Here’s How Michael Jackson Constructed His First Solo Hit

When Michael Jackson left his brothers and went solo, it didn’t take long for him to establish himself as a solo hitmaker. His first release “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” was an instant worldwide hit and continues to be popular almost 40 years later. Most listeners just take a song for granted but not producers, as we try to learn from every hit in every genre in every era. Knowledge is power, after all, even in music.

Here’s a pretty good analysis of the song from the Nerdwriter that explains the song’s roots as well as some of its interesting traits, like its James Brown rhythm heritage, the soda bottle percussion, and micro-rhythm. Once again, it helps to know how the song was constructed because you never know when the information my come in handy down the road.

By the way, I was at Westlake Studio A last week (the place where Michael recorded his big hits) and spotted this very unique quirk. Yes, it’s 2 JBL 4311 speakers in the ceiling near the console. The reason why they’re there is because Michael liked to lay on the floor while he was listening. I don’t think you’ll find this in another studio on the planet, but it certainly worked for the King of Pop.

Check out Nerdwriter’s video below.