'Never Can Say Goodbye'

At 12, Michael’s voice is noticeably deeper than on earlier Jackson 5 songs — and deeper than on a lot of his later solo stuff too. In the verse, he ramps up the emotion gradually, easing his way up the scale until he bursts into the chorus, hitting all the high notes with astounding clarity.
'Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough'

This was the first song Jackson had full creative control over as a singer and songwriter, and it proved he was more than just a sweet kid. (His mother, a Jehovah’s Witness, was reportedly shocked at the sexual entendre in the title.) “Don’t Stop” came out squarely at the end of the disco era, and yet it’s so filled with energy and instruments — trumpet, flugelhorn, electric piano — that it doesn’t sound the least bit dated. No self-respecting wedding DJ goes anywhere without it.

























