Michael Jackson will never be the icon that he is without the songs. Beyond all the scandals, the controversies and the scars throughout the years, there is the music. In fact, all those negative stuff will be forgotten in a few decades but the songs will remain.

Really, it's all about the songs.

So our 3D animation studio here in Mediafreaks has decided to list its top five favorite MJ songs. Out of all those singles, there are a few singles which will really stand out among the rest.

1. Thriller

We jump to the most successful single out of the most successful album in the history of pop music. Yes, that's Thriller for you. What's not to love with a youthful Michael Jackson strutting it out with zombies?

Thriller is a supernatural at its core, best exemplified in the music video of the song which eventually made Michael Jackson into a household name. Thriller was released on January 23, 1984 for the Epic label.

But what made Michael epic in this video is this costume:

Beyond the yellow eyes, the creepy bass voiceover, the werecat transformation and the zombie production, this red jacket was more memorable to people. For any Michael Jackson impersonator, this jacket is a must-have.

2. Billie Jean

The single Thriller off the album of the same name was the third song to be released. The iconic song with the catchy bass line which propelled MJ into national consciousness was Billie Jean.

Remember this bass line:

MJ related that he thought of this bass line while inside his car. This just goes to show how catchy the bass line is. This is why lost in the shuffle of the song is the lyrics created by Michael Jackson.

Billie Jean, as MJ narrates, is a girl who claims that she has a son by her. No, there is no real Billie Jean but rather this character is a collection of female stalker experiences he went through together with his brothers, as early as the Jackson 5 days.

Billie Jean was released as the second single off the Thriller album on January 2, 1983 and at first, the producer Quincy Jones didn't want to include it because he thought it was weak especially the intro part. But MJ said this was the part which made him want to dance.

And the rest was history.

3. Black or White

Black or White was the first single off the album Dangerous in the 1990s. Talking about racial harmony, the song was released in November 1991 and elements of hard rock, dance and rap are apparent here - especially because Slash of the band Guns N' Roses provided the nacho in this track.

The music video of this song was quite famous for the inclusion of McCaulay Culkin who at that time was a very popular child star thanks to the Home Alone movie series. For us here in our 3D animation studio Mediafreaks, Black or White is revolutionary for introducing morphing animation in the end part of the song.

This was also a video which featured MJ's crotch grabbing so it's all fun to see. Also, the song is quite ironic in the face of MJ's transformation throughout the years from a black African-American into a white person.

4. Smooth Criminal

Of course, there are many music videos of Michael Jackson out there that it is difficult to choose. But we will select Smooth Criminal (from the album Bad, released in 1988) for its distinctive dance steps. Remember the anti-gravity lean where Michael seems to defy the laws of physics by leaning forward without losing balance.

This dance step was so creative that the anti-gravity lean had been applied for a patent!

This part of the list is a tribute as well to other dance music videos of MJ such as Don't Stop til You Get Enough and Rock With You. But through it all, Smooth Criminal still has the most recall.

5. Heal the World

We reserve this song for our last spot because MJ has been active throughout his life to promote social awareness to people everywhere. These songs such as We Are the World and the Earth Song have been active in spreading advocacies to people. But Heal the World, a cut from the 1991 Dangerous Album, is special because its melody is really the most soothing in my own preference.

Just to show how selfless this song is, this is one of the few songs which did not feature MJ in the music video. It was really touching to hear this song played in his funeral.