Michael Jackson (partially found unpublished songs from American musician; 1974-2009)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and admiration of his life, career, and music, his passing also had one other effect: an amplified fan interest in his unpublished music.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 release 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'", "The Future", 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 much 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.
There was also an auction in 2010 for an unreleased album of Michael Jackson; the winner was barred from leaking or distributing the songs on the album, making it highly unlikely for songs on that album to ever be released.[1]
The list of tracks on the album auctioned has 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"[2]
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. Most of Jackson's fanbase have discredited the tracks as fakes done by an impersonator which failed to make 2010's Michael album, with the most common accusations being levied against Jason Malachi and James Porte. Regardless of their authenticity, all of these tracks — known collectively as the "Bible album" — can be heard in full and high quality on the YouTube channel Bambeth and mirrored on vBLU as of April 2021.[3][4]
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]."[5]
As of January 2021, YouTuber Mikey D has uploaded a screen-recording of Jerkins' Instagram Live stream as pertaining to the leaks,[6] and YouTuber MJJBreaker has isolated the snippets that were played and put them in chronological order.[7]
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 on 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?"[8]
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. |
Title | Writer | Method of acknowledgement | Notes | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
A Baby Smiles | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written and recorded in 1979. | Lost |
A Deeper Love | Rodney Jerkins, Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written in 1999 for Invincible. | Lost |
A Place With No Name | Michael Jackson, Lee Martin Burnell, Elliot Straite | Snippet leaked by TMZ shortly after Jackson's death. | 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 | Unknown | 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. | Written and recorded in 2009 during the This is It sessions. | Lost |
Al Capone | Michael Jackson | Unknown | 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 |
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. | Lost |
Angel in Disguise | Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins | Snippet played by Jerkins during an Instagram Live session in 2020 | Likely recorded during the Invincible sessions; unrelated to the above track "Angel". | Partially leaked |
Attitude | Michael Jackson, Kathy Wakefield, Michael Pierre | Registered with EMI Music Publishing. | Recorded during the Thriller sessions. | Lost |
Bang Your Head | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on sometime between 2005 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". | Lost |
Beatbox 2010 | Michael Jackson, Michael Prince | Unknown | Worked on in 2009; some sources state (likely erroneously) that the title is "Beatboy 2010". | Lost |
Beautiful Girl | Michael Jackson, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins (possibly) | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Written and produced between 1998 and 2004; later Jackson would rework it between 2007 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; other versions lost) |
Behind the Mask | Ryuichi Sakamoto, Chris Mosdell, Michael Jackson | Existence revealed by Sony to promote Michael. | 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. | Partially released |
Be Me 4 a Day | Michael Jackson, Gray Calix Days | Registered with Broadcast Music Incorporated. | Written in 1987; 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". | Lost |
Belong 2 | Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley | Unknown | Written in 1999 during the Invincible sessions. | Lost |
Best of Joy | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 2009 during the This is It sessions; one of the final tracks recorded by Jackson before his death. | Partially released |
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. | Recorded from 1998-2001 during the Invincible sessions, released on Invincible. | 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 |
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 |
Broken Chair | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reportedly worked on sometime between 2005 and 2009; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. | Lost |
Buffalo Bill | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written and recorded in 1983 during the Victory sessions. | Lost |
Butter Funk | Michael Jackson | 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; an unverified source claims that the vocals for the track were recorded, but the song had not been finished by the time of Jackson's death. | Lost |
Can't Get Your Weight Off of Me | Michael Jackson, Bruce Swedien | Unknown | Written and recorded in 2000 during the Invincible sessions, worked on in 2003 for a shelved eleventh studio album. | Partially leaked |
Can't Stop Loving You | Michael Jackson | Song title found on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | 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 | Unknown | Worked on at various times between 1985 and 2008, always in a rudimentary state of production; has limited vocals and very few discernible lyrics. | Lost |
Cheater | Michael Jackson, Greg Phillinganes, Quincy Jones (possibly) | Song title found on a note in Jackson's bedroom | Likely written and recorded around 1985-87 during the Bad sessions and left off the album; reworked between 1997-1999 during the Invincible sessions into a version that would feature rapper Fats, and worked on again in 2009 before his death. | Released (Bad-era version; other versions lost) |
Cheater (Ft. Fats) | Michael Jackson, Fats | Song title found on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Reworking of 1985-87 original, produced during the Invincible sessions; features additions by Fats. | Lost |
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; whether it features the additions that were made by Fats during the Invincible sessions is unknown. 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 Bad sessions; reworked during the Invincible sessions; unrelated to "Al Capone", which was originally titled "Chicago 1945"; considered for inclusion on Xscape, but rejected by Pocaro. | Lost (hook known) |
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 |
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 during the Invincible sessions; reportedly at least six minutes in duration. | 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; acronym for "Dance is Entertainment". | Lost |
Danger is the Game | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Hook bears resemblance to "Mind is the Magic"; possibly reworked from the 1989 demo. The leaked audio is disjointed, implying that it is a rough mix possibly from a shelved track that was unfinished at the time of Jackson's death. | Leaked |
Dark Lady | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Possibly identical to "H2O". | Lost |
Days in Gloucestershire | Michael Jackson, Michael Durham, 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. | Lost |
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 |
Dig It | John Lennon | Unknown | Lyrics sung during studio sessions, possibly recorded. | Leaked |
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 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. | Recorded 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, and in 2009. | Released (Bad-era version; other versions lost) |
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 used in Drake's Scorpion album in 2018.[9] | 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 |
Dreams | Michael Jackson | Registered with Broadcast Music Incorporated. | Recorded in 1993. | Lost |
Easy | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1993 for an album that was shelved due to contractual difficulties. | Lost |
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 | Unknown | Recorded circa 1999 as a duet between Jackson (singing in English) and Rahman (singing in Sanskrit); intended to be on a planned 2003 album but shelved due to the album's cancellation; 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. | Partially leaked |
End It | Michael Jackson | Catalogued in the ASCAP Repertory. | N/A | Lost |
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". | Partially 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". | Partially leaked |
Fanfare Transition | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1992. | Written in 1992; alternatively known as "Fanfare 1992". | 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 1993 during the HIStory sessions. | Lost |
Fever | Michael Jackson, Bryan Loren | Unknown | Recorded in 1991 during the Dangerous sessions. | Lost |
Fly Away | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded during the Bad sessions. | Released |
Fly Girl | Michael Jackson, will.i.am | Demo snippet played during a 2006 Hollywood Access interview. | Recorded circa 2006 in collaboration with William "will.i.am" Adams, reworked into the identically-named track on Adam's 2007 album Songs About Girls. Jackson version lost. | Lost |
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 |
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. | 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 |
Ghost of Another Lover | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Written and recorded during the Dangerous sessions. | Leaked |
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 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 | Unknown | Reportedly worked on between 2005 and 2009; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. | Lost |
Groove of Midnight | Rod Temperton | Unknown | Written in 1987 during the Bad sessions, tape owned by person selling lot of 30 studio demos. | Partially leaked |
Had My Back | Jonathan Dabreo, Christian Wancer | Catalogued in the ASCAP Repertory. | May lack recorded vocals. | Lost |
Halloween Night | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 2004; features a guitar solo by Slash. | 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 |
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 |
He Who Makes the Sky Grey | Jermaine 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 U.S. Copyright Office in 1984. | Written in 1976 and recorded in 1984. | Lost |
Hollywood | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 2000, reworked in 2006; unrelated to "Hollywood Tonight". | 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; unrelated to "Hollywood". | Released |
Hot Fever | Michael Jackson | Registered with U.S. Copyright Office in 1985. | Written and recorded in 1985; early version of "The Way You Make Me Feel". | Lost |
Hot Fun in the Summertime | Sly Stone | Unknown | Cover of Sly Stone song, recorded in 1993 with Mary J. Blige and D. Angelo; a new version made in 2012 was planned to appear on Xscape but was ultimately cut. | 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 |
H2O | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Possibly identical to "Dark Lady". | Lost |
I Am a Loser | Michael Jackson, Brad Buxer | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Written and recorded in 2003; early version of "I Was the Loser"; alternatively known as "The Loser". | Leaked |
I Am Forever | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 2009; early version of "Best of Joy". | Lost |
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. | Released |
I Don't Live Here Anymore | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written 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 prior to 1993 and recorded in 2007, possibly with will.i.am. | Lost |
I Have This Dream | Michael Jackson, Carole Bayer Sager, David Foster | Unknown | Early version of "From the Bottom of my Heart"; also known as "I Have a Dream". | Lost |
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 | Mentioned by Jackson. | Written and recorded in 2005 as a continuation of "I Love You"; features Britney Spears; alternatively known as "I Love You Too". | Lost |
I'm Dreamin' | Michael Jackson | Referred to by name in the February 2007 edition of Rolling Stone magazine. | Allegedly the opening track to an unfinished eleventh studio album planned to be released in 2008; was apparently the first of at least eight new tracks drafted for the record. | Lost |
I'm So Blue | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1987 during the Bad sessions. | Released |
Is She Coming Back | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | May alternatively be known as "Friend". | 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's Not Worth It | Lawshawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins III, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins | Snippet played during an Instagram Live video by Rodney Jerkins in March 2020. | Recorded by Jackson as a writer's demo for R&B singer Brandy Norwood between 2000 and 2001; Jackson would later provide backing vocals on Norwood's finalized track for her 2002 album Full Moon. | Partially leaked |
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 "I'm Gonna Miss You"; was reportedly a tribute to artist James Brown, who died in December 2006 and was written shortly after. Status of production at the time of Jackson's death is unknown. | Lost |
If We Still Love | Michael Jackson, will.i.am (possibly) | Unknown | N/A | Lost |
If You Don't Love Me | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1991 during the Dangerous sessions; was scheduled for release on the shelved bonus disc of the 2001 anniversary reissue of Dangerous. | Leaked |
I'm 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. | Lost |
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. | 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 | Unknown | Heard in Brad's "In The Studio with MJ", leaked in 2018. | Recorded in the early 1990s; possibly an 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. | Lost |
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 2009; 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 The Jacksons' Victory Tour. | Lost |
Lady of Summer | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | N/A | 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. | 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 |
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 | 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 January 4th, 2020. | 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 on between 2005 and 2009; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. | Lost |
Michael McKellar | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written in 1991 during the Dangerous sessions. | 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 |
Miss You (2007) | Michael Jackson, will.i.am (possibly) | Unknown | Possibly a finished version of "I Will Miss You" which was written in and worked on in 2006. | 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. | Lost |
Much Too Soon | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 1994 during the HIStory sessions. | Released |
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. | Lost |
Neverland Landing | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. | Written in 1993. | 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 |
On My Anger | Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1999 during the Invincible sessions. | Lost |
On the Rain | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1998. | 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. | Lost |
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 officially released in 1999. | Leaked |
Peter Pan | Michael Jackson | Mentioned by Jackson on the 1993 CD The Michael Jackson Interview. | Written and recorded in 1983. | Lost |
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 on between 2005 and 2009; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. | Lost |
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 |
Remember What I Told You | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom | Recorded around June 19, 2009 in a sound truck outside Staples Center as a short verse and a multilayered chorus; the last song that Jackson recorded before his death. | 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 |
River Ripple | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Recorded in 2009 during the This is It sessions; one of the final songs recorded by Jackson, just days before his death. | Partially Leaked |
Rocker | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Similar to Queen's "We Will Rock You" and Jackson's earlier "They Don't Care About Us"; reportedly has finished vocals. Alternatively known as "Rock Tonight". | 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 |
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, Leaked on January 4th, 2020. | Written in 1990/1991 during the Dangerous sessions. | Leaked |
Saved by the Bell | Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | N/A | Lost |
Scared of the Moon | Michael Jackson | Listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Listed among certain songs that Jackson desired to finish, implying that it was in an advanced state of production prior to his death. | Leaked |
Scream Louder | Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Terry Lewis, Samuel James "Jimmy Jam" Harris III | Catalogued in the ASCAP Repertory. | Presumably a thematic or lyrical successor to "Scream"; possibly identical to "Destruction". | Lost |
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 | Unknown | Alternatively known as "7 Digits". | Partially Leaked |
She Don't Want Me | Michael Jackson | Unknown | 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 Not It | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Reworking of "Billie Jean". | 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". | Leaked |
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, may lack recorded vocals. | Lost |
Siegfried & Roy | Michael Jackson | Registered with 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 | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | N/A | 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. | Recorded in 1983; 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 | Worked on in 1999 during the Invincible sessions. | 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 (possibly) | Unknown | Recorded during the Dangerous sessions, but was shelved, possibly due to Jackson and producer Teddy Riley desiring a different sound for the album. Likely a thematic or lyrical successor to "Thriller". | 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 |
Stand Tall | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1985. | Written and recorded in 1981. | Lost |
Starlight | 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". | Leaked |
Strawberry Fields Forever | John Lennon, Paul McCartney | Unknown | Recorded in 1989 for shelved greatest hits compilation entitled Decade. Cover of the Beatles' track of the same name. | Lost |
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. 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; believed to be an early version of either "Little Susie" or "Blood on the Dance Floor". | 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 |
Thank Heaven | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1998. | Written and recorded in 1998. | Lost |
Thank You For Life | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written and recorded in 1976. | Lost |
That | Michael Jackson | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1998. | Lost |
That Kind of Lover | Michael Jackson, Ray Ruffin | Unknown | Written circa 2001. | 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. | Lost |
Throwin' Your Life Away | Michael Jackson | Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1988. | Written in 1986, snippets surfaced in 2018, full song leaked in 2020. | Leaked |
Todo Mi Amor eres Tu | Michael Jackson, Ruben Blades | Unknown | Recorded sometime after 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 version lost. | Lost |
Tomboy | Michael Jackson, Roger Troutman (possibly) | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written and recorded in 1985 during the Bad sessions. Features guitar accompaniment by Roger Troutman of Zapp. | Lost |
Too Late to Turn Back Now | Michael Jackson, Brad Buxer | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Recorded in 2009. | 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". | Lost |
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 in 1999 early on in the Invincible sessions. | Lost |
Turning Me Off | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written and recorded in 1987 during the Bad sessions. | 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 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, Bryan Loren | Unknown | Written and recorded in 1990 during the Dangerous sessions. | Lost |
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; state of production at Jackson's death is unknown. Possibly identical to "Don't Walk Away" (2009). | Lost |
Ways You Love Me | Michael Jackson | Song title listed on a note in Jackson's bedroom. | Said to be worked on 2008-2009; likely an alternate version of "(I Like) The Way You Love Me". | 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; 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 Lonely Way to Go | Michael Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written and recorded in 1975. | Lost |
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 You Do to Me | Michael Jackson | Initially registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1985; copyright renewed in 1998. | Written in 1985. | Lost |
What's a Guy Gotta Do | Pharrell Williams | Unknown | Written in 2000. | Lost |
What's It Gotta 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 |
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, Quincy Jones and/or Rod Temperton (possibly) | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | Written circa 1981 during the Thriller sessions; failed to make the album. An early version of "Behind the Mask". | Lost |
Who is the Girl With Her Hair Down | Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson | Listed during the 1993 deposition. | N/A | Lost |
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 |
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. | 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". | 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 version) |
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. | 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 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'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 |
See Also
External Link
- Wikipedia page with a list of unreleased songs by Micheal Jackson. Retrieved 10 Jun '19
References
- ↑ 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
- ↑ [1] This channel has high-quality uploads of all 12 Cascio tracks. While the channel was previously deleted, as of April 4 2021 it is still up with all the songs.
- ↑ [2] 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 4 2021 serves as a good mirror to access them if Bambeth's goes down.
- ↑ [3] Clip begins at 11:51
- ↑ [4] 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
- ↑ [5] Most of the demos were unrecognizable in their leaked forms and thus MJJBreaker has titled most of them "Unknown Demo" so as to avoid confusion
- ↑ 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