Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough (1979)

General Info
“Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough”, released in July 1979, is the debut single from Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall album. Written by Jackson, the track was the first solo recording over which he had creative control, and his debut single released under Epic Records.

Jackson’s first single to top the U.S. charts in seven years, the song was certified gold within a few months of release. The musical piece also won Jackson his first solo Grammy and American Music Awards. Garnering critical acclaim for its composition, the track is considered the first song to showcase Jackson’s talents, both as a singer and songwriter.

Background and Production
In 1978, Jackson starred as the Scarecrow in The Wiz, an urbanized retelling of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. After the filming, the singer approached the film’s musical director, Quincy Jones, to ask if he knew of any producers to help with Jackson’s future solo endeavors. Jones suggested himself, and the two began work on Off the Wall. After listening to hundreds of songs, the two decided upon the ones to record. These included “Workin’ Day and Night”, “Get on the Floor” and “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough”.

Jackson claimed that when the melody of “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” came to him, he couldn’t shake it off. He found himself humming and singing it whilst walking through the Jacksons’ Encino home. As Michael could not play, he had his brother Randy perform the melody on a piano in the family’s recording studio. When Jackson’s mother, a devout Jehovah’s Witness, heard the song, she was shocked by the lyrical content. Katherine pointed out that the title could be misconstrued as pertaining to sexual activity. Jackson reassured her that the song was not a reference to sex, but could mean whatever people wanted it to. Upon playing the recording to Quincy Jones, it was agreed that the song would be featured on Off the Wall.

Release and Reception
“Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” was released on July 28, 1979, under Epic Records; Jackson’s first solo album away from Motown Records. Within three months of its release, the song was at the top of the charts and had been certified gold. Reaching number-one on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts in the U.S.; it was Jackson’s first solo number-one single since “Ben”, seven years prior. Reaching the top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, Norway and South Africa, the song peaked at number 3 in the United Kingdom. The track won Jackson his first American Music Award, the song picking up the award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single. He also won his first solo Grammy Award, taking home the award for Best Male Vocal Performance in the genre of R&B. Following the single being certified gold ten years previously, the song was awarded platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1989. In 2006, “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” reached number 17 in the United Kingdom, following the Visionary campaign, whereby 20 of Jackson’s hit singles were reissued in several European countries.

“Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” introduced Jackson’s falsetto voice and vocal hiccups, which would become a hallmark of the singer. Stephen Holden, of Rolling Stone, described the song as “one of a handful of recent disco releases that works both as a dance track and as an aural extravaganza comparable to Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Boogie Wonderland”". William Ruhlmann, author of The All-Music Guide to Rock, praised “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” as an “irresistible dance track”. John Lewis, author of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, noted that the “jittery, frenetic opening track” is the centerpiece of Off the Wall. He concluded that “Jackson’s falsetto hollers and frisky yelps serve as an obbligato to the lead line, punctuating Ben Wright’s thrilling string arrangement and Jerry Hey’s tight horn charts”.

Jackson’s biographers also praised the song. J. Randy Taraborrelli described Jackson’s unveiling of a “sexy, playful falsetto” that “no one had ever heard from him before”. Nelson George stated that the argument for Jackson’s greatness began with the arrangements of “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough”. He noted that the percussion and backing vocals were “artfully choreographed” to “create drama and ecstasy on the dance floor”. He concluded, “It’s one thing to make a dance record – it is another to instill that track with an epic, celebratory quality as Michael does here”

Music Video
The music video for “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” was directed and produced by Nick Saxton and made its world premiere in October 1979. It was Jackson’s first solo music video. It featured a smiling Jackson floating over a background of disco lights and performing dance techniques while singing the song in a tuxedo. At one stage, Jackson is seen dancing in triplicate, which was considered innovative at the time.

Charts
Chart Peak Position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 1
Belgian Singles Chart 1
Danish Singles Chart 1
Holland Singles Chart 2
Swedish Singles Chart 2
Norwegian Singles Chart 1
UK Singles Chart 3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 1

In Popular Culture
In the 2001 film, Rush Hour 2, Chris Tucker performs a rendition of “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” at a karaoke bar.[8] Tucker and Jackson had recorded an updated version for the film together, but it was instead decided for Tucker to perform it on his own. Tucker, a fan and friend of Jackson, starred in the singer’s music video for “You Rock My World”.

In 2004, The One was released onto DVD by Jackson and CBS. It featured interviews of celebrities, and their views on Jackson and his music. Of “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough”, Beyoncé Knowles stated that she has the whole record, which she plays to this day. She said it was “a classic” and one that people will listen to forever.[10] Carson Daly explained that the song is special to him because “it was the beginning of what has become the pop star, Michael Jackson”. Missy Elliott noted that it was “the ultimate dance/disco record”.

Tracks
US promo single
“Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” (Short Version) – 3:55
“Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” (Long Version) – 5:45
US/UK single
“Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” (Long Version) – 5:45
“I Can’t Help It” – 4:29

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