Michael Jackson Songs: Both Michaels, with Videos

For those of us old enough to remember the Jackson 5, we "met" Michael Jackson when he was that cute little youngest member of the family singing group. He seemed much like an average kid, but one with an amazing voice and an even more amazing stage presence. He was often a guest on our radios or 8-track players as we cruised around town, "groovin'" to the beat. Some of his songs also provided great background music for making out in the back seat.

Who could ever forget "ABC"? Or how about "Rockin' Robin"? These were feel-good songs that almost forced you to sing along. Our heads bopped to the rhythm as we drove. And when we heard "Dancin' Machine'," we all tried to become one - whether on the gym floor or in our bedrooms in front of our mirrors.

And then there were the slow songs, love ballads that put into words all our preteen and teenage angst of first love: "Never Can Say Goodbye" and "I'll be There." It was obvious to us at the time that Michael Jackson was experiencing the same feelings we were - just dipping our toes into the sea of love.

Perhaps Michael's most beautiful love song is "Maybe Tomorrow." The melody is lovely, and the lyrics seemed to be speaking personally to many of us experiencing lost love: "Maybe tomorrow, you'll change your mind. Maybe tomorrow you'll come back to my arms. You're all I need to get by. No one else can make me cry the way you do, baby." Even today, decades later, hearing this song takes me back. I'm a thirteen-year-old girl again, sobbing over my first breakup. I thought, "This guy knows exactly what I'm feeling. He understands."

Then, it seems that overnight, Michael grew up. He was no longer that round-faced child prodigy who was the front and center of a popular group. He was on his own now, and his music transformed from sweet and cute to serious, in-your-face tunes like "Beat It" and "Billie Jean." These songs rocked, and we rocked right along with them as we tried to mimic Michael's famous dance moves, and we attempted to "moon walk."

I remember the first time I heard "Thriller." I liked it well enough, but I didn't LOVE it until I saw the video late one Saturday night, on TV. Wow. It was "way cool." What a novel concept for a video! A young couple out on a date runs out of gas. The clouds shift, revealing a full moon, and the boy, played by Michael, turns into a werewolf and turns on his innocent sweetheart. Then we discover that it's only a movie the two are watching. As they walk home from the theater, the bone-chilling voice of Vincent Price speaks, and a host of zombies surrounds the young lovers. Michael becomes one of them, and all the "undead" begin to dance in unison. They chase the girl into a spooky old house, and just when zombie Mike is about to seize the terrified girl, we're made to believe she imagined the whole thing. But in the final frame, Michael gives us one last glance, revealing his demoniacal eyes. This has to be one of the best music videos EVER.

Michael Jackson had a tragic life, as many in the world spotlight do. From his abusive childhood to his troubled adulthood. Whether you agree with his somewhat questionable lifestyle or not, there's no denying his gift to the pop music world and to his millions of adoring fans. He was an incredible talent - no question about it.

Many of us felt that we knew Michael Jackson. We actually did grow up with him. When we were young and naive, so he seemed to be. As we got older, he matured, also. With his tragic death, we feel a deep loss, as if part of our own past has died. An integral part of our youth left with Michael's demise, never to be resuscitated.