Look, I’m gonna be honest I’m not really sure If I trust my judgment on this ranking since it’s kind of IMPOSSIBLE to properly rank anything involving Michael Jackson. But with the movie coming out soon, I figured now would be the best time for it. So without further ado, here is the best I could do in ranking Michael Jackson’s albums. This ranking will only include his 10 official albums. No compilations, re-issues, posthumous releases, etc. And obviously his work with the Jackson 5 is also excluded. Okay, here it goes………….
#10: Music & Me
Honestly there’s nothing really wrong with this album. There’s nothing really special about it either but it’s still Michael. The first and probably the main reason this is at the bottom is because something has to take the bottom spot. And this being Jackson’s lowest selling in his library relatively qualified it. It also doesn’t help that this is Michael Jackson we’re talking about, this just does not stand out in comparison to the historical library that I’m going to attempt to rank. And this obviously is not going to be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Michael Jackson. Again something had to be in last place, and unfortunately Music & Me was the easiest choice for this spot. Not disrespect towards the album though.
#9: Forever Michael
This album received this placement for similar reasons, though it is obviously slightly higher. To be honest, that is mainly because this did better than the previous entry. But also like our last subject, it just does not stand out in comparison to the rest of his library. And if my understanding is correct, this was before Jackson had more creative freedom with his music and it wasn’t until the next album that he had more independence. Again, I do not know if this is accurate. If I’m wrong, someone let me know please. But that definitely plays a factor in why it just doesn’t stand out in comparison to the rest of his library. And of course something has to take this spot, so I’ll stick with this for today.
#8: Got To Be There
Jackson was just a baby in this. In fact, this was his very first album. The one that started it all. I’m gonna call this his "cutesy" era for obvious reasons. That is pretty much the vibe I get from Rockin’ Robin. Rockin’ Robin is not my favorite, but again it is cute and is ultimately what gets this album higher than the previous ones. Unsurprisingly Jackson managed to make this song its own. But despite that, Got To Be There receives its placement for the same reason, it does not stand out in comparison to Jackson’s library and something has to take this spot. We have one more album from Jackson’s “cutesy” era after this, but it is not next due to one certain song from the album. Obviously we’ll discuss it later.
#7: Invincible
This album is actually responsible for 2 songs in Jackson’s library that I find unfairly underrated and some of his best. The first being You Rock My World. And it’s not simply because of Chris Tucker being hilarious as always, the song itself has a nice beat, is genuinely catchy and has some really nice production. And like pretty much always with Jackson, the music video is cinematic gold. The other song on this album that does not get enough credit is Butterflies. That song is GORGEOUS and criminally underrated. And I know this was only a promotional single for the album, and I understand why as the song is not as outgoing as most of Jackson’s library. But at the same time, the track still deserves more appreciation.
#6: Ben
Okay back to the “cutesy” era. So as I mentioned during my commentary for #8, this album is the highest ranked of Jackson’s “cutesy” era due to the title track. I think a lot of people (myself included) often forget that this is a movie track. Creepy horror film about rats of the same name. Ben may not be as iconic as others, but this was a great foreshadowing for the legend we would get to know and love. This song also received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, resulting in a young Jackson performing the song at the ceremony. And I do believe this song has a fanbase in its own right, just not as big as other songs. Though because the titular track is the main stand out, I can’t put this album any higher than #6. But it is definitely more iconic than You Rock My World and Butterflies (as much as it kills me to say that for the latter).
#5: History
History is responsible for one of my personal favorite songs from Jackson. This album is also notable for its themes and subject matter. Namely him attacking the media for his child abuse allegations. One of the more iconic songs off the album is You Are Not Alone which is a favorite of my mom’s (and most of my family) but not mine. The song is fine for me, but Scream is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! I love that song to death. This is probably the most unapologetic I’ve probably seen both of the Jacksons (who are obviously pissed off) and the music video is amazing and another personal favorite for me from Michael and Janet. Also I like seeing them come together as siblings. I probably would’ve put History higher for Scream alone if Jackson’s older albums weren’t so iconic.
#4: Bad
Bad is actually not bad. I think we’ve officially gotten to the point where almost every song on the album (or at least every single) is iconic. I will admit that I’m not the biggest fan of the music video for Bad. With all due respect to Mr. Jackson, he is not very convincing as a ‘bad boy’. With that being said, this album is actually responsible for several iconic songs in Jackson’s library. Along with Bad we have other classics such as The Way You Make Me Feel, Dirty Diana, and Man In The Mirror (not my favorite, FIGHT ME!). But my favorite song off this album is Smooth Criminal hands down. Not only is the beat too infectious to not move to, but the music video is one of my favorites. But I am NEVER trying the “anti-gravity” thing. The only bummer about the song is we never found out if Annie was okay. Oh well.
#3: Dangerous
Dangerous is kind of a bop. Both in terms of music and the videos. We gotta start with Black Or White. The song is catchy as Hell and the video is incredibly fun. Quick little shout out to Macaulay Culkin. Then we have Will You Be There, which is also a movie track as the song is from Free Willy. But Remember The Time RULES. One of my all time favorites from Jackson, the song is a bop and the music video is amazing. Also star-packed along with Black Or White with Iman and Eddie Murphy. The video also has some of my favorite choreography from Jackson, I adore that dance break. Pretty everything about Remember The Time is awesome. My love for that song as well as the addition of several more iconic songs is why I gave Dangerous such a high placement. Seriously Remember The Time Rules!
#2: Off The Wall
Jackson finally got his independence with this record and it shows. And this was definitely the start of him becoming legendary. Rock With You is another favorite of my mom’s, though I mostly remember it for that suit from the video. I can take or leave She’s Out Of My Life, sometimes it’s too sappy for me. But I could listen to Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough all day if I wanted to. A complete bop from start to finish. It also helps that Jackson looks extremely happy in the music video, like he’s having the time of his life. Plus it’s a favorite of mine in Michael Jackson: The Experience. At this point, we’ve officially reached the end of Jackson’s "cutesy" era and entered the beginning of his dominance in the music industry which he continues to have even long after he went on to meet the Lord.
#1: Thriller
If Off The Wall was the start of him becoming a legend, Thriller cemented it. The second this album released, history was made and this man became an icon. I think pretty much every single song on this album is revolutionary. P.Y.T, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, Human Nature, the list goes on. And I don’t think I even need to explain the impact of Beat It. Billie Jean, which is arguably his signature song, went DIAMOND for a reason. The man performed his first moonwalk to this for the love of GOD! And if someone ever says that they have never attempted the Thriller dance, they are LYING! No other album could’ve topped this ranking, it is too impactful to ignore. This wasn’t just an album, it was an EVENT! It was the birth of THE entertainment master we now know, love and miss as Michael Jackson. You are missed.
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