jean song american singer michael_jackson second single singer sixth solo album thriller written composed jackson produced jackson contradictory claims meaning song lyrics suggests derived real life experience female fan claimed jackson brothers fathered twins jackson stated jean based encountered song known distinctive bassline played jackson vocal song mixed times audio engineer finalized reportedly went 2nd mix final product song success best selling singles best selling singles worldwide song topped charts simultaneously countries topped charts switzerland reached austria italy new_zealand norway sweden jean certified platinum recording_industry_association_of_america riaa rolling_stone_magazine placed song spot list greatest songs time awarded numerous honours including grammy awards induction song corresponding music video helped propel thriller status best selling album time song promoted short film broke mtv racial barrier video black artist aired heavy rotation jackson emmy nominated performance yesterday today forever jackson premiered helped song additionally promoted jackson commercials filming commercial jackson severely burned covered modern artists jean sealed jackson status international pop icon background jackson stated times jean based brothers encountered jackson jean kind anonymous represents lot girls 60s added hang backstage doors band come town relationship think wrote experience brothers little lot girl claimed son related brothers jackson biographer promoted theory jean derived real life experience singer faced documents young woman wrote jackson letter informed singer father twins jackson regularly received letters kind met woman question ignored woman continued send jackson letters stated loved wanted wrote happy raised child jackson ignore flesh blood letters disturbed singer extent suffered following letters jackson received parcel containing photograph fan letter gun jackson horrified letter asked pop singer kill certain day specific time fan killed baby wrote life mother dismay jackson photograph woman framed hung dining room table family home discovered fan sent psychiatric hospital production michael_jackson wrote jean female fans mind later stated wrote song knew success musician knows hit material feel place makes feel good felt jean knew going big writing singer explained absorbed song instance notice car caught fire drove freeway friend passing informed jackson noted kid probably saved lives jackson faced numerous disagreements song producer reported want song appear thriller felt song weak collection jones stated false rumor producer disliked demo care song bassline jones wanted cut jackson second introduction longest created time entertainer insisted kept said michael got cut intro jones later recalled said makes want dance michael_jackson tells makes want dance rest shut jones wanted change track title lover believed people think song referred tennis player jackson refused change title asked jones producing credits track felt demo tape sounded exactly like finished product addition jackson wanted extra royalties jones granted fell days having resolved differences jones jackson sing vocal overdubs foot long cardboard tube jackson entire lead vocal performed received vocal training morning production song jazz played bass guitarist brought played guitar owned jackson finally settled bass drafted played keyboard later said song jean hot level sic hot moving action got michael excited hot instrumentation minimal hear hot lyrically vocally affects physically emotionally song mixed ninety times unusual usually mixed song jones told create drum sound heard audio engineer told add different element sonic personality ended building drum platform designing special little things like bass drum cover flat piece wood goes snare hat later wrote line aren pieces music hear notes drums immediately tell piece music concluded think case jean attribute sonic personality composition jean blends sounds post disco rhythm blues funk dance pop song opens standard drum beat standard hat contains hardly bars standard open hat enters bars repetitive bassline enters time passes note doubled distorted synth bass accompaniment followed repetitive note synth played deep defining chord progression established jackson quiet vocals enter accompanied finger snap comes goes verses rhythm chord progression repeats according jackson recording world jackson approached admitted lifting bassline jean song apparently referring hall album private eyes michael_jackson said directly hoped didn mind copied groove hall says told jackson lifted bassline remarking according inside hits lyrics refer created dance floor crowd seductive come jackson bedroom jackson vocal range spanned high falsetto usually wrote melodies range verses jean singer vocals range tenor low falsetto note falsetto showcased chorus line jackson peaks octave song tempo beats minute key minor following chorus cello like synth beginnings later fourth verses announcement baby eyes resemble jackson voice met jackson signature falsetto bridge debuts strings holds pedal tone exception lines chord leading chorus violins played followed note minor guitar solo solo vocal shouts screams laughs added chord progression remains laced jackson vocal musical vocal elements brought final chorus fade jackson repeats denial jean child release reception december thriller released critical commercial success month later january jean released album second single follows jackson successful duet paul_mccartney girl song reached number billboard hot chart remained seven weeks seven weeks number song fell number stayed weeks billboard ranked song jean topped chart weeks jackson fastest rising number single abc love save remained number weeks single eventually replaced outstanding jean peaked number adult contemporary chart number singles chart jean thriller topped singles album charts week occurred sides atlantic simultaneously feat acts achieved song best selling single ninth jean reached number switzerland austria italy new_zealand norway sweden rolling_stone review described jean lean funk number message couldn blunt says kid son added track sad song resolve jackson feelings blender stated song eccentric psychologically downright bizarre things land radio added stark cat bass figure whip crack eerie multi tracked vocals vast spaces keyboards strings overall magazine described track minute long nervous breakdown set beat stylus said song best representations film noir pop music ending resolution single mother selfish review thriller allmusic observed jean startling futuristic funk track won praise jackson biographers stated string arrangement added danger jean added dark sparse production standards jean recognized numerous awards honors grammy awards song earned jackson record awards won favorite dance disco magazine poll named jean black single decade recognized track favorite pop rock single cash box honored song awards pop single black single track recognised awarded black gold award single year jean awarded sales won award best selling single standard format single certified platinum recording_industry_association_of_america shipments million units digital sales jean certified gold shipments units digital sales jean certified platinum total number digital downloads song october stands million viral video high school aged teenager imitating jackson performance song helped song enter billboard hot number chart performance credited streams viral video promotion music video short film jean considered video brought mtv fairly new unknown music channel mainstream attention videos black artist aired regularly channel network executives felt black music wasn rock directed video shows photographer follows jackson catches singer photographed jackson fails developed picture entertainer dances way jean hotel room walks tile lights touch performs quick spin jackson jumps lands freeze framed toes arrival hotel jackson climbs staircase room step lights touches burnt hotel sign passes arrives scene watches jackson covers bed trailed police arrested jackson sported new look video hair jackson clothes black leather suit pink shirt red bow tie copied children imitation severe despite pupil protests banned students wearing single white glove like jackson performance jean yesterday today forever president jackson record label cbs approached mtv play jean video enraged mtv refused play video threatened public mtv stance black musicians said mtv pulling air product going videos going public fucking tell fact don want play music black guy mtv relented played jean video heavy rotation prince little red corvette video aired thriller went sell additional million copies short film inducted poll pop stars video directors agents journalists conducted telecommunications company music video ranked fifth music videos video ranked 35th greatest music video list compiled mtv millennium music video featured dvds video greatest hits history bonus dvd thriller michael_jackson vision march michael_jackson performed jean critical popular acclaim staged civic auditorium yesterday today forever celebration fifth anniversary despite fact launched years old organized event feature popular acts past present stars reunite evening pay tribute acknowledge effect lives jackson initially refused invitation personal visit singer great respect decided singer perform jean following performances took stage group performance years brothers sang medley old hits finished left michael stage addressed audience went routine wore black pants leather penny black jacket single white glove begin performance jackson snapped head struck pose right hand hat left leg bent musical interlude singer executed believe sealed status pop icon jackson backwards perform spun heels landed time jackson performed public practiced kitchen prior yesterday today forever watched million people jackson routine earned emmy nomination performance jackson reached new audience increased sales thriller eventually best selling album time day aired jackson called childhood idol commended singer childhood idol admired jackson black jacket performance later received gift jackson stated time disappointed performance wanted remain toes longer jackson subsequently said jean favorite songs perform live way yesterday today forever audience wants certain thing spot later said like different version list compiled jackson performance ranked sixth greatest rock roll moment years later entertainment_weekly named jackson performance important pop culture moments history moment crossed way live musical performance quality entertainment_weekly editor commented performance shown television numerous times featured dvds history film volume bonus dvd thriller commercials sponsored return michael brothers star commercials company jackson reworked jean commercial entitled generation song official commercials released promo single launch choice new generation campaign february attended people issued programme single filming second commercial exploded jackson hair caught fire incident left singer need surgery commercials premiered grammy awards night collected record awards live performances thriller wanna beat jean performed michael_jackson tour concerts ending chorus drum solo extended period time jackson dances spotlight song ends jackson singing jean lover throwing hat audience exceptions concerts held hat threw performance evolved terms dance moves overall song length victory tour performance minutes length seconds spotlight dance ending bad tour flashing lights sounds transition beat second leg performances considerably different leg like victory tour jackson dance moves second leg ending longer second leg seven minutes length dangerous world tour illusion jackson appear upper floor moment thriller ended use masked dancer posing jackson switched middle song jackson performed song slightly slower speed victory bad tours faster studio version super bowl jackson performed consisting refrain second chorus instrumental bridge ending pose shortened studio remix performed medley mtv awards wanna trip added solo addition similar tempo instrumentation snare sample wanna trip repeatedly played spotlight ending main bassline history tour performances song usually minutes minutes preceded minute intro jackson pulls jacket glove hat similar tempo arrangement studio version madison square garden similar instrumentation vocal mixing verses sung live switches forth intro seen rehearsals filmed completely shown film song approximately minutes length performances song available history film volume history world tour live dangerous tour live july video albums jean michael_jackson original version jean remixed kanye_west thriller 25th anniversary reissue entitled jean remix garnered mixed reception critics felt impossible improve original pitchfork_media explained guest verse added dynamics mix clumsy review thriller popmatters described track listing reissue pleasant west lazy remix exception added given opportunity remix iconic single iconic albums time stick drum machine song original arrangement rolling_stone disliked removal original bassline compared putting ice hockey stick ign praised west remix stated pretty great track added track originally understated drama additions enhance song demonstrate contemporary context cover versions version german punk rock band covered jean album pleasure pain cover successful original included cover music video parodies track listing maxi tonight remix love dead yeah acoustic version charts sound version canadian dance group recorded cover peaked australian charts march reached belgium finland netherlands track listing maxi jean beat radio mix beat mix effect mix reprise charts notable cover versions hit number charts british funk group recorded track retitled jean got soul cover peaked number sweden english musician took jean number charts brown later commented love jackson want jackson thriller beat jean robin abc hopefully singer later covered thriller golden gaze second solo album jean recorded american rock musician carry album said cover didn plan sort happened changed music bit didn touch lyrics added joke took completely different approach musically previously performed song live europe including acoustic set stockholm sweden september later said getting ready acoustic shows promotional tour revelations wanted fun cover received favorable reviews critics mtv noted feel stripped away pop elements original los_angeles_times described track grim jackson jean added amusing sounds lot like matters newspaper concluded mega hit survived stunt translation version performed live seventh season american idol version charted billboard hot year dance act signature britain audition final performance covered song cappella mash tribute jackson songs pre recorded backing vocals legacy jean aided thriller biggest selling album time referenced performers justin_timberlake usher guardian reflected thought went production single entire recording careers rose gwen song accompanying performances contributed jackson status legendary pop icon popularly believed jean autobiographical song referring claimed jackson father child based theory wrote song superstar minor hit intending song criticism jackson purported denial frequently listed magazine polls best songs jean named greatest dance record time listeners list compiled rolling_stone mtv song ranked sixth greatest pop song rolling_stone placed song list greatest songs time voted number nation favourite number single british programme airing itv july british public choose favourite number past years music bohemian queen voted favourite similar poll song voted british public nation second favourite 1980s number beaten place breath police ranked jean best michael_jackson song users site cast votes online according host commented perfect blend dance pop cemented jackson place music history video helped mtv racial boundaries interview stated jean favorite songs hard greater song jean think song like bassline kind effect perfection song featured film charlie angels video game vice city released visionary campaign jean charted remained weeks successful reissue distance day jean heavy rotation played world radios receives spins week clubs world personnel michael_jackson songwriting composition vocals arrangement rhythm arrangement lead vocals background vocals drums bass guitar guitar synthesizer synthesizer synthesizer programming string arrangement string conducting mixing charts sales weekly charts
Billie Jean