There’s a song almost everyone over 50 can still sing from memory. It starts soft and slow, and then a young voice comes in that stops you cold.
That voice belonged to a 12-year-old Michael Jackson.
The song was “I’ll Be There.” It came out on Aug 28, 1970, one day before Michael turned 12. He and his brother Jermaine traded the lead lines back and forth, and the whole thing felt bigger than any kid that age should be able to pull off.
Then came the part that made history.
On Oct 17, 1970, 56 years ago today, “I’ll Be There” climbed all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart. It pushed aside Neil Diamond’s “Cracklin’ Rosie” and settled in at the top for five straight weeks, right through Nov 14.
That was no small thing. The song became Motown’s most successful single in the United States, a record the label held onto for more than ten years. Nothing topped it until “Endless Love” came along in 1981.
You can hear the original below, with the words right there on the screen.
The Jackson 5 original, with Michael and Jermaine trading the lead
But the story doesn’t end in 1970.
Jump ahead 22 years. A young singer was taping a show for MTV and decided to cover “I’ll Be There.” She wasn’t trying to copy little Michael. She just loved the song. And when her version came out, it did the one thing almost no cover ever does.
It went all the way back to No. 1.
She even brought a friend on stage to sing Jermaine’s old lines, note for note. The room went quiet, then it roared.
So who was she? Watch her live take below and you’ll know her the second she opens her mouth. You’ll also see exactly who stepped in for Jermaine.
The 1992 live cover that sent the song back to No. 1
It’s one of those rare moments where a brand-new star and a childhood classic meet right in the middle. One voice from 1970 and one from 1992, tied together by the same tender song.
Play both clips back to back. The years melt away, and it’s easy to understand why “I’ll Be There” has never really left us.