Nifty, nifty, look who's 50

Michael Jackson turns 50 tomorrow. I was tempted to make an extensive post detailing my favorite Michael Jackson moments, but I don't have the time - there's an Obama speech to watch.

But I will present my five favorite Michael Jackson songs, post-Thriller.

THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US
from HIStory, 1995
I'm a little turned off by Michael comparing himself to Martin Luther King and FDR in this song, but I love the beat, and the video is a winner - it's a colorful celebration, filmed in Brazil and directed by Spike Lee.



DIRTY DIANA
from Bad, 1987
"Dirty Diana" should be way more popular than it is. It's a hard rock song, and the screeching guitars and laser beams going off at the end take it to an incredible climax. Lyrically, it's essentially Billie Jean II, a cautionary tale about groupies, but the last verse is one of my favorite verses ever - "He's not coming back, because he's sleeping with me!" Michael probably never looked more badass than he does in this video.



BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR
from Blood on the Dance Floor, 1997
This one flew completely under the radar. Taken from a 1997 remix album, "Blood on the Dance Floor" is often regarded as the last good song Michael recorded. It's certainly a good video - he looks fashionable and actually comes off as cool.



IN THE CLOSET
from Dangerous, 1991
Much of Dangerous is underrated, but "In the Closet" is a personal favorite because of its hot music video starring Naomi Campbell.



WILL YOU BE THERE
from Dangerous, 1991
This is an example of how good Michael can be when he keeps it simple. Well, actually, it's not simple - the album version of this song contains an extended operatic choir intro and unnecessary spoken word verse at the end. But the radio edit, focusing mainly on the piano and his voice, is beautiful.