#54 Off the Wall by Michael Jackson

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

2025 Album Rank

54

2011 Album Rank

61

Total Points

1057

Year Released

1979

Billboard 200 Chart Peak

3

Weeks at #1

N/A

RIAA Sales Certification

9,000,000 (Multi-Platinum)

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Off the Wall Album Details

Released in August 1979, Off the Wall marked Michael Jackson's emergence as a fully independent adult artist, distinct from both his work with the Jackson 5 and his early solo efforts at Motown. Produced by Quincy Jones, the album fused pop, disco, funk, R&B, and soul, showcasing Jackson's soaring vocals, impeccable sense of rhythm, and natural charisma. While still youthful, Jackson asserted full artistic control for the first time, laying the foundation for his global dominance in the decade to come.

The album spawned hits like Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Rock with You, and the title track Off the Wall, each pairing irresistible dance grooves with Jackson's electrifying falsetto. Balancing sleek disco production with deeply felt ballads like She's Out of My Life, Off the Wall was both a commercial success and a creative leap, setting the stage for the unprecedented global phenomenon that would arrive with Thriller in 1982.

Other Michael Jackson albums on the chart: Thriller

Interesting Facts About Off the Wall

• Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough marked Jackson's first Grammy win for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, establishing him as a serious solo artist.
• It was the first album where Jackson took significant creative control, writing several songs himself, including Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough and Working Day and Night.
• Quincy Jones was recommended to Jackson by Sidney Lumet, who directed Jackson in the 1978 film The Wiz, where Jones was musical director.
• The falsetto vocal on Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough was inspired by Jackson's admiration for Marvin Gaye and Prince's use of higher vocal registers.
• Though Off the Wall was a massive hit, selling over 20 million copies worldwide, Jackson was reportedly disappointed it didn't win the Grammy for Album of the Year. That perceived snub fueled his ambition to surpass it with Thriller.
• She's Out of My Life was written by Tom Bahler and originally intended for Frank Sinatra. Jackson's emotional delivery, including an audible sob at the end, was captured live in the studio.
• Session musicians on the album included jazz greats like Louis Johnson on bass and Greg Phillinganes on keyboards, both of whom would work with Jackson throughout the 1980s.
• Rod Temperton, who wrote Rock with You and Off the Wall, was a former member of the band Heatwave and later penned Thriller for Jackson.
• Michael's iconic vocal hiccups, percussive vocalizations that would become his trademark, began to fully emerge in his performances on this album.
• In 2016, a deluxe reissue of Off the Wall was released, accompanied by the Spike Lee documentary Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall, offering new insights into the album's creation and legacy.

Off the Wall Tracklist

1. Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough - Reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
2. Rock with You - Reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
3. Workin' Day and Night
4. Get On the Floor
5. Off the Wall - Reached #10 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
6. Girlfriend
7. She's Out of My Life - Reached #10 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
8. I Can't Help It
9. It's the Falling in Love
10. Burn This Disco Out

Rock With You Music Video

• Next Album: #53. The Wall by Pink Floyd
• Previous Album: #55. The Band by The Band