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Press Releases
Radio 2 listeners say that Billie Jean is the one!
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Michael Jackson's Billie Jean has been voted the greatest dance record of all time by ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 2 listeners.
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As part of the station's Dance Music Season, scheduled to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Second Summer of Love, a panel of dance music experts drew up a shortlist of 20 records.
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These were selected for their musical merit and importance in the narrative of UK dance music – and spanned the years from 1966 to 2001.
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Radio 2 listeners were then invited to vote online for their favourite and the top 10 songs were revealed in a three-part series presented by Zoe Ball – The Greatest Dance Records Of All Time – which concluded on Tuesday evening.
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Written by Michael Jackson and co-produced by Quincy Jones, Billie Jean went to the top of the UK charts in 1983 and is taken from Thriller, the biggest-selling album in the world.
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Bruce Swedien, the sound engineer who mixed the track, remembers that Michael Jackson asked for the song to have "the greatest sonic personality that you can possibly put on a track – starting with the drums" and the end product is recognisable after only a few drum beats.
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Quincy Jones thought the intro was too long – and wanted to get to the melody quicker – but Michael Jackson knew what made him want to dance and demonstrated just how well when performing the song for NBC's tribute special, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.
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Wearing a fedora, sequined suit and single white glove, Jackson moonwalked his way into dance music history – creating a signature move that is synonymous with the song and has been imitated on dance floors around the world.
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Billie Jean went on to win two Grammy awards in 1984 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best New Rhythm & Blues song.
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Zoe Ball says: "I'm delighted that Billie Jean has been voted the greatest dance record ever made. This is Jackson at his best.
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"This track is way up there for me – Jacko's rendition of it at the Motown 25th anniversary show has got to be one of THE great live performances of all time.
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"I can remember hearing this at the Boutique [club night in Brighton] and the place would go crazy. The bassline is awesome, the production is killer. It's just perfect."
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In second place is Donna Summer's disco classic, I Feel Love, which topped the UK charts in July 1977.
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Innovatively produced by Giorgio Moroder, this track marked the point where electronics came to the fore and was hugely influential in the development of dance music.
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And the Godfather of Soul is also a Godfather of Dance Music for Radio 2 listeners, with James Brown's Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine coming in at a very funky number three.
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Notes to Editors
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To listen again to Greatest Dance Tracks Of All Time visit bbc.co.uk/radio2.
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The programme was produced by Unique Productions for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 2.
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Radio 2's Dance Music Season concludes with Moments In Love: The History Of Chillout Music at 7.00pm on Saturday 19ÌýJuly.
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The top ten in full:
Ìý 1. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson (1983)
Ìý 2. I Feel Love - Donna Summer (1977)
Ìý 3. Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine - James Brown (1970)
Ìý 4. Strings Of Life - Rhythim Is Rhythim (1987)
Ìý 5. Where Love Lives - Alison Limerick (1994)
Ìý 6. Keep On Movin' - Soul II Soul (1989)
Ìý 7. Can You Feel It - Fingers Inc. (1988)
Ìý 8. Big Fun - Inner City (1988)
Ìý 9. Theme From S-Express - S-Express (1988)
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10. Key To My Happiness - The Charades (1966)
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Trevor Nelson, Danny Rampling, Nicky Holloway, Ian Levine, Chris Hill, Norman Jay, Mike Pickering and Trevor Fung were the panel of dance music experts who drew up the shortlist.
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Radio 2 listeners were able to vote online between 6 and 14ÌýJune.
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AG2
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