Man in the Mirror

Harmonically the song is rooted in straightforward diatonic G major with a gospel-pop cadential feel, but its signature device is the dramatic semitone key change into the final choruses — widely cited as one of the most effective key changes in pop, lifting the energy as the choir enters.

The song was written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. Quincy Jones, Jackson's producer, invited Garrett to his home along with other songwriters and asked them to write material for Jackson's next album, telling the group: "I just want hits, that's all I want." Garrett took the brief to her writing partner Ballard, who began playing a keyboard figure while Garrett wrote the lyrics. They recorded a demo over the course of a week with Garrett on vocals; Jones approved it a few hours after she delivered the tape. At Jackson's request, Garrett and Ballard wrote a longer middle eight and modified the lyrics.

Written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett and produced by Jackson with Quincy Jones, "Man in the Mirror" was the fourth single from Jackson's 1987 album Bad. A swelling anthem of personal responsibility, it became his ninth US number-one and remains celebrated for its Andraé Crouch Choir finale and its dramatic semitone modulation.