Michael Jackson: 12 Most Impactful Non Number 1 Hits

Michael Joseph Jackson left a legacy that surpasses the vast majority of all other artists that have come before and after him in the modern music era. From breakout No. 1 hits like "Rock Your Body" and "Thriller" to constant jams and power ballads like "Bad" and "Man In The Mirror," Jackson is the true King of Pop. But even with all of his chart-topping songs, Jackson has several tiers of his music catalog that still have affected a great portion of the music-listening populace, even though they have not ascended to the very top of the charts. What follows are 12 of his most influential and impactful non-No. 1 songs (in no particular order), that fans still recognize with great fondness.

From the Thriller album:

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin"
This was one of Jackson's first "hyper-tempo" songs that he made and one of his most sonically versatile recordings to date. It's largely famous for the sampled chant, "Mama-say, mama-sa, mama-moo-sa", which became famous internationally and has been restored with new life in pop star Rihanna's "Please Don't Stop The Music."

"Human Nature"
An introspective track that delves into asking the questions about why human beings treat each other despicably, the production for the song was very unusual and aided in giving MJ his signature sound on the Thriller album. Visualized by a semi-animated video that depicts Jackson roaming the streets alone, it became a hit and is looked upon as one of his defining moments in his recording career. '90s R&B diva group SWV (Sister With Voices) actually sampled the song on their release of "Right Here (Human Nature Remix)," which also featured Jackson's vocals throughout the song's chorus.

"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
Another uptempo dance song that was an instant success on the pop, dance and R&B charts, this song had great appeal to young women and has also been referenced a number of time in samples, notably with Monica's "All Eyez On Me" and in Kanye West's "Good Life" from his Graduation album.

From the Bad album:

"Another Part Of Me"
A jam session that gained traction specifically on his 1988-1989 "Bad Tour," Jackson captured what essentially became the "new jack swing" R&B sound that Teddy Riley later adopted from both The King of Pop and Zapp frontman Roger Troutman. With a pleading, aggressive vocal accompanied by synths and bass guitar, the ubiquitous versatility of Jackson's rhythms made this an instant classic.

"Liberian Girl"
Ambient, smooth and exotic all at once, this sleeper helped to seal the deal that the Bad album was the classic bundle of tracks that it was intended to be.

From the Dangerous album:

"Who Is It"
Jackson demanded that his lover come correct with her affair and did so as the midtempo grooves and low-set bass pounded throughout. This song was visualized with a video that became a hodge-podge medley of Jackson's past video appearances throughout the '80s.

From Eddie Murphy's Love's Alright album:

"Whatzupwitu"
A failed attempt by the comedian to channel his two musical heroes in MJJ and Prince, it is largely a cult hit for the sheer fact that Jackson's inclusion on the song as a featured vocalist saved what little the song had to add in actual entertainment (aside from the fact that Murphy was comically bad singing the song and the video played a similar nod to Prince's very heavenly imagery from his "Lovesexy" period in 1988, with birds, flowers and the sky being prevalent themes).

From the HIStory album:

"Childhood"
The song was a minor release as a single, but was probably one of Jackson's most personal and self-explanatory songs to date. In the midst of dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct with minors, it's also one of his most heavily criticized songs. In the album's liner notes, Jackson even dedicated a portrait that he drew to the song, which showed a lonely young boy sitting on the floor.

"Stranger In Moscow"
A somewhat-unexpected hit from HIStory, "Stranger In Moscow" was a melancholy ballad accompanied by Jackson walking the streets of the former Soviet Union city in black-and-white.

From the Invincible album:

"You Rock My World"
His re-entry into the hearts and minds of "Generation Next," Jackson recaptured the magic with the song's fresh Thriller-esque feel and the new jack swagger of that was ever-present on the Bad album. It didn't hurt that Jackson featured Hollywood hot ticket actor Chris Tucker in the video.

"Butterflies"
An absolutely beautiful ballad that was written and composed by Floetry's Marsha Ambrosius (a.k.a. "The Songstress"), The King of Pop turned the song into what is now considered a new classic among contemporary R&B songs of the past 20 years. "Butterflies" gained even more appeal as Floetry started to become more popular and their version became even more famous than Jackson's rendition.

From the Number Ones album:

"One More Chance"
From the brilliant (and questionable) mind of R. Kelly, "One More Chance" was Jackson's last original song, and also was his last pairing with Kelly, a duo that seemed poised to help Jackson take the next successful turn in his recording career. Pleading for another opportunity for love, Jackson and Kelly sang for the necessity of gaining a lover's favor one last time.