Michael Jackson (partially found unpublished songs from American musician; 1974-2009)
Jackson during a rehearsal for the This is It concerts, which were ultimately cancelled due to his death.
Status: Partially Found
Michael Jackson was an American musician and entertainer. Initially, the lead singer of the family band The Jackson 5 from 1964 to 1984 before branching off into a solo career in 1971, Jackson maintained a high level of success and popularity throughout much of his life, earning praise for breaking racial barriers and innovative musical techniques and dance moves. He was one of the most popular artists in the world, the best-selling prior to his death, and the best-selling deceased artist. In particular, his 1982 album Thriller is noted by Guinness World Records as being the highest-selling album of all time, with an estimated 66 million copies sold since its release.
While his death, like those of any other celebrity, sparked a resurgence in public interest and admiration of his life, career, and music, his passing also had one other effect: an amplified fan interest in his unpublished music.
Background
Michael Jackson had allegedly recorded up to 50,000+ different songs in the years between the ten different albums released during his lifetime, many of which were intended to see released on his albums. However, for varying reasons (such as concerns over album length, legal conflicts, and the desire for certain kinds of "sounds" per album), most of these songs went unused.
The most infamous case in regards to these unused songs is the alleged three dozen or so songs recorded for Jackson's 1991 album Dangerous, most of which were shelved upon the hiring of producer Teddy Riley, who shifted the album's genre to the then-popular "new jack swing". Select tracks from these sessions were intended to be included on a second bonus CD included with the 2001 re-issue of Dangerous (itself part of a campaign to celebrate Jackson's 30th anniversary as a solo performer), but for unknown reasons, this extra material was dropped.
Some of Jackson's unreleased songs include solo works, Jackson 5 songs, covers of pre-existing works, collaborations with other singers, and demos that were reworked into songs officially released by either Jackson or other artists.
History of Public Knowledge
Public knowledge of and interest in Jackson's unreleased works didn't seem to begin until 1993, when he, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton, and Joseph Jackson were accused of plagiarizing the songs "The Girl is Mine", "Thriller", and "We Are the World". During the resultant seven-hour deposition (which ended in the acquittal of the accused parties), Michael Jackson named thirty-seven different songs that he had written or co-written but never published. This event was not only the first public acknowledgment of Jackson's unpublished catalog but also the first known instance where any of these tracks were referred to by name.
With the rise of the Internet in the 2000s, a few unreleased songs of Jackson's made their way onto web forums and streaming sites in snippets and unauthorized leaks, such as "(I Can't Make It) Another Day" on Facebook and "Gangsta (No Friend of Mine)" on MySpace. While his official releases were halted after the Invincible album due to creative burnout and the stresses of the 2005 civil trial, Jackson still created music throughout the 2000s. Alongside re-recordings of his classic songs and unreleased tracks that were placed on compilation albums like Number Ones and Thriller 25, Jackson worked on various tracks between 2001 and 2005, such as "The Loser", "One More Chance", "All In Your Name", and "He Who Makes The Sky Grey" (which he recorded alongside Sheik Abdullah of Bahrain in his private studio).
Upon returning to the States from an extended stay with the Bahraini royal family in 2005, Jackson approached various friends and producers, such as Teddy Riley, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and William "will.i.am." Adams, on the subject of helping him produce an eleventh studio album. Jackson particularly expressed interest in recreating the success of his previous albums like Off the Wall and Thriller while giving those records updates for the twenty-first century. He revealed in a 2005 phone call to the fan club Michael Jackson News International that he was particularly excited to release the song "You Are So Beautiful", which was written to express gratitude to his loyal fans who stood with him throughout his ordeals.
In spite of having no major label sign-off on the project (with certain spokesmen implying Jackson might self-publish the album), Jackson went ahead with various producers and writers on the project in 2006, working especially closely with will.i.am. By February 2007 the pair had drafted eight new songs, under names like "I'm Dreamin'", "I Will Miss You", and "Still the King". In 2007 Akon, Neff-U, Syence, Chris Brown, and Kanye West were brought on board to collaborate. will.i.am claims that during their sessions, Jackson pushed for a sound, not unlike that of the clubbing and dance songs from 1979's Off the Wall (albeit modernized), and several tracks that Jackson had worked on but ultimately rejected were put on will.i.am's 2007 album Songs About Girls. The most notable of these is believed to be "Fly Girl", although how much of Jackson's work on it remained in the finalized track is unknown.
The purported release date for the album was consistently pushed back between 2006 and 2008, and work on the album had either been halted or finished by 2009, at which time Jackson announced his "This Is It" concert tour and began making preparations and recording new tracks. It is unknown whether the then-untitled album worked on with will.i.am had been shelved at this time or perhaps continued during the This Is It sessions, from which came the tracks "River Ripple", "Best of Joy", and "This Is It". Talk of the album died down in favor of the concert tour, and the project remained in an uncertain (although likely advanced) state of production until his death on June 25, 2009.
The next high-profile development in the uncovering of these unreleased tracks came shortly after Jackson's death when his sister La Toya claimed that she had discovered two hard drives containing over a thousand unreleased (and in some cases unregistered) songs recorded by her late brother.
Additionally, a considerable number of unreleased songs were leaked online in the years following the release of 2001's Invincible and especially in the years following his death; YouTube channels such as Sven Nelson have made it a mission of sorts to continuously upload as many of these tracks as possible to keep them publicly accessible. One notable leaked track was "A Place With No Name", a 24-second snippet of which was briefly released by TMZ Network before being officially published posthumously in 2014.
In March of 2020, during an Instagram Live stream with fellow producer Noah Steven, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins — who had produced Jackson's tenth and final studio album Invincible — played upwards of 20 demo tracks that had been worked on during the Invincible sessions. While some of these are recognizable as songs that made it onto the final album ("You Rock My World" and "Privacy" are the easiest to recognize), others are tracks that were cut during production (such as "It's Not Worth It", "We've Had Enough", and "Rampage") and others still are demo tracks of uncertain identity.
Given Jerkins' ability during the stream to seemingly click through these songs one after another at will, it seems likely that he has in his possession most if not all of the unreleased Invincible tracks in a single file on his computer. The quality of the leaked demos played during the stream is less than ideal, but Jerkins' direct involvement with Jackson's work makes it almost certain that all of the snippets he played are authentic tracks recorded by the pop star, and lends credence to Jackson's claim in a 2001 Rolling Stone interview with Anthony DeCurtis that he "wrote so many songs, I don't want to even say the number, just to get down to the 16 that are on there [the Invincible album]."[1]
As of January 2021, YouTuber Mikey D has uploaded a screen recording of Jerkins' Instagram Live stream as pertaining to the leaks.[2]
Official Releases
In the case of "A Place with No Name", the post-mortem resurgence in Michael Jackson's popularity and increased interest in his unreleased tracks motivated Sony Music Entertainment, the owner of Jackson's record label Epic Records, to sign an unprecedented $250 million deal with his estate to maintain distribution rights for the unreleased songs and officially publish them on several posthumous albums throughout the 2010s.
The first of these albums, Michael, was released in 2010, with most of the tracks having been recorded in the years between the release of Invincible and Jackson's passing. The album was released to mixed critical reception and generated controversy over the authenticity of the tracks "Keep Your Head Up", "Monster", and "Breaking News", colloquially known (alongside several other still-unreleased songs) as the "Cascio Tracks" on account of them having reportedly been recorded in the basement of Eddie Cascio in 2007; those contesting the tracks' authenticity claim that the recordings presented on Michael were done by Italian R&B singer and Michael Jackson soundalike Jason Malachi.
The next two albums to feature unreleased Jackson material were Bad 25 (a reissue of 1987's Bad that includes several previously unpublished tracks and demos) in 2012 and Xscape (which includes the aforementioned "A Place With No Name") in 2014; these albums, particularly Xscape, generated much higher acclaim from critics and fans alike. Notably, the deluxe version of Xscape included the original demo recordings of the included tracks as well as the final, contemporized remixes included in the standard edition.
Because 2017 was the year of the expiration time of SME's distribution rights to Jackson's unreleased songs, it is unknown if any more of these tracks will see official releases. Michael Jackson’s estate has plans to release more unreleased songs but first, they’re going to rework it. Chief executive Rob Stringer said this about the label:
"Constantly scouring the catalog for ideas, but there are no plans at the moment to put any more full-fledged albums out. We are looking at one-off songs, and in this streaming world that works because it’s a track-based world. There are a few gems out there that we may unearth individually over the next months and years."
co-executor of Jackson’s estate John Branca told the paper:
"We’ve done a lot of big idea projects and things aimed to attract new fans", "Michael was so multifaceted and in trying to manage the brand we want to do things that capture each facet of who he was. But we start by thinking: What would Michael do?"[3]
Available Information
Label | Definition |
---|---|
Lost | No portions publicly available. |
Partially leaked | Available as snippets; not officially published. |
Leaked | Available in full; not officially published. |
Partially released | Officially published in fragments during Jackson's lifetime or after his death; a full version is not officially available. |
Released | Officially published via posthumous album. |
Existence unconfirmed | Not confirmed to exist in any capacity. |
Title | Writer | Method of acknowledgement | Notes | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
11 P.M. | Michael Jackson, Michael Prince, Brad Buxer | Confirmed to exist by Damien Shields | Written for Dangerous. Reworked in 2008 for his cancelled 11th album. Damien Shields states it is an instrumental. | Lost |
A Baby Smiles | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written and recorded in 1979. Reworked in 1990 for Dangerous. Lyrics included as a poem called "When Babies Smiles" in Jackson's 1992 book "Dancing the Dream". | Lost |
A Deeper Love | Rodney Jerkins, Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written in 1999 for Invincible. | Lost |
Ain't no Doubt About It | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | It's unknown if Michael Jackson recorded his vocals for the track. Although the website says he did, other, more official sources (e.g. U.S. Copyright Office) state otherwise. | Lost |
A Place With No Name | Michael Jackson, Lee Martin Burnell, Elliot Straite | Snippet leaked by TMZ shortly after Jackson's death. Released on "Xscape" in 2014 | Recorded between 1998-2008, during and after the Invincible sessions; lyrics written around the melody to America's "A Horse With No Name". | Released |
A Pretty Face Is | Stevie Wonder | Unknown | Written circa 1974; intended as a duet with the Jackson 5; reportedly recorded for Wonder's 1987 album Characters. | Lost |
Abortion Papers | Michael Jackson | Released on "Bad 25" in 2012 | Recorded in 1987 during the Bad sessions; alternatively known as "Song Groove". | Released |
Adore You | Michael Jackson, Brad Buxer | Title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. Snippet leaked in 2023 | Written and recorded in 2009 during the This is It sessions. | Partially Leaked |
Al Capone | Michael Jackson | Acknowledged during the 1993 Deposition. Released on "Bad 25" in 2012 | Recorded from 1986-1987 during the Bad sessions; early version of "Smooth Criminal"; alternatively known-- possibly erroneously-- as "Chicago 1945" (not to be confused with the identically-named unreleased track written by Steve Porcaro). | Released |
All I Need | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written in 1982 for Thriller | Lost |
My Will | Michael Jackson, Brad Buxer | Instrumental snippet leaked in April 2023. Title is unconfirmed | Written in 2000, recorded in 2001 for the Invincible album. An early snippet featuring the instrumental leaked in April 2023. | Partially leaked |
Alright Now | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1983 as a demo for Ralph Tresvant; Tresvant's version was released on his eponymous debut album. | Lost (Jackson demo) |
All The Truth You Need | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded during the Dangerous sessions; possibly identical to "The Truth On Youth." | Lost |
Angel | Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds | Unknown | Recorded around 1998 for a shelved greatest hits compilation. Several purported snippets of the song have surfaced on the Internet, although their authenticity remains in doubt. A fully complete version is known to exist. | Lost |
Ask DD | Michael Jackson | Auctioned in 2016 with multiple other demos | Recorded in 1994 for HIStory album. Said to be an instrumental | Lost |
Attitude | Michael Jackson, Kathy Wakefield, Michael Pierre | Registered with EMI Music Publishing. | Recorded during the Thriller sessions. A fully complete version is known to exist. | Lost |
Bang Your Head | Michael Jackson, Theron "Neff-U" Feemster | Registered on United States Copyright Office | Reportedly worked on sometime between 2008 and 2009; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. | Lost |
Bassouille | Michael Jackson, Bruce Swedien | Unknown | Written in 1994 during the HIStory sessions; alternatively known as "Basszouille"; a fully complete version is known to exist. | Existence Unconfirmed |
Best is Yet | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | It's unknown if Michael Jackson recorded his vocals for the track. Although the website says he did, other, more official sources (e.g. U.S. Copyright Office) state otherwise. | Lost |
Beatbox 2010 | Michael Jackson, Eric J. Kirkland, Michael Prince | Unknown | Worked on in 2009; some sources state (likely erroneously) that the title is "Beatboy 2010". | Lost |
Beautiful Girl | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Written and produced between 1998 and 2004; later Jackson would rework it between 2005 and 2009 to an advanced state of production for an unknown future project that would ultimately be cancelled due to his death. Listed among certain songs that he had wanted to finish. | Released (1998-2004 version) Partially Leaked (2005 version) |
Behind the Mask | Ryuichi Sakamoto, Chris Mosdell, Michael Jackson | Existence revealed by Sony to promote Michael. Released on "Michael" in 2010 | Recorded in 1982 during the Thriller sessions; cover of an instrumental track by Yellow Magic Orchestra; planned for inclusion on Thriller, but cut due to royalty issues with YMO; Jackson version covered by Eric Clapton and included on his 1987 album August, 23 years prior to the Jackson version's official release, A remix of the original demo was released in Michael in 2010. The original demo was finally released in Thriller 40 in 2022. | Released |
Be Me 4 a Day | Michael Jackson, Gray Calix Days | Registered with Broadcast Music Incorporated. | The exact era in which it was recorded is unknown, but it was possibly recorded in the late 1990s.; also known as "Be Me for a Day", "Just for One Day Be Michael", "Just for a Day", "Me 4 a Day", or "Be Michael". Vocally Complete and ready for release | Lost |
Belong 2 | Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley | Mentioned in the book "Michael Jackson: For the Record". | Written in 1999 during the Invincible sessions. A fully complete version is known to exist. | Lost |
Best of Joy | Michael Jackson | Released on "Michael" in 2010. Early version titled "The Toy" released on "Thriller 40" in 2022 | Written and recorded in April 1991 during the "Dangerous" sessions and later re-recorded in November 2008 on Bel-Air Hotel; Reworked version of "The Toy"; one of the final tracks recorded by Jackson before his death. | Released (2008 vocals) |
The Best Thing | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and Recorded during the HIStory sessions. Vocally Complete and ready for release | Lost |
Bio | Michael Jackson, Brad Buxer | Mentioned by Michael Prince in a March 2017 episode of The MJCast. | Worked on in 1997 during the Invincible sessions. | Lost |
Blue Gangsta | Michael Jackson, Elliot Straite | Unauthorized remix by Temperamental released in 2006. Official version released in 2014 on "Xscape" | Recorded from 1998-2001 during the Invincible sessions, released on Xscape. | Released |
Blue Powder | Michael Jackson, Brad Buxer | Unknown | Written and recorded in 2000 during the Invincible sessions; among certain demos auctioned to a private collector in 2018. | Lost |
Blue Sky | Michael Jackson, Brad Buxer, Michael Prince | Cassette auctioned in 2010; Existence confirmed during a "Making HIStory" seminar. | Worked on in 1995. Reworked in the 2000's. | Lost |
Bomb Detonation | Michael Jackson, Sheik Abdullah of Bahrain | Unknown | Song was recorded in 2005 & 2006 while Michael was in Bahrain for an album by 2Seas in 2007. A rough demo known to exist | Lost |
Bombay Nights | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Worked on during the HIStory sessions; possibly also known as "Blackout and Bombay Girls" or "Bombay Girls". | Existence unconfirmed |
Bottle of Smoke | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1991 during the Dangerous sessions. | Lost |
Boy No | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Worked on between 2005 and 2009. Sonically similar to "Days in Gloucestershire", "Speechless", and "Human Nature". Only a verse and a chorus are known to exist. | Lost |
Breathe | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 2009 during the This is It sessions; notable for being one of the last songs recorded by Jackson during his lifetime. | Lost |
Breed | Michael Jackson, Deepak Chopra | Unknown | Recorded in 2009; one of the final songs recorded by Jackson, just days before his death. Only the instrumental was recorded. Nicknamed by Jackson's fans as "River Ripple". | Partially Leaked |
Broken Chair | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on sometime between 2005 and 2009; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. | Lost |
Bubbles | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on sometime during the Dangerous sessions. | Lost |
Buffalo Bill | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written and recorded in 1983-1984 during the Victory sessions. | Lost |
Butter Funk | Michael Jackson, Michael Durham Prince | Song title found on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | N/A | Lost |
California Grass | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Initially written and recorded during the Dangerous sessions; completed in 1993. | Lost |
Call It Off | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Produced during the Dangerous sessions. | Lost |
Can You | Michael Jackson, will.i.am | Unknown | Likely worked on between 2005 and 2009; a verified source claims that the vocals for the track were recorded, but the song had not been finished by the time of Jackson's death. | Existence Unconfirmed |
Can't Get Your Weight Off of Me | Michael Jackson, Bruce Swedien | Snippets leaked from 2010 - 2023. Song leaked in 2023 | One of the songs Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins produced for the "Invincible" recording sessions in 1999-2001 but the song failed to make it on the album.
The song is completely finished and has full vocals by Michael Jackson, full verses, chorus, climax and lots of ad-libs. It was also mastered on June 20th, 2004 for "The Ultimate Collection" but again, the song failed to gain a release on that box set. The song has a runtime of 5 minutes and 17 seconds with a BPM of 85. Considered for "Xscape" but never selected, the song was last discussed during a Sony UK meeting before the release of the "Xscape" album. Attempted to be sold on an auction with the minimum bid of $100K in 2018, but no one bided. The same copy was up for sale on eBay the same for $500K, but no one bought it. A UK MJ collector bought the 2004 master of the song in 2021 for £1K. Many snippets of the song have been circulating the internet since 2010. In August 22, 2023, the song leaked online, although missing 44 seconds and in low quality. The song is also known by the fans as "Can't Get Your Weight Off Of Me", "Get Your Weight Off Me", "Can't Get Your Weight Off Me", "GYWOOM", "CGWOOM", "GYWOM", "CGYWOM", "Weight Off Of Me", or simply "Weight". |
Leaked |
Can't Stop Loving You | Michael Jackson | Song title found on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Recorded in 1985; Unrelated to "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", which was officially released. | Lost |
Carousel | Michael Sembello, Don Freeman | Unknown | Recorded during the Thriller sessions; cut from the album due to producer Quincy Jones not wanting another novelty song on it. First released with a shorter edit in the 2001 reissue of Thriller though released later in 2008 with an extra verse and a short instrumental bridge in the Italian release of the King Of Pop compilation album. | Released |
Changes | Michael Jackson, John Barnes | Confirmed by Damien Shields after snippet leaked in 2023 | Worked on at various times between 1985 and 2008, always in a rudimentary state of production; has limited vocals and very few discernible lyrics. | Partially Leaked |
Cheater | Michael Jackson, Greg Phillinganes | Likely written and recorded around 1985-87 during the Bad sessions and left off the album; reworked in 2009 before his death. | Released | |
Cheater (2009) | Michael Jackson | Song title found on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | A second reworking of the 1985-87 original, produced during the This Is It sessions. Listed among certain songs that he had desired to finish. | Lost |
Chicago | Cory Rooney | Released as a promotional single for Xscape in 2014. | Recorded in 1999 during the Invincible sessions. | Released |
Chicago 1945 | Steve Pocaro | Unknown | Written and recorded during the Victory and Bad sessions; possibly reworked during the Invincible sessions; unrelated to "Al Capone". Considered for inclusion on Xscape, but rejected by Pocaro. | Leaked |
The Children's Hour | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Recorded as a demo for the Japanese charity group J-Friends; Japanese version released in 1998. | Partially leaked |
Christmas Star | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Cover of the "Home Alone 2: Lost In New York" song by John Williams. Worked on during the summer of 1994. No vocals were ever recorded except for the children's choir. | Leaked |
Circles | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in June 23, 1994. | Lost |
Color of My Soul | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written in 2000; possibly recorded in 2006 with Whitney Houston on backing vocals. | Lost |
Crack Kills | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Recorded in 1986; planned to have featured rappers Run-DMC; allegedly shelved due to an incident where Jackson's chimpanzee Bubbles accidentally bit Jam Master Jay, though the overall recording experience was still described as a positive one; Run-DMC's verse was reworked for their album Tougher Than Leather. | Lost |
Craze | Michael Jackson | Mentioned by Michael Prince in a March 2017 episode of The MJCast. | Written and recorded in 1998 during the Invincible sessions; a fully complete version is known to exist; reportedly at least six minutes in duration. | Lost |
Creepin' | Michael Jackson, Michael Paul, Brian Casey, Brandon Casey, Johnta Austin | Catalogued in the ASCAP Repertory. | Reportedly worked during the Invincible sessions. Only an instrumental is known to exist. | Lost |
Coco Butter | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Alternatively known as "Cocoa Butter". | Lost |
D.I.E. | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Written in 2006; rumoured to be acronym for "Dance is Entertainment". | Lost |
D.N.A. | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994, with the tape itself dating back to august 11 of that year. | Lost |
Dance MJ McKellar | N/A | CD found in court doccuments of Jeffré Phillips' lawsuit. | Date of creation is unknown, however it's very likely to be sometime in the 2000s. Unknown if it is related to "Michael McKeller". | Lost |
Dancing for Love | N/A | CD found in court doccuments of Jeffré Phillips' lawsuit. | One of the songs Jackson made with RedOne. Most likely worked between 2006 and 2009 | Lost |
Danger is the Game | Adrian Mateescu & Bogdan Ioan | Misattributed to MJ since at least August 2012 | This isn't Michael, this is Romanian singer Bogdan Ioan. | Leaked |
Dark Lady | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Also known as "H2O". Recorded in 2008. Vocals recorded in one only take. Unfinished verses, only the chorus are | Lost |
Days in Gloucestershire | Michael Jackson, Michael Durham Prince, Brad Buxer | Unknown | Written and recorded in 2004; alternatively known as "Gloucestershire". | Leaked |
Dead or Alive | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 2004. | Lost |
Deep in the Night | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written in 1987 and Recorded in 1989 | Leaked |
Destruction | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 2005 as a sequel to 1995's "Scream" as a duet with Janet Jackson; planned to be included on Janet's 2015 album Unbreakable, but was cut. | Lost |
Diana Ross | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. Considering the title, "Diana Ross" is most likely written about one of Michael's friends, Diana Ross. | Lost |
Dig It | John Lennon | Unknown | Lyrics sung during studio sessions, likely never fully recorded. | Leaked |
Don't Walk Away (2009) | Rod Michael, Corey Rooney, Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom; existence confirmed by Rod Michael in 2018. | Written in 2007 and submitted to Jackson as a writer's demo. Jackson would record his own version at some point before his death. Unrelated with the identically-titled song from the Invincible album. | Lost (Michael version)
Leaked (writer's demo) |
Do What Your Heart Says | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1995. | Lost |
Do You Love Me | Michael Jackson, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1998. | Lost |
Do You Want Me | Sisquó, Dru Hill | Unknown | Written in 1999 during the Invincible sessions. | Lost |
Doing Dirty | Michael and Marlon Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1983-1984 during the Victory sessions. | Lost |
Don't Be Messin' 'Round | Michael Jackson | Prematurely announced in 2012, one month before the Jackson Estate's official announcement. | Written and Recorded in 1978 during Off The Wall sessions, in 1982 during the Thriller sessions, from 1986-1987 during the Bad sessions, in 1990 during the Dangerous sessions, in 1995 during the HIStory sessions, in 1999 during Invincible sessions and from 2003 - 2009. | Released(Bad version) Partially leaked(Thriller version) Lost (Other versions) |
Don't Believe It | Michael Jackson, Bryan Loren (possibly) | Snippet Leaked by Shana Mangatal in 2020. | Written and recorded between 1990/1991 during the Dangerous sessions. | Partially leaked |
Don't Make Me Stay | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on between 2005 and 2009; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. | Lost |
Don't Matter To Me | Michael Jackson, Paul Anka | Vocals released in 2018. | Recorded in 1983, vocals were used in Drake's Scorpion album in 2018.[4] | Partially released |
Don't Walk Away | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 2009; unrelated to the identically-named song from Invincible. | Lost |
Do You Know Where Your Children Are | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1987 during the Bad sessions and from 1990-1991 during the Dangerous sessions. | Released |
Dream Away | Michael Jackson, Steve Porcaro | Leaked on November 13th, 2022. | Recorded in 1982, some weeks after "Thriller" was released | Leaked |
Dreams | Michael Jackson | Registered with Broadcast Music Incorporated. | Recorded in 1993. Planned to be on The Pepsi Commercial of The Same Name; Fully complete version is known to exist. | Lost |
Earth Love | N/A | CD found in court documents of Jeffré Phillips' lawsuit. | Worked on April 22, 2009 | Lost |
Easy | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1993 for an album that was shelved due to contractual difficulties. | Existence Unconfirmed |
Eaten Alive | Maurice and Barry Gibb, Michael Jackson | Unknown | Original version written by the Gibb brothers, reworked by Jackson; later recorded by Diana Ross and released on her Eaten Alive album in 1985. | Lost |
Ekam Satyam | A.R. Rahman, A.R. Parthasarathi, Kanika Myer, Bharat | Mentioned by Rod Michael in 2017 | Recorded circa 1999 as a duet between Jackson (singing in English) and Rahman (singing in Sanskrit); title is Sanskrit for "The One Truth." | Lost |
Elizabeth, I Love You | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1997 as a tribute to Jackson's friend Elizabeth Taylor, 1 minute and 30 seconds of the studio version has leaked. Full live version exists online | Partially leaked |
Endt It | Michael Jackson | Catalogued in the ASCAP Repertory. | Written and recorded in 2002; This song is believed to have dark and suicidal undertones, but is about racism. | Lost |
Everybody Wants To Be A Movie Star | Michael Jackson | Song title written on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Likely worked on during sessions for Michael's untitled 11th album. | Lost |
Evil Eye | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Worked on during the HIStory sessions. | Existence unconfirmed |
Faces | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded during the HIStory sessions; would have featured an introduction performed by Nelson Mandela and percussion by STOMP; was cancelled after the 1993 child molestation charges motivated Mandela's advisors to prohibit him from recording; alternatively known as "Face". | Leaked |
Family Thing | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1993 for Addams Family Values but cancelled due to contractual difficulties with Paramount Pictures; alternatively known as "Addams Groove", "Family Values", or "Family Morales". | Leaked |
Fanfare Transition | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1992. | Written and recorded in 1992; alternatively known as "Fanfare 1992". A fully complete version is known to exist. | Lost |
Fantasy | Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Recorded in 1983. | Lost |
Far, Far Away | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Recorded in 1983. | Lost |
Fear | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1989 during the Dangerous sessions; Evolved into Is It Scary | Lost |
Fever | Michael Jackson, Bryan Loren | Unknown | Recorded in 1991 during the Dangerous sessions; Reworking of Hot Fever | Lost |
Fly Away | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded during the Bad sessions. | Released |
For the World | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on between 2005 and 2009; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. | Lost |
Free | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1987 during the Bad sessions. | Released |
From the Bottom of My Heart | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written in 2005 as a charity recording for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. | Lost |
Friend | Michael Jackson. | Existence confirmed by Matt Forger | Written in 1985 during the Bad sessions; Evolved into Will You Be There. A fully complete version is known to exist. | Lost |
The Future | Michael Jackson, will.i.am | Unknown | Worked on with will.i.am in 2006; planned for inclusion on Michael but cut at will.i.am's request. | Existence Unconfirmed |
Garbage | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on during the Dangerous sessions. | Lost |
Gangsta (No Friend of Mine) | Michael Jackson, DJ Temperamental, Pras Michel | Uploaded onto DJ Temperamental's MySpace page in 2006. | Unauthorized remix of Jackson's "Blue Gangsta", leaked eight years before the song's official release on Xscape. Features additions by hip-hop artists Joker Artkill and Pras of the Fugees. It is unknown how Temperamental, who produced the remix, was in possession of the then-unreleased Jackson track. | Leaked |
Get Around | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Worked on between 1985 and '87 during the Bad sessions, and again between 1997 and 2001 during the Invincible sessions. | Lost |
Get To Know You | Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins | Existence Confirmed by Rod Michael | Worked on between 1999 and '2007 during the Invincible sessions. Track given to Ledisi on her Lost & Found album; Fully complete version known to exist. | Lost |
Ghost of Another Lover | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Written and recorded throughout 1990-1991 during the Dangerous sessions and reworked in 2009. | Leaked (Dangerous version)
Lost (2009 version) |
Give All Your Love | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
The Gloved One | Sisqó | Unknown | Written circa 2001; alternatively known as "Gloved One". | Lost |
Goin' to Rio | Michael Jackson, Carole Bayer Sager. | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written in 1976; planned to be included in 1979's Off the Wall at one point. | Lost |
Got The Hots | Rod Temperton | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1981 during the "Thriller" sessions, but replaced by P.Y.T. Released in the Japanese release of "Thriller 25". | Released |
Got to Find a Way Somehow | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Written in 1979 during the Off the Wall sessions. | Lost |
Green Hornet Groove | Michael Jackson, Brad Buxer | Unknown | It was composed to be pitched for use in the Seth Rogan film The Green Hornet, but it ultimately wasn't used | Lost |
Groove of Midnight | Rod Temperton | Unknown | Written in 1987 during the Bad sessions, tape owned by person selling a lot of 30 studio demos. Song was likely never fully recorded, as it was not found in MJ's vault. First MJ song to leak | Partially leaked |
Had My Back | Jonathan Dabreo, Christian Wancer | Catalogued in the ASCAP Repertory. | May lack recorded vocals. | Lost |
Hanson | Michael Jackson | Mentioned by Chris Cadman and Craig Halstead in their 2007 book. | Produced in mid-1998 and considered for Invincible; early demo of "(I Like) The Way You Love Me". Possibly among certain demos auctioned to a private collector in 2018. | Lost |
Haven't Got a Lot | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
Heaven's Girl | R. Kelly, Michael Jackson | Mentioned by Cadman and Halstead in their 2007 book. | Initially written by Kelly for Jackson at an unknown date; it is unknown if any vocals were recorded for the song. | Lost |
Heaven Is There | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1991. Also known as "Heaven Is Here". | Lost |
Heaven With a Smile | N/A | CD found in court documents of Jeffré Phillips' lawsuit. | Recorded in April 17, 2009 | Lost |
He Who Makes the Sky Grey | Michael Jackson, Sheik Abdullah of Bahrain | Unknown | Written and recorded in 2005. | Lost |
Higher Ground | Stevie Wonder | Existence confirmed by Donny Osmond in a 2003 interview. | Recorded in 2003. | Lost |
Hold My Hand | Aliaune "Akon" Thiam, Giorgio Tuinfort, Claude Kelly | Leaked in 2008. | Recorded in 2008 as a duet between Jackson and Akon. | Released |
Holiday Inn | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Written in 1976 and recorded in 1984. | Lost |
Hollywood Tonight | Michael Jackson, Brad Buxer, Teddy Riley | Premiered on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2010. | Recorded from 1999-2008, during and beyond the Invincible sessions. | Released |
Homeless Bound | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on sometime during the Dangerous sessions. | Lost |
Hot Fever | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1985. | Written and recorded in 1985; early version of "The Way You Make Me Feel". Melody is identical to Hot Street | Lost |
Hot Fun in the Summertime | Sly Stone | Unknown | Cover of Sly Stone song, between 1998-2003; a new version made in 2014 with Mary J. Blidge and D'Angelo was planned to appear on Xscape but was ultimately cut due to the incompleteness of Jackson's demo and how complicated it was to finish. | Lost |
Hot Street | Rod Temperton | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Recorded in 1982 during the Thriller sessions; cut due to Temperton and Thriller producer Quincy Jones's personal dissatisfaction, despite Jackson's objections. | Leaked |
House of Style | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 2002. | Lost |
How You Like Your Love | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
I Am a Loser | Michael Jackson, Brad Buxer | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Written and recorded in 2003; an early version of "I Was the Loser"; later known as "The Loser". | Leaked |
I Am Forever | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 2009; early version of "Best of Joy". | Existence unconfirmed |
I Can't Get You Off My Mind | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded sometime in the early 1970s; an acetate demo recording is known to exist. | Lost |
(I Can't Make It) Another Day | Lenny Kravitz | Acknowledged by Kravitz in a letter written in response to Jackson's death. | Recorded from 1999 to 2001 during the Invincible sessions. Remixed for Michael in 2010. | Partially leaked (Invincible version)
Released (2010 version) |
I Don't Live Here Anymore | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and Recorded circa 2001 as a promo for a shelved 2002 album; alternatively known as "I Don't Live Anymore". | Lost |
I Forgive You | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written sometime before 1993 and recorded in 2007, possibly with will.i.am. | Lost |
I Have This Dream | Michael Jackson, Carole Bayer Sager, David Foster | Unknown | Instrumental leaked online after being provided through a songwriting contest, also called "I Have a Dream". | Partially leaked |
I Love You | Michael Jackson | Mentioned by Jackson. | Written and recorded in 2004; stated to be Jackson's personal favorite song about love. | Lost |
I Love You More | Michael Jackson, Michael Durham Prince, Eric Kirkland | Mentioned by Jackson. | N/A | Lost |
I'm Dreamin' | Michael Jackson, will.i.am | Referred to by name in the February 2007 edition of Rolling Stone magazine. | Worked between 2006 and 2007. The song is a flip/redo of "I Can't Wake Up (I'm a Blunt)" by KRS-One with Michael Jackson singing a rewritten version of the chorus "I'm dreaming about being in love. I'm floating around and i just can't wake up". will.i.am attempted to release the song on his 2013 album "#willpower", but it was not authorized by the Estate of Michael Jackson. | Lost |
I'm So Blue | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1987 during the Bad sessions. | Released |
In the Life of Chico | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written in 1976 during the Off the Wall sessions. | Lost |
Is She Coming Back | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Recorded in 2001. A fully complete version is known to exist. Features Michael on Piano | Lost |
It Doesn't Really Matter | Michael Jackson, Bill Bottrell | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1989 for a shelved greatest hits compilation entitled Decade. Early version of "Who Is It". | Lost |
It Was A Very Good Year | Ervin Drake, Michael Jackson | Mentioned by Cadman and Halstead in their 2007 book. | Likely a studio version of the same cover that Jackson sang live in 1971 on Diana Ross' ABC Diana! television special. While the live version can still be found on various websites, this version remains lost. | Partially released (live 1971 version) |
I Was the Loser | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Alternatively known as "The Loser", as is its earlier version, "I Am a Loser" (mentioned above). | Lost |
I Will Miss You | Michael Jackson, will.i.am | Song title mentioned by will.i.am in 2008 | Also known as "Miss You"; was reportedly a tribute to artist James Brown, who died in December 2006 and was written shortly after. The status of production at the time of Jackson's death is unknown. | Lost |
If You Don't Love Me | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1989 during the Dangerous sessions; was scheduled for release on the shelved bonus disc of the 2001 anniversary reissue of Dangerous. | Leaked |
Still the King | Michael Jackson, will.i.am | Unknown | Worked on in 2006; also known as "Still the King"; planned for posthumous release on Michael, but was cut at will.i.am's request. | Partially Leaked |
In the Valley | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written sometime between 1990 and 1993; recorded with Tyrese Gibson in 2000 during the Invincible sessions; while working on this song, Jackson found the song "2000 Watts" and included it instead on Invincible. | Lost |
Innocent Man | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1993 during the HIStory sessions as a commentary on Jackson's child molestation charges. Lyrics leaked, but no official recording has surfaced | Lost |
Iowa | Michael Jackson | Mentioned by Janet Jackson in an interview. | Recorded in 1977; stated by Janet to exist as a tape recording in the Jackson parents' house. | Lost |
Jane Is a Groupie | Michael Jackson, Sly Stone | Heard in Brad Sundberg's "In The Studio with MJ", leaked in 2018. | Recorded in 1989; Early version of "Give In To Me". | Leaked |
Je Ne Veux Pas La Fin De Nous | Michael Jackson, Christine “Coco” Decroix | Unknown | Recorded sometime after the Bad sessions as a duet with Siedah Garrett; French version of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You". | Released |
Joy | Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley | Mentioned by Riley in an interview. | Written and recorded in 1991 during the Dangerous sessions; later re-recorded by Blackstreet for their 1994 debut album. | Lost (Michael solo version) |
Jungle | Michael Jackson, Dr. Freeze | Unknown | Recorded during the Invincible sessions; a fast-paced rap track similar to "Tabloid Junkie" and "Why You Wanna Trip On Me" in terms of theme and vocal delivery. Among certain demos auctioned to a private collector in 2018. | Partially Leaked (Writer's Demo) |
Kentucky | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Recorded in 1975. | Lost |
Kick It | Michael Jackson, LaShawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III | Unknown | Written and recorded during the Invincible sessions. | Lost |
King Tutankhamun | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on between 2005 and 2008; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. | Lost |
Kreeton Overture | Michael Jackson, Jai Winding, Mary Paich, Patrick Leonard | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Written in 1984 as the opening number for Jackson's Victory Tour. | Lost |
Lady of Summer | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | One of the songs Michael Jackson showed to classical composer David Michael Frank in 2009 shortly before he died. | Lost |
Learned My Lesson | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1985. | Written and recorded in 1981; alternate version of "Much Too Soon", two different versions of this song are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. | Lost |
Leaving Today to Benin | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | N/A | Lost |
Let Him Burn | Michael Jackson, will.i.am | Unknown | Recorded in 2006 with will.i.am; planned for inclusion on Michael, but was cut at will.i.am's request. | Existence Unconfirmed |
Like You | Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
Little Girls | Michael Jackson | Mentioned during the 1993 deposition. | Possibly recorded during the Dangerous sessions. | Lost |
Lisa It's Your Birthday | Michael Jackson | Kip Lennon's performance featured in the 1991 The Simpsons episode "Stark Raving Dad". | Recorded in 1991 for Kip Lennon; Jackson credited as "W.A. Mozart" for legal reasons; original demo intended to be included on the shelved bonus disc from the 2001 re-issue of Dangerous. | Leaked |
Llama Lola | Michael Jackson | Mentioned during the 1993 deposition. | Possibly recorded during the Dangerous sessions. | Lost |
Lonely Bird | Michael Jackson | Mentioned during the 1993 deposition. | Possibly recorded during the Dangerous sessions. Listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom in 2009 as among those he had begun working on or desired to work on during the This Is It sessions. | Lost |
Lonely Man | Michael Jackson | Mentioned during the 1993 deposition. | Possibly recorded during the Dangerous sessions. | Lost |
Lost in Love | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
Love Games | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
Love Heals | N/A | CD found in court documents of Jeffré Phillips' lawsuit. | Worked between 2008 and 2009 | Lost |
Love Never Felt So Good | Michael Jackson, Paul Anka | Leaked in 2006. | Recorded as a demo for Johnny Mathis in 1983; revised version by Anka and Kathleen Wakefield recorded by Mathis and included on his 1984 album A Special Part of Me. | Released |
Lovin' You | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1993; May be identical to either "Loving You" or "Can't Stop Loving You." | Lost |
Loving You | Michael Jackson | Acknowledged by Jackson engineer Matt Forger in an interview. | Recorded from 1985-1987 during the Bad sessions. | Released |
Lucy Is in Love with Linus | Michael Jackson | Mentioned during the 1993 deposition. | Possibly recorded during the Dangerous sessions. | Lost |
Maybe We Can Do It | Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins, Sean Combs | Unknown | Written and recorded in 2000/2001 during the Invincible sessions; features Sean Combs. | Lost |
Man in Black | Michael Jackson | Snippet leaked by John Cameron in 2018, Full Demo Leaked Later | Written in 1990 during the Dangerous sessions; planned for release on the cancelled greatest hits compilation Decade; includes creative input by Bryan Loren. | Leaked |
Michael's Affirmation | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked in 2003. Isn't a song, it's a spoken word piece recorded by Michael to encourage Roy Horn (of Siegfried & Roy) to stay positive when recovering from the onstage tiger attack in October 2003. | Partially Leaked |
Michael McKellar | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written in 1991 during the Dangerous sessions. Lyrics leaked, but no official recording has surfaced | Lost |
Midnight Man | Rod Temperton | Mentioned by Temperton in an interview. | Written and recorded in 1981 during the Thriller sessions; early version of the album's title track. | Lost |
MJ Melody | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Written and recorded in 1982. | Lost |
Monster (1999) | Michael Jackson | Described by C.J. DeVillar in an interview. | Written and recorded in 1999 during the Invincible sessions; unrelated to the identically-named 2007 recording published on Michael. | Partially Leaked |
Much Too Soon | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1994 during the HIStory sessions. | Released |
Murder | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1994 for HIStory album. Early version of Money. | Lost |
Mystery | Rod Temperton | Unknown | Written by Temperton in 1983 for possible inclusion on Jackson's Thriller album, but supposedly rejected in favor of "Thriller", "Baby Be Mine", and "The Lady in My Life". Most likely has no recorded vocals. | Existence unconfirmed |
Neverland Landing | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. | Written and recorded in 1993. | Lost |
New Jelly | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
The Nightmare of Edgar Allan Poe | Michael Jackson, Walter Afanasieff | Unknown | Written and recorded circa 2000 for an unproduced film of the same name starring Jackson. | Lost |
Nite Line | Glen Ballard | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1982 during the Thriller sessions; later re-recorded by The Pointer Sisters for their album Break Out. | Leaked |
Not Guilty | George Harrison | Unknown | Recorded in 1994 during the HIStory sessions as a commentary on Jackson's child molestation charges; featured the Notorious B.I.G.. | Lost |
Nymphette Lover | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Written and recorded in 1981 during the Thriller sessions. | Lost |
Ode to Sorrow | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Written in 1977, recorded in 1984. | Lost |
Oh Love | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
Only You | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
On My Anger | Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley | Unknown | Reportedly written and recorded in 1999 during the Invincible sessions. | Existence unconfirmed |
On the Rain | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1998. | Lost |
Orchestral Holiday Songs | N/A | CD found in court documents of Jeffré Phillips' lawsuit. | The disc contained Christmas songs. Probably only instrumental exists. | Lost |
The Pain | Shawn Stockman, Jay Harvey Mason, Rodney Jerkins | Unknown | Written during the Invincible sessions. | Lost |
Pajamas | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on between 2005 and 2009; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. | Existence unconfirmed |
People Have to Make Some Sort of Joke | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Unfinished when mentioned in 1993; writing completed in 2000. | Lost |
People of the World | Michael Jackson, J-Friends | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1998 for the Japanese charity group J-Friends; J-Friends version was officially released in 1999. | Leaked |
Peter Pan | Michael Jackson | Snippet sung by Jackson in a 1983 interview and mentioned in the 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. | Written and recorded in 1983. Shares the line "I am forever" with "Best of Joy". | Partially leaked |
Pressure | Michael Jackson, Bryan Loren | Unknown | Written during the Dangerous sessions with Bryan Loren, worked on again during the Invincible sessions with Darkchild and LaShawn Daniels; failed to make either album and was ultimately shelved. | Lost |
Photographs | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked in 2003. Is an instrumental song that is played behind "Michael's Affirmation". | Partially Leaked |
Pray For Peace | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on between 2005 and 2009; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. | Lost |
Price of Fame | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded from 1986-1987 during the Bad sessions; recorded for Pepsi's "The Chase" series of commercials, but shelved in favour of a Pepsi-themed re-recording of "Bad". | Released |
Pyramid Girl | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1983 during the Victory sessions; early version of "Liberian Girl". | Lost |
Rampage | Michael Jackson | Snippet played during an Instagram Live video by Rodney Jerkins in March 2020 | Written, recorded, and produced in 1999 during the Invincible sessions; failed to make the album and excepting the snippet leaked by Jerkins, the track remains lost. | Partially leaked |
Red Eye | Michael Jackson, Michael Prince (2009 version), Theron "Neff-U" Feemster (2009 version) | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom | Worked between 1991 and 2009. The 2009 version was registered with the United States Copyright Office in 2010. | Lost |
Remember What I Told You | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom | Recorded in 2008 at Michael Jackson's house in Las Vegas as a short verse and a multilayered chorus (Approximately 90 seconds total). Also known as "Just Remember". | Lost |
Rescue Me | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
Revenge | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Worked on during the HIStory sessions. | Lost |
Revolution | Michael Jackson, Rodney "Darckhild" Jerkins, Teddy Riley, Bruce Swedien, René Moore | Unknown | Produced by Jerkins in 1997 during the Invincible sessions; possibly a writer's demo for Kirk Franklin's 1998 song of the same name. | Lost |
Rocker | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Written and Recorded sometime before late 2004. Vocally similar to Queen's "We Will Rock You". Has two scratch verses, and two choruses with lyrics. Not related to "Rock Tonight". | Lost |
Rock Tonight | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Not related to "Rocker". Reportedly written in 2009. Only an instrumental is known to exist. | Lost |
Rolling the Dice | Rod Temperton | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written and recorded in 1981 during the Thriller sessions; Jackson clarified that the track was removed due to his and Temperton's dissatisfaction with the final result. | Lost |
Ron's great Industrial Age song | Theron "Neff-U" Feemster (possibly) | CD found in court documents of Jeffré Phillips' lawsuit. | Recorded between 2008-2009. | Lost |
Satisfy | Terry Lewis, James Harris III | Unknown | Mariah Carey song featuring Jackson on backing vocals. | Lost |
Saturday Woman | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition; cited in the book My Friend Michael. | N/A | Lost |
Saved by the Bell | Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | N/A | Lost |
Scared of the Moon | Michael Jackson, Buz Kohan | Listed during the 1993 deposition | Written and recorded in 1984 for Bad. 1984 demo released in The Ultimate Collection in 2004. Listed among certain songs that Jackson desired to finish in 2009. | Released |
Seduction | Michael Jackson, Shelby Lee Myrick III | Unknown | Written and recorded in 2001 during the Invincible sessions. | Lost |
Seeing Voices | Sydney Fine, Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1999 during the Invincible sessions; features the Ray Charles Choir. | Leaked |
Serious Effect | Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley | Unknown | Recorded in 1991 during the Dangerous sessions; features LL Cool J; included on the cancelled bonus disc for the 2001 reissue of Dangerous. | Leaked |
Seven Digits | Michael Jackson, Bryan Loren | First snippet leaked by Shana Mangatal in 2020. Another 40 seconds of snippets leaked in 2024 after the song was put up for auction. The song is still currently being auctioned. | Alternatively known as "7 Digits". | Partially Leaked |
Sexy Love Song | Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
She Don't Love Me | Michael Jackson | Recorded in 2008. Just has one line of vocals. | ||
She Don't Want Me | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written circa 1990. Reportedly similar to "The Way You Make Me Feel"; only a few lines that presumably would have made up the chorus were ever recorded. | Lost |
She Got It | Michael Jackson, Bill Bottrell, Teddy Riley | Unknown | Recorded in 1991 during the Dangerous sessions; included on the cancelled bonus disc from the 2001 reissue of Dangerous. Parts were possibly reworked into "Superfly Sister". | Leaked |
She's Not A Girl | Michael Jackson | Mentioned during the 1993 deposition. | Recorded in Jackson's home studio in Hayvenhurst Encino. | Lost |
She's Only Fifteen | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Recorded in 1999 during the Invincible sessions, later reworked in 2006; early version of "Hollywood Tonight". | Lost |
She's Trouble | Sue Shifrin, Bill Livsey, Terry Britten | Unknown | Recorded in 1981 during the Thriller sessions; later recorded by Musical Youth for their 1983 album Different Style!; alternatively known as "Trouble". | Released |
She Was Loving Me | Cory Rooney, Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reworking by Taryll Jackson of the 1999 original recorded during the Invincible sessions; considered for release in the 2010 tribute album Michael before being reworked again by R&B producer Timbaland and released on 2014's Xscape. Alternate version of "Chicago". | Leaked |
Shut Up and Dance | Michael Jackson, Michael Durham | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Written in 1999. According to Damien Shields, Michael never recorded a demo, only Eric Kirkland recorded it. | Lost |
Siegfried & Roy | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1990. | Written in 1989 for the eponymous illusionists; two versions-- vocal and instrumental-- registered with the U.S. Copyright Office; presumably an early version of "Mind is the Magic". | Lost |
Silent Spring | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1998. Song title is listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. Only an instrumental is known to exist. | Lost |
Sister Sue | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | N/A | Lost |
The Sky is the Limit | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Possibly a very early version of the song that would become "Bad". May also be known as "Change The World Tomorrow". | Lost |
Slapstick | Rod Temperton | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1982 during the Thriller sessions; early version of "Hot Street". | Leaked |
Slave to the Rhythm | Antonio Reid, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Daryl Simmons, Kevin Robersion | Portion played on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2014. | Recorded in 1987 and from 1990-1991, during the Dangerous sessions. | Released |
Slipped Away | Michael Jackson, Marlon Jackson | Unknown | Co-written with brother Marlon and recorded during the 1980 Triumph sessions; said to be finished. | Lost |
Soldier's Entrance | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1999. A fully complete version known to exist. | Lost |
Somewhere in Time | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Written and recorded in 1980. | Lost |
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 demos | Howard Drossin, Brad Buxer, Cirocco Jones, Bobby Brooks, Darryl Ross, Geoff Grace, Doug Grisby, Michael Jackson | Acknowledged by Cirocco Jones in an email exchange with Rick D. of The D-Pad. | Recorded in 1993 for Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog 3; while some of Jackson's compositions (i.e. Carnival Night Zone's BGM and the credits theme) were incorporated into the final game, the vast majority were scrapped after Jackson was dropped from the project; varying accounts state that Jackson's removal was either due to the first round of child molestation allegations or that Jackson left on his own accord due to his dissatisfaction with the quality of the Sega Genesis's YM2612 synthesizer. | Lost |
Son of Thriller | Michael Jackson, Bryan Loren | Bryan Loren confirmed the song's existence on his Music First Association seminar in 2016. | Unreleased remix of "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", "Thriller", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "Billie Jean" made in 1989. Full runtime is 3:06. | Lost |
Space Dance | Michael Jackson | Used as a promotional song for Sega's Space Channel 5. | Written and recorded in 1998-1999; alternatively known as "Space Channel 5". | Leaked |
Spice of Life | Rod Temperton | Mentioned during the 1993 deposition. | Recorded in 1981 during the Thriller sessions; later recorded by The Manhattan Transfers for their 1983 album Bodies and Souls. | Lost |
Splash! We Can Get Wet Babe | Michael Jackson, Joe Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1988 | Lost |
Stand Tall | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1985. | Written and recorded in 1982. A fully complete version is known to exist. | Lost |
Starlight (1) | Rod Temperton | Mentioned during the 1993 deposition. | Recorded in 1981 during the Thriller sessions; referred to by Jackson as "Starlight Sun"; early version of "Thriller". | Released |
Starlight (2) | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. Unrelated to the early version of "Thriller" of the same name. | Lost |
Starlight Sun | Michael Jackson | Found on Captain EO rough cut that leaked in 2018. | Recorded in 1985 for the film "Captain EO". Not related to "Starlight". | Leaked |
Strawberry Fields Forever | John Lennon, Paul McCartney | Listed on a rare pre-print cover for the Decade album | Recorded in 1989 for shelved greatest hits compilation entitled Decade. Cover of the Beatles' track of the same name. | Existence Unconfirmed |
Streetwalker | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded during the Bad sessions; planned for inclusion on the album, but replaced with "Another Part of Me" due to the latter being more "dance-able". | Released |
State of Shock | Michael Jackson, Randy Hansen | Unknown | One of three duets between Jackson and Queen singer Freddie Mercury; later re-recorded by The Jacksons with Mick Jagger (of The Rolling Stones fame) for Victory. | Leaked |
Stay | Michael Jackson, Bryan Loren | Unknown | Recorded circa 1988 during the Dangerous sessions. | Lost |
Stop Playin' | Usher, T-Pain, Ryon Lovett | Leaked in 2008. | Written and recorded by Usher and submitted for possible inclusion on Jackson's then-in-progress eleventh studio album. The Demo version leaked before Jackson could contribute his vocals to it, and thus was rejected. | Leaked |
Stop the War | Michael Jackson, Carole Bayer Sager | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1999 during the Invincible sessions. | Lost |
Sunset Driver | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written circa 1978 and recorded 1979 & 1982, during Off The Wall & Thriller sessions. | Released |
Susie | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Written and recorded in 1978. The song is an early version of Little Susie | Lost |
Sympathy | Michael Jackson, Randy Jackson | Mentioned during the 1993 deposition. | Written in or before 1993, but not recorded until 2003 with Randy Jackson; intended for release on a 2003 album, which ended up shelved due to Jackson's arrest for child molestation. | Lost |
Take Your Time | Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
Tears of Stone | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
Thank Heaven | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1998. | Written and recorded in 1998. It has a spoken intro by Michael Jackson saying "Dedicating the song to my son Michael Jackson Jr". The song itself is sung by a woman and a choir. | Lost |
Thank You For Life | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written and recorded in the 1970's. | Lost |
That | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1998. A fully complete version is known to exist. | Lost |
That Kind of Lover | Michael Jackson, Ray Ruffin | Unknown | Written circa 2001. Vocally complete and ready to release. | Lost |
The Best Thing | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Rumored to be an instrumental. | Lost |
Thinking About You | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
This is Our Time | Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill, David Foster | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1999; commonly believed to be a duet with Hill, though this is false. A fully complete version is known to exist. | Lost |
Throwin' Your Life Away | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1988. | Written in 1986 and recorded in 1986-87 for the Bad album. snippets surfaced in 2018, full song leaked in 2020 in low quality. | LeakedLeaked (2010 Version) |
Todo Mi Amor eres Tu | Michael Jackson, Ruben Blades | Unknown | Recorded sometime during the Bad sessions as a duet with Siedah Garrett; Spanish version of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You". | Released |
To Satisfy You | Bryan Loren | Unknown | Written and recorded from 1990 to 1992; features Jackson on backing vocals, Michael's solo version lost. | Lost |
Tomboy | Michael Jackson, Roger Troutman | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written and recorded in 1985 during the Bad sessions. Features guitar accompaniment by Roger Troutman of Zapp. A fully complete version is known to exist. | Lost |
Too Late to Turn Back Now | Michael Jackson, Brad Buxer | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Recorded in January 2009. Has little to no recorded vocals | Lost |
The Toy | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Written and recorded in 1981 for a Richard Pryor film of the same name; early version of "Best of Joy". | Released |
Tragedy of a Cheer-leader | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written in 1991 during the Dangerous sessions. | Lost |
The Truth on Youth | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1990. | Written and recorded in 1990 during the Dangerous sessions; features LL Cool J. | Lost |
Think Twice | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on between 2005 and 2009; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. | Lost |
Tubeway | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1999 early on in the Invincible sessions. Vocally complete and ready to release. | Lost |
Turning Me Off | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written and recorded in 1987 during the Bad sessions. Incomplete. | Lost |
U Are | Rod Michael, Corey Rooney, Michael Jackson | Existence confirmed by Rod Michael in 2018. | Written in 2005 and submitted to Jackson as a writer's demo. Jackson would record his own version at some point before his death. | Lost (Michael version)
Leaked (writer's demo) |
U Know | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
Under Your Skin | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Written and recorded in 1979; alternatively known as "Under My Skin". | Lost |
Unknown | Michael Jackson | Registered with Broadcast Music Incorporated. | Possibly written and recorded in 1996 or 1999; it is unknown whether "Unknown" is the song title or if the song's title is not known. | Lost |
Verdicts | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1990 during the Dangerous sessions. A demo only including Bass and Drums (dated of May 10, 1994) leaked in January 2023. | Partially Leaked |
Vibrationalist | Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley | Unknown | Written circa 1999 during the Invincible sessions; alternatively titled "The Vibrationalist". | Lost |
Victory | Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury | Unknown | One of three collaborations between Jackson and Mercury in 1983. | Lost |
Walk Away | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on between 2005 and 2009; Production of the song was completed on June 23, 2009. Sequel to "Don't Walk Away" (2009). | Lost |
Water | Michael Jackson | Existence Confirmed by Damien Shields | Written and recorded between 2008-2009. Unrelated to the identically named Cascio Track. | Partially Leaked |
Way U R | Michael Jackson, Timbaland | Unknown | Recorded in 2006 with Timbaland. Early version of Timbaland's The Way I Are | Lost |
Ways You Love Me | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Said to be worked on 2008-2009; Rework of "(I Like) The Way You Love Me." Vocally complete and ready for release. | Lost |
We Are the Ones | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Recorded in 1978. | Lost |
We Be Ballin' | Michael Jackson, Ice Cube, Clark Kent, DMX | Unknown | Written in 1997; a remix of "We Be Clubbin'"; features Ice Cube and Shaquille O'Neal; intended to be featured in the NBA's "I Love This Game" campaign, but shelved when the 1997 player strike against the NBA caused the campaign to fold. | Leaked |
What a Lovely Way to Go | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition as "What a Lonely Way to Go". | Recorded in 1978-1982; remixed by Mark Ronson in 2010 for the Michael album, but left off the final tracklist. Described as "in the vein of Elton John‘s ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ and John Lennon‘s ‘Imagine’." A 12-second snippet of the Ronson's remix of the song leaked in January 2020. The original demo was released in Thriller 40 in 2022. | Released |
What About Us | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1988 during the Dangerous sessions; intended for release on the cancelled bonus disc from the 2001 reissue of Dangerous; early version of "Earth Song". | Leaked |
What Do You Want From Me | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded in 1994. | Lost |
What You Do to Me | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1985. | Written and recorded in 1985. A fully complete version is known to exist | Lost |
What's a Guy Gotta Do | Pharrell Williams | Writer's Demo leaked in 2009 | Written and recorded in 2000 by Usher and Pharrell Williams. It was intended to feature on the Invincible Album but didn't make the cut as Jackson didn't feel it fit the direction he was going for in the Record. | Leaked |
What's It Gonna Be | Michael Jackson | Registered with Broadcast Music Incorporated. | Not to be confused with "What's It Gonna Be" by Janet Jackson and Busta Rhymes. | Lost |
What's Your Life | Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | N/A | Lost |
What's Your Name | Rod Michael, Jason Edmonds | Existence confirmed by Rod Michael in 2018. | Written circa 2005 and submitted to Jackson as a writer's demo. Jackson would record his own version at some point before his death. | Lost (Michael version)
Leaked (writer's demo) |
When You Wish Upon a Star Medley | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1983; features the songs "When You Wish Upon a Star", "Follow the Yellow Brick Road", and "Ease On Down the Road"; alternatively known as "Disney Medley" (despite only the first song being from Disney). | Leaked |
Who Do You Know | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written circa 1980 during the Thriller sessions; failed to make the album. Was thought to be an early version of "Behind the Mask", but was confirmed to be entirely unrelated. | Released |
Who is the Girl With Her Hair Down | Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | N/A | Lost |
Why | Michael Jackson, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds | Unknown | Produced by Edmonds and Jackson in 1995 during the HIStory sessions, but ultimately cut and later given to 3T and released on their album Brotherhood with Jackson on backing vocals; Jackson solo version lost. | Released (3T Version) |
Why Can't I Be | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Written in 1980 during the Triumph sessions. | Lost |
Why Shy | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | N/A | Lost |
Willing and Waiting | Michael Jackson | Mentioned by Jackson's engineer in an interview. | Written during the HIStory sessions; produced by Babyface; shelved due to it sounding softer than what Jackson desired for HIStory. | Lost Leaked (writer's demo) |
Work That Body | Michael Jackson, Bryan Loren | Unknown | Written and recorded during the Dangerous sessions; planned for inclusion on the shelved bonus disc from the 2001 reissue of Dangerous. | Leaked |
The World is Our Church | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1999 during the Invincible sessions. Vocally complete and ready for release. | Lost |
World of Candy | Michael Jackson, Nisha Kataria | Referenced by Joe Jackson at an unknown date. | Recorded in 2003 at the Neverland Ranch as a duet between Jackson and protege Nisha Kataria. Described by Joseph Jackson as "beautiful". Vocally complete and ready for release. | Lost |
Xscape | Michael Jackson, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels | Unknown | Recorded from 1999-2002 during and beyond the Invincible sessions. | Released |
Xscape (feat. 2Pac) | Michael Jackson, Darkchild, Fred Jerkins III, Lawshawn Daniels, L.A. Reid, Tupac Shakur | Played at an early listening event for studio executives at Rockefeller Center in April 2014. | An alternate version of the title track that would be placed on the final cut of the album, featured posthumous vocals from Shakur's 1998 song "Changes". | Lost |
You Ain't Gonna Change Nothing | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written in 1975. | Lost |
You Are a Liar | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | May have originated from an early version of "Morphine". Worked on during the Invincible sessions; alternatively known as "You're a Liar" and "You're a Liar, Brother". | Lost |
You Are My World | R. Kelly | Unknown | Written in 2007-2008 for possible inclusion on Jackson's then-in-progress eleventh studio album, Kelly demo worked on 2007-11; Jackson version lost. | Leaked (R. Kelly demo) |
You Are So Beautiful | Michael Jackson | Mentioned by Jackson in a phone call to the Michael Jackson News International fan club in 2005. | Writing began in 2005; written as a thank-you to his fanbase. Vocally complete and ready for release. | Lost |
You Are There | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on between 2005 and 2009; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. Possibly identical to "Heaven Is There". | Lost |
You Don't Love Me | Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels. | Unknown | Worked in 1998 with Michael Jackson. Demo for Brandy Norwood. Contrary to popular belief, Michael Jackson is confirmed to not have recorded vocals for the song. | Partially Leaked |
You Told Me Your Lovin' | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Written in 1979; a second version exists, with words and music by Randy Jackson. | Lost |
You Were There | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1989 for Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th-anniversary celebration. | Leaked |
You Were There (2009) | Michael Jackson | Song title written on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Written on January 4th, 1997 and Recorded on June 23rd, 2009; Has no relation to the 1989 version. | Lost |
You'll Know | Michael Jackson | Master Tape auctioned on gottahaverockandroll.com | Recorded on August 27, 1996. | Lost |
You're Supposed to Keep Your Love for Me | Stevie Wonder | Unknown | Originally recorded in 1975 by Jermaine Jackson, with Wonder, Jackie Jackson, and Michael on backing vocals; re-cut solo version published by Jermaine on his 1980 album Let's Get Serious, replacing the original recording. | Lost |
Cascio Tracks
Despite the disputed authenticity of the tracks, they are listed under here for practical reasons
In 2010, there was an auction for an unreleased album of Michael Jackson called Bible; the winner was barred from leaking or distributing the songs on the album, which would make it highly unlikely for songs on that album to ever be released.[5]
The list of tracks on the album auctioned had the following:
- "Monster"
- "Breaking News"
- "Stay"
- "Keep Your Head Up"
- "Everything’s Just Fine"
- "Black Widow"
- "Burn Tonight"
- "All I Need"
- "Water"
- "Let Me Fall in Love"
- "Ready to Win"
- "Soldier Boy"[6]
Despite the legal injunctions placed on the winner of the collection, all of these and a few others (such as "Exotic Dancer" and "I Gotta See You") have found their way onto the Internet in various forms and conditions over the years through various methods. Three of the songs on the track "Breaking News", "Keep Your Head Up", and "Monster" were later released on the 2010s Michael album.[7]
Most of Jackson's fanbase have discredited the tracks as fakes done by an impersonator which failed to make the 2010s Michael album, with the most common accusations being levied against Jason Malachi and James Porte. On January 16, 2011, a statement appeared on Malachi's Facebook page "confessing" to recording the vocals;[8] however, Malachi claimed on MySpace that his Facebook and website had been hacked. Malachi's manager Thad Nauden stated that "Jason wants everyone to know beyond a shadow of a doubt, he did not sing a single note on the album".[9]
In addition, it was reported that Cascio and Porte's hard drive containing the recording session audio was wiped and then destroyed, supposedly at the request of Michael.[10]
On June 12, 2014, a consumer who had purchased Michael filed a class-action lawsuit against Sony Music, the Jackson Estate, MJJ Productions, Cascio and Porte for violation of consumer laws, unfair competition and fraud.[11] Sony, the Estate, Cascio and Porte raised First Amendment defense, claiming that regardless of the songs' authenticity, they had a constitutional right to attribute them to Jackson.[12] On June 30, 2016, the judge refused to grant defendants' motion and ordered that the case proceeds to class certification. On August 23, 2018, some sources reported that Sony had admitted in court that the vocals on the Cascio songs were not performed by Jackson. The next day, Sony lawyer Zia Modabber dismissed the reports, stating that "no one has conceded that Michael Jackson did not sing on the songs".[13]
On June 29, 2022, the Jackson website spokesperson reported that 3 of the 10 tracks from the album are no longer available on YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify as a result of a continual distraction to all listeners.[14] A CD reissue of the album was released on September 9, 2022 that also dropped the three tracks.[15][16]
Regardless of their authenticity, all of these tracks — known collectively as the "Cascio tracks" — can be heard in full and high quality on the YouTube channel Bambeth and mirrored on vBLU as of April 2021.[17][18]
See Also
- A Place with No Name (found Michael Jackson song; 1980s-1990s)
- Get Your Weight Off Of Me (found unreleased Michael Jackson demo; 1997-2001)
External Link
- Wikipedia page with a list of unreleased songs by Micheal Jackson. Retrieved 10 Jun '19
References
- ↑ [1] Clip begins at 11:51
- ↑ [2] The original Instagram Live stream has not resurfaced in full, but the portion referenced will do fine as it relates the most to Jackson's unreleased music
- ↑ Spin article on Jackson's estate reworking many unreleased songs for future albums. Retrieved 10 Jun '19
- ↑ Spin article on Drake using snippets of "Don't Matter To Me" for his album Scorpion. Retrieved 10 Jun '19
- ↑ Rolling Stones article on an unreleased Michael Jackson album going up for auction. Retrieved 10 Jun '19
- ↑ Digital Music News article on the unreleased album going up for auction. Retrieved 10 Jun '19
- ↑ Template:Cite web
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- ↑ https://reddit.com/r/MichaelJackson/comments/8yt7ju/do_you_all_think_the_cascio_tracks_are_truly_fake/
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ Template:Cite web
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- ↑ [3] This channel has high-quality uploads of all 12 Cascio tracks. While the channel was previously deleted, as of April 4th, 2021 it is still up with all the songs.
- ↑ [4] There are probably other channels that have uploaded the tracks, but vBLU has all of them in the same quality as Bambeth's channel and as of April 4th, 2021 serves as a good mirror to access them if Bambeth's goes down.