Off The Wall

I'm a sucker for brass sections and saxophones

smooth, sensual disco, silky

This is, of course, just one of Michael Jackson’s seminal pop albums of his career. I’ve had “Thriller” already and it was, of course, a banger. This was also a banger but to a lesser degree. This is just off-peak for MJ. It’s a very strong album but I know he can and has done better than this. There’s just so much pop fun and flair here. “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” is an absolute classic opener. Sets the tone and the bar for the entire album. It’s what an opener should do and I feel like track order is sometimes overlooked these days. I’d already heard this song, as I had for a few others. But it was the ones I didn’t already know that I liked the most. “Workin’ Day and Night” and “Get on the Floor” both stood out to be as both great pop tracks and great dance tracks. The slower, more introspective stuff? Eh. I’ve never been a fan of the pop/R&B ballad and that holds true here. They’re good tracks but not for me. It takes a lot for a pop album to impress me. There’s so much crap that for a pop album to make an impression on me is saying something. Another hit for MJ, another four stars. Standout Tracks: Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Working Day and Night, Get on the Floor, Off the Wall, It’s the Falling In Love

El primer disco mas popular de Michael en solitario, está bastante disfrutable la verdad, la mayoría de sus canciones son disco y las demás son baladas souls. Destacó burn this disco out, working day and night y get on the floor. Muy funkys y grooveras.

You wouldn’t expect Michael Jackson to make one of the best disco albums

Amazing. You can hear him reach some of the highw he will get to more consistently on Bad and Thriller

Bangers

There's flashes of brilliance but his slow songs are just dire. Same experience on Bad, which I was really excited to get (months ago) but found that outside the upbeat singles, it's a bit disappointing.

MJ da goat

Banger baby. 4/5

Funcc. 4/5

Pleasant listening experience

The first half of this album is like a pop masterclass. I don't feel the need to revisit the last half so much. 4 stars because of how massive the hits are, but if the whole thing was like the back half, might be a light 3. Can't wait til I get Thriller!

This is a really good album, some absolute belters on here, maybe tails off a little at the end. As a side note, the new film is definitely worth a watch.

I quite enjoyed it but it felt a bit disjointed. She's Out of My Life seems really shoehorned in there and really threw the album off. The rest of the album I enjoyed but don't know if I'd listen again. Honestly what was She's Out of My Life doing on this album?? It just didn't fit at all and made the album so much worse.

Obvious classic. Great consistent vibes throughout. She’s Out of My Life is a nice reprieve/change up mid way through.

It's Baby Michael, all grown up! It's a good album. Good funk and nothing too repetitive. Some all time classics and some meh.

The first half was electric. Some of the later songs were a little slow for my liking but overall a great listen.

This album rips. It peaks right away with Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, but stays good the entire time. It didn't lose my attention, and had a really nice variety of songs. Songs like Off The Wall and Girlfriend are classic MJ sounding songs, and She's Out Of My Life is a slow serenade to break it up. I've added a few songs to my list, and I'd definitely listen to the album again. 8/10

While I do prefer Michael Jackson's later endeavors that dove into more new-wavey and RnB sounds (particularly 'Thriller' and 'Bad'), I can't deny the unique charm conveyed by his early-career classic. The disco elements are effective, albeit boilerplate, but still sparkly, glamorous, and pristine. Quincy's production here is undeniable, everything from the horns to the unique percussive passages absolutely pop. And Michael provides that iconic falsetto style here. While I find his melodies, songwriting, and performances less magnificent and bold generally, they still work as complementary to the music. I mean we're talking about the king of pop here - who'd go on to release some of the greatest songs in the history of popular music. So considering that, I do admittedly find this album to be on the weaker side of his "iconic" releases (which is saying a lot). There are still some incredible songs here like the two openers, 'Get on the Floor', and the slow-burner 'She's Out of My Life'. It's still a great release, if a bit antiquated and repetitive.

could i write poetry to this? n

Great QJ production. Out of the gate strong, mellows and ends with a decent pace.

feels wrong to compare it to Thriller, but i mean... it is what it is. i did really enjoy this album. every song is super fun, and i found myself dancing in the kitchen to it and having a blast. i think that while they are all good songs, the only really GREAT one is ' Don't Stop Till You Get Enough' super solid entry, but i think that it was always be overshadowed

Great lead up to the BIG One!!!

Älskar detta det är massa bangers 🥰🥰🥰🥰 Men några låtar lever int en upp till standarden tyvärr. Bästa låtarna är ofc don't stop til you get enough, rock with you och working Day and night🤩

Fett bra album, hade kunnat vara en 5:a men jag tyckte att låtarna blev lite repetitiva efter ett tag Bästa låt: Rock with you

Great MJ more infused with funk than his later work. Even though this was great I still think it’s behind his other work with some of the tracks not interesting me much. The gems of this album are up there for my favorite of his songs. Rating: 4.4

Right up there near the top of the list of musical nonces, great stuff

Elite pop action

Enjoyed this earlier MJ album. Fun to hear the disco roots on some of these songs.

не знаю, это все еще мегаразнос, но поставлю 4

Yeah I enjoyed.

So purr slay. A great time, 4.5

starts strong and great vibes throughout but gets lost sometimes/misses.

Banger. There are a couple of tunes towards the end I'm not a fan of so I can't give it a 5, but a solid 4/5!

I mean what else can I say other than I was grooving the entire time while mowing the lawn?

1. Dont stop till you get enough is a classic. Vibes are immaculate. A lot going on but just the right amount. (5/5) 2. Rock with you - another classic, the singing harmony makes the song along with the bass + the groovy feel. Nice key change. It's so good holy shit. (5/5) 3. Workin Day and Night - song carried by brass and funk feel. Chorus pretty good. nice vibes. This shaker in my right ear kind of annoying at some point it's so loud. Take a break off the shaker man. good song (4/5) 4. Get on the floor - Yeah ill get on the floor with that intro. Seems like a funk album and I love funk. Yeah solid af. Just a vibe kind of missing smth idk what (4.5/5) 5. Off the wall - weird ass laugh but okay... Yeah this is slick. Was underwhelmed for a second, but when gang comes in on "Tonighttttt" it was tight. (4.5/5) 6.Girlfriend - Slow in a bad way. Oh yeah sax solo. Chorus is okay, not super impressed but it still sounds decent. (2/5) 7. She's Out of my life - This so far feels so out of place in this album. Could be cool if this album is supposed to be like a story and this is like the break-up song after "Girlfriend". Nothing notable about this song. Melody was very meh. (1/5) 8. I can't help it - The starting melody is smooth, and I like it. Halfway through I really hope it builds up to something. :( This song could've been easy 4-5, but it just didn't do anything with the build-up. Did like the melody though. (2.5/5) 9. It's the Falling in Love - This is pretty decent so far. melody good + background. Good vibes all around nothing really notable. Just a pretty good song. (3/5) 10. Burn this disco out - almost a Stevie wonder opening lol. This song is great. Crazy vibes. Killer (4.5/5).

Definitely got my head bobbing, Another fun album but can feel a bit repetitive at times. If I could give half stars it’d be a solid 3.5 but I’ll gladly round up on this one.

Pretty faultless pop album that I enjoyed, despite not actually liking pop music.

Very fun album. Its very groovy and has a feel-good feeling on it. It is not my style i liked it. Has some funky basslines and guitars. Very cool trumpets and michael's voice is great. An absolute classic, has some bangers, but i think that the power of this album resides on the grooviness, which is maybe the reason why i didnt like girlfriend or shes out of my life.

King tackles disco Beat after beat moves my feet Plus funky breakdowns

it was alright

The one that set him up for a rocket ride into the stratosphere.

Lots of good memories here. What can you say…truly the king of pop.

Really good pop 4.4

This album cheered me up after the last one. Such cheery, funky, and happy vibes that I wish I could allow myself to fully enjoy especially with it being summer and all, but again, I'm in school and nothing is funny. My absolute favourite songs are Rock with You, Off the Wall, Girlfriend, and It's the Falling in Love, but I enjoyed the other songs as well. Pretty high 4

Excellent move by Michael, switching from Motown to Epic and working with Quincy Jones. This is a fun album to listen to. But outside of the hits, while the songs are still good, and better than a lot of "filler songs" on other albums, I still can't put this at 5 stars. But great album, even so.

Good stuff

My first listen of this album. I need to give it another listen later when I’m healthy, because I am seriously congested right now and my left ear is all stopped up. I could tell there were sounds I should be hearing, but wasn’t.

Seems like one if not Michael’s first and it’s great. Little slow ones in there but the overall vibe is pretty loose easy feeling. Idk if it gets a 5 though.

4.5

Heee-hee!! 4

This was better than I expected. A solid soul/disco/R&B set. Oh, if only he had handled the superstar fandom that came later better. . .

Pleasant enough but very dated, the album just screams 70s Some good cuts though and easy to listen to

Not as good as Thriller, but pretty damn close?

Classic

Five stars for side one, 1 star for the ulta-treacly She's Out of My Life. 3 for the rest of side 2. Round it up to 3.6. 4 for featuring the talents of Cleethorpes finest, Rod Temperton.

Really enjoyed this album. Nice production, very 80s but nice round sound. Loud but clear. As far as I can remember it’s the first time I’ve listened to a MJ album from top to bottom, took me back to the 80s!

It was good, lots of classic MJ feels

I ended up enjoying this album more than “Bad” - mainly, I think, because I wasn’t familiar with any of the songs. It’s fun, disco-flavored music that makes you want to move. While the latter half wasn’t quite as strong as the first, it still warrants somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars.

I did not know his discography well, but it's a catchy record, with a nice blend of funk, pop, disco and r&b, I was pleasantly surprised.

Good album, started really well with few great and almost legendary songs now, but towards the end the quality dipped pretty hard. Jackson's vocal works very well in the singles, but 40 minutes of that is just a bit too much for me. Music wise it's not my style, but there's nothing to complain. Solid record.

What can I say…it’s Micheal. Some of the best pop songs on the front half of the album and then it veers into R&B. Which isn’t my jam. But to have production by Quincy Jones and still be the main event is tough to do. But not for MJ.

Quite a good album showing off the hee hee man's talents

Amazing vocals and beats

Notable tracks: Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Rock with You

Quite good disco-y pop album. Will probably listen again.

Timeless

Fire

I have this album. I think it’s better than Thriller. Has more stand out tracks.

Aún no es la superestrella, pero muchos temazos.

incredible. when u know u know

some undeniable bangers (don't stop til you get enough, get on the floor) and some undeniable stinkers (she's out of my life, I can't help it)

It sadly just doesn’t hit quite the same anymore. I just enjoy it ever so slightly less. I’m a firm believer of separating the art and the artist when necessary so for the rating I will put the somewhat eerie feeling aside. MJ has had an unbelievably big impact on the world, reaching far beyond just music. This album is boogie indeed.

Ah aika jolloin MJ oli vielä iloinen. Kyllä se popin kuningas tällä levyllä kuuluu. Biisit vähän geneerisiä, mut olkoon nyt 3.5/5. Hyvä mieli tuli.

Hell yeah c'est bon

Damn MJ!

What can you say other than groovy and fun.

"Off the Wall" fue el disco que confirmó a Michael Jackson como una gran y talentosa estrella. Hasta entonces había dejado alguna pequeña muestra en solitario y, sobre todo, con sus hermanos, pero aupado por la magnífica producción de Quincy Jones, este disco brilla por todas partes. Imposible quedarse quieto al empezara escuchar el primer tema, "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", todo un cañonazo para las pistas de baile que eleva la música disco a otro nivel. Le sigue la exhuberante balada "Rock with You", casi tan excitante como "She's Out of My Life". Son constantes las invitaciones a la pista de baile con temas como "Working Day and Night" y "Get on the Floor". Un disco en definitiva en el que Jackson alardea con alegría contagiosa de todo un abanico sonoro en el que lo mismo cabe la música disco, que el seductor funk, el pop más luminoso o incluso algo de rock suave.

I didn't remember this being such a disco album

💖 don’t stop til you get enough 🗣️ 8️⃣

Listened to this for the rolling stone top 500 and really enjoyed

Simply a classic funk/soul/disco album with bangers throughout; not just the popular ones.

Classic Michael, a great listen.

Girlfriend is so good

Hee hee

So fun

Very enjoyable first half, with timeless songs that felt easy to both listen to and dance! The second half felt very added on however, even if the songs aren't party focused, it felt too commercial to be proper 'sad' songs

As I wrote of Thriller, I think it's important to assess the art on it's own merit, detached from the artist. Some of the grooves (particularly Don't Stop... and Rock With You) are some of the finest, funkiest ever written. The slower numbers are a little too soppy for my liking, hence a star lost. But nevertheless, a cracking album.

A classic. So far I was only familiar with Rock With You and Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough but listening to the full album I discovered gem after gem. You can clearly hear his influence on pop music, specifically on artists like Bruno Mars. Hard to believe that this record is 45 y old by now.

A rank album | 84% out of 100 Solid, good, enjoyable album

It’s Michael Jackson, it’s the true beginning of his solo career. We all know how it goes. Classic hits galore, fun deeper cuts, it’s how almost every album of his goes. It's good, but he gets even better.

The newer albums were more popular but sound boring today. This is still to fine to listen today.

Très bon album funk. N'atteint pas les sommets pop de Thriller, mais demeure un impressionnant départ solo pour Jackson.

Great album. Funk and disco infused. First album with Quincy Jones producing. The album sounds a bit thin, but otherwise I really enjoyed it. Even cranked out a few dance moves. The two slow songs I find the weakest on here, but they are fine!

Tons of bangers on here, second half not quite as strong as first but still pretty solid Great production and performance

Favourite tracks: off the wall; burn this disco out; rock with you; don't stop till you get enough

Last song was epic

4/5. First half was definitely stronger than the second half.

Don't Stop Til You Get Enough was love at first listen ever since I heard it as a teen. Get On the Floor and Rock with Me aren't very far behind, though. The production on this record is out of this world, damn.

Holds the test of time. Classic

Actually really enjoyed this

This album sets the solo artist Michael Jackson up for the success of Thriller. So many good numbers - big hits. Just "Off the Wall!" Whatever happened to this guy?

Enjoyed the dancier tracks on this, but found the ballads quite cheesy. "Don't Stop" is a fantastic song, but overall not as good as Thriller.

Amazing disco and bass lines. PERFECT side A. The opener has to be one of the best openers ever. Slows down on the quality on Side B but not that badly. It's really great.

Schon schön Soul lastig

Obvious classic. There’s a few filler tracks that drag the project down compared to thriller or bad

Like some of the songs, love some…

It's Michael Jackson. Of course it's good.

This was good album. Some defining songs on there for MJ. Still not as good as Thriller, but was a good listen. The Disco sound was a positive.

Classic MJ - 4/5

Album Already Known: Y # Songs Already Known: 2 # Songs Saved: 0 Notes: absolute banger

The music and cultural impact of this album are heavy hitting. Kind of his breakout as a solo artist and young adult, this was a huge splash at the time and holds up. This album and Thriller are kind of like consecutive mile markers between Disco and 80’s pop. Lots of hits, the album starts out blazing with the last few not as. Notable song writing credits to Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. Very enjoyable listen on a cool spring evening by the fire. Strong 4

I only was sure that I recognised a few of the songs but the others felt so familiar no doubt because of MJ’s influence on pop music

So many bangers. I didn’t even think I really liked Michael Jackson too much before listening to this.

Why is the beginning of “off the wall” so spooky?

This shit crazy good. JJ holl would love this one. Best track: It’s the falling in love 4/5

It was pretty good. I grew up dancing to this album. The last two songs and "girlfriend" were pretty new to me but I don't know if it fit the album per se; I probably need to listen to it a tad bit more.

MJ is decent, who knew

This pop record covers and blends music from many different genres. It has a great and pretty consistent groove, making you want to move. Bass playing is consistently strong, vocals are impressive (he’s really got a great voice), with fairly interesting instrumental flourishes throughout the songs. For instance, a close headphone listen if Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (standout track) revealed more musical density and brief interesting lines than I had ever heard in the song before. Pretty fun album that I enjoyed more than expected, even if it’s not where my main musical interests lie, though the slower songs are a bit dull. There’s enough ideas and groove to keep me entertained.

Although he's not the artist I'd typically listen, I definitely get the game he got after this album, enjoyed it a lot actually!

From when he was still fun and funky

One can see that Quincy Jones produced this album. He did a spectacular job transforming the teen star Michael Jackson into the young adult aspiring singer Michael Jackson, later known as the king of pop. Twenty-one years old, Jackson also wrote the first track "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". This upbeat disco-funk mix opened up a whole new genre of music. Jackson's signature hiccups and grunts were featured here for the first time. The album mixed several different music styles perfectly into a new sound that would dominate pop music in the 80s.

4/5, disco era Michael Jackson slapped

I've never really cared all that much for MIchael Jackson's music, but I must admit he does make some very good and catchy songs.

I JUST finished the excellent (and hard to listen to at times) podcast Think Twice chronicling MJ’s rise and fall. It both made me want to listen to these songs and to never listen to them ever again. He truly was the King of Pop - even if that moniker is fraught with all of the challenges that encompass Michael Jackson. His mark on pop music is indelible. An excellent debut by a truly troubled artist.

Controversy aside, it doesn't get more talented that MJ and this album is mental. All the funk, all the freedom, you can tell how this was the headwaters for Thriller. This is MJ's transition from Jackson 5 to Michael Jackson.

Best Song: Off the Wall. On top of being a good dance track, I just love the stank he puts on the line "We're the party people, night and day". Worst Song: She's Out of My Life. I just feel like a weepy ballad like this undervalues what Michael is capable of. Overall: Fun disco that actually works a lot better for me than some of his later records.

Doesn’t get much better.

It will make anyone dance!

Kids enjoyed this

MJ was a weird dude, but this album is really good. Can tell it’s the start of something massive

Bangers and then not so bangers, nice

70s Disco MJ > 80s Pop MJ

Micheal Jacksons debut solo LP Off the Wall is one of the most influential pop albums of all time, the affects of the album is still being seen today. the Album is full of hits and the opening two tracks are some of the greatest tracks ever made. my only problem is that a few tracks overstay there welcome for example the opening track dont stopp till you get enough is amazing bast goes on for to long. the albums 7th track out of my life is an emotional ballad that is a great song, but doesnt quite fit the upbeat theme of off the wall. jacksons vocal performance is incredible throughout the album and off the wall is a very easy listen. the album does not challenge the listener and is very accessible, you would struggle to find someone that has a strong negative opinion of the album.

very good album, enjoyed the disco vibe on it.

Other than "Thriller," I'm more of a greatest hits person when it comes to MJ and haven't listened to many albums straight through. So, I wasn't familiar with most of the non-single songs on here. I have to say, I'm starting to come around on disco when it leans toward the funkier side, which a lot of this album does. The songs on here are fun, but it does get repetitive lyrically with most songs essentially boiling down to "let's dance all night." That said, "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" is a banger to open with. The title track is also great—it sounds like an early draft of "Thriller" at points. "She's Out of My Life" is a standout track on the album, both for being a ballad and for the quality of the lyrics. Stevie Wonder's clearly of a different caliber than young MJ. The electric piano does sound pretty dated, and it does sort of interrupt the party flow, but it's still a great song. "I Can't Help It" is another great contribution from Stevie. The "Girlfriend" cover is the worst song on the album. Those lyrics, yikes—what the hell, Macca? "It's the Fallin in Love" is the next worst track on the album. It sounds like a weird Dirty Dancing throwaway even though it predates the movie by several years (I blame David Foster). It's really the music that saves this album from being forgettable. There are some great horn sections. The bass line on "Get on the Floor" is ridiculous. And vocally, MJ is at the top of his game. It's a great party album. 4/5

Very good. (⭐person)

Perfectly engineered sound and amazing voice from Michael

Awful album cover, good album though. Far more disco than I was expecting but makes sense for the time and history of Jackson

Great tunes. Too bad Jackson was such a perv.

I don’t think I’ve ever listen to an MJ album all the way through. Theres no denying Michael’s talent, but I will say that I can see why the first few songs are huge hits and the rest less so. Overall, I really liked it, but was bored with some of the slower songs.

It’s MJ. What can I say. Found myself singing multiple songs after listening through. Definitely front loaded with hits, which makes sense when it comes to records/cassettes/CDs that start at the same point. Still not the elusive 5 star that I’m looking for.

This album is not the end of Michael's career. It's not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. You can tell he is beginning to transitioning into the pop super star that he is with this album. There's still a lot of Motown funk inspiration, but he is starting to find what will become his signature sound. "Don't stop til you get enough" and "Rock With You" are iconic off of this album. For most artist, this album would be a peak for them. Multiple number one hits and 9X platinum. For Michael Jackson though, it feels far from his peak. This might be unfair to say, but I expect every song on his albums to be a hit single (looking at you Thriller).

Had no idea Michael was so funky. Obviously I knew Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, but I also liked wuite a bit more here, like Rock With You and Off The Wall. Gotta separate the artist from the art here and give it a 4.

Definitely a taste of what’s coming soon, albeit with more disco and funk. Other than a few songs 2/3 of the way through that aren’t as strong, the album still cooks. I always liked this one, especially since it provided the soundtrack for me during many nights at the roller rink. Terry cloth shirt: check. Pocket comb: check. Speed skates: check. Infectious grooves: check.

We’re separating the art from the artist for this little exercise, right? Ok just making sure. If this album doesn’t get you moving or doing your best Paul Rudd slappin da bass… see a doctor and get your pulse checked. Other than a two song lull in the final third, this album starts off hot and keeps it going through the end. Hard to deny how talented this guy was.

This was a 3.75 for me so rounding up. Solid album with a couple big hits. Disco isn’t really my thing so it’s impressive MJ can put together an album I can listen through. Looking back it feels like an appetizer of what was to come in 3 years.

I didn’t want to like this album, less about the music and more about the man. But damn if this shit ain’t good. Yea, Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough is about two minutes too long. And yea, the lyrics can be pretty cringeworthy at times (MJ is the opposite of Prince in this department). But MJ is amazing and I couldn’t resist grooving and having a good time. 4/5

Absolute Classic

Classy stuff. and jingling stereo effects to titillate people with headphones / hifi ... I cant believe this was 1979. fun and funky. No I never bought MJ, but admired it. he got more than generation moving

Michael Jackson is an artist where the issue of whether the art forgives the behaviour of the artist really hits the road for me. I believe the boys who accused him of abusing them and cannot condone those actions, and simultaneously I recognize Jackson's achievements and the importance of his art. I recognize the way that his father and fame damaged him, although that may explain but does not exonerate his actions. And these complicated feelings make it hard to listen to a lot of his music. Michael Jackson's talent had been known to the world for a full decade at this point, but this is the first fruit of his massive ambition. Nights at Studio 54 during the filming of The Wiz had connected him with the joy of recreational dance, and that is all over this record. It's an unashamedly disco album, polished to a high gloss by Quincy Jones' arrangements and production. Side 1, especially, is just a joyous exaltation of dance. This is Michael Jackson reaching his full power and wanting to take over the world, but still in touch with the fun of it all. Sadly, that fun faded over his subsequent albums, as the ambition, drugs, fame, and the damage of his childhood took him over. I find it hard to accept the monstrous things he did in the back half of his life. I mourn for the boy who MJ was. This album is the last time we hear a vestige of that child, soon to be sacrificed to the gods of superstardom. I really love early Michael Jackson records, and still want to play them. This is the last album of his that I can listen to without it feeling icky. It's a really great dancing record, less patchy than Thriller. Although, when I was listening to this today, spotify followed it up with a bunch of earlier Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 singles, and they were even better. _That's_ the Michael Jackson I really want to listen to.

Micheal Jackson cool. Yet to really find a burning passion for him, but I guess that will with time. Or it won't. A lot of the song are real classics on here. Enjoyed 7/10

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, rocked this album. With tracks that transcend time and genre, styles include disco, funk, pop, and R&B.

Michael halt.

Say what you will about Michael Jackson. And I will I think he was a predator. But you can't deny he made some fantastic music. He's an artist I can enjoy by separating the art from the artist.

Absolute stellar. Michael Jackson pre thriller post Jackson 5 what’s not to love.

Lots of good songs on this album. Quincy Jones influence very obvious here. Enjoyed listening to some of his early hits. Vocals are well done and easy to listen to. Loved listening to. No surprise Jackson rose to the heights he did before his tragic demise.

Solid Album with some definite bangers.

starts off strong with some excellent songs, tapers off a little by the end but still a lot of fun songs throughout. the slow songs don't really work for me

My mother absolutely loved MJ so I have heard a lot of his music. She somehow never listened to this one while I was around, but I'm well aware of a couple songs on this. Michael is obviously a very talented young man here before he turned into whatever the hell he turned into. Great sounding songs produced by Qunicy Jones .

One of the greatest openings of any album.

Great album, some classics of MJ.

Surprisingly good. I can see why it was a breakthrough in its day -- hard to pinpoint to a specific era, difficult to classify.

👍

Undeniable pop excellence. We used to have this on vinyl when I was a kid and when you unfolded the gate sleeve his legs popped out which I was obsessed with.

Música que parece contemporánea a pesar de que es de 1979. Buena música alegre y popular. Bien estructuradas para agradar al oído. Lo disfrute.

Best song: don't stop till you get enough

Funky

Forgot how good some of his music was.

Gutes, frühes Album ohne große Hits

Top

Gid

Banger of an album. Never realised there was so many songs on this album that I've never even heard before.

Some of his great stuff here. Agree this belongs in a compendium of all-time great albums.

Bass work, grooves, and melody have aged so well. I'm pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this album when you look at the album as a whole.

Ah man it's pretty good I guess

A MJ classic.

Very noice :)

This album made me want to find the nearest disco and tear up the dance floor

This is a great record but suffers badly from side A-itis. Side A is 4 tracks, 20min of brilliant disco-pop. Side B however is just ok, with bookend tracks worth a listen but grand ballad filler in between.

Very good

Fun album. Like his later stuff better but you can hear him getting there.

I know 80’s Michael was the peak, but I like this sound better

The slower more somber songs are good but vastly different and not as fun to listen to. But they do showcase that he had a really nice voice at least! 4.5

Sometimes I struggle appreciating talent because of behavior (or allegations). I can’t deny that I still enjoy some MJ. This is an under appreciated album. The disco vibe is fun to pep up the mood after a long day.

amazing disco album. omg mj's voice is beautiful. 8.6/10

Grooved through New York's winter wonderland with Michael Jackson. Happy holiday vibes in every step!

I have a lot of time for MJ and this album is a great example of why. He was clearly superbly talented, and having been confined to the J5 box for so long this effort is him clearly expressing himself in his own way. I imagine he gets a lot of 1*s for reasons unrelated to his music, and being a talented musician doesn't absolve you of anything beyond just that, but I liked this album a lot.

The metamorphosis of Michael Jackson is truly special. His first works with the Jackson’s were pretty good. It gained him quite some reputation to take off and show what he’s about. It resulted in this great funk/pop/r&b album. It showed off great what the disco records were about but also kind of looked past that, played with it, and built on it! The music is super catchy and always makes me feel good! 8,5 out of 10

It was the start of something very special which was immediately apparent as soon as Wanna and Starting Something kicks in. Rock with me is also just brilliant and a stepping stone to what would follow.

Off the Wall (the unofficial debut album of the Not-Jackson-5-Michael) is often overshadowed by its big brothers Thriller and Bad. That’s just not fair. Side A is as good as anything of the following records, and while I find Side B to be not as good (surprising giving its songwriters), Off the Wall is not to be underestimated one bit.

I knew we'd come across an MJ album at some time. I really respect how Jackson's music and style changed with the times. That said, this was a total disco album. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough is one of Jackson's biggest and most enduring hits, and it was interesting to learn that this was the first song he wrote and sang without any influence from his Jackson 5 past. I'm amazed by the star power that went into this album: Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, and Fred Durst (that one's a lie). Almost gave it a 5, but knowing the superiority of some of his other albums, I know the best is yet to come.

What’s not to love. Prime MJ. Banger after banger.

This is a pretty epic pop album. You have to really divorce yourself from MJ’s personal life but it’s a great pop album.

It’s a fun album. The basslines are fantastic and the melodies are rememberable. Michael brings a lot of energy and character. The harmonies are great too. The softer tracks aren’t exactly up to the dance cuts but they’re still really good. It’s a light 4 for me.

Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough - 10/10 Rock With You - 8.5/10 Workin' Day and Night - 8/10 Get on the Floor - 8.5/10 Off the Wall - 8/10 Girlfriend - 7.5/10 She’s Out of My Life - 7.5/10 I Can’t Help It - 8/10 It’s the Falling in Love - 8.5/10 Burn This Disco Out - 8.5/10 TOTAL - 83/100

Nice! Not a mindblowing 5 stars. But nice!

It's a very good album to dance to. So many great disco songs on it. A tad too overproduced imo, but still a great listen.

disco's not really my thing

As much as Michael Jackson is a fuckin weirdo I'm going to put aside my feelings about him and make it all about the music. Album starts of super strong with some bangers. Especially love Don't Stop, Rock With You, and Off the Wall. The music especially is good and his voice just makes a perfect combo. Great combo of disco, pop, R&B with some funk mixed in. Reminds me of some RAM songs in a way. Was rolling strong really until She's Out of My Life which I don't really care for. I Can't Help It is alright as well. Really starts to tail off in the second half. While he's a weirdo his talent is undeniable. This is a pretty soft 4 for me. Just wish the second half held up.

Vintage

fav songs: rock with you, workin day and night, she out of my life classic king of pop what can i say

Ok

I really want to give this 4.5 but that’s not a thing here so it’s a 4 from me. Absolute classic, obviously, but the second side doesn’t quite match up to the first side which is the reason for losing half a star

The man himself

MJ isnt the king of pop….hes the king of entertainment

Listened to this while playing Aeon's End with my partner against Hollow Crown. We lost twice. This was such a great album. Not a perfect 5, but definitely a very strong 4. I loved how disco filled this album was...I wasn't quite expecting it.

Amazing that this came out when he was 21.

I never liked mj before but the funkiness of this one was just the right level. Really enjoyed the bass work too.

muito bom!!! instrumental incrível

Hints of disco morphing into 80s pop

It's MJ, if you could believe it! Not quite as flashy as his following albums, but very pleasant nevertheless. One can definitely see why he's called "The King of Pop". It's really mellow and gets a bit repetitive at times, but the voicework is great and the tunes are funky. All in all, I'd give it 4.5 out of 5

I think I'm stunned. This is the first MJ album I've come across on this list. Now I'm anticipating at least one or two more.

Pgäf course its good

Better than Thriller, imho

Full of bangers. I don’t know this as well but I could easily see me liking this more than Thriller eventually

Got some bops

Classic Michael Jackson. Not his best but certainly some good ones.

Not really a Michael Jackson fan but it's good.

Launches with two mega hits, and maintains pretty well throughout.

i have not voluntarily listened to michael jackson in SO long. but there are straight bangers here. god tier groovy shit. i could listen to don't stop til you get enough 50x in a row i fear. and i have not listened to this album in its entirety before, so it was interesting. i'm crying because i only knew the version of "girlfriend" that's on london town #PAUL and it's soooo funny to be like. oh yeah this is a mj song. right. that guy

compared to other albums here it’s 5 stars but compared to the rest of MJ’s discography it’s 4 stars sorry 🤷 we need to bring back male singers being this whiny and moaning/gasping throughout their songs…

We love you Off the Wall by Michael Jackson!!! Told Ray I would give it five stars but I’m sorry there are a few tracks toward the end that I’m like. Neutral about. But the first half is sooooo fucking good. I’m sure Thriller is on this list somewhere so I’ll save the five stars for that. Favorites: don’t stop till you get enough (duh), rock with you (ALLLLL NIIIIGHTTT), workin’ day and night (makes me wish I could do a jump into a split), get on the floor (makes me wish I could spin 5x just purely based off momentum from one slide), off the wall, and MAYBE girlfriend (Paul McCartney shoutout….)

3.5

4.5 - Elsker a siden, men b siden for svak til å gi den 5

Joy filled.

What a legend

Listening late. Not a big MJ fan.. but cannot dispute that his vocals are insane and the musicality are phenomenal. My issue comes from the songs being overplayed. Which often signifies success in the album. Even though I’ve taken these off my playlists in many cases I cannot dispute the impact they’ve made on society

couple of absolute bangers on here but a few slower songs. the production is fantastic and vocals are obviously great. 4-4.5

Good, groovy. Not my typical type of music but will def go back to some goodies in the album

First two tracks were off the charts with energy. Interesting instrumentation throughout. Love the horns, xylophone and slap bass lines. Funky guitar.

Don't Stop listening to this album 'Til You Get Enough! Disco vibes.

Michael Jackson’s albums seem to have been pretty enjoyable so far, so I can’t see today’s being much different. There are only a few tracks that I recognise the names of here, so I’m interested to diver more into the lesser known. Let’s play another game of “separate-the-art-from-the-artist!” Songs I already knew: Don’t stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Rock With You, Off The Wall Favourites: Get On The Floor Some of the bass playing on this album is unreal. It’s as funky as it gets, and makes me pull strange faces while imagining that it’s me playing. The vocals aren’t exactly my favourite here - he seemed to have gone extra shrill for some tracks that I found quite annoying. I don’t have much else to comment on aside from the funky bass lines, but funky they certainly were.

Great

Wow. I wish the whole record was as strong as the first two tracks, but the whole thing feels so good and you can't stop boogieing. There's a reason he was the King of Pop. 5 stars for “impact” and importance of the first Quincy collaboration but 4 stars for getting weaker as it goes.

Some classics on here. What I didn’t realize is how good the horns are on this entire record. Much more of a disco feel than I was expected. I knew probably 5-6 of these songs.

MJ is probably the artist that I was most familiar with going into the album (so far) and there are of course some bangers on this album. I enjoyed this album a lot and it would be interesting to have heard it in 1979, a lot of it doesn't feel like it'd be too out of place on modern pop radio. My biggest quibble would be that it feels like the energy tapers off as the album wears on. I'm sure that was an intentional decision but I don't know if I love it. It feels like you could put this album on at the end of a party that you're hosting and you want people to leave. Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough, Rock With You, Workin' Day and Night, Off the Wall

Fun early sounding raw

Always a pleasure to relive legend Michael's greatest moments. This style was wildly popular back in the day, and I loved it. For today, though, it's a bit too open and repetitive to survive at the highest levels. The instrumental repetition actually gets annoying on the lower tracks. Additionally, the vocal mix is somewhat weak in a number of them. Props to having every track longer than 3.5 minutes (excepting 'Girlfriend' at 3:04).

I'm not a big fan of disco and funk but somehow MJ makes it work for me. The album starts of really stronger but the last songs don't cut it to be honest. If they would have been as good as the first few this would have been a 5 star rating

Nice mellow music 4 stars!

Tons of bangers on this album, but it sort of falls off in the second half.

Side 2 manages to drag down the incredible side 1 somehow. Overall I like this one for the singles more than as an album, still really good though.

This album starts off so damn good. It fades in the middle however. MJ was so talented his vocals are so good.

4.4. Disco doesn't suck when quincy jones is producing your album. Super tight band, bass player is ripping it up. Couple slower ones weren't for me but overall enjoyed the album. Get on the floor is a burner.

Most fave: don’t stop til you get enough Least fave: girlfriend

Yep, that is Michael Jackson

a good love album for me. voice is great

Fantastic album. I always thought thriller was the one to beat, but the king of pop proves why he holds the crown.

Who doesn’t like mj. Not exactly in the vibe for today. First cold day of fall and was feeling alive in chains but can’t complain with this. Idk if I’ve heard girlfriend before but I like it

Peak Michael Jackson, ik hou ervan

A popular (at the time) album, Off the Wall only pales in comparison to its follow-up, Thriller. You can hear hints of what the King of Pop would become but the album still stands on its own. Rock With You and Don't Stop Till You get enough were major dance hits, albeit in discos and not rock or punk clubs. This is a step toward Thriller, for sure, but an important album in its own right.

The first half of the album was really good. The bassist is a beast

Very good, unsurprisingly. But the best songs on album are the ones that have become hits and part of the Jackson mythos

Banger bass

"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is one of my top 2 MJ songs (along with the very similar "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'), and I think it is really one of the greatest pop songs every written, period. I think "Off the Wall" is the first song where the album starts to drag at all. "Off the Wall" is a good song, but it is an odd precursor to "Thriller" with the spooky/strange elements. After that song, I think the album is less impressive and more disco-pop. It's good, but it's really those first 4 songs that were showing how he'd keep evolving.

stand out track - Girlfriend

A tour de force that cemented MJ as the cornerstone of pop music. If you listen to one album this year you can make it this one, not the worst thing to miss out on though since Thriller is actually his magnum opus

Really liked this album! Definitely already knew some of the hits, but even the unpopular songs were fire.

Michael Jackson has always been ubiquitous in my life. I have never gotten into his music because I always heard it anyway. I have a heard time connecting with his music beyond the surface level. This album has a much jazzier, soft-R&B feel to it than the albums after this. It's got a very late-70's feel to it and I think it's an important album. Most of his albums are important in order to document how pop music and his career changed over the years. Saying that, I would not listen to this album again, but I recognize its important.

9/10

Man, the first half of this album SLAPS! Feelin' wild at 7AM today. I think the second half felt kinda slow, especially compared to the first half. But the awesomeness of the first half makes up for it. Disco boogie all night long, am I right?

It's a stunningly produced album of top notch disco, soul and funk. Or at least 60% of it is. I don't care for some of it, sorry Macca.

MJ's also a sometimes food for me. Wrote in a different one of these that a lot of the good 80s music (which definitely includes his output) drew a lot of influence from funk, and this one’s even funkier than his big 80s hits

Funky like Michael is, but a bit more soulful and R&Bish than Thriller. Amazing use of his amazing voice, great use of bass and drums that carry the songs energy.

Wow! Never been a huge fan, but really liked this.

First half 5/5, I could play it on repeat. The other? Meh.

It starts perfectly but it's loosing steam somewhere in the middle and second half is not as good (except "Burn the disco out").

A perfect case for this list. I had no idea he was like all disco for this debut album. The man had endless talent for arrangement and melody. Lots of booty shakers and lovely ballads. And those bass lines…

Great

Nice R&B/disco influenced album before he became the King of Pop. Enjoyed that there weren't really any stinkers on this album and that it had a consistent style to it throughout. Will revisit.

Pretty close to pop/disco perfection in the first half, not as strong in the second, but still a fun listen. A very light and happy album, floating in midair. Best song: Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough

Really enjoyed it. Have to stop with the hiatuses!!

Amazing album. Perfect production, singing, the whole works! Really a top tier pop album! First two tracks are most memorable, but the production is great throughout. Leaning towards a 4/5 for me, personally since I don’t think I need to listen to the whole album. I think Thriller is gonna be a 5, though.

First half is fire, but it kinda falls off in the second half

Maybe I’m just dense but I didn’t realize Michael Jackson did so much disco.

Really good Pop-funk, reminds me a lot of city pop rather than hardcore funk (which is definitely not a bad thing) Best track(s): Don't stop 'till you get enough, It's the falling in love (very city pop) Worst track(s): Can't really think of one, maybe Burn this disco down but there's not necessarily bad song on the album, which also shows lack of diversity, all pretty similar songs. Some excellent bass with funky slapping and some good singing

yeah this is a pretty great album. of course, the first two tracks are the standouts, but i think even the album cuts are pretty good. i think the quality declines a little bit towards the end of the album, but otherwise, just terrific stuff. he does late 70s paul mccartney better than late 70s paul mccartney!

Great album by the king of pop!

7/10

Off the Wall is where Michael Jackson shows his potential as a standalone artist away from his familial group. You see hints of pure genius in Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Rock with You, and Workin' Day and Night while the rest of the album falls flat to the current dated sound of the late 1970s. But off the wall is just Jackson teeing you up for something very special to come… 3.5/5

Oh, the album that really kicked off the solo MJ craze. It's an interesting album from a Michael Jackson perspective, because it's definitely the crossover album between the Michael of yesteryear (think Jackson 5 Michael) and what would become the innovative king of pop who leaned into a lot of different, cutting edge sounds. So, from that perspective, this album is a culturally significant breeding ground. Musically, this album is enjoyable, but it's nothing new. By 1980, the soul, R&B, disco, and funk movements had all been well worked over (partially by the Jackson 5, no less), so while this is well produced and as smooth as butter, it's more of the same. Again, the significance of this album is more around how it finally put a soon-to-be solo phenomenon on the radar. And you do get hints of those famous Michael-isms on this album, but he's still getting his feet wet at this point. But nonetheless, even though this album is not necessarily innovative, Michael was just really GOOD at what he did. This album fuses and plays with all of the above genres and he shows mastery over all of them. It stands as a display of his ability to touch something in the music world, make it his own, and be the best at it. So despite the "nothing new" stance here, this album is great for that reason. Probably a high 3.-something for me, so an easy round up to 4.

Didn’t know this was his first non Jackson 5 album. Really strong start and solid production throughout.

4.25

Light 8

michael jackson and classic disco. amazing combination.

Great album. Where he made the clear leap to stardom. So much more consistent and just simply better than previous MJ/J5 albums. 10 tracks, 3 of which are weak (girlfiend, she's out of my life, falling in love). The others are all bangers though, 70% is a great hit rate. If he'd sang less about heartbreak and more about disco dancing this would have broke the 5* barrier

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough- 5/5 Rock With You- 5/5 Working Day and Night- 4.3/5 Get on the Floor- 3.3/5 Off the Wall- 3.5/5 Girlfriend- 3.8/5 She's Out of My Life- 4.2/5 I Can't Help It- 4.8/5 It's the Falling in Love- 5/5 Burn This Disco Out- 4.4/5 Total: 4.3

It's very well produced (production mainly by the great Quincy Jones) and all the vocals are fantastic, but it also gets a little bit samey. It's great music for the dancefloor but not quite so great for a listening experience. Also I was quite surprised to learn that MJ only wrote 3 out of 10 tracks. 3.5 rounded up to 4

Say what you will about Michael Jackson, this is a great and well produced album.

A great debut album from the king of pop

It’s decent for sure but it’s nowhere near as good as bad or thriller in my opinion, nothing on rest of the album is really on the same quality level as the first two tracks but nothing’s bad or unlistenable so 4/5

It's literally Michael Jackson. There's not a lot about him that hasn't already been pored over letter-by-letter by writers far more qualified than my dork ass. An absolute maestro when it came to pop songwriting and stardom, here in his earliest stages, belting out disco-infused magic. He's still a bit raw, here, and hasn't yet arrived at his full hit-making hurricane-force potential that we'll see on Thriller, but what more can you expect? It's his debut album, and he's already running victory laps with the first two tracks. Firmly deserves a spot on the list. A smooth, finger-gunning 3.5/5

With every useful form of dance music propulsion, Jackson and Jones laminate with just the right amount of plastic. That leaves the entire record alive-sounding: Alive, not live and not as in studio sound, alive like a sweating heart. The second-half material slump makes the followup album all the more impressive.

It’s such a banger, despite the discomfort I have listening to Michael Jackson.

A lot of catchy tunes, all sound a little similar but still makes for a good listen.

Don't Stop Till You Get Enough must be the shortest six minute song ever made. So much packed in there that it never gets boring. After that, you see the same band doing similar things, but never quite hitting that perfect plateau again. Still, 9 good to middling songs and one of the greatest of all time was certainly not a waste of time.

diminished a wee bit over time but still a 4

Damn good