This may be the best feel-good song of the recent pop era. Its message now sounds like an inner voice -- Michael's conscience -- given Dolby force. What makes 'Man in the Mirror' more than a platitude is that it was recorded when dubious pop sentiments had gained currency in the Reagan '80s (notably, Whitney Houston's most unfortunate hit 'The Greatest Love of All,' a song I remember kids laughing at when it debuted as the theme song for a 1977 Muhammad Ali movie). With the lyric "I've been a victim of a self kind of love," songwriter Siedah Garrett spoke back to the narcissistic notion of loving yourself by reviving social consciousness and speaking up for ideal personal responsibility.

Affirmations are easy fodder, but Jackson ingeniously sings the song as a challenge. He's helped by what sounds like a gospel chorus, except this backing choir has an unusually hard edge. They're not coddling the listener but singing with a joyous, communal force. This blessed but desperate sound balances Jackson's biting enunciations. Since the song's release in 1987, events and headlines in the singer's life could have changed its impact; instead its message is bigger than Michael. Its imperative is undiminished. Take heed.

About the Author

Armond White is BlackVoices' film critic.