“Black or White” was the first single from Michael Jackson’s highly-anticipated eighth album Dangerous. With it, Jackson tied The Supremes for “third-most #1 songs in the US” when it became his 12th chart topper in December 1991. A few years later, “You Are Not Alone” would become his thirteenth (and final) #1.

The song became the fastest-selling single in the US since “Get Back” by The Beatles 22 years earlier, debuting at #35, climbing to #3, and then reaching the top in its third week (though it should be noted that Billboard changed how songs are ranked on the Hot 100 on the week that this song jumped 32 spots from #35 to #3). Billboard later ranked “Black Or White” as the #14 song of 1992.

In the UK, “Black Or White” debuted at #1 and held the top position for two weeks. It also reached #1 in Mexico, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Israel, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweeden, Switzerland and the Euro Chart Hot 100, #2 in Germany and #3 in Holland.

“Black Or White” was developed from a track originally intended for Jackson’s previous album Bad. Producer Bill Bottrell (who had recently worked on Traveling Wilburys' Vol. 1, Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever and Madonna’s Like A Prayer) was tasked with creating the song based on Jackson’s basic instructions. Bottrell came up with the rap featured in the song, expecting it to be performed by an established rapper but when Jackson heard his recording, he insisted on using that instead. Bottrell credited himself under the pseudonym L.T.B.

Jackson’s record company described “Black Or White” as “a rock ‘n’ roll dance song about racial harmony”. Its lyrics, however, became a punchline for journalists, comedians and comedy shows on television about Jackson’s vitiligo, a pigmentation disease that made his skin less dark over time.

Its music video was a highly-controversial 11-minute short film directed by John Landis (Twilight Zone The Movie, Animal House) that made its world premiere on Fox TV immediately after an episode of The Simpsons. Its final four minutes featured Jackson smashing car windows, tossing a garbage can through a storefront and simulating masturbation. When general public and journalistic reaction was outrage, Jackson almost immediately withdrew it and had it re-edited and later issued an apology. Some accused Jackson of using the controversial video as an album pre-release publicity stunt while others simply summed it up with statements like “has he lost his mind or what?”