Billie Jean

About this song

"Billie Jean" was the second single from Thriller, Jackson's sixth solo album, and it reached number one in several countries, including the US. Jackson said he set out to write a song with a great bass hook, and he came up with it while driving down Ventura Boulevard. Producer Quincy Jones initially wanted to leave the song off the album and disliked the intro, the bass line and the title, but Jackson fought to keep it and rejected Jones' suggested title "Not My Lover". Jackson performed the song on Motown 25 in 1983, where he debuted the Moonwalk.

What it's about

The song tells the story of a young girl who claims to be the mother of Jackson's alleged son. Jackson wrote in his autobiography that the character was a composite of women who had made similar claims against his brothers and himself.

Fun facts

• Samples “Fucked by Fucked”.
• Sampled in 100 other songs, like “Can't Look In My Eyes by Kid Cudi (Ft. Kanye West)”.
• Covered 58 times, including “No Diggity (Billie Jean Remix) by Blackstreet”.
• Written by Michael Jackson.
• Produced by Quincy Jones.