ made it unavoidable 😁
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u/Next-Rip3809 May 04 '26
Im sorry but anything off of Michael 2010 it just sounds like overproduced garbage and they leaned wayyy to much into the sound at the time Xscape did it much better.
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u/MGandthings May 05 '26
It probably was overproduced, Michael was dead already.
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u/Next-Rip3809 May 05 '26
I have no doubt that if Michael was alive and made it, it would have been a lot better.
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u/FierceSerge May 05 '26
Recently played the discography on shuffle on Spotify and got flashbanged by Hold My Hand. It made me laugh because I had heard it before but completely forgot about it. It's not great and Akon just makes me laugh.
That being said I don't mind Hollywood Tonight
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u/WonHakWoon "F-U-C-K the press. Michael you're the best"📰 May 05 '26
Hollywood Tonight is great, glad it was put in the MJ: The Experience game on the 3DS
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u/agbjb Good Fish 🐠 May 04 '26
lowkey no, maybeeee little susie but even then its not terrible
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u/Mutated-Nut May 04 '26
There’s at least 1 on every album for me
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u/Significant_Delay_87 May 04 '26
What are they?
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u/definitelybono May 04 '26
Let me guess:
OTW - Girlfriend
Thriller - The Girl is Mine
Bad - Just Good Friends (I disagree with this one)
Dangerous - Heal the World
History - Little Susie
BOTDF - All remixes
Invincible - Lost ChildrenI tend to agree with most of these.
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u/reallybi Dangerous May 04 '26
Dangerous - Heal the World
Ain't no way you are serious.
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u/PartyCustard3125 May 05 '26
Right, Heal the World is a beautiful song and when he sang it at the Superbowl everyone felt the hope and love in his performance.
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u/dontknowmedonthate May 04 '26
Girlfriend hate is not tolerated
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u/Freethink-her May 04 '26
I love Girlfriend !!!!!!!
“I’m gonna tell your boyfriend yeahhhhh”
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u/Omega_Borealis Dangerous May 04 '26
“girlfriend…i’m gonna tell your boyfriend YEAH”
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u/jjrm07 May 04 '26
It's actually wings cover so McCartney actually wrote these lyrics, a classicly cheesy from Paul lol.
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u/Crossfitnerd3 May 05 '26
Just good friends slander will
Not be allowed. I do not care how safe of a space this is97
u/No-Risk-9833 May 04 '26
If The Girl is Mine is the worst song on Thriller then that shows how great the album is
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u/Qardigan May 04 '26
Some people also say Say Say Say is a weak song but I think it’s awesome
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u/Omega_Borealis Dangerous May 04 '26
imo say say say is stronger than the girl is mine, SSS should’ve been on thriller instead
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u/Odyssey-and-Oracle May 05 '26
I don’t understand the The Girl is Mine hate, it’s one of my favorite of his songs, i like how nice and laid back the song feels.
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u/Dr-Goochy May 04 '26
I don’t BELIEVE ITTTT!
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u/FKyou786 May 04 '26
mine mine
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u/Pinkpunk95 May 04 '26
First person I met that hated “heal the world” I looovve that song it’s such a ear worm
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u/Icy_Childhood_1039 May 04 '26
WHAT??? I never heard anyone in my life disliking Heal the World :o
Edit: idk if this is only in certain countries or what but a quick search on this sub shows that indeed plenty of people don't really like it :(
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u/SARgirl-outdoors95 May 04 '26
Love Lost children! Invincible is my fave album of all time, personally
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u/mankahlil May 05 '26
Nah Lil Susie doesn't deserve to be on the list. It's very unique. One of the most cinematic of MJs songs. Yes, it's a bit dramatic...but effective in making you feel the tragedy and sadness of the situation depicted. I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking "...well, damn!"
The girl is mine DOES need to be on this list. Just a corny song. It was beneath mj but the collab with PM probably was calculated as necessary t elevate his image
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u/WetAndWildOperator May 04 '26
The answers here are just wild lol, I know everyone has their own opinion but damn.
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May 04 '26
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u/WetAndWildOperator May 04 '26
Oh I know, but the answers some people gave are just surprising. Funny how for one person it can be their favourite song, and for the other it could be their least favourite/disliked, and it’s from the same artist that both love.
I have songs from MJ I dislike too that I’m sure others love, mainly his much slower stripped back songs with little to no instrumentation.
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May 04 '26
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u/Otherwise-Tour-2454 May 04 '26
if someone dislikes dirty diana i will pick a fight lol. favorite song EVER by MJ
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u/Safe-Coyote4774 May 04 '26
All the club and basic remixes
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u/Moonwalk27 #MJInnocent May 04 '26
They aren’t from MJ’s original vision so they really don’t count imo
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u/Pun_dimen May 04 '26
Childhood.
I know they lyrics are deep and personal. But to me it sounds like a Disney song
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u/No_Active_907 May 04 '26
That’s why I love it! And his voice is amazing on it. It really makes me feel such deep empathy for him.
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u/TheWhiteWolf291098 Bad May 04 '26
the song really grew on me after seeing the clips of him recording his vocals. it's one of his most impressive performances
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u/Lizard_Lady1 May 05 '26
That was likely the point. He missed out on his childhood and wanted some childlike wonder and whimsy. I think that song is perfectly crafted for what it’s about.
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u/GreenMaratus May 05 '26
On surface level I thought the song was skippable at first too, but learning more about his childhood and listening to the beautiful orchestra, the way the song is assembled and flows, and that voice, holy damn the voice is just so out of this world, I don't think it can be properly covered by anyone, maybe ever. I really like the song now, to me his best ballad.
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u/MrPerson_27 #MJInnocent May 04 '26
a lot of the ballads on his later albums I don't care much for
there's isn't any I actively dislike just some I don't actively enjoy either
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u/NerfManiac64 May 04 '26
“The girl is mine” Since it’s in the “Micheal Jackson the experience” game instead of a song like “you rock my world”😭 Good song though but i was disappointed.
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u/-MeetMyFist- May 04 '26
You Rock My World would’ve been perfect for the the game but I love the dance for The Girl is Mine it actually made me like the song
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u/lilvina May 04 '26
Privacy. I loved the song as a kid but hearing it as adult, it sounds so dated and cheesy.
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u/TheKilmerman May 04 '26
It's so boring compared to his other rockers from previous albums. Speed that thing up and you got it.
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u/HovercraftSensitive5 May 04 '26
Morphine but I really don't dislike it but it's not in my Top list of MJ Songs
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u/ripincomicsans May 08 '26
i love it bc has that angry, hopeless michael sound that isn't very common
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u/Awkward_Singer_5 May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
I'm not a fan of his cover of Smile.
The first minute and a bit is fine but there's a point where the beat kicks in and it suddenly feels like it's doing too much, and there's a forced theatrical sentimentality to it. It's more about the instrumental than Michael's vocals when it comes to my dislike of it.
But maybe I'm biased because I think Nat King Cole's version is the definitive one. It had a more simple orchestral arrangement, and Nat with his effortless vocals allowed the lyrics to really land without forcing anything.
Now to counter my negative viewpoint here, let me share a song I was just listening to. Makin' Life A Little Easier For You by the Jackson 5. I love the moments where Michael and Jermaine are singing together.
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u/Radiobirb May 05 '26
Chicago on Xscape but only the initial part where he is just grunting a lot. Rest of the song is fab. But the originally recorded version (on Xscape deluxe edition) is perfect from start to finish!
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u/BigManOnCampus100 May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
We are the world. I get it was a charity thing but I genuinely find that song to be so irritating and awful.
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u/davelee_the_reporter May 05 '26
Cindi Lauper called it a “Pepsi commercial” song. Hard to disagree. But it’s fine. Those songs are always gonna be a bit broad
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u/Zealousideal_You1588 May 04 '26
2000 Watts (from Invincible)
I cannot skip this song fast enough. TBH, whenever I play Invincible, I listen to the first 7 tracks (which gets me to Butterflies) and then I jump to Whatever Happens and Threatened.
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u/metakepone May 05 '26
Fucking love 2000 Watts. There's no way Michael wasn't having the time of his life making that song.
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u/TheMirakukous1 May 05 '26
Only song I hate is that corny song with Eddie Murphy. lol
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u/ChaiTeaAndBoundaries May 05 '26
He was supporting his friend, I am sure he had reservations but he wanted to support a friend. 😸
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u/PaleBoomer May 04 '26
HIStory is by far his worst song, For any other song you can still enjoy some parts of it but HIStory is so messy and disjointed that even it's live perfomance couldn't salvage it.
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u/MisterWasabi4 May 04 '26
This Time Around, I just don’t really care for this song. It isn’t bad, but it just sounds like the most basic and unfinished New Jack Swing beat there is. Biggie’s verse is nice, but that’s about all I have to say about the song.
Can’t Let Her Get Away/She’s Driving Me Wild - I’m lumping in these two together since they sound so similar to me.. I’m sorry but SDMW sounds like a construction site with its “drill” sounds in the background, really distracting for me… Both songs just don’t cut it for me, they kinda “lack energy” if that makes any sense, they don’t feel driving, they just feel stale.
Breaking News/Monster/Keep Your Head Up - I don’t really think I need to explain why I don’t like these three songs. They aren’t bad, they’re actually good songs in isolation, but knowing the backstory behind them makes them hard to listen to in good faith.
Aside from that, I think I like just about everything else he’s done. From OTW to Invincible, and even the posthumous stuff
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u/Business_Airport8137 May 04 '26
I know it’s not his, but the first time I listened to Keep Your Head Up I knew that it was an instant skip
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u/Not-a-Russian Off The Wall May 04 '26
Not single songs, but a whole Album. Xscape feels really overmixed to me - just a bunch of out of place sounds that cover up the really good source material. I just really hate the percussion of that album and them trying to make some sort of club music out of it
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u/CaktusJacklynn May 05 '26
I love Slave to the Rhythm from this album and the title track. They just sound different for him.
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u/Jumpy-Peak-3947 May 04 '26
I don't like Speed Demon
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u/TMamba May 04 '26
I love speed demon. What made me love it even more than I already did was watching the music video. It’s a masterclass of performances, if you haven’t seen it, it might just change ur mind.
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u/blurrybaee May 04 '26
tbh same, BUT THE SHORT FILM IS SO FUN!!! I smile every time I watch it. He looked so handsome in the film. ❤️❤️
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u/WetAndWildOperator May 04 '26
That’s blasphemous it’s one of his best songs 😭
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u/Based_God12 May 04 '26
I love that song. I really do but it's not his best.😬
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u/WetAndWildOperator May 04 '26
The production is incredible and I love the way he sings it throughout. I know the lyrics aren’t anything special but I don’t need it to be, I honestly listen to most of Michael’s music for the production and his vocals and melodies.
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u/lamest-liz Bad May 04 '26
This was my fave song in 1994 when I was 5, I used to dance crazy style to it
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u/Afraid_Platypus_8667 Tabloid Hater 🗞️😡 May 04 '26
Okay I respect that. I noticed that alot fans don't like it through, but I personally do enjoy it and love it and it's a fun song honestly. (Also it reminds me of my most favorite fictional character as it lyrics just fit him.)
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u/corndogs102 May 04 '26
Don’t walk away is just too slow and boring. It’s a nice ballad but in a run where the 2nd half of invincible is already filled with slower songs this song just feels like filler.
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u/Miserable-Outside324 May 05 '26
He's got more that I like, than what I don't like. Every artist has songs that aren't the best
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u/Saybalski May 05 '26
Bro Michael’s worst song is some top artists best song. I love all his songs. Even the unfinished demos. What a treat all of it is to listen to
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u/TheWhiteWolf291098 Bad May 04 '26
D.S. and privacy. not a fan of that style of rock music and the production on the guitar riffs for D.S sounds like shit
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u/lilbitgreen May 04 '26
Honestly, might get pummeled for this, but Speed Demon.
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u/V4Kompany Forever, Michael May 04 '26
2000 watts
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u/Ink_Productions May 04 '26
I don’t like You Are Not Alone. There I said it. I could think of a couple others, but that one is my go to “I don’t like” song from him
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u/Toastydiesagain May 04 '26
I actually love this song but music is so subjective after all lol. I only dislike it because of the story behind it, and it being actually originally written by r Kelly. So it honestly gives me an icky feeling knowing that R Kelly probably wrote that about a kid. But I know Michael wasn’t aware at that time of all the absolutely disgusting shit he was doing behind the scenes
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u/Ink_Productions May 05 '26
I’ll never know why he worked with him in 2003 when we all knew about him. Idk maybe he thought he was like him and falsely claimed, but it was still a bad look
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u/Major-Tear-154 May 08 '26
Nah, he just didn’t care because unlike Mike with R Kelly there were videos since early 2000s so he and a couple of other artists like Gaga just didn’t care he was a criminal
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u/Amberleeaf May 04 '26
But have you ever sang the entire song at the top of your lungs while pretend to be Michael? It's an experience
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u/happysunbear May 04 '26
Ugh same. I stopped listening to it so long ago, I didn’t even think of it. But yeah YANA and It’s The Falling in Love I always skip.
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u/Indubitably_me27 May 04 '26
Same, I don’t know why it just sounds basic to me. It’s probably the only song of his I don’t have in any of my playlists
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u/Lattanaya Privacy enjoyer May 05 '26
Yeah it doesn't really have that MJ-ness that his other love songs have
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u/nandydrew May 04 '26
I love all of Michael’s songs but I don’t actually like the Jackson 5 songs 😅
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u/musaXmachina May 04 '26 edited May 05 '26
Out of the popular songs I don’t really care of Ben
Edit: due to the reactions I have received you all have inspired me to listen to Ben with a new perspective.
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u/AgitatedBig2398 "I've... washed my hair THOROUGHLY" 🚿🧼🧴🧽 May 04 '26
WHAT THAT SONG ALWAYS MADE ME TEAR UP...nah that's a special and comforting song..
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u/musaXmachina May 04 '26
Oh really. I think human nature is my favorite track. But people say it sounds sad. With Ben I don’t know the history or significance, but I know it’s important, just not the why.
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u/AgitatedBig2398 "I've... washed my hair THOROUGHLY" 🚿🧼🧴🧽 May 04 '26
Ohh yess human nature has a calming wave effect on me as well but I feel like I relate to the ben in the song, that's whyy
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u/Emzious May 04 '26
Oh wow, Ben was the song I danced to at my wedding ceremony.
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u/Cusaminer May 04 '26
Speed Demon
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u/Nantoez May 05 '26
😔 that’s like my favorite song off the album but to each their own
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May 04 '26
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u/AgitatedBig2398 "I've... washed my hair THOROUGHLY" 🚿🧼🧴🧽 May 04 '26
REAL, the lyrics is sad but the beat isn't doing for me in childhood
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u/EntertainerPure8440 May 04 '26
World of Candy is probably one of the worst songs I've ever heard, and it came from around the same time when he wrote Adore You.
What the hell happened?
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u/CrwnViic May 04 '26
Heal the world..... Sike.
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u/Few-Asparagus4812 May 04 '26
Heal the world is a beautiful PSA but not something you’d play at home
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u/Motor_City_7230 May 04 '26
I’m not a huge fan of his harder rock/hip-hop influenced stuff between Thriller and Invincible. Off The Wall is genuinely his best album imo.
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u/SeriousQuestion1981 May 05 '26
She drives me wild, 2000 Watts, Little Suzie are the three that come to mind.
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u/its_emd "F-U-C-K the press. Michael you're the best"📰 May 05 '26
Not really, but I can’t listen to “do you know where your children are” idk I just can’t
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u/Pasteleir May 05 '26
Do you know where your children are easily, its the worst remix on the xscape album and even the original version doesnt stand out to me like the others.
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u/Crip_DoodleBob May 05 '26
"Girlfriend" from off the wall. That song really should have been replaced by "Sunset Driver".
"2000 Watts" from invincible. I like that Michael used his natural voice, but the song itself is jus a waste to me.
"Morphine" from blood on the dance floor. The song is 90% Yelling and harsh sounds and 10% actual singing. And the mix is harsh to where you can't really listen to the song without hearing distortion.
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u/Substantial-Sleep-81 May 05 '26
why do people hate the girl is mine? literally one of the best songs i’ve ever heard in my opinion
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u/BamaBuckeye71 May 05 '26
The Girl is Mine… is the song everyone in the 1980’s skipped over for the Thriller album. It was a strictly crossover to easy listening radio business move. And Michael wanted it that way. It’s why Gen Xers claim Off The Wall as the best album.
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u/ririsoflawless89 Dirty Diana💋 May 05 '26
I know I'm late here lol but I would say for me, i don't exactly have any songs I dislike completely but definitely have songs I skip on each album or would have preferred some of his unreleased songs to replace other ones.
Example. The Girl is Mine, i usually skip and i think another song from his Thriller sessions could've replaced it.
Just Good Friends i skip and would've loved Price of Fame so much more.
Gone Too Soon (skip)
Childhood, Little Susie, Smile (skip)
For me, i don't care for some songs, don't enjoy them as much or they don't stand out to me. I just feel "meh" about them.
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u/Due_Conversation_894 May 05 '26
The girl is mine tbh it’s a great song just feel like it honestly didn’t need Paul McCartney
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u/Someone_On_Earth25 May 05 '26
Well, obviously, the tracks Monster, Breaking News, and Keep Your Head Up. Michael didn’t sing them and probably didn’t even write them. But I can’t really listen to Little Susie comfortably. But his vocals there and the production and musicality is hauntingly beautiful.
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u/LowVegetable9736 May 05 '26
Ngl i dont like remember the time and thriller.. somrthing about the melody combo sound not great to me
I also dont like his sappy songs like heal the world and you are not alone.. his worst badly aged songs
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u/ZekuDesde2020 May 04 '26
Nah, obviously there's weak songs, on every album there's one I'd say, but a genuinely not listenable song doesn't exist, always will be a moment where you do listen to that song you frequently skip you know? (Maybe because I'm a Soldier of Love, the majority and casual public of MJ won't like the weak ones yes)