Forty-seven years ago tomorrow, a young Michael Jackson sat on top of the pop world again.
On October 13, 1979, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was his first solo chart-topper in seven long years, and this one was special for a reason the earlier hits weren’t. He had written it himself.
That gave the song a real glow of pride. But it also led to a sweet little moment at home, because when his mother Katherine heard the title, she wasn’t sure about it at all.
Any parent can picture the scene. Mom hears the name of her son’s new song and raises an eyebrow, wondering just what people might read into those words.
Here’s the song that started it all, in its joyful original video.
The official video for “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”
Michael had an answer ready for his mother, and it was the perfect blend of charm and cleverness. He gently told her the title could mean whatever a person wanted it to mean. Just keep going, keep working, keep dancing, keep loving life. Put that way, it’s about as wholesome as a song can get, and it smoothed everything right over. His exact words to her are worth reading in full.
There’s another fun secret tucked inside this record. Michael could hear the whole thing in his head, but he couldn’t quite play the keyboard part well enough to lay it down himself. So he turned to family. His younger brother Randy sat at the piano and played the melody for him.
A Jackson wrote it, and a Jackson helped bring it to life. That’s how things worked in that remarkable household.
The song went on to win Michael his very first solo Grammy, a sign of all the gold records still to come. Not bad for a tune his own mother once side-eyed over its name.
So on this little anniversary, put the video on and let that bassline do its thing. And if you’ve got a mom in your life who ever questioned your taste in music, you’ll smile at the story behind it.