Fun Facts

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Fun Facts

* Frank Dileo, Vice President of Epic Records and later Michael's manager, persuaded Michael to release “Beat It” in the US while “Billie Jean” was still climbing the Hot 100. He correctly predicted that both singles would make the Top 10 at the same time. In fact, both ended up in the Top 5 at the same time!

* The song “Ben” was originally intended for Donny Osmond, until lyricist Don Black suggested young Michael might do a better job of singing it.

* When “Ben” hit no.1 on the Hot 100, 14 year old Michael became the youngest artist ever to have topped the charts both as a solo artist and as a member of a group—a record that he still holds today!

* Michael recorded the main vocal track for “Billie Jean” in just one amazing take!

* With “Billie Jean” and its parent album “Thriller,” Michael achieved the rare feat of topping both the singles and albums charts in both the US and the UK—at the same time!

* “Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix” is the best-selling remix album of all time.

* “Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough” was Michael's first self-penned solo hit and it also won him his first Grammy.

* The video for “In the Closet” was banned in South Africa due to its “very sensual nature which could offend viewers.”

* Estimated global sales of “Dangerous” stand at 25-27 million copies worldwide, making it about the same as—if not slightly more than—“Bad.”

* Michael wrote “The Way You Make Me Feel” in response to his mother, Katherine's request for a song with “a shuffling kind of rhythm."

* Michael would wear Bass Weejuns when performing on stage.

* 3 of Michael`s songs go into the record books as having the shortest title to top the US Billboard Singles Chart. He shares this record with 4 other artists: