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Michael Jackson · S6 E2
Man in the Mirror
The song that revealed what he actually believed about the world
March 2, 1988, Radio City Music Hall, New York. Michael Jackson steps to the microphone at the Grammy Awards, starts singing a song he didn't write, and delivers the most emotionally devastating live performance of his career.
Man in the Mirror, Michael Jackson, live at the 30th Grammy Awards (1988). One of the most celebrated live performances in television history. Michael starts quiet, almost tentative, then builds to a full gospel crescendo that brings the entire audience to its feet.
Man in the Mirror, Michael Jackson (1988)
"Man in the Mirror" was not written by Michael Jackson. Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard wrote the song and brought it to Quincy Jones, who convinced Michael to record it. The production builds from a single vocal and piano to a full gospel choir featuring the Andraé Crouch Singers, mirroring the lyric's journey from personal doubt to collective action. It became the fourth consecutive number-one single from the Bad album.
Sources
Bad album credits, Epic Records, 1987
Billboard Hot 100 chart history, 1988
Not His Song, But His Message
Michael didn't write "Man in the Mirror," but he sang it like he'd been waiting his entire life for someone to hand him these words. The song became his signature statement of purpose: look at yourself first, then change the world. He performed it at nearly every concert for the rest of his career.
Sources
Michael Jackson: The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story, J. Randy Taraborrelli, 2009
TAP TO REVEAL: How was 'Man in the Mirror' written?
Radio City Music Hall, New York City
The venue where Michael performed "Man in the Mirror" at the 30th Grammy Awards in March 1988, delivering what many consider the greatest live performance of his career.
Man in the Mirror: The Facts
The Legacy
"Man in the Mirror" is the rare pop song that ages in reverse: it means more now than when it was released. The lyrics are simple, almost childlike in their directness, but the conviction in Michael's vocal transforms them into something that hits harder every time. It became the song people reach for when they need to believe that individual action still matters.
Sources
Untouchable: The Strange Life and Tragic Death of Michael Jackson, Randall Sullivan, 2012
Gone Too Soon, Michael Jackson (1993)
Written by Larry Grossman and Buz Kohan, "Gone Too Soon" was Michael's tribute to Ryan White, a teenager from Indiana who contracted HIV through a contaminated blood treatment and became a national symbol of the AIDS crisis. Michael befriended Ryan, visited him regularly, and was deeply affected by his death in April 1990. The song is devastatingly simple: a piano, a vocal, and almost nothing else. It is the "Man in the Mirror" philosophy made personal: seeing suffering, and refusing to look away.
Gone Too Soon, Michael Jackson (1993)
The lyrics use nature metaphors to describe a life cut short: a shining star, a sunset, a candle flame. Michael's vocal is so restrained it almost sounds like he is trying not to cry. He performed the song at Bill Clinton's inaugural gala in January 1993, introducing Ryan White's story to a national audience.
Who wrote 'Man in the Mirror'?
"Man in the Mirror" asks Michael to change himself, but the tabloids keep getting louder and closer. His response is a music video that tells them, in no uncertain terms, to leave him alone.
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