"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single by American
recording artist Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records
on July 28, 1979, the song is the first single from Jackson's
fifth studio album, entitled
Off the Wall. Written by Jackson, it is in the key of B
major and in common time signature, the song was the first solo
recording over which Jackson had creative control. Jackson said
that the song's lyrics were not a reference to sex, but could
be about whatever people wanted them to be about.
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was Jackson's first single
to peak at number-one on the United States
Billboards Hot 100 chart in seven years, and his first
number-one song on the soul singles chart. The song charted
within the top-ten on worldwide charts. Within a few months of
release, the song was certified gold, and eventually certified
platinum.
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was generally well-received
by contemporary music critics. An accompanying music video for
the song was released in October 1979. The video shows Jackson
dancing, as well as being shown in a triplicate, in different
color backgrounds. The song also won Jackson his first solo
Grammy and American Music Awards. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get
Enough" is considered to be the first song to showcase
Jackson's talent as a solo artist, both as a singer and
songwriter. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was performed by
Jackson during four concert tours; in 1979, 1981, 1984 and
1996-7.
In 1978, Jackson starred as the Scarecrow in
The Wiz, an urbanized retelling of L. Frank Baum's
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. After the filming, Jackson,
who was still a member of The Jackson 5, approached the film's
musical director, Quincy Jones, to ask if he knew of any
producers to help with Jackson's future solo endeavors. Jones
suggested himself, and the two began work on
Off the Wall. After listening to hundreds of demos, the
two decided upon the ones to record. These included "Workin'
Day and Night", "Get on the Floor" and "Don't Stop 'til You Get
Enough". The song was recorded in Los Angeles recording
studios.
Jackson claimed that when the melody of "Don't Stop 'Til You
Get Enough" came to him, he couldn't shake it off. He found
himself humming and singing it while walking through the
Jacksons' Encino home. As Michael could not play, he had his
brother Randy perform the melody on a piano in the family's
recording studio. When Jackson's mother, a devout Jehovah's
Witness, heard the song, she was shocked by the lyrical
content. Katherine pointed out that the title could be
misconstrued as pertaining to sexual activity. Jackson
reassured her that the song was not a reference to sex, but
could mean whatever people wanted it to. Upon playing the
recording to Jones, it was agreed that the song would be
featured on
Off the Wall.
Musically "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is credited as a
disco/pop/funk song. The song's full length on
Off The Wallis just over 6 minutes. "Don't Stop 'Til You
Get Enough" has been described as having a "libidinous tone".
"Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" introduced Jackson's falsetto
voice and vocal hiccups, which would become one of Jackson's
signature vocals. Along with Jackson's vocal hiccups, Jackson
voice in the song was described as having vocal tics—from the
hiccups, a "grunt", and "the 'oho!'". "Don't Stop 'Til You Get
Enough" is played in the key of B major and in common time
signature. In the song, Jackson's voice range is from F#4 to
D#5. Instruments for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" include a
piano and guitar. The song's tempo is moderately slow and it's
metronome is 112 beats per minute. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get
Enough" begins with Jackson speaking, before singing the songs
lyrics'.
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was well received by
contemporary critics. Stephen Holden, of
Rolling Stone, described the song as "one of a handful
of recent disco releases that works both as a dance track and
as an aural extravaganza comparable to Earth, Wind and Fire's
'Boogie Wonderland'". William Ruhlmann, author of
The All-Music Guide to Rock, praised "Don't Stop 'til
You Get Enough" as an "irresistible dance track". John Lewis,
author of
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, noted that the
"jittery, frenetic opening track" is the centerpiece of
Off the Wall. He concluded that "Jackson's falsetto
hollers and frisky yelps serve as an obbligato to the lead
line, punctuating Ben Wright's thrilling string arrangement and
Jerry Hey's tight horn charts". Jason Elias, a writer for
Allmusic, noted that "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" presents
a "new Michael Jackson" that was "sexual, [an] adult, and
aggressive. Elias commented that "Like the best of Jones'
late-'70s, early-'80s work, this [song] wasn't quite disco,
couldn't be hardcore funk - it was an amalgam of styles with
the all-important pop accessibility."
Jackson's biographers also praised the song. J. Randy
Taraborrelli described Jackson's unveiling of a "sexy, playful
falsetto" that "no one had ever heard from him before". Nelson
George stated that the argument for Jackson's greatness began
with the arrangements of "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough". He
noted that the percussion and backing vocals were "artfully
choreographed" to "create drama and ecstasy on the dance
floor". He concluded, "It's one thing to make a dance record-it
is another to instill that track with an epic, celebratory
quality as Michael does here". James Montgomery, of MTV, noted
that
Off The Wallcontained a "masterful mixture of fiery
disco tracks", specifying "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and
"Workin' Day and Night". "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" won
Jackson his first American Music Award, the song received the
award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single. Jackson also won his
first solo Grammy Award, taking home the award for Best Male
Vocal Performance in the genre of R&B.
The music video for "Don’t Stop 'til You Get Enough" was
directed and produced by Nick Saxton and made its world
premiere in October 1979. It was Jackson's first music video as
a solo artist. The music video features a smiling Jackson
floating over a in front obackground of abstract, geometric
figures, and performing dance techniques while singing "Don't
Stop 'Til You get Enough" in a black and white tuxedo with a
black bowtie. At one stage, Jackson is seen dancing in
triplicate, which was considered innovative at the time.
The music video begins with Jackson speaking the opening
lyrics of "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", he then begins
singing the lyrics while standing in front of a purple
background while wearing a black and white tuxedo, with a
bow-tie. Shortly after, Jackson begins dancing while the
background changes to orange and blue, while objects, which
appear to be ice-cubes and bubbles, are floating behind
Jackson. The background then briefly changes to pyramids made
out of bricks and then changes to a reddish background with
objects made out of glass, which shows Jackson dancing in
triplicate. The video ends with Jackson dancing in a
background, that continuously changes colors, with large
marbles.
"Don’t Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was released on July 28,
1979, under Epic Records; Jackson's first solo album away from
Motown Records. Within three months of its release, the song
was at the top of the charts and had been certified gold.
Reaching number-one on
Billboard's Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts in the
United States; it was Jackson's first solo number-one single
since "Ben", seven years prior. Reaching the top of the charts
in Australia, New Zealand, Norway and South Africa, the song
peaked within the top-ten, charting at number-three, in the
United Kingdom. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"s least
successful charting countries was in Switzerland, placing at
number-four. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" charted within
the top-ten in all major countries. Following the single being
certified gold ten years previously, the song was awarded
platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of
America in 1989.
In 2006, "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" reached
number-sevteen in the United Kingdom, following the
Visionarycampaign, whereby twenty of Jackson's hit
singles were reissued in several European countries. Following
Jackson's death in June 2009, his music saw an increase in
popularity. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" peaked at
number-seven on
Billboard's "Hot Digital Songs Chart, peaking at number
seven on the charts issue date July 11, 2009. "Don't Stop 'Til
You Get Enough" charted within the top-ten, placing at
number-nine, in France, and charted within the top-twenty in
Portugal and Switzerland, placing at number eighteen and
twenty. The song also charted at number-twenty-one in
Australia, thirty-seven in the United Kingdom, and fifty in
Swedish, respectively. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"s least
successful country was Japan, peaking at number-seventy-seven.
"Don’t Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was certified gold in
Australia by Australian Recording Industry Association in 2009
for the shipments of 35,000 units.
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was performed by Jackson
during two of the The Jackson's concert tours. The song was
first performed by Jackson during The Jackson's concert tour,
entitled Destiny Tour, which lasted from January to February
1979. The second, and would be last performance of the song,
was during The Jackson's fourth tour, entitled the Triumph
Tour; they only toured in the United States and the tour began
in July 1981, and finished in September of the same year.
Jackson did not perform the song on any of his three
solo-artist world tours from 1987 to 1997; although he did sing
a bit of the song during the 1987 Bad World Tour. The song was
performed by Jackson during the Bad Tour during performances of
extended version of "Shake Your Body". While "Don't Stop 'Til
You Get Enough" was not frequently performed by Jackson during
concert tours, other songs from
Off The Wallwere. Jackson also performed the song in his
HIStory World Tour along with Rock With You and Off The Wall in
certain concerts. Jackson would have used a sample of "Don't
Stop 'Til You Get Enough" for the "Shake Your Body" performance
in "This Is It".
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" has been covered by
multiple artists since its release in 1979. The American
pop—rock band Shivaree covered "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough"
on their 2007 album of cover versions, entitled,
Tainted Love: Mating Calls and Fight Songs. The song was
covered by Rod Hanna, on his album of covers entitled,
Rod Hanna Live: Discofesta 70's Superhits - Rod Hanna,
and the song was covered by BB Band in 1999 on their album
entitled,
The Detroit Sound. The song was also covered by James
Chance on his 2005 album, which included both a recorded and
live version of "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". "Don't Stop
'Til You Get Enough" was covered by Melissa Forbes on her 2005
album entitled,
No More Mondays.
Following Jackson's death in June 2009, the band U2 began
their world tour, entitled U2 360° Tour, with renditions of two
of Jackson's songs, "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Man
In The Mirror" (from Jackson's 1987 album
Bad) on June 30, 2009. After Jackson's death, in late
June 2009, Cookin Soul did a remix cover of the song, entitled,
"Don’t stop ‘Til You Get Enough feat. Jay-Z". The remixed
version was performed during Cookin Souls Shade45 show, and the
song was made available as a digital download track. Amos
Barshad and Nick Catucci, of NYMag.com, commented that the
remix version was a "surprisingly great meeting of music and
lyrics, connecting MJ and rap without overstating the shared
DNA".
James Montgomery, of MTV, noted that "Don't Stop 'Til You
Get Enough", along with
Off The Walls other three singles, "showcased (or, more
specifically, unleashed) Jackson's talents as a entertainer, a
vocalist, a writer and, most importantly, as a leading man."
After Jackson's death, AOL's Radio Blog released a list,
entitled "10 Best Michael Jackson Songs", which placed "Don't
Stop 'Til You Get Enough" at number-ten on the list. Jason
Elias, a writer for Allmusic said of the song,