Living

Which Songs on Thriller Did Michael Jackson Write?

By Judah Carroll Men's Journal

Michael Jackson is arguably not just the greatest musical artist to ever live, but entertainer of any kind. Over his 40-year career, the King of Pop produced albums like Bad, Off the Wall, Dangerous and 16 albums as a part of the Jackson 5 (later the Jacksons).

Even with one of the most impressive bodies of work in the history of the music business, little would argue that his 1982 album, Thriller, is not his greatest work.

Michael Jackson's Thriller was released on Nov. 30, 1982, which featured seven top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. By the end of 1983, the album became the highest-selling ever and now has sold an estimated 70-100 million copies.

Thriller earned Jackson 12 nominations and eight wins at the 1984 Grammy Awards.

On what is widely considered among the most iconic and influential albums ever made, what songs did Michael Jackson actually write?

Who Wrote Each Song on Thriller

Of the nine tracks on the landmark record, Jackson is credited with writing four.

The 24-year-old wrote massive hits "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" as well as "The Girl Is Mine," a duet with Paul McCartney, and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."

The album's title song, "Thriller," along with "Baby Be Mine" and "The Lady in My Life," were written by hit songwriter Rod Temperton. "Off the Wall" and "Rock With You" from Jackson's breakout solo album in 1979 were also written by Temperton.

"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" was written by R&B singer, writer and producer James Ingram and Jackson's co-producer on the album, Quincy Jones.

"Human Nature" was written by founding member of the band Toto, Steve Porcaro, with John Bettis.

You can hear Porcaro's recorded demo of "Human Nature" in the video below.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Michael Jackson did not write every song on his 1982 masterpiece album, but he did write four of arguably Thriller's best songs, including undoubtedly the two biggest hits in "Billie Jean" and "Beat It."

The record was the perfect storm of Jackson at his creative peak, with several outside contributors also providing beloved songs that are still played around the world everywhere, all the time.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 8:00 PM.

Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER