Maps of Music

Off the Wall (1979)

Where the lyrics of Off the Wall take you, and where it was really made.

Branded as Jackson's reintroduction in 1979, this album went on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide.

Key places

Rhythm tracks and vocals recorded here (1979)

Recording site Allen Zentz Recording — Rhythm tracks and vocals for the album were recorded at Allen Zentz Recording in Hollywood, Los Angeles County. The point uses the studio's building-level coordinates. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Strings recorded here (1979)

Recording site Cherokee Studios — String instrumentation for the album was recorded at Cherokee Studios in West Hollywood. The point uses the studio's building-level coordinates. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Horn section recorded at Westlake (1979)

Recording site Westlake Recording Studios — Horn section contributions for the album were recorded at Westlake Audio. The point uses the city-area location of the Westlake Recording Studios candidate. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Off the Wall is the fifth studio album by Michael Jackson
• Released 10 August 1979 by Epic Records, his first album on that label
• The first album produced by Quincy Jones
• Crafted from disco, pop, funk, R&B, soft rock and Broadway ballads
• Lyrical themes include escapism, liberty, hedonism and romance
• Songwriting by Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Rod Temperton, Tom Bahler and David Foster, plus three tracks by Jackson himself

Background

• Jackson wanted creative freedom and individualism, which he had not been allowed on earlier albums
• The album was widely branded as a reintroduction for him
• Between 1972 and 1975 he released four solo studio albums with Motown
• In 1978 he starred as the Scarecrow in the film musical The Wiz
• Quincy Jones arranged the scores for The Wiz and agreed to produce this album
• The album came out shortly after Disco Demolition Night, which increased backlash against disco

Recording

• Sessions took place at recording studios in Los Angeles County between 4 December 1978 and 3 June 1979
• Most of the album was recorded in December 1978
• 'Get on the Floor' was recorded in April 1979
• Rhythm tracks and vocals were recorded at Allen Zentz Recording
• Horn section parts were recorded at Westlake Audio
• String instrumentation was recorded at Cherokee Studios in West Hollywood
• Bruce Swedien handled the mixing at Westlake Audio
• Original tapes went to A&M Recording Studio for mastering
• Randy Jackson contributed percussion to 'Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough'

Cover

• The cover shows Jackson smiling in a tuxedo and his trademark socks
• Manager John Branca said the tuxedo was the overall plan for the project and package

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Born August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana; eighth of ten children in the Jackson family.
• Debuted at age six as lead singer of the Jackson 5; the group signed with Motown in 1968 and had early number-one hits such as "I Want You Back".
• Moved to Epic Records in 1975 as the Jacksons, and began a solo career with Off the Wall (1979).
• Thriller (1982) became the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 70 million copies sold.
• Bad (1987) was the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles.
• Known as the "King of Pop"; credited with transforming music videos and popularizing the moonwalk.
• Died June 25, 2009 from a propofol overdose; a posthumous catalog continued to sell strongly.

Philanthropy

• Founded the Heal the World Foundation in 1992.
• Estimated to have donated over $500 million to charities over his life.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Rolling Stone contributor Stephen Holden praised Jackson's maturity and his shift away from early Motown material
• Holden compared Jackson with Stevie Wonder, another Motown performer who gained critical acclaim for a similar transition
• Dennis Hunt of the Los Angeles Times called it one of the year's best R&B albums and praised Jones' production
• Phil McNeill of Melody Maker said Jackson sounded comfortable, confident and in control
• Robert Christgau of The Village Voice credited Jackson and Jones with making the dance groove of the year

Reappraisal

• AllMusic gave it five stars, praising its blend of disco-tinged funk and mainstream pop
• Blender gave it five stars and called it color-blind pop that went beyond R&B
• Entertainment Weekly reevaluated it in August 2018 with a grade of A−
• BBC critic David O'Donnell described it as one of the finest pop albums ever made

Records

• Peaked at number three on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart
• Number one on the Billboard R&B Albums chart for 16 weeks
• Remained in the top 10 of the Top LPs & Tape chart for nearly nine months
• Sold three million copies in the United States before the end of 1979
• Rolling Stone and The National Leader named it the best-selling album of 1980 in the US
• Two singles reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100
• Four US top 10 hits, the first from a solo artist's album
• Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 1980
• Favorite Soul/R&B Album at the American Music Awards in 1980 and 1981
• Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008
• Certified diamond by the RIAA in 2025 for 10 million US copies
• Sales over 20 million copies worldwide

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Jackson stayed up all night learning the lyrics for the three Temperton songs instead of singing from a sheet, and finished those vocals in two sessions.
• 'She's Out of My Life' had been written for Quincy Jones by Tom Bahler three years before the album.
• Jackson wrote 'Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough' after humming a melody in his kitchen.
• His father Joseph approved the project on the condition that it did not interfere with group business.
• Bruce Swedien mixed this album and later mixed the recording sessions for Thriller.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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