These songs are darker and stranger than you’d expect from the King of Pop.
After decades in the dark, 15 unreleased Michael Jackson songs have finally seen the light of day. These tracks capture the King of Pop at his most daring, trying new sounds and even rapping.
The only problem? A mess of legal restrictions means MJ’s fans might never get to hear them. That is, unless you can afford them.
Finding the Lost MJ Tapes
For Gregg Musgrove, a retired police officer turned treasure hunter, lightning struck in the most unlikely place. That is, a dusty storage unit in Van Nuys, California.
What started with a casual tip turned into the discovery of a lifetime when his associate acquired a forgotten unit belonging to music producer Bryan Loren.
This wasn’t just any producer. Loren had worked with music legends like Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Sting, making this find potentially huge.
And, it proved that it was an actual treasure chest.
The storage unit held dozens of digital audiotapes (DATs) and cassettes, along with touching memorabilia, such as a handmade quilt from Japanese fans.
But getting to the music wasn’t easy. These recordings were so old, predating Jackson’s Dangerous album, that Musgrove spent months tracking down the right equipment just to play them.
The wait was worth it, though.
When Jackson’s voice finally filled the room, Musgrove got goosebumps. He had uncovered 15 complete, unreleased tracks, plus snippets of material and behind-the-scenes conversations.
While some songs like “Don’t Believe It” had been discussed in fan forums for years, others were completely unknown.
Here are all the tracks found in the collection:
- “Don’t Believe It”
- “Seven Digits” (about morgue identification numbers)
- “Son of Thriller”
- “Man in Black” (Chorus only)
- “She Got It Baby”
- “Can’t Come Back”
- “Truth on Youth”
- “All the Truth You Need”
- “Call It Off”
- “She Got It”
- “Work That Body”
- “A Pretty Face Is” (Chorus only)
- “To Satisfy You”
- “Pressure”
- “Serious Effect”
As expected, the discovery has created quite a buzz. Experts suggest these tapes could fetch seven figures at auction, and lawyers have confirmed their unique significance.
But there’s a catch. Even if someone pays big money for these tapes, legal restrictions might keep the music locked away forever.
Why These Songs Matter Now
The 15 tracks discovered on the tapes bridge a critical moment in Michael Jackson’s career.
Within the timeline these were made (1989 to 1991), he was moving from his Bad era into what would become Dangerous.
Jackson wasn’t just sticking to his usual playbook with these tracks. He was pushing boundaries, trying new sounds, and taking risks with his music.
Take “Truth on Youth,” the unexpected rap collaboration with LL Cool J, for example.
Fans knew the two had worked together from LL’s previous interviews. Yet, no one had heard the actual track until now.
LL once mentioned that he and Michael Jackson worked together to create a bunch of songs. And, when asked why they never released them, he said:
“They weren’t good enough. We definitely made songs together. We made music together. But sometimes the art don’t get there. It just doesn’t get there.”
However, according to Musgrove, Jackson’s rapping skills were actually pretty impressive. He did rap in some of his officially released songs, like Shout and Can’t Let Her Get Away, but this time the track has more of that.
It shows just how willing the King of Pop was to step out of his comfort zone and try something new. Who wouldn’t want to hear that?
The songs also reveal Jackson’s personal side.
“Don’t Believe It” seems to be his response to all those wild media rumors that constantly surrounded him. Then there’s “Seven Digits,” which takes an unusually dark turn, focusing on the ID numbers given to bodies in morgues. That’s not your typical Michael Jackson topic so it gives us a view of his different artistic range.
Musgrove doesn’t think these tracks would have topped classics like “Thriller.” Still, they’re still something special.
“(They’re) basically fresh Michael Jackson songs” said Musgrove.
“It’s so weird to hear songs that hadn’t existed from such a huge icon. Each one is amazing in its own way just because of that.”
Plus, the tapes also hold more than just music. They caught moments when Jackson was just being himself, chatting with producer Bryan Loren about ideas or just joking around in the studio.
These unscripted conversations give us a rare peek behind the curtain, showing what Jackson was really like during this important time in his career.
The Legal Roadblocks
While finding these tapes might sound like striking gold, the reality isn’t so simple. Sure, Gregg Musgrove has the physical tapes in his hands, but owning the actual music is a whole different story.
Music rights are split into two parts:
- The sound recordings, called “masters”
- The composition, which covers the lyrics and music
Both of these belong to the Jackson Estate and Sony. No one can do anything with the music without their okay.
In fact, the Jackson estate says they already have the real master recordings safely stored in their vaults.
As it turns out, the tapes Musgrove found are just DAT copies, not the original master recordings. So, these copies can’t be used commercially.
Just having the tapes in your possession doesn’t give you the right to share or sell the music on them.
But Musgrove has a backup plan.
While he can’t release the music, he can still sell the tapes themselves to private collectors who value them as rare pieces of history.
The catch? Whoever buys them can only listen to them privately. No sharing allowed.
Even with all these restrictions, experts think the tapes could still bring in seven figures at auction.
For serious collectors, owning something this rare and connected to Jackson’s legacy is worth big money.
But for the rest of us, these songs will stay just out of reach, locked away by legal rules that even physical possession can’t override.