Michael Jackson Most Popular Songs
On The Acoustic

Billie Jean was released as a single back in 1983 from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album. Quincy Jones and Jackson co-wrote  and produced the song. Jackson had his fastest rising #1 hit with this song since being a member of "The Jacksons".

The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and with over 10 million in sales, it was one of the biggest selling songs of all time. Ut was a #1 in several countries and a top 10 in others.

Black artists never saw much video action on MTV until this song and video came onto the music scene. The song also captured two Grammy Awards.

I play this one with a capo 2nd fret and use mostly down strokes for rhythm and later I change to a down down up down down up pattern. Some lead here with the chords Em, Am, C and B7.

Black Or White hails from the 1991 Michael Jackson album "Dangerous"  and this song was the first single from that record. Jackson co-wrote the song with Bill Bottrell. The song shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and stayed there for seven weeks.

Jackson, with this song, was the first artist to have a #1 at the top of this chart for the 1970, 80s and 90s. It was a #1 in 20 countries worldwide. When the video premiered it captured 500 million people in 27 countries, which needless to say was a record in itself.

The song was released to DJ's two days before the video event. The video was edited later on to fix the last 4 minutes which showed Jackson being violent and destructive according to critics.

This one in standard tuning but with a capo 2nd fret just has a few riffs in the rhythm. The chords here are Dsus, Dsus2, D, G and an A with a steady shuffle rhythm pattern.

Blood On The Dance Floor was supposed to be on the 1991 "Dangerous" album but Jackson and company decided to work on the song further and instead released it in 1997 on the re-mix album "Blood On The Dance Floor: History In The Mix".

The song peaked at #42 in the US but was a #1 in several other countries and a top 10 in several more.

He was once asked if the song was about AIDS, but he denied that to be true. The music video won a Brazilian Video Award.

The song was performed live only during the 2nd leg of his History World Tour of 1997.

You can play this one in standard tuning and a capo on the 1st fret with the chords Em, G, A7, C, A/Db, A7 and a B7. I play a down down up down up down up up down down rhythm pattern in a quick shuffle. No lead but a few bass runs.

The Way You Make Me Feel is off of Jackson's 1987 album "Bad" and was written by Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones. The song reached #1 in the US and was a top 20 charter in several other countries. Jackson performed this number at the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988.

Apparently Jackson had 60 songs ready to go for the Bad album that was going to be a multiple disc offering, but Quincy Jones convinced him to just use 11 tracks for the record.

This one I play in drop D tuning with a capo 3rd fret with the chords D, C, G6, F and A. A little picking required with a down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern.

We Are The World produced proceeds for charity and was written my Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones. The song can be found on the album of the same name.

The song sold over 20 million copies, making it the 8th highest selling single. In case you were wondering, "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby from 1942 tops the list. But Jackson's song here

was the fastest selling pop single and picked up 3 Grammys and several other major awards. The song was completed the night before the first recording session.

Played in standard tuning with a down down up down up down down and repeat rhythm pattern with no lead required. The chords here are E, A, B, Db, Abm, Bsus, B7, Gbm, Dbm, A#, C, F, Dm, Am and a Gm.

Who's Loving You is an old Smokey Robinson Motown number from way back in the 1960s. Many artists have recorded the song including Michael Buble, The Supremes, The Temptations and others. And of course Smokey's group "The Miracles" recorded the song.

The Jackson 5 recorded the song as a B-side to "I Want You Back", recorded back in 1969. The song appeared on Michael Jacksons 2002 album "Love Songs".

The chords in this one are G, D7, D/Gb, Em, C, C7, Cm, B7, A7 and D but no lead work and in standard tuning. For rhythm play a down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern.