Off the Wall

The song was written by Rod Temperton and recorded during the 1978–1979 Off the Wall sessions in Los Angeles. Michael Jackson worked with Quincy Jones and engineer Bruce Swedien, with the core album work taking place at Allen Zentz Recording, Westlake Audio, and Cherokee Studios. Released as the third U.S. single from Off the Wall in 1980, it reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 and confirmed the album’s commercial momentum. It also helped Jackson become the first solo artist to place four singles from one album in the Hot 100 top 10. The track remains one of the defining songs from Jackson’s first fully adult solo era and is remembered as part of the run that established him as a crossover pop star. Its title, hook, and album-era association keep it present in retrospectives and classic-pop playlists.