Songoftheday 9/16/12 - Every night she walks right in my dreams since I met her from the start...

Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney - "The Girl Is Mine"
from the album Thriller (1982)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2 (three weeks)
Weeks in the top-40: 14

Today's Song of the Day is by two of the biggest stars ever in the history of pop music, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney. Even as the Jackson Five were still going strong, Berry Gordy capitalized on Michael's charm and voice and had him start recording solo records; his first, Got To Be There, came in 1972, and the title track became his first solo top-5 hit in the US, Canada, and in Britain the year before. The following year, his ode to a rodent, "Ben", shot to #1 in America and Australia.

When the brothers (save Jermaine) moved from Motown to Epic Records, Michael joined them, both in records as the Jacksons, as well as eventually solo, as his first record under his name with the label, Off The Wall, was released in 1979, and it heralded a new, more mature, and infinitely groovier Michael from his past solo work (though the Jackson' Triumph predated it). Hooking up with producer Quincy Jones and writer/musician Rod Temperton from the disco group Heatwave, Jackson scored four top-10 singles from the album, with "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" and "Rock With You" going to #1 in the US ("Don't Stop..." was also his first #1 in Australia). Even in Britain, Jackson was huge, with re-released 1975 Motown hit "One Day In Your Life" becoming his first chart topper in the UK in 1981.

With all this success and the Jacksons' huge tour preceding, the expectation for his next album were high. That's why I'm still to this day befuddled on the choice of first single, "The Girl Is Mine", a song he recorded with ex-Beatle Paul McCartney in April of 1982. As a preview of the album, it totally fails, as the schlocky production overlaps the most trite and juvenile melody and lyric Jackson has written, even as a child. It mimics the "Nyah Nyah" taunt elementary school girls whine on the playground, and while clearly Jackson and McCartney are having a good time of it all, the song is such a throwaway that at first I was convinced it was just the B-side of what would be the real single.

Well, despite being mostly panned by critics, the fans and radio audiences certainly were grateful to have Jackson back, and driven by their star power the song made it to #2 on the pop chart (which probably frustrated Michael to no end). But the song predictably topped the adult contemporary chart for four weeks, as well as the R&B chart for three. The album started to sell (though it wasn't immediately a #1 record) and all was forgiven when the followup, the juggernaut that is "Billie Jean", came out.

Now there are songs that I couldn't stand back in the day that I can appreciate a little better - this isn't one of them. It's such a puerile slapfight between the two of them that it's proof how awesome Thriller is because it somehow doesn't manage to be a wet blanket on it. And thus I lump it into those "worst songs of all time" category (see #1, "We Built This City") mostly reserved for talented artists who should know better (also see Genesis' "Invisible Touch"). And you know, I actually do like the record more than I did at the time, so that's says something.

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In the beginning of 2008, on the 25th anniversary re-release of Thriller, "The Girl Is Mine" was re-released with Jackson's demo vocals and substituting producer will.i.am rapping in where McCartney was.That version made the top-40 in the UK, and top-20 in Holland. It actually manages to outdo the original's mediocrity, with forced "hard" instrumentation and his ridiculous call and answer raps...

In 1991, the alt-rap group Poor Righteous Teachers cribbed the chorus for their minor R&B hit "Shakiyla"...

That same year, Stevie Wonder sampled the synth chords for this top-10 R&B hit "Fun Day" on his Jungle Fever soundtrack...

The Polish rap group (yes, it apparently exists) Beat Squad sampled the song on their "Wesola Bryka". ("Cheers Bucks"?)..

R&B singer Ashanti went to #30 on the R&B chart stealin' the melody on "Good Good" in 2008...

...and a year later in 2009, dancehall singers Lukie D and Tony Curtis sparred off on the song...

Up tomorrow: Punkers head to the Sahara...

UPDATE: OK, if anybody could make me like this song, it's these guys...