It was Jackson's first single to top the U.S. charts in seven years, and his first number one on the soul singles chart.^[1] 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 solo 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 demos, 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".^[2]

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 while 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.^[2] 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.^[3] Upon playing the recording to Quincy Jones, it was agreed that the song would be featured on Off the Wall.^[2]

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.^[2] Within three months of its release, the song was at the top of the charts and had been certified gold.^[2][4] 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.^[4] Reaching the top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, Norway and South Africa, the song peaked at number 3 in the United Kingdom.^[3] 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.^[4] 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.^[3]

"Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" introduced Jackson's falsetto voice and vocal hiccups, which would become a hallmark of the singer.^[5] 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"".^[6] William Ruhlmann, author of The All-Music Guide to Rock, praised "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" as an "irresistible dance track".^[7] 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".^[7]

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".^[2] Nelson George^[8] 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.^[3] It was Jackson's first solo music video. It featured a smiling Jackson floating over a background of abstract, geometric figures, 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.^[2]

Charts

Credits

• Written by Michael Jackson
• Produced by Michael Jackson & Quincy Jones
• Lead and background vocals: Michael Jackson
• Bass: Louis Johnson
• Drums: John Robinson
• Electric piano: Greg Phillinganes
• Guitar: David Williams and Marlo Henderson
• Percussion: Michael Jackson, Randy Jackson and Paulinho Da Costa
• Horns arranged by Jerry Hey and performed by The Seawind Horns:
  • Trumpet and flugelhorn: Jerry Hey
  • Tenor, alto saxophones and flute: Larry Williams
  • Baritone, tenor saxophones and flute: Kim Hutchcroft
  • Trombone: William Reichenbach
  • Trumpet: Gary Grant
• Rhythm arrangement by Greg Phillinganes and Michael Jackson
• Vocal and percussion arrangements by Michael Jackson
• String arrangement by Ben Wright
• Concert master: Gerald Vinci
• Additional background vocals by Jim Gilstrap, Augie Johnson, Mortonette Jenkins, Paulette McWilliams and Zedric Williams