Billie Jean

Recorded in 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles during the Thriller sessions. Michael Jackson worked with Quincy Jones and engineer Bruce Swedien on the track's sparse, bass-led arrangement. Released as the second single from Thriller in 1983, it became one of Jackson's defining crossover hits and a major force in the album's commercial breakthrough. Its video also helped push MTV toward regular rotation of Black artists. The song remains one of Michael Jackson's signature recordings and is closely associated with the moonwalk performance at Motown 25. Its bassline, vocal ad-libs, and polished production have made it a lasting reference point in pop music.