Off the Wall by Michael Jackson

Off the Wall is the fifth solo studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on August 10, 1979 in the United States by Epic Records and internationally by CBS Records. It was Jackson's first album released through Epic Records, the label he recorded under until his death in 2009, and the first produced by Quincy Jones, whom he met while working on the 1978 film The Wiz. Several critics observed that Off the Wall was crafted from disco, pop, funk, R&B, soft rock and Broadway ballads. Its lyrical themes include escapism, liberation, loneliness, hedonism and romance. Between 1972 and 1975, Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown Records as part of The Jackson 5 franchise; Got to Be There (1972), Ben (1972), Music & Me (1973) and Forever, Michael (1975). In 1978, Jackson starred as Scarecrow in the film musical The Wiz. The musical scores were arranged by Jones, who formed a partnership with Jackson during the film's production and agreed to produce Off the Wall. Before recording the project, Jackson desired to create a record not sounding like a Jacksons record but rather showcasing creative freedom and individualism. Regarding his new image for the Off the Wall era, Jackson's manager stated, "The tuxedo was the overall plan for the Off the Wall project and package. The tuxedo was our idea, the socks were Michael'". Off the Wall peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Billboard R&B Chart, staying at number one on the latter for 16 weeks. The album was an enormous commercial success, being the third-best-selling album of 1980. Five singles were released from the album, three with music videos. Jackson wrote three songs himself, including the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", which was Jackson's first solo number-one single since "Ben", seven years prior. It was a worldwide hit, reaching number one in nine other countries. The second single from the album, "Rock with You" also peaked atop the chart. With the title track and "She's Out of My Life" reaching the top 10 of the chart, Jackson became the first solo artist to have four singles from the same album peak inside the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Off the Wall was a departure from Jackson's previous work for Motown Records, and was hailed as a major breakthrough for him, while receiving critical recognition, along with praises, from major music publications. The album epitomized the peak of the disco era, being part of a group of landmark disco albums. Off the Wall has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. It is certified 8x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was nominated for two Grammy Awards, with Jackson winning Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" which was his first Grammy Award. Widely considered by critics and publications as one of the greatest albums of all time, Off the Wall is often debated between itself and Thriller as Jackson's best album. In 2008, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.