Michael Jackson's Billie Jean voted best dance record ever
Billie Jean voted best dance song of all time in new poll
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Wednesday, 16, Jul 2008 08:40
Billie Jean by Michael Jackson has been voted the best dance song of all time in a new poll.
Radio 2 listeners named the 1983 chart-topper as their favourite ever dance record after an expert panel created a shortlist of 20 songs.
Billie Jean, which won two Grammys, was written by Jackson and co-produced with the legendary Quincy Jones.
Donna Summer's 1977 disco classic I Feel Love finished second while James Brown's Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine from 1970 finished.
DJ Zoe Ball, who hosted the radio station's three-part dance music poll as part of a special season, said she was "delighted" that Billie Jean had topped the poll.
"This is Jackson at his best," Ball added.
"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.
"The bassline is awesome, the production is killer. It's just perfect."
Sound engineer Bruce Swedien told the BBC that Jackson had requested that the song have "the greatest sonic personality that you can possibly put on a track - starting with the drums".
The top ten dance records according to Radio 2 listeners are:
1 Michael Jackson: Billie Jean (1983)
2 Donna Summer: I Feel Love (1977)
3 James Brown: Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine (1970)
4 Rhythim Is Rhythim: Strings of Life (1987)
5 Alison Limerick: Where Love Lives (1994)
6 Soul II Soul: Keep On Movin' (1989)
7 Fingers Inc: Can You Feel It (1988)
8 Inner City: Big Fun (1988)
9 S'Express: S'Express (1988)
10 Charades: Key To My Happiness (1966)