List of unreleased songs recorded by Michael Jackson

List of unreleased songs recorded by Michael Jackson

Jackson performing in 1988

Michael Jackson (1958–2009) was an American musician and entertainer. He's known to have written, recorded, and filmed material that has never been released. Many of his unreleased songs have been registered—usually by his company Mijac Music—with professional bodies such as the United States Copyright Office, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) and EMI Music Publishing. This list only documents the songs explicitly cited as unreleased and therefore doesn't contain every unreleased song registered with such bodies.

Many officially unreleased songs had been scheduled, at one point, for release, through ways such as his six solo studio albums with music label Epic Records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), HIStory (1995) and Invincible (2001) and the remix album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix (1997). For varying reasons, the tracks were rejected and, as of 2026, remain unreleased. Jackson's unreleased material includes songs recorded as a solo artist (including covers of songs released by other artists and the Jackson 5 songs) and demo versions, some featuring established artists such as Freddie Mercury and Barry Gibb. Between 1974 and 2009, Jackson recorded "at least 1,000–2,000 songs" according to close partners Bill Bottrell and Bruce Swedien. Bottrell claimed "only a small percentage of Michael's full catalog has been released", and that "he recorded a lot of music in his 3-decade career".

In 2009, after Jackson's sudden death, La Toya Jackson said that she had discovered two hard disks at her brother's home that contained more than 100 unreleased songs, many of which were unregistered. Several of Jackson's songs have been leaked onto the Internet, such as a 24-second segment of "A Place with No Name" leaked by TMZ.com following Jackson's death. At the time of the leak, it was claimed that there were "thousands" of unreleased songs by Jackson, and that they could be issued for years to come. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame curator, Jim Henke, noted that any future releases would garner significant attention. On March 16, 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed a $250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017 and release ten posthumous albums over the next decade, but this did not come to fruition as only three posthumous albums were released.

Key

List of unreleased songs recorded by Michael Jackson

†	Denotes songs registered with Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) and/or American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
‡	Denotes songs registered with EMI Music Publishing
	Denotes songs cited by Jackson in his 1993 deposition
(Year)	Denotes songs registered with the United States Copyright Office and the year of registration
(Year)	Denotes songs cited by Jackson in his 1993 deposition and the year they were registered with the United States Copyright Office

Songs

List of unreleased songs recorded by Michael Jackson

<table><thead><tr><th>Title</th><th>Writer(s)</th><th>Notes</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>"11pm"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"A Baby Smiles"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"A Pretty Face Is"</td><td>Stevie Wonder</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Adore You"(2009)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"All My Children"†</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"All The Truth You Need"†</td><td>Bryan Loren</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Alright Now"</td><td>Michael Jackson John Barnes</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Apocalypse Now"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Ask Rene"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Bad Girl"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Bang Your Head"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Theron Feemster Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Be Me 4 a Day"†</td><td>Michael Jackson Calix Days Grey</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Beatbox 2010"(2009)</td><td>Michael Jackson Eric J. Kirkland Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Bio"</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>“Blue Powder”</td><td>Brad Buxer</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Bombay Nights"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Boots Song"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"From The Bottom of My Heart"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Boy No"(2009 & 2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Breathe"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Broken Chair"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Theron Feemster Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Bubbles"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Buffalo Bill"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"California Grass"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Change"</td><td>Steve Porcaro</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Changes"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Chicago 1945"</td><td>Michael Jackson (lyrics) Steve Porcaro (music)</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Children's Holiday"†</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Circles"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Crack Kills"</td><td>Michael Jackson Darryl McDaniels Joseph Simmons</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Craze"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Cry"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Dancing for Love"</td><td>Michael Jackson RedOne</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"H2O"</td><td>Michael Jackson Theron Feemster Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Days in Gloucestershire"</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Deep in the Night"</td><td>Michael Jackson Bryan Loren Bill Bottrell Skylark</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Diana Ross"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Doing Dirty"(1982)</td><td>Michael Jackson Marlon Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Don't Believe It"</td><td>Michael Jackson Bryan Loren</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Don't Make Me Stay"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer Theron Feemster Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Dream Away"</td><td>Michael Jackson Steve Porcaro</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Dreaming"</td><td>Michael Jackson will.i.am</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Dreams"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"D.I.E."(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Michael Prince Theron Feemster III</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Earth Love"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Eaten Alive"</td><td>Michael Jackson Maurice Gibb Barry Gibb</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Ekan Satyam (The One Truth)"</td><td>A. R. Rahman A. R. Parthasarathy Kanika Myer Bharat</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Elizabeth, I Love You"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Faces"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Family Thing"</td><td>Michael Jackson Bryan Loren</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Fanfare Transition"(1992)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Fantasy"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Far, Far Away"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Garbage"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Get Around"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Get Your Weight Off Me"</td><td>Michael Jackson Rodney Jerkins LaShawn Daniels Fred Jerkins III Bruce Swedien</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Ghost of Another Lover"</td><td>Michael Jackson Thom Russo Skylark</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Goin' to Rio"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Got to Find a Way Somehow"(1984)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Groove of Midnight"</td><td>Rod Temperton</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Happy Birthday, Lisa"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Haven't Got a Lot"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"He Who Makes the Sky Gray"</td><td>Sheik Abdullah of Bahrain</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Heaven with a Smile"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Holiday Inn"(1984)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Homeless Bound"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Hot Fever"(1985)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Hot Street"</td><td>Rod Temperton</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"How You Like Your Love"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"I Am a Loser"(2009)/"I Was the Loser"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"I Can't Get You Off My Mind"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"I Forgive You"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"I Have This Dream"</td><td>Michael Jackson David Foster Carole Bayer Sager</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"I Will Miss You"</td><td>Michael Jackson will.i.am</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"If You Don't Love Me"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"In the Life of Chico"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"In the Valley"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Innocent Man"(2009 & 2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Iowa"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Janet and MJ Duet"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Kentucky"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Lady of Summer"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Theron Feemster Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Learned My Lesson"(1985)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Light the Way"</td><td>Michael Jackson Sheik Abdullah of Bahrain</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Like You"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Little Girls"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Llama Lola"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Lonely Bird"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Lonely Man"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Lost in Love"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Lucy Is in Love with Linus"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Make a Wish"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Make or Break"</td><td>Michael Jackson John Barnes</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Man In Black"†</td><td>Michael Jackson Bryan Loren</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Michael McKellar"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Michael's Affirmation</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"MJ Melody"(1984)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Monster"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer Michael Prince</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Neverland Landing"</td><td>Michael Jackson Buz Kohan</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"New Jelly"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Nite Line"</td><td>Glen Ballard</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Nymphette Lover"(1984)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Ode to Sorrow"(1984)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Oh Love"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Pajamas"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"People of the World"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"People Have to Make Some Kind of Joke"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"I'm Peter Pan"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Photographs"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Pray for Peace"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Pressure"</td><td>Michael Jackson Bryan Loren</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Pressure"†</td><td>Rodney Jerkins Fred Jerkins III Harvey Mason LaShawn Daniels</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Rampage"</td><td>Michael Jackson Rodney Jerkins</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Red Eye"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Theron Feemster</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Remember What I Told You"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Rescue Me"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Revenge"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Rise Above It All"</td><td>Dr. Freeze</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Rock Tonight"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Rocker"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Rolling the Dice"</td><td>Rod Temperton</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Saturday Woman"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Saved by the Bell"</td><td>Michael Jackson Jermaine Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Seduction"</td><td>Michael Jackson Shelby Lee Myrick III</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Seeing Voices"</td><td>Michael Jackson Ray Charles Sidney Fine</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Serious Effect"†</td><td>Michael Jackson Bryan Loren</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Set It On Out"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Seven Digits"†</td><td>Michael Jackson Bryan Loren</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"She Don't Love Me"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"She Got It"†</td><td>Michael Jackson Bryan Loren</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"She's Not a Girl"</td><td>Michael Jackson Jermaine Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Shut Up and Dance"†</td><td>Michael Jackson Michael Prince Eric Kirkland</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Silent Spring"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Theron Feemster III</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Sister Sue"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Slapstick"</td><td>Rod Temperton</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Somewhere in Time"(1984)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Son of Thriller"</td><td>Michael Jackson Bryan Loren</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Spice of Life"</td><td>Rod Temperton Derek Bramble</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Stand Tall"(1985)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Starlight"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Stay"†</td><td>Michael Jackson Bryan Loren</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Still the King"</td><td>Michael Jackson will.i.am</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Stop the War"</td><td>Michael Jackson Rodney Jerkins LaShawn Daniels Carole Bayer Sager||</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Susie"(1984)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Thank Heaven"(1998)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Thank You for Life"(1984)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"That"(1998)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"The Children's Hour"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"The Choice"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"The Sky Is the Limit"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"The World Is No Church"†</td><td>Andrea Martin Walter Afanasieff</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Thinking About You"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Throwin' Your Life Away"(1988)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Tomboy"(1985)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Tragedy of a Cheer-leader"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Turnin' Me Off"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"U Know"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Under Your Skin"(1984)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Unknown"†</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Verdict"†</td><td>Michael Jackson Bryan Loren</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Victory"</td><td>Michael Jackson Freddie Mercury</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Water"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Michael Prince Theron Feemster III</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"We Are the Ones"(1984)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"We Be Ballin'"</td><td>Ice Cube DMX Clark Kent</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"What Do You Want from Me"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"What You Do to Me"(1985)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"What's It Gonna Be"†</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"What's Your Life"</td><td>Michael Jackson Jermaine Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Who Is the Girl with Her Hair Down"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Why Can't I Be"(1984)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Why Shy"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Willing and Waiting"</td><td>Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Work That Body"</td><td>Michael Jackson Bryan Loren Berry Gordy Freddie Perren Alphonzo Mizell Deke Richards</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"World of Candy"(2009 & 2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"You Ain't Gonna Change Nothin'"(1984)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"You Are a Liar"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"You Are There"(2010)</td><td>Michael Jackson Brad Buxer Michael Durham Prince</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"You Don't Love Me"</td><td>Michael Jackson Rodney Jerkins LaShawn Daniels</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"You Told Me Your Lovin'"(1984)</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"You Were There"</td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>