3 placement of “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire in late 1981, followed by Dazz Band’s “Let It Whip” (No. 1 crossover success was spurred on by two major celebratory events in early 1981 – the inauguration of a new American president (Ronald Reagan) and the return of the American hostages (minutes after Reagan’s swearing in) from Iran after more than a year of captivity.Īfter that event-driven disco triumph, the highest any black dance song would reach on the Hot 100 before 1983 was the No. 1 pop was Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration,” the late-1980 feel-good tune that had earlier topped the disco and soul charts and was more slowly embraced by pop audiences. Disco, which made up much of Off The Wall, was “dead” now and anything that approached it sonically – particularly by black artists – was to pop radio what red meat was to a vegan.īefore “Billie Jean,” the last uptempo dance/disco song by a black artist to reach No. The landscape had changed significantly since Jackson’s previous album, Off The Wall, made its mark in 1979-80. “The Girl Is Mine” was a good fit for pop radio during the post-disco era of 1980-82, when music was heavily dominated by middle-of-the-road, adult contemporary fare. 1 hit with another soul artist ( Stevie Wonder, “Ebony and Ivory”) earlier in 1982. It was a safe, mid-tempo pop ballad featuring the most successful singer/songwriter in modern music history up to that point, Paul McCartney, the ex-Beatle who himself had teamed up for a No. Indeed, Epic had been wise to go with “The Girl is Mine” first.
It was that danceable part, though, that could’ve easily caused “Billie Jean” to tank before it even got started. It had a great storyline delivered by Jackson’s boyishly adult, yet stirring vocals, a loping bass line (played by the late Louis Johnson of the Brothers Johnson), an eerie but hypnotic two-note keyboard riff that repeated throughout, and a persistent danceable 4/4 beat. In 20/20 hindsight, “Billie Jean” had all the makings of a big crossover pop hit even before the circumstances that eventually led to it becoming so. 1 placements of its parent album, made Jackson the first male artist ever to top the big four pop and soul albums and singles charts simultaneously. 1 on the pop chart (the Hot 100), which, along with the concurrent No. 1 in just its third week on the soul chart in February 1983. 1 a record-setting two weeks after its soul chart debut). 1 on the soul chart by the Gap Band’s “Outstanding,” “Billie Jean” returned the favor and knocked the Gap Band from the top (“Billie Jean” was No. The week after “The Girl Is Mine” was displaced from No. 2 pop) when Epic Records shipped the “Billie Jean” 45 to record stores in January 1983. “Billie Jean” was released on the heels of Thriller’s first single, “The Girl Is Mine” (the more pop-friendly duet with Paul McCartney), which itself was still at its chart peak (No.
It’s the song that set a course for black dance music (and funkier leaning dance music in general) to make an eventual return to pop chart prominence after three years of dormancy in the post-disco era. It’s still the first song that comes to the minds of many when Jackson’s name is mentioned. “Billie Jean” was the second single released from the landmark album Thriller by Michael Jackson 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.Īnd 35 years later, for many reasons, “Billie Jean” is still regarded by many as one of the most important recordings in pop music history…both the song and its music video. Any “UK” entry designates a single different from its US counterpart).Thirty-five years ago this week, the second single from Michael Jackson’s astronomically successful album Thriller rose to No. If the charting track was the B-Side, then. Here’s a sampling of charting singles (and B-Sides that charted) from rock and pop music from the 50s through the 80s – the BEST music ever made!
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