When Michael died, for months I would see the same phrase over and over- "music died on June 25th". And for a while, that rang very true to me. There were months and months I cried and waited for a morning when I would wake up and the nightmare of losing Michael would be over. I couldn't watch him on video, just seeing him in motion, seeing his smile, his laughter, his divine dance moves... All of that was much too painful. And forget about listening to the slow songs and ballads...

That was torture.

For so many of us MJ fans, Michael Jackson was somewhat of a comforting consistent figure in our lives. He was the definition of complete and true escapism. The first few months without him was a confusing and emotionally jarring period of time.

I had to wipe my iPod completely clean.

For those first few months, I could only manage to listen to one song without feeling sad.

That song was "Good Times" by the Jacksons.

Due to heavy rotation on quiet storm radio programs, it was one of the most popular album cuts from "The Jacksons" record. The song is more about the death of a relationship (as opposed to the death of a person) but, for some reason it comforted me. It was the only song that reminded me of happier moments.

It's funny things don't alwaysGo the way you want them toAlthough we're not togetherI treasure my experience with you

And it still does.

Whenever you get down and missing Michael, try listening to "Good Times". It helps me realize that being a fan for as many years as I have, is an experience to be treasured.

Here's a clip from my favorite performance of this song:

What do you all listen to when you are missing Michael?

As a longtime Michael Jackson fan, and particularly one who experienced the surge in fandom from 2000-2010 (isn't it weird to see years written like that?) I know how often certain albums get overlooked.

Off the Wall is one of them.

One of the reasons why I think Off the Wall (OTW) is so often ignored and under appreciated by fans, critics, and the like is because its pretty much all R&B. And who wants to talk about the King of Pop and R&B? I do!

(photo: http://www.onehellofaneye.com/)

Here are a list of my TOP 5 reasons for why I can never get enough of OTW:

5: The range of emotion:
For me, listening to Off the Wall is seriously like going through all 4 seasons in the year, from the start to the finish of the album. I can listen to this album when I'm feeling sad, happy, lonely, or even angry. Michael's voice is so raw and so soothing on this album and in every case, I feel that you can totally feel him emoting through every song.

4. The dance factor:
So many jam worthy songs on this album. One of the things I was always sad about was never really getting to see Michael perform OTW songs in his later years. Sure there were the OTW Medleys on the History tour but, you all know what I mean. From Don't Stop Til You Get Enough to Workin' Day and Night, to Get on the Floor, to even Rock with You, you can put your dancing shoes and "grooooove allllll night" to this album.

3. The Love:
This might be the only album where Michael covers the beginnings of love "It's The Falling In Love", the all-i-want-to-do-is-eat-sleep-and-breathe-you love in "I Can't Help It", cheating lovers "Girlfriend", and even the dissolution of a deep loving relationship with "She's Out of My Life". That just about covers everything.

Michael and Quincy in the studio, working on Off The Wall.

2. The Creativity:
Michael really put his heart and soul into this album and it shines through. I love hearing songs that MJ put his heart and soul into. If you have the Off the Wall Special Edition CD that was released in 2001, you know that a few demos and interviews with Quincy Jones make up some bonus tracks at the end of the CD. They are totally worth listening to and will make you appreciate the album even more than you already do. (I think you can get the tracks individually on mp3 via amazon.com.)

1. The Voice:
OTW era voice is so incredibly distinctive. Its not quite Jacksons, not at all Jackson 5, and not yet a full grown, mature voice. This album pretty much introduced the world to that unforgettable and oh-so-sweet falsetto. And who can forget, that intro to DSTYGE... kinda hilarious, kinda sensual, kinda cheesy all at once...Its classic though, and I love and appreciate it!

Do you love the Off The Wall album as much as I do? What's your favorite song?

Aren't familiar with the Off the Wall album ? Check it out for less than $10 on amazon !

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