“I Want You Back” is the Jackson 5’s 1969 debut single for Motown, and it became the first of four consecutive #1 hits (“ABC”, “The Love You Save”, and “I’ll Be There”.)

In grand Motown tradition, it uses joyously upbeat music to disguise a desperate lyric; after dumping his girl, he realizes her worth too late to stop her from finding another man.

Contrary to popular belief, “I Want You Back” was not the Jackson 5’s first single. In 1967, they released the minor regional hit “Big Boy” on the local Steeltown label, before scoring a Motown contract in 1968.

Although this song was originally written as “I Want To Be Free” for Gladys Knight & the Pips, Motown boss Berry Gordy decided to use it instead for his newest signees. For this song, Gordy assembled “The Corporation”, a team of songwriters and producers that included Deke Richards, Alphonzo “Fonce” Mizell, Freddie Perren, and himself. The Corporation would helm most of the Jackson 5’s early run of hits.

With Motown’s full promotion, the Jackson 5 debuted this song with national television appearances on Hollywood Palace and the Ed Sullivan Show. Within a few months, “I Want You Back” reached number one on the Billboard charts, and it became a hit worldwide.

“I Want You Back” remains arguably the Jackson 5’s signature song. It has been covered and sampled numerous times and placed in several films and television shows, and is comfortably their most streamed song on Spotify.

Michael Jackson performed this song live on every tour for the rest of his life, and the Jacksons play it at every show to this day.