ABC

"ABC" is the exuberant Jackson 5 single that turned a young Michael Jackson and his brothers into pop phenomena. Released in early 1970 on Motown, it followed "I Want You Back" and matched its predecessor for bounce and charm, using the classroom as a playful metaphor for young love. Michael, still a child, sings lead with astonishing confidence, trading lines with brother Jermaine over a bright, snapping groove. The song was crafted by the Motown team known as The Corporation, the writing and production unit assembled to guide the group's early hits. It knocked The Beatles' "Let It Be" from the top of the American chart, a symbolic passing of pop energy to a new generation. Fizzy, joyful, and impossibly catchy, "ABC" became one of the defining songs of the Jackson 5's Motown run and an early showcase for the star Michael would become.

"ABC" was recorded for Motown in late 1969 and released in early 1970, produced by The Corporation, the in-house team of Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonso Mizell, and Deke Richards. The team built the track to follow the winning formula of "I Want You Back", pairing a bright, funky groove with a call-and-response vocal arrangement that spotlighted young Michael's lead. The brothers' interlocking harmonies were layered to give the record its lively, playful bounce.

An upbeat bubblegum-soul and pop track with a snapping, funky groove, bright piano, and a bouncing bassline. Michael's youthful lead is agile and full of energy, trading call-and-response lines with his brothers. The arrangement is light and playful, using handclaps, spoken asides, and tight harmonies to keep the mood joyful and irresistible.

"ABC" cemented the Jackson 5 as Motown's brightest new act and became one of the label's signature early-1970s hits. Reaching number one in the US, where it displaced The Beatles' "Let It Be", it stands as a defining moment of the group's rise and an early sign of Michael Jackson's exceptional talent.

The Jackson 5 performed "ABC" on major television programs of the era, and it remained part of Michael Jackson's medleys of Jackson 5 hits in his later solo tours, a nostalgic nod to his beginnings.