The Michael Jackson Fan Club

(25-10-2011) TIME Magazine has named Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" one of the Top 100 Songs of All Time. The unranked list, which includes songs from artists like Nirvana and Lady Gaga, was compiled using three criteria: the songs must demonstrate enduring beauty, power, and inventiveness.

Written by Jackson after a supposed real-life event, in which a woman claimed the King of Pop fathered one of her twins, "Billie Jean" skyrocketed Michael Jackson to superstardom and helped make THRILLER the best selling album of all time. THRILLER's producer, Quincy Jones, initially thought the song too weak to include on the album.

The "Billie Jean" music video, directed by Steve Barron, "snapped the neck of everyone who saw it with its straight-on display of Jackson's star quality," said TIME. The video, along with two others from the album, helped Jackson break the informal color barrier on MTV and proved that music videos could be "potent cinematic statements." It is nearly two minutes into the video before Jackson breaks out the moves he would become known for. Strutting and dancing, the ground glows magically at the touch of his feet.

"The new medium had its ultimate showman, for Michael Jackson was not just the Fred Astaire of music videos but his own beautiful, bad self."

Source: MJFC / TIME.com