How Many Songs Did Michael Jackson Have
Michael Jackson discography Jackson released 10 studio albums (including 2 posthumous albums) as a solo artist and 67 singles as a lead artist. Songwriters Hall of Fame have said he had over 150 songs. But it’s more than that because his engineers said he’d recorded between 1,000 and 2,000. How many there are depends on which you count and this is a guide to why.
| Quick fact | Number |
| Studio albums | 10 |
| Posthumous albums | 2 |
| Singles as lead artist | 67 |
| Hot 100 No. 1s | 13 |
| Songs he wrote | 150+ |
| Songs recorded (estimate) | 1,000 to 2,000 |
Michael Jackson Song Count by the Numbers
Studio Albums: 10 Solo and 2 Posthumous
Jackson released ten solo studio albums between 1972 and 2001, and two more came out after his death, per Wikipedia’s album discography.
| Album | Year |
| Got to Be There | 1972 |
| Ben | 1972 |
| Music & Me | 1973 |
| Forever, Michael | 1975 |
| Off the Wall | 1979 |
| Thriller | 1982 |
| Bad | 1987 |
| Dangerous | 1991 |
| HIStory | 1995 |
| Invincible | 2001 |
| Michael (posthumous) | 2010 |
| Xscape (posthumous) | 2014 |
The same page lists 55 compilation albums. That is one big reason track totals jump when a site counts greatest hits and reissues.
Singles: 67 as Lead Artist and 8 as a Featured Artist
Wikipedia’s singles discography counts 67 singles as lead artist and eight as a featured artist. It also lists 52 promotional or limited releases.
Songs He Wrote: More Than 150
The Songwriters Hall of Fame says he “penned more than 150 songs” and that over 20 of them became multi-million performance hits on American radio and TV. He joined the hall in 2002. He also wrote or co-wrote songs for other artists, including “Centipede” for Rebbie Jackson and “Eaten Alive” for Diana Ross, per American Songwriter.
Why Every Website Gives a Different Number
Each site counts something different. CBS News lists 35 singles on its discography page. SecondHandSongs shows 76 works under one writer code. Wikipedia’s list of recorded songs holds more than 200 entries and mixes Jackson 5 tracks, covers, demos and guest vocals. So the real answer depends on whether you count released solo songs, songs he wrote, or everything he recorded.
Michael Jackson’s Biggest Songs and Chart Records
The 13 Hot 100 No. 1 Singles
Jackson topped the Billboard Hot 100 13 times. That is the most for any male artist in the Hot 100 era, per Wikipedia’s records list. He also earned 30 top ten singles on that chart.
Chart Records That Still Stand
Bad produced five No. 1 singles, a mark only one other album shares. Jackson had nine No. 1s in the 1980s, more than any other artist that decade. He was also the first artist to land No. 1 singles in three decades, from “Ben” in 1972 to “Black or White” in 1991. In 1995 “You Are Not Alone” became the first song to debut at No. 1.
How Many Songs Did Michael Jackson Record but Never Release
What His Engineers Say About the Vault
Engineers Bill Bottrell and Bruce Swedien put it at 1,000 to 2,000 songs recorded between 1974 and 2009, according to Wikipedia’s unreleased songs page. Bottrell said only a small share of the full catalog has come out. Engineer Matt Forger told Rolling Stone that Jackson would often “put them on the shelf.”
Why So Many Songs Stayed on the Shelf
Former Sony CEO Tommy Mottola suggested Jackson worked up 20 to 30 songs for each album and chose only a handful. Epic executive Scott Seviour estimates “tens and twenties” of usable songs remain in the vault. The estate has never said how many are finished.
how does michael jackson still make music
Posthumous Albums: Michael (2010) and Xscape (2014)
Jackson cannot record anymore, so his estate and Sony finish and rework old recordings. Michael arrived on December 10, 2010, with songs recorded between 1982 and 2008. It reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. In 2022 three disputed tracks were removed after family members questioned the vocals, and the album shrank to seven tracks, per Wikipedia.
Xscape followed on May 9, 2014, with eight reworked recordings from the early 1980s through 2001. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 157,000 first-week sales, per Wikipedia.
The Sony Deal That Promised Ten Albums
In March 2010 Sony reached a $250 million deal with the estate to release ten posthumous albums over the next decade. The plan fell short. Only three releases held unreleased music: Michael, the second disc of Bad 25 and Xscape.
The 2026 Michael Soundtrack
The Michael soundtrack came out on April 24, 2026, alongside the film. It has 13 songs from 1969 to 1987 and no new material, and it reached No. 37 on the Billboard 200, per Wikipedia.
Streaming Keeps the Catalog Growing in 2026
Spotify monthly listeners rose from about 62 million to over 102 million in four weeks after the film, per Chartmetric. Kworb ranked him the top streaming artist for May 2026, as EWN reported. That is a monthly ranking and not an all-time title.
Must Read
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How Michael Jackson Changed the World: 5 Facts and Proof
FAQs
How many songs did Michael Jackson write?
The Songwriters Hall of Fame says he wrote more than 150 songs. He wrote or co-wrote songs for others including Rebbie Jackson, Diana Ross and Paul McCartney.
How many songs did Michael Jackson report before he died?
His engineers expected between 1000 and two,000 songs between 1974 and 2009. Only a minority of them have been released, and no-listing is available to confirm their full range.
How many primary hits did Michael Jackson have?
He had 13 Hot one hundred No. 1 singles – essentially the most for a male artist within the Hot 100 period. He additionally posted 30 top 10 singles on that chart.
Which is Michael Jackson’s biggest music?
His most-streamed song on Spotify is “Billie Jean”, which has over 2.6 billion streams, reports The News (April 2026). What’s his ‘biggest’ track by streams, money made or chart achievement?
How many unreleased songs does Michael Jackson have?
Nobody outside the estate knows. Epic’s Scott Seviour provides this estimate.
Does Michael Jackson have new music in 2026?
Not new recordings. The soundtrack to 2026 Michael also features older songs so if any new ones are added, they would have to be from the vault.
Where’s the Michael Jackson Song List By Year or Michael Jackson Song List A-Z?
Where can I get the Michael Jackson Song List By Year?
The most comprehensive publicly available listings are Wikipedia’s lists of recorded songs and album discography sorted by album year.
Conclusion
Michael Jackson has 12 studio albums, 67 lead singles and 13 Hot 100 No. 1s. The larger figure is in storage, where engineers have counted 1,000 to 2,000 cataloged tracks. Which figure is most accurate is a matter of definition, and now you can choose.
