Michael Jackson is the writer behind plenty of his own hits, including “Billie Jean”, “Beat It”, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”, and others. But Jackson, perhaps surprisingly, did not write all of his hits. These are three of Jackson’s most noteworthy songs, which were actually written by somebody else instead.
“Thriller”
One of Jackson’s most popular songs, “Thriller” is the title track of his sixth studio album. A song that remains among one of the biggest hits of all time, “Thriller” was written by Rod Temperton.
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“Thriller” says, “It’s close to midnight and something evil’s lurkin’ in the dark / Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart / You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it / You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes / You’re paralyzed / ‘Cause this is thriller, thriller night / And no one’s gonna save you from the beast about to strike / You know it’s thriller, thriller night / You’re fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight.”
Actor Vincent Price, best known for his work in horror films, does the spoken word part of “Thriller”. The song became known for its video, which ran almost 14 minutes long. Jackson starts the video by stating, “Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult.”
“Man In The Mirror”
“On Jackson’s seventh studio album is “Man In The Mirror”. Although it seems like it might be autobiographical to Jackson, “Man In The Mirror” was written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett.”
“Man In The Mirror” says, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror / I’m asking him to change his ways / And no message could have been any clearer / If you wanna make the world a better place / Take a look at yourself and then make a change.”
“The song was deeper than just the visual of a man looking at himself in the mirror,” Garrett explains. “It was that, juxtaposed with the idea of a man going deeper inside himself to change from within. To make a difference on the outside, you have to first start from within. So I think that Michael just got it… he got the meaning of the song right away.”
“Ben”
Michael Jackson’s first No.1. single, “Ben” is written by Don Black and Walter Scharf. The song is the title track of Jackson’s sophomore album. “Ben” is also the title track of the soundtrack for a film of the same name.
“Ben” begins with, “Ben, the two of us need look no more / We both found what we were looking for / With a friend to call my own / I’ll never be alone / And you my friend will see / You’ve got a friend in me.”
Photo by George De Sota (ID 5073478)/Redferns