Download with Lead    I recently read that this Michael Jackson hit is the most requested Karaoke song ever.  I believe it.  We owned a little beach bar for awhile in the late 90’s and I ran Karaoke three nights a week.  “Billie Jean” was performed by 5 or 6 people every night – usually not very well.  Upon reflection, I think that’s why we eventually sold the bar.  One can only take so much of an inebriated crowd slaughtering a perfectly good song over and over again… and again.

I first heard the song sitting in the St. Louis Airport disco lounge with some friends.  It started playing in the background and I said, “What is that – it’s great!”  Someone smarter than me at the table informed me it was Michael Jackson’s new single.  “Oh, man… that’s a hit” was my reply.  It’s one of those tunes you instantly like, primarily because of the beat.  That drum and bass 16 bar intro is infectious – makes you want to immediately hit the dance floor.  The lyrics I didn’t like so much, but the music production is amazing.  This one made Jackson an international pop star overnight and any self-respecting singer should be performing it, with or without a band.  If you’re working sans backup musicians, this sequence is exciting and tight enough to fill your dance floor.