| "Billie Jean" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 The US 7-inch vinyl single | ||||
| Single byMichael Jackson | ||||
| from the albumThriller | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | January 3, 1983 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Studio | Westlake (Los Angeles, California)[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriter | Michael Jackson | |||
| Producers |
| |||
| Michael Jackson singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Billie Jean" onYouTube | ||||
"Billie Jean" is a song by the American singerMichael Jackson, released byEpic Records on January 3, 1983, as the second single from his sixth studio album,Thriller (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson, produced byQuincy Jones, and co-produced by Jackson. "Billie Jean" blendspost-disco,R&B,funk, anddance-pop. The lyrics describe a young woman, Billie Jean, who claims that the narrator is the father of her newborn son, which he denies. Jackson said the lyrics were based ongroupies' claims about his older brothers when he toured with them asthe Jackson 5.
"Billie Jean" reached number one on theBillboard Hot 100, topped theBillboard Hot Black Singles chart within three weeks, and became Jackson's fastest-rising number one single since "ABC", "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There" in 1970, all of which he recorded as a member of the Jackson 5. It was also a number one hit in the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Switzerland and Belgium, and reached the top ten in many other countries. "Billie Jean" was one of the best-selling singles of 1983, helpingThriller become thebest-selling album of all time, and became Jackson's best-selling solo single. "Billie Jean" is certifiedDiamond by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and is one of thebest-selling singles of all-time.
Jackson's performance of "Billie Jean" on the TV specialMotown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever was nominated for anEmmy Award. It introduced a number of Jackson's signatures, including themoonwalk, rhinestone glove, black sequined jacket, and high-water pants, and was widely imitated. The "Billie Jean"music video, directed bySteve Barron, was the first video by a black artist to be aired in heavy rotation onMTV. Along with the other videos produced forThriller, it helped establish MTV's cultural importance and make music videos an integral part ofpopular music marketing. The spare, bass-driven arrangement of "Billie Jean" helped pioneer what one critic called "sleek, post-soul pop music".[3] It also introduced lyrical themes of distrust and paranoia to Jackson's music, a trademark of his later music.[not verified in body]
"Billie Jean" was awarded honors including twoGrammy Awards and anAmerican Music Award.Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1983. In a list compiled byRolling Stone and MTV in 2000, the song was ranked as the sixth greatest pop song since 1963.Rolling Stone placed it at number 58 on its list ofThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004, and at number 44 in its 2021 update of the list. The song was also included in theRock and Roll Hall of Fame's500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.[4] Frequently featured in lists of the best songs of all time, "Billie Jean" was named the greatest dance record of all time byBBC Radio 2 listeners.
There never was a real Billie Jean. The girl in the song is a composite of people my brothers have been plagued with over the years. I could never understand how these girls could say they were carrying someone's child when it wasn't true.
Jackson said that "Billie Jean" was based ongroupies he and his brothers encountered while they performed asthe Jackson 5.[5][6][7] "They would hang around backstage doors, and any band that would come to town they would have a relationship with, and I think I wrote this out of experience [sic] with my brothers when I was little. There were a lot of Billie Jeans out there. Every girl claimed that their son was related to one of my brothers."[8]
According to Jackson's biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli, "Billie Jean" was inspired by letters Jackson received in 1981 from a woman claiming he was the father of one of her twins.[9][10] Jackson, who regularly received letters of this kind, had never met the woman and ignored those claims. However, she continued to send letters stating that she loved him and wanted to be with him, asking how he could ignore his own flesh and blood. The letters disturbed him so much that he began to suffer nightmares.[9]
Eventually, Jackson received a parcel containing a photograph of the fan, a gun, and a letter instructing him to die at a particular time. The fan would do the same once she had killed "their" baby, so they could be together in the "next life". The Jacksons later discovered that the fan had been sent to apsychiatric hospital.[9]
Jackson said he felt "Billie Jean" would be a success as he was writing it: "A musician knows hit material. Everything has to feel in place. It fulfills you and it makes you feel good. That's how I felt about 'Billie Jean'. I knew it was going to be big when I was writing it."[5][3] He explained that, hearing it in his head while in his car, he was so absorbed that he did not realize his car had caught fire until a passing motorcyclist informed him.[5][3]
Jackson disagreed with the producer,Quincy Jones, about the song. According to some reports, Jones felt it was too weak to be included onThriller, but Jones denied this.[9][11][12] Jones disliked the demo and did not care for the bassline,[13] and wanted to cut Jackson's 29-second introduction.[3][14] Jackson, however, insisted that it be kept. According to Jones, he conceded when Jackson said it made him want to dance: "And when Michael Jackson tells you, 'That's what makes me want to dance', well, the rest of us just have to shut up."[3][15]
Jones also wanted to change the title to "Not My Lover", as he believed that people would think the song referred to the tennis playerBillie Jean King.[16][17] Jackson refused to change the title and asked Jones to give him co-producing credits for the track, as he felt that the finished product sounded close to his demo. In addition, Jackson wanted extra royalties. Jones granted him neither and the two fell out for several days.[9][13]
The American composerMichael Boddicker said that Jackson played the synthesizer part in one take on theYamaha CS-80 in seven minutes.[18] However, the synthesizer player Bill Wolfer disputed this, saying he played the CS-80 chords on both the demo and the album version, and that Boddicker was misremembering the session: "Everyone who worked with Michael Jackson knows that he didn't play keys but a tiny bit, and never played them on a record!"[19] According to Wolfer, the part was his sound design: he programmed it to form a hybrid of brass and string sounds, which had a vocal-like quality. Jackson heard Wolfer experimenting with the sound on the CS-80 during theTriumph Tour withthe Jacksons, which he liked and called Wolfer in for.[19]
EngineerBruce Swedien had Jackson sing his vocal overdubs through a six-foot cardboard tube.[3] Jackson's lead vocal was performed in one take; he had received vocal training every morning throughout the production of the song.[6] JazzsaxophonistTom Scott played thelyricon, an electronic wind instrument. BassistLouis Johnson played his part on every bass guitar he owned, before Jackson settled for aYamaha bass.[3]
Swedien mixed the song 91 times—unusual for him, since he usually mixed a song just once. The mixes grew progressively worse, and Jones asked Swedien to listen again to the second mix, which was much better. The second mix was the final version.[13] Instructed by Jones to create a drum sound with "sonic personality" that no one had heard before, Swedien constructed a platform for the drum kit with special elements including a flat piece of wood between the snare and hi-hat. He said: "There aren't many pieces of music where you can hear the first three or four notes of the drums, and immediately tell what the piece of music is. But I think that is the case with 'Billie Jean'—and that I attribute to sonic personality."[3][13]
"Billie Jean" blendspost-disco,[21]rhythm and blues,[6][21][22]funk,[20][23] anddance-pop.[6] The song opens with a standard drum beat along with a standardhi-hat, and joined two bars later with acabasa accompanied by a repetitivebassline. Each time it passes through thetonic, the note is doubled by a distortedsynth bass. This accompaniment is followed by a repetitive three-note synth, playedstaccato with a deep reverb. The definingchord progression is then established. Jackson's quiet vocals enter, accompanied by a finger-snap, which comes and goes during the verses, as the rhythm and chord progression repeats.[6]Greg Phillinganes, who played keys, said of the song: "'Billie Jean' is hot on every level. It's hot rhythmically. It's hot sonically, because the instrumentation is so minimal, you can really hear everything. It's hot melodically ... lyrically [and] vocally. It affects you physically, emotionally, even spiritually."[3]
According to Jones, Jackson "stole" notes from theJon and Vangelis song "State of Independence";[24] Jones had producedDonna Summer's cover of the song, and Jackson had sung backing vocals.[25] According toJon Anderson, "They took the riff and made it funky for 'Billie Jean' ... So that's kinda cool, that cross-pollination in music."[24] According toDaryl Hall ofHall & Oates, Jackson told him he had taken the "Billie Jean" groove from their 1981 track "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)".[26] Hall told him "Oh Michael, what do I care? You did it very differently."[26]
According toInside the Hits, the lyrics refer to the commotion created by Billie Jean on a dance floor. She entices the crowd with a seductive come-on before luring the narrator to her bedroom, through the fragrance of her perfume. Jackson'svocal range spanned from a highbaritone to afalsetto and he usually wrotemelodies to show this range. However, in the verses of "Billie Jean", his vocals range from atenor to a low falsetto. A four-note falsetto is showcased in the chorus and, during the last line, Jackson peaks at a fulloctave.[6] The song is in the key ofF♯ minor with a tempo of 117 beats per minute, while the verses are in the key ofF♯dorian.[27] Following the first chorus, acello-like synth eases in at the beginnings of both the third, and later, the fourth, verses. Upon the announcement that the baby's eyes resemble the narrator's, a voice laments, "oh no". This is met with Jackson's signature falsetto "hee hee".[6] Thebridge debuts thestrings, and holds apedal tone tonic with the exception of two lines and a chord leading into the chorus. Violins are then played, followed by a four-noteminor guitar part. During the guitar part, vocal shouts, screams and laughs are added. Throughout this, the chord progression remains unaltered and is laced with Jackson's vocal hiccups. All the musical and vocal elements are then brought together in the final chorus. In thefade, the narrator repeats his denial of fathering Billie Jean's child.[6]
On November 30, 1982,[28]Thriller was released to critical and commercial success.[29] On January 3, 1983, "Billie Jean" was released as the album's second single; it follows Jackson's successful duet withPaul McCartney on "The Girl Is Mine".[30][31] The song reached number one on theBillboard Hot 100 on March 5, 1983 and stayed there for seven weeks, becoming Jackson's biggest solo hit.[32]Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1983.[33] "Billie Jean" topped theR&B chart within three weeks, and became Jackson's fastest-rising number one single since "ABC", "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There" in 1970, which he recorded as a member ofthe Jackson 5. It remained at number one for nine weeks on the R&B chart, being preceded bythe Gap Band's "Outstanding", before the single was eventually succeeded byGeorge Clinton's "Atomic Dog".[30] "Billie Jean" peaked at number 9 on theAdult Contemporary chart.[31] It was also number one in theUK Singles Chart. "Billie Jean" andThriller topped both the singles and album charts in the same week. This occurred on both sides of the Atlantic simultaneously, a feat very few acts have ever achieved. The song was the third best-selling single of 1983 in the US and ninth in the UK.[30] "Billie Jean" also reached number one in Canada, Switzerland and Belgium, and the top ten in Austria, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden.[34][35]
Billboard called it a "brilliant piece of writing" and "one of [Jackson's] finest performances."[36] In aRolling Stone review, Christopher Connelly described "Billie Jean" as a "lean, insistent funk number whose message couldn't be more blunt: 'She says I am the one/But the kid is not my son'". He added that the track was a "sad, almost mournful song, but a thumping resolve underlies [Jackson's] feelings".[20]Blender stated that the song was "one of the most sonically eccentric, psychologically fraught, downright bizarre things ever to land on Top 40 radio". They added that it was "frighteningly stark, with a pulsing, cat-on-the-prowl bass figure, whip-crack downbeat and eerie multi-tracked vocals ricocheting in the vast spaces between keyboards and strings". Overall, the magazine described the track as "a five-minute-long nervous breakdown, set to a beat".[3]Stylus said of the song, "It's one of the best representations of film noir in pop music, ending with no resolution except a single mother and selfish, careless scumball."[37] In a review ofThriller 25,AllMusic observed that "Billie Jean" was "startling" in its "futuristic funk".[23] The track also won praise from Jackson biographers.Nelson George stated thatJerry Hey's string arrangement added danger to "Billie Jean", while J. Randy Taraborrelli added that it was "dark and sparse" by Quincy Jones' production standards.[9][38]
"Billie Jean" has been recognized with numerous awards and honors. At the1984 Grammy Awards the song earned Jackson two of a record eight awards;Best R&B Song andBest R&B Male Vocal Performance. It won theBillboard Music Award for favorite dance/disco 12" LP, and the magazine's 1980's poll named "Billie Jean" as the "Black Single of the Decade". TheAmerican Music Awards recognized the track as the Favorite Pop/Rock Single, whileCash Box honored the song with the awards for Top Pop Single and Top Black Single. The track was recognized with the Top International Single award by the Canadian Black Music Awards and awarded the Black Gold Award for Single of the Year. "Billie Jean" has also been awarded for its sales. It won theNational Association of Recording Merchandisers Gift of Music award for best-selling single in 1984. By 1989, the standard format single wascertified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America, for shipments of at least one million units.[39][40] Thedigital sales of "Billie Jean" were certified gold in 2005, for shipments of at least 500,000 units.[41] In May 2014, aviral video of a high school-aged teenager imitating Jackson'sMotown 25 performance of the song helped the song re-enter the Billboard Hot 100 at number 14, with 95% of its chart points credited to streams of the song following the popularity of viral video.[42] On August 29, 2022, the digital sales of "Billie Jean" were certified Diamond in US.[43]
MTV initially refused to air the video for "Billie Jean", as the network's executives feltblack music did not fit into its "rock"-centered programming at the time.[44] Enraged by their refusal despite Jackson's success as a musical artist,Walter Yetnikoff, the president of Jackson's record companyCBS Records, threatened to expose MTV's stance on racial discrimination: "I said to MTV, 'I'm pulling everything we have off the air, all our product. I'm not going to give you any more videos. And I'm going to go public and fucking tell them about the fact you don't want to play music by a black guy.'"[3] MTV relented and premiered the "Billie Jean" music video on March 10, 1983.[45] After the video was aired inheavy rotation,Thriller went on to sell an additional 10 million copies.[3][46] It was one of the first videos by a black artist to be aired regularly by the channel.[44]
Directed bySteve Barron and produced by Gowers Fields Flattery, the video shows a photographer who follows but never catches Jackson, as when photographed Jackson fails to materialize on the developed picture. Jackson dances to Billie Jean's hotel room and as he walks along a sidewalk, each tile lights up at his touch.[44][47] After performing a quick spin, he jumps and lands, freeze framed, on his toes. Upon arrival at the hotel, he climbs the staircase to Billie Jean's room, lighting up each step as he touches it and illuminating a burnt-out "Hotel" sign as he passes it. The paparazzo then arrives at the scene and watches as Jackson vanishes under the covers of Billie Jean's bed, before the police arrive and arrest him for spying on Billie Jean.[44] As the paparazzo is led away, he drops a tiger-print cloth that Jackson had left behind after polishing his shoe with it earlier in the video. (On both occasions, the cloth briefly transforms into a tiger cub.) Once the street is empty, the paving tiles again light up in sequence, reversing Jackson's earlier progress.
Jackson's new look for the video, a black leather suit with a pink shirt and a red bow tie, was copied by children around the US.[44] Imitation became so severe that, despite pupil protests,Bound Brook High School forbade students from wearing a single white glove like Jackson had on during the performance of "Billie Jean" atMotown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.[48][49]
The short film was inducted into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame in 1992.[39] In a 2005 poll of 31 pop stars, video directors, agents, and journalists conducted by telecommunications company3, the music video was ranked fifth in their "Top 20 Music Videos Ever".[50] The video was also ranked as the 35th greatest music video in a list compiled by MTV andTV Guide at the millennium.[51] On June 10, 2021, "Billie Jean" became the first 1980s clip by a solo artist to reach 1 billion views onYouTube.[52]
Jackson performed "Billie Jean" on the television specialMotown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, broadcast on May 15, 1983. The special was recorded on March 25 as a celebration ofMotown Records' twenty-fifth anniversary (Motown was launched in 1959). The event featured many popular Motown acts, past and present. Jackson initially refused an invitation to reunite with the Jackson 5 for a performance, but reconsidered after a visit from Motown founderBerry Gordy, whom Jackson respected. Jackson asked to also perform "Billie Jean", which ended up being the only non-Motown song on the show, to which Gordy agreed.[53][54] Following performances byMarvin Gaye,Smokey Robinson, andMary Wells, the Jacksons sang a medley of their early 1970s hits.Jermaine Jackson was on stage with the group, marking the first time that the originalJackson 5 lineup had performed together since they left Motown in 1975. After the group performed "I'll Be There", they left Michael alone on stage.[55]
Jackson wore black pants, leatherpenny loafers, a blacksequined jacket, and a single white rhinestone glove. He addressed the audience, and then "Billie Jean" started playing. (Jackson lip-synced the entire song, because organizers feared that the evening's backing band could not replicate the sound of the recording.)[54] To begin his performance, Jackson snapped afedora to his head and struck a pose—his right hand on his hat and his left leg bent. During the song's instrumental interlude, he executed a move that many believe sealed his status as apop icon.[56][57] Jackson glided backwards to perform themoonwalk, before he spun on his heels and landeden pointe.[53] It was the first time Jackson had performed the moonwalk in public; he had practiced it in his kitchen prior to the show.[58]
Many, including Jackson biographer Steve Knopper, have speculated that Jackson's "Billie Jean" costuming and choreography were specifically inspired by a dance routine performed byBob Fosse in the 1974 musical filmThe Little Prince.[54] In that film, Fosse, playing "The Snake", sings the song "A Snake in the Grass" and performs an accompanying dance that Fosse himself choreographed. The dance includes a variety of techniques that seemed to be echoed in Jackson's routine, including trademark Fosse elements such as hip thrusts, bent knees, shoulder isolations,jazz hands and kicks, as well a brief moonwalk.[54][59] Jackson openly acknowledged Fosse as a dance influence, having told Fosse himself that he had amassed a complete home collection of Fosse's choreography work in film and television, which he watched frequently.[59]
Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever was watched by 50 million people and Jackson's routine earned him anEmmy nomination.[60][61] With the performance, Jackson reached a new audience and increased the sales ofThriller, which eventually became the best-selling album of all-time.[58] The day after the show aired, Jackson was called by his childhood idolFred Astaire, who commended him. Another childhood idol,Sammy Davis Jr., had admired Jackson's black sequined jacket during the performance and later received it as a gift.[58]
Jackson stated at the time that he was disappointed in his performance; he had wanted to remain on his toes longer than he had.[53] Jackson subsequently said that "Billie Jean" was one of his favorite songs to perform live, but only when he did not have to do it the way he had onMotown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. "The audience wants a certain thing—I have to do the moonwalk in that spot," he later said. "I'd like to do a different version."[39]
In a Top 100 list compiled byVH1 andEntertainment Weekly in 2000, Jackson's performance was ranked as the sixth greatestrock 'n' roll TV moment.[62] Five years later,Entertainment Weekly named Jackson'sMotown 25 performance as one of the most important pop culture moments in history. "It was a moment that crossed over in a way that no live musical performance ever had. There was a messianic quality to it",Entertainment Weekly editor Steve Daly commented.[63] David Moynihan ofNME wrote in 2009 that "Jackson's status as the world's biggest superstar was confirmed" by theMotown 25 performance.[64]
In 1984,Pepsi sponsored theJacksons'Victory Tour. In return, Michael and his brothers were to star in two commercials for the company.[65] Jackson had reworked "Billie Jean" for the commercial and titled it "Pepsi Generation". The song was used as the officialjingle for the commercials and released as a 7" promo single. The launch of "The Choice of a New Generation" campaign in February 1984 was attended by 1,600 people who were issued with a programme and the 7" single.[66] During the filming of the second commercial, a firework in the rear of the set was prematurely detonated, setting Jackson's hair ablaze. The incident necessitatedreconstructive surgery.[67][68][69] The commercials were premiered at the Grammy Awards, the same night he collected a record eight awards.[65][70]
| "Billie Jean 2008 (Kanye West Mix)" | |
|---|---|
| Song byMichael Jackson andKanye West | |
| from the albumThriller 25 | |
| Released | February 8, 2008 (2008-02-08) |
| Length | 4:35 |
| Songwriter | Michael Jackson |
| Producers |
|
Michael Jackson's original version of "Billie Jean" was remixed byKanye West forThriller 25, a 25th anniversary reissue of Jackson'sThriller. Titled "Billie Jean 2008", the remix garnered a mixed reception; most critics felt that it was impossible to improve upon the original.Pitchfork Media's Tom Ewing stated that the remix would have benefited from a guest verse by West, which "might have added dynamics to the mix's clumsy claustrophobia".[71]
Mike Joseph, in a review ofThriller 25 forPopMatters, described the track listing of the reissue as "pleasant" but that West's "lazy" remix was the only exception. He added, "You've been given the opportunity to remix the most iconic single from one of the most iconic albums of all time, and all you can do is stick a drum machine on top of the song's original arrangement?".[72] Rob Sheffield ofRolling Stone disliked the removal of the original bassline, and compared it to "puttingBobby Orr on the ice without ahockey stick".[73]IGN's Todd Gilchrist praised West's remix and stated that it was a "pretty great track". He added, "it almost overplays the track's originally understated drama, his additions enhance the song and demonstrate that in a contemporary context."[74]
"Billie Jean" aidedThriller in becoming the biggest selling album of all time.[75][76]
It was popularly believed that "Billie Jean" was an autobiographical song, referring to someone who claimed Jackson was the father of her child. Based on this theory,Lydia Murdock wrote the song "Superstar", which was a minor hit in 1983, intending this song as a criticism of Jackson's purported denial of paternity.[77] Another song referred to as an "answer song" was a rap song byT-Ski Valley. The song "Valley Style" was actually reviewed byJames Hamilton in the 30 July issue ofRecord Mirror. He referred to both Lydia Murdock's and T-Ski Valley's recordings as answer versions to "Billie Jean" but with a question mark for T-Ski Valley's rap version.[78][79]
On hisLate Night program in the 1980s, hostDavid Letterman often played a recording of a song with the word "chair" replacing "kid" to create themondegreen "the chair is not my son".[80]
Frequently listed in magazine polls of the best songs ever made, "Billie Jean" was named the greatest dance record of all time byBBC Radio 2 listeners.[81] In a list compiled byRolling Stone and MTV in 2000, the song was ranked as the sixth greatest pop song since 1963.[82]
Rolling Stone placed the song at number 58 on its list ofThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004.[83] In the 2021 update of the list it had risen to 44.[84] "Billie Jean" was voted number 2 inThe Nation's Favourite Number 1 Single, a British TV program airing onITV on 21 July 2012. In a similar poll in 2015 the song was voted by the British public as the nation's second favorite1980s number one.[85]
In an interview,Pharrell Williams stated that "Billie Jean" was one of his favorite songs. "It is hard to say if there is a greater song than 'Billie Jean'. I think there will never be a song like this one again, with this bassline, with this kind of effect, this eternalness, this perfection."[86] When re-released as part of theVisionary campaign in 2006, "Billie Jean" charted at No. 11 in the UK. It remained in the top 200 for over 40 weeks and was the most successful reissue by some distance.[51] According toThriller 25: The Book (2008), "Billie Jean" is still in heavy rotation; it receives more than 250,000 spins per week in clubs around the world.[86]
7" single (Epic EPCA 3084 (CBS))[34]
7" single (Epic 15-06453)[34]
12" maxi (Epic 12-3084)[34]
Credits adapted fromBlender and the albumThriller 25.[3][87]
Monthly charts[edit]
Year-end charts[edit]
| All-time charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[162] | 9× Platinum | 630,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[163] | Diamond | 800,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[164] | 3× Platinum | 270,000‡ |
| France (SNEP)[165] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[166] | 3× Gold | 900,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI)[167] | 2× Platinum | 140,000‡ |
| Japan (RIAJ)[168] digital | Gold | 100,000* |
| Mexico (AMPROFON)[169] | Diamond+2× Platinum | 420,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[170] | 6× Platinum | 180,000‡ |
| Portugal (AFP)[171] | 3× Platinum | 75,000‡ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[172] | 3× Platinum | 180,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[174] Physical sales | Gold | 760,000[173] |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[175] Digital sales | 4× Platinum | 2,400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[41] | Diamond | 10,000,000‡ |
| Streaming | ||
| Greece (IFPI Greece)[176] | 2× Platinum | 4,000,000† |
| Ringtone | ||
| Japan (RIAJ)[177] Full-length ringtone | Gold | 100,000* |
| United States (RIAA)[41] Mastertone | Gold | 500,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| "Billie Jean" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single bythe Bates | ||||
| from the album Pleasure + Pain | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Length | 4:25 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriter | Michael Jackson | |||
| Producers |
| |||
| The Bates singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In 1995, German bandthe Bates covered "Billie Jean" on their albumPleasure + Pain.
Maxi-CD
| Chart (1995–1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[178] | 68 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[179] | 40 |
| Germany (GfK)[180] | 21 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[181] | 10 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[182] | 67 |
| "Billie Jean" | |
|---|---|
| Single by the Sound Bluntz | |
| Released | 2002 |
| Label | Kontor |
| Songwriter | Michael Jackson |
| Producer | Cory Cash |
Canadian groupthe Sound Bluntz also recorded a cover which peaked at No. 17 on the Australian charts during March 2003.[183] It also reached No. 17 in Belgium, No. 14 in Finland, and No. 53 in the Netherlands.
CD-Maxi Kontor 14305-5 (Edel)
| Chart (2002–2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[183] | 17 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[184] | 17 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[185] | 24 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[186] | 14 |
| Germany (GfK)[187] | 74 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[188] | 53 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[189] | 93 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[190] | 32 |
English musicianIan Brown took "Billie Jean" to number 5 on the UK charts in 2000. It was theB-side of "Dolphins Were Monkeys". Brown said, "I love Jackson. I want to do a Jackson EP with 'Thriller', 'Beat It', 'Billie Jean' and 'Rockin' Robin' or 'ABC' on it. Hopefully I'll get it done". Brown later covered "Thriller" onGolden Gaze, from his second solo album,Golden Greats.[51][191]
American rock musicianChris Cornell recorded "Billie Jean" for hisCarry On album in 2007. Cornell said of his cover, "I didn't plan on it. It just sort of happened organically. I changed the music quite a bit, I didn't touch the lyrics." He added, "And it's not a joke. I took a completely different approach to it, musically."[192] Cornell had previously performed the song live in Europe, including an acoustic set inStockholm,Sweden in September 2006.[51][192] He later said, "I was getting ready to do some acoustic shows on a promotional tour forRevelations and I just wanted to have fun with it."[193] The cover received favorable reviews from critics. MTV noted the "bluesier, more pained and impassioned feel" which stripped away "any pop elements of the original".[193]Los Angeles Times described the track as "a grim, spooky take" on Jackson's "Billie Jean", and added that it was "amusing enough, even if it sounds a lot more likeMetallica's 'Nothing Else Matters'". The newspaper concluded that "Jacko's mega hit [survived] the stunt translation".[194] In 2008, Cornell's version was performed live byDavid Cook on theseventh season ofAmerican Idol,[195] and this version charted onBillboard's Hot 100 at No. 47.[196]
In 2011,Fall Out Boy frontmanPatrick Stump covered the song as part of ana cappella medley of Michael Jackson songs, in which he sang all the parts.[197]
In 2015, Irish musicianEDEN released a remix of "Billie Jean" then separately released a cover of the song with his own vocals.[198]
In 2022, a clip from theHBO sports documentary seriesHard Knocks went viral, whereDetroit Lionsdefensive endAidan Hutchinson sang the song in front of the team as part of arookie talent show.
TheLondon Vegetable Orchestra has covered the song, under the title 'Billie Auber-Jean'.[199]
In 1983, Italian studio groupClub House recorded what would now be known as amashup of "Billie Jean" and the 1972Steely Dan song "Do It Again", titled "Do It Again Medley with Billie Jean". The song was a top ten hit in Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands. American bandSlingshot recorded a note-for-note remake of the song later that same year; this version hit number one on the Billboard Dance/Disco charts.[200]
Also in 1983,italo disco groupPink Project [it] recorded a mashup of "Billie Jean" withThe Greg Kihn Band's hit "Jeopardy" that went to No. 10 on the Italian charts.[201]
A DJ named Linx created a mashup of "Billie Jean" and the 1987Eric B. & Rakim song "I Know You Got Soul" from the original recordings, releasing it in 1997 as "Billie Jean (Got Soul)". This mashup peaked at number 34 in Sweden.[202]
2manyDJs included a mashup of "Billie Jean",Soulwax's "Saturday" andThe Residents' "Kaw-Liga" in their mix albumAs Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt. 2.
Scottishbhangra groupTigerstyle's song "Nachna Onda Nei" includes the backing tracks of both "Billie Jean" and "Under Pressure" byQueen andDavid Bowie, with new vocals byKaka Bhaniawala.[203] In April 2008, dance actSignature used "Nachna Onda Nei" onBritain's Got Talent in their audition and again in their final performance.[204][205]
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