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Suprise Hits?

Cinnamon234

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Are there any MJ songs that you are suprised were hits?

A few I can think of:

-Black or White (Pretty good song, but I am always suprised it went to #1 and was such a big hit. I didn't think it would have such a universal appeal but given the subject matter I should have known better).

-Bad (Always loved the video, but thought the song itself was a bit mediocre. The extended version is another story though, that version rocks!)


-You Are Not Alone


-You Rock My World


-Earth Song (I'm still shocked this was such a big hit in the UK)
 
Are you serious?
All the songs you mentioned is like amazing, I truly understand why they were such big hits!

I can't pick any big hit song Michael have done, that were not worth it. I think they're all amazing :)
 
agree with you that most of those selections shouldn't have been hits (relative to other cuts from the same albums), but can't really say anything would surprise me when we're dealing with the masses and their oft-corny tastes throughout the years.

Earth Song deserves it, though.

but it's all about tastes at the end of the day..

and i kind of like the fact that most of the tracks i enjoy from Mike aren't overly famous and commercially bastardized.
 
I agree with you as well. Notice that most of the hits you mentioned also had great videos to go with them. I don't think the song "Bad" would have been released just as a radio single. It had to have a video attached to it. And imo, the video makes the song for this particular one. I can't really listen to Bad just by itself. But that's just me.

Same with Black or White, except I think it can stand alone better with out the video. But when it first premiered it went huge remember? And there was a lot of controversy at the tail end of the video. Another possible reason it got so huge.

And if I am not mistaken, I don't think You Rock My World was ever supposed to be the first single off of Invincible. I believe Michael wanted Unbreakable to be the first single. BUT, that was when he and Sony were having their all out battle of good vs. evil, and I think Sony won this particular argument. There are documents to support my statement somewhere on this board, but I haven't the slightest idea where to start searching, lol! Nonetheless, it became a single and had a great video to go with it. I think everyone just took to it so easily because it was the first single Michael has had in a while back then.

I think it will probably be the same way when he drops a new album on us. People are gonna be so stoked to see him with a new album, the first single that pops up is gonna be sooo big. It could be the largest piece of crap ever, and it would still sell because it's Michael Jackson, and he hasn't put anything out since before the trial. It would be huge regardless!
 
All the songs you mencioned is very wonderful,deserves more attention from people around here,I don't know if Americans are different with you,but here there are people who only prioritizes the most famous songs of Mj,nobody mentions the radio or playing in his other songs!:sad:
 
I Just Can't Stop Loving You...that song is my jam, I love it, but I was surprised that it was a #1 hit.
 
arXter said:
Earth Song deserves it, though.
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I love "Earth Song". I'm just suprised it did so well in the UK esp. considering that it didn't do that well in the U.S. People here don't always have the best taste though so I guess that's not saying much since one of my favorite songs by MJ "Stranger In Moscow" didn't do well here either.

theMJgal said:
I Just Can't Stop Loving You...that song is my jam, I love it, but I was surprised that it was a #1 hit.
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Oh, how did I forget about that one?! It's a decent song, but not one of MJ's best imo. It works much better live anyway.
 
Yeah, why didn't Stranger do that well in the U.S. When I was a kid, I never remembered it coming out as a single. I remember You Are Not Alone and Earth Song both being premiered on MTV, but not SOM. That was one of the songs that brought me back to his music a couple of years ago. The beat is so mesmerizing, imo!
 
Hold my hand was #1 and played on some radio here in Brazil,including my city,I was happy and surprised,cuz I love tthis music!^^
 
It wasn't really a hit in America, but I understand "Blood On The Dance Floor" was big in the UK. It sounded like an old track that wasn't particularly great, some album filler. The Wyclef remix wasn't any better, the beats didn't match the vocals.
 
off the wall the title track and it is because it caught me slightly off guard. but it worked.

PYT on the Pop charts because it was more R&B based and yet it did damage on the pop side.

will you be there because gospel themed songs and top 40 radio is a tricky situation alot of the time.

state of shock especially without a video. and you had MJ and Mick Jagger so to avoid a video all together and still hit like that was like WOW!!!!
 
How much of a hit exactly was State of Shock? Wasn't around in those days, so I have no idea what the radio play was like.
 
IvoryKeys said:
How much of a hit exactly was State of Shock? Wasn't around in those days, so I have no idea what the radio play was like.
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I remember that summer the radio would play "State Of Shock", "There's No Stoppin Us" by Ollie & Jerry, "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr., and "The Heart Of Rock n Roll" by Huey Lewis & The News all of the time. Mick Jagger performed State Of Shock with Tina Turner at Live Aid in 85.
 
Cinnamon234 said:
Are there any MJ songs that you are suprised were hits?
QUOTE]

probably right with 'Bad' the reason i love the song is the organ and i love the delivery of the verses.. and the lyrics are simple and meaningful..... normally what the public doesn't see.

With 'Black Or White' i disagree with... great riff and brilliant mash-up of styles which somehow works together.

'You Are Not Alone' and 'The Earth Song' are interesting normally people aren't that patient.


The thing is he's talented with his ability to do any style of song and dance ... that if he doesn't reach one demographic he will reach another to make it popular.
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I can understand Stranger In Moscow not being a huge hit - it's just not the kind of song that would appeal to that many people.

As someone already said, You Rock My World's success was partly due to it being the first MJ single in a long time. Everybody wanted to hear it. And it also grows on you over time - as you listen to it more and more, you start appreciating it's quality.

I was kinda surprised that Cry was as successful (relatively speaking) as it was in some places. It's just not one of those great anthems we get from Michael sometimes.
 
Smooth Criminal. Not for the music and arrangement, but I thought the subject matter was kind of morbid. I thought this about Aerosmith's "Janie Got A Gun" as well.
 
DuranDuran said:
It wasn't really a hit in America, but I understand "Blood On The Dance Floor" was big in the UK. It sounded like an old track that wasn't particularly great, some album filler.
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Serious? I love Blood On The Dance Floor.
Also, I have gripe with the term "album filler" in relation to Michael! He always said he didn't understand artists having "album fillers" and he strived to have albums with NO "album fillers." He wanted all of his songs to be great.

Wow this thread really proves how diverse music tastes are!
I love Bad, Black Or White and You Rock My World!
Bad: Its opening riff is amazing, and it's got such a cool vibe. I don't find this a surprise hit at all.
Black Or White: !!! I love this song!! Amazing riff, and what beautiful subject matter it has. It's also really catchy and you want to sing along, so again, don't find this a surprise. It's universal, it appeals to everyone.
You Rock My World is actually one of my fave songs of MJ's. It's so funky! I remember when it came out first and I was loving it! Still am! Apart from my liking it as a song, it's understandable it was such a big hit, being that it was the first release from Invincible. The world was hungry for MJ music!
 
Emerald said:
Serious? I love Blood On The Dance Floor.
Also, I have gripe with the term "album filler" in relation to Michael! He always said he didn't understand artists having "album fillers" and he strived to have albums with NO "album fillers." He wanted all of his songs to be great.
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He must have forgot what he said when he released 'Invincible' because I think several of those songs could have been left off. If you've heard a lot of New Jack, then "Blood On The Dance Floor" was nothing special. It was recorded for Dangerous. Apparently it was left off for a reason, lol. To me, it's like a Carlton Banks (from The Fresh Prince) version of a New Jack song - lame & dated, lol.
 
Cinnamon234 said:
I love "Earth Song". I'm just suprised it did so well in the UK esp. considering that it didn't do that well in the U.S. People here don't always have the best taste though so I guess that's not saying much since one of my favorite songs by MJ "Stranger In Moscow" didn't do well here either.



Oh, how did I forget about that one?! It's a decent song, but not one of MJ's best imo. It works much better live anyway.
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:clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping:
 
I've always been surprised that 'Enjoy Yourself' did so well...it's probably one of my least favourite songs on that Jacksons album.
 
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