Why Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall Rewrote the Rule Book

I have written more words about Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall than I have about any other album I’ve ever owned. Each time I put (virtual) pen to paper, though, I become intimidated. How do I properly discuss an album that’s so essential to who I am as a music fan (I have the iconic back cover image of Michael’s glowing socks tattooed on me) while still being concise and not repeating myself? 

I’ll be honest with you–I don’t know the answer to that question. So if you’ve read any of my previous writing about this artist or this album, I apologize in advance. I’m not certain I have anything new to say. 

If you have listened to any popular music at all in the last half-century, there’s a good chance that Off the Wall directly or indirectly influenced it. The album fused pop, soul and dance music like few albums before it. It rewrote the rule book for artists who wanted to nail the transition from child star to adult sensation. Of course, it also served as the warm-up for the biggest selling album of all time.

Off The Wall found artist (MJ) and producer (Quincy Jones) connecting at precisely the right time in their careers. Quincy was already an industry veteran and cultural groundbreaker. When he and Michael crossed paths on the set of the film The Wiz, Q was a steady presence in the R&B and jazz worlds. His proteges The Brothers Johnson were chart regulars, and Q’s own albums found a who’s who of current and future legends converging (Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, Minnie Riperton to name a few). Meanwhile, Michael was on the cusp of adulthood (he turned 21 less than two weeks after Off the Wall’s release) and looking for an identity outside of his family. The ensuing mentor/mentee relationship paid incredible dividends for them and for us as music fans.

Wanna dance? You got it. Off the Wall starts off with five consecutive uptempo tunes, led by the disco-tastic, falsetto-laden classic “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough.” The moods then vary from dreamy (“Rock With You”) to insistent (“Working Day & Night”), but it’s almost impossible to keep your feet from moving during the first half of this album. And despite being released just as the “disco era” was coming to a close commercially, these tunes all possess a level of genius that elevates them past the point of being relics of the time they were released. 

Lest you think Michael is a one-trick pony, the rest of Off the Wall slows the tempo and offers more musical variety. Paul McCartney’s “Girlfriend” is lightweight and pleasant pop (like so much of the ex-Beatle’s catalog is), while Stevie Wonder and ex-Supreme Susaye Green offer the moody, jazzy “I Can’t Help It." There’s also the dramatic, lovelorn “She’s Out of My Life”, which would stand as one of MJ’s most dramatic vocal performances even without the crocodile tears at the song’s conclusion.

After all these years, the overwhelming emotion I come away with after listening to Off the Wall is joy. Michael sounds like the life of the party here, loose and fun, vigorous and youthful. It’s the perfect coming of age record, the perfect late night party album, and as good a pop album as has ever existed.