Just Good Friends

THE STORY BEHIND ' Just Good Friends '

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​This track features the heavy-hitting collaboration between Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. The story below details the high expectations for this duet, the fun-filled recording sessions, and the lingering debate among fans about whether it deserved its spot on the album.

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By 1987, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder were arguably the two most important figures in Black American music. They shared a long history: Michael had grown up watching Stevie at Motown, and Stevie had written the masterpiece "I Can't Help It" for Michael’s Off the Wall album.

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However, "Just Good Friends" was different. This wasn't Stevie giving Michael a song; this was a vocal duel. It was the first time the two icons stood toe-to-toe on a Michael Jackson album track. The anticipation was immense. The media expected a song that would solve world peace or redefine music. Instead, Michael and Stevie chose to record a lighthearted, high-energy synth-pop track about two guys arguing over a girl.

 

Why This Track? The song was written by the British songwriting duo Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, famous for writing Tina Turner’s comeback hit "What's Love Got to Do with It."

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Quincy Jones picked the song because he wanted a track that felt modern and radio-friendly. He felt the album needed a burst of pure kinetic energy in the middle. However, the inclusion of "Just Good Friends" was controversial even at the time. It reportedly beat out a track called "Streetwalker," a rhythmic, bluesy shuffle that Michael loved. Quincy argued that "Streetwalker" sounded too much like "The Way You Make Me Feel," so he pushed for "Just Good Friends" to provide contrast. To this day, many hardcore fans debate whether swapping "Streetwalker" for this song was the right call.

 

A Family Reunion While critics were later divided on the song, the recording session was a moment of pure joy. It took place at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles.

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Stevie Wonder didn't just sing; he brought his famous Yamaha DX7 synthesizer to play the solo. Witnesses described the session as a "love fest." Michael and Stevie spent hours joking, reminiscing about the old days at Motown, and challenging each other vocally.

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There was a competitive undercurrent, though. In the verses, you can hear them trying to out-sing each other. Michael uses his gritty, rock-influenced voice, while Stevie uses his classic, soulful melisma. The interplay is frantic. At one point, Stevie breaks into a rapid-fire synthesizer solo that mimics the sound of a nervous breakdown, fitting for the song’s frantic tempo.

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The lyrics play out like a scene from a sitcom. The premise is simple: Michael thinks a girl is in love with him, and Stevie is the wise older friend telling him, "You better watch your step... she only wants to be just good friends."

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It serves as a lighter, more comedic counterpart to "The Girl Is Mine" (the duet with Paul McCartney from Thriller). While "The Girl Is Mine" was a gentle tug-of-war, "Just Good Friends" is a fast-paced argument. Michael plays the role of the naive romantic, singing "I can't stop this feeling!", while Stevie plays the voice of reason. It reflected their real-life dynamic: Stevie was the elder statesman who had seen it all, and Michael was the eternal optimist.

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Upon the release of Bad, "Just Good Friends" received the harshest criticism of any track on the album. Music critics, expecting a socially conscious anthem or a deep funk groove from two geniuses, were disappointed by the song’s "pop fluff" nature. Rolling Stone famously called it the album's only weak spot.

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It holds a unique (and somewhat dubious) distinction: it is the only song on the Bad album that was not released as a single and does not have an accompanying short film/music video. Even "Speed Demon" had the claymation video from Moonwalker. "Just Good Friends" stands alone as the "album track."

 

For decades, fans assumed Michael and Stevie would never perform the song together live. However, miracles happen.

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During the Australian leg of the Bad World Tour in November 1987, Stevie Wonder happened to be in the country for his own tour. During Michael’s concert in Brisbane, Stevie made a surprise appearance on stage. The band launched into "Just Good Friends."

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The performance was chaotic and magical. They hadn't rehearsed it. Michael and Stevie hugged, laughed, and ad-libbed their way through the song. It remains the only known live performance of the track in history. The footage is grainy and rare, but it captures the genuine affection between the two legends that the polished studio recording sometimes hides.

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Re-evaluation In recent years, especially after the release of the Bad 25 anniversary documentary by Spike Lee, the song has gained a new appreciation.

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Modern producers admire the complexity of the arrangement. The song changes keys multiple times, shifting gears to keep the energy high. The bassline is frantic, and the horn arrangements (by Jerry Hey) are lightning-fast. It is a technically difficult song to play. While it may not have the emotional weight of "Man in the Mirror" or the groove of "Smooth Criminal," it stands as a time capsule of 80s exuberance, a moment when two gods of music decided to just have fun.