00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 songs you didn't
00:08know were written by Michael Jackson.
00:14For this list we'll be looking at songs the King of Pop wrote for other artists, not
00:18including tracks that he has featured on.
00:20Let us know which writing credits surprised you the most in the comments below.
00:43The Grammy and Tony Award winning singer is best known for her role in Dreamgirls on Broadway.
00:51Holiday became a household name when she belted The Beautiful and I'm Telling You I'm Not
00:57Going in that hit musical.
00:59She began her studio career with a bang and quickly was accompanied by some heavy star
01:03power.
01:11Her second studio album opens with a whimsical song about longing for love, written by none
01:16other than Michael Jackson.
01:26The song and the album were not massive successes, though it's pretty tough to compete with the
01:31everlasting impact of her debut single, which has only ever been rivaled by the powerful
01:36pipes of Jennifer Hudson.
01:42Don't Forget The Day, this legendary R&B group debuted.
01:49Known for their 90s hits such as No Diggity, Blackstreet staked their claim to fame with
01:55the self-titled album release in 1994.
01:58The platinum record includes the ballad Joy, written by Michael and originally intended
02:03to be featured on his Dangerous album.
02:10According to Levi Little, Michael's version was sped up and more upbeat than the song
02:14we know today.
02:16With the help of the group's founder and producer, Teddy Riley, Blackstreet flipped
02:20the single as their own.
02:27Joy slid on to the Billboard Hot 100 charts, peaking at 43.
02:40Number 8.
02:41All Right Now, Ralph Tresvant After success and new addition, Ralph Tresvant
02:47debuted his self-titled solo album in 1990.
02:50The CD included the single, All Right Now, written by Michael Jackson.
03:01Not only can you hear Jackson's influence stylistically, many often compare the two
03:06singers' vocals.
03:08Jackson inspired Tresvant way before his solo career, as the group allegedly chose their
03:12name to signify a new addition of the Jackson 5.
03:23The album went double platinum, but Tresvant's solo career was not as well received as projects
03:29from other former band members Bobby Brown and Bell Biv DeVoe.
03:34After Tresvant released another studio album, New Edition reunited as a group in the mid-90s.
03:38Number 7.
03:47Love Never Felt So Good, Johnny Mathis We know what you're thinking.
03:53But isn't this actually a Michael Jackson song?
03:56Yes and no.
04:03Michael wrote the song during a collaboration session with Paul Anka back in the 80s.
04:08The hit was written for and recorded by Johnny Mathis for his 56th studio album.
04:19While Mathis' version never reached much acclaim, the single sparked re-interest after Michael's
04:24original demo was leaked.
04:26The song was re-released posthumously in addition to an alternate duet version with Justin Timberlake
04:31in 2014.
04:33The single was downloaded nearly 100,000 times within just two days of its release.
04:41Number 6.
04:42Nighttime Lover, LaToya Jackson Talent most certainly runs in the family.
04:49LaToya, the middle child of the Jackson clan, released her eponymous debut solo album to
04:54kick off the 80s.
05:01Thanks to her brother's pen, Nighttime Lover was released as the second single for the
05:06album.
05:12You might find it a little odd that a song so intimate was shared between siblings.
05:16But it wasn't originally intended for big sis.
05:29Michael actually wrote the song, then titled Fire Is The Feeling, for the queen of disco
05:34herself, Donna Summer.
05:35Despite a funky beat and Michael's backing vocals, the song was ultimately outperformed
05:40by her premiere single, If You Feel The Funk.
05:52Number 5.
05:53This Had To Be, The Brothers Johnson Cue the synth.
05:58The Brothers Johnson dominated the disco and R&B charts in the early 80s under the guidance
06:02of legendary music producer Quincy Jones.
06:11The brothers collaborated with Michael for This Had To Be on their fourth studio album.
06:16While the song wasn't necessarily a hit, the album soared to the top of the R&B charts
06:21and into the top five for pop albums.
06:27The late Louis Johnson, otherwise known as Thunder Thumbs, kept a close working relationship
06:32with Jackson.
06:33After his work in the funk duo, Louis was most known for his bass playing on the groundbreaking
06:38Thriller album.
06:40His technique was so unique that he is credited as one of the grandfathers of slap bass playing.
06:52Number 4.
06:53What's Your Game, MDLT Willis.
06:57This one-hit wonder comes from Joe Jackson's short-lived label, Ivory Tower International
07:01Records Inc.
07:02MDLT Willis, signifying the initials of four singing sisters, was a girl group brought
07:15to life by Michael's father.
07:17Being under the wing of the Jackson family, it only makes sense that they would lend some
07:20of their talent over to ensure success.
07:27The single's writing credits go to the Jackson 5, making it one of Michael's earliest credits,
07:33as he was only 16 years old when the song was released.
07:36The song peaked at 89 on the Billboard 100 before the group was disbanded.
07:45The label produced one other single, How Can I Be Sure, for the youngest Jackson brother,
07:50Randy.
07:51Number 3.
07:52State of Shock, Mick Jagger.
08:01Michael and Freddie Mercury of Queen had reportedly been trying to record a song together for
08:05quite some time, but the opportunity never presented itself.
08:09The two powerhouses had allegedly recorded three songs together.
08:13There Must Be More to Life Than This was posthumously released in 2014, while Victory remains unavailable
08:19to the public.
08:20However, the final song, State of Shock, was reworked into a joint effort between the Jacksons
08:26and the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger.
08:34The collaborator struck gold as the 1984 hit soared to the top of the charts around the
08:39world.
08:40Like Jackson, Jagger solidified his place in music and pop culture with his signature
08:44sound and presence.
08:50Even with his selectivity towards collaborating, the two legends shocked the world with an
08:55unforgettable single.
09:02Number 2.
09:03Do The Bartman, The Simpsons Cast.
09:06From nominations to animation, the king of pop did it all.
09:10Michael was reportedly a big fan of The Simpsons.
09:17He wrote this song, which follows Bart Simpson in yet another act of rebellion.
09:21This time he's shaking up a stale school concert.
09:28Apparently he petitioned to write for the show, and even ended up writing another song,
09:33Happy Birthday Lisa, for an episode focused on an MJ impersonator.
09:37However, Michael only provided the speaking role for the impersonator, while another actor
09:41sang due to contractual obligations.
09:44Do The Bartman was such a success, it was even nominated at the 1991 MTV VMAs for Best
09:50Special Effects in a Video.
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10:13Number 1.
10:14Eaten Alive, Diana Ross In a friendship between two superstars spanning
10:19more than 40 years, there's bound to be a major collaboration or two.
10:31The Supreme singer helped catapult the Jacksons into stardom, marketing their debut as Diana
10:35Ross Presents The Jackson 5 in the late 60s.
10:39The pair worked together several times on songs like Ross' hit Muscles, and even performed
10:44together on stage.
10:46Jackson co-wrote and provided co-vocals on Eaten Alive for Ross' 16th studio album.
10:55The album itself was widely regarded as a critical failure, however the title track
11:00made its way to the top 10 on the R&B charts.
11:03Throughout their careers, the two remained friends and spoke very highly of one another's
11:06successes.
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