You Are Not Alone

You Are Not Alone

Michael Jackson

“You Are Not Alone” was the first song in the history of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart to debut at the top position, and it was also Jackson’s last to reach #1 in the US. The song also reached #1 in Spain, France, Switzerland, New Zealand and the UK.

It was Michael Jackson’s 13th US chart-topper, allowing him to break the tie he had for third place with The Supremes for most #1 songs in the US – a title he would hold on his own until 2013 when Rihanna tied Jackson with her appearance on Eminem’s “The Monster” giving her a 13th #1. In 2016, Rihanna surpassed Jackson when her song “Work” became her 14th chart-topper.

The song’s genesis was a phone call to R. Kelly’s management asking him to write a song for Jackson. At first, Kelly thought it was a joke, but when he learned Jackson’s request was indeed serious, Kelly immediately entered the studio and wrote “You Are Not Alone”. When he played the track for Jackson over the phone, Jackson approved it without change and flew to Chicago to record his vocals over Kelly’s on the track.

Kelly later included his own version of “You Are Not Alone” as a hidden track on his album Love Letter. Even Diana Ross of The Supremes, who had slipped to fourth place (for most US #1 songs) because of it, recorded “You Are Not Alone” the following year.

Later, it was revealed that Kelly had plagiarized two Belgium songwriting brothers. The first court rejected their claim, but appealing the case eventually led to a plagiarism ruling.

In the 2020 Surviving R Kelly documentary, a girl claimed Kelly wrote the song about the miscarriage of their child when she was only 17 years old.