Michael Jackson has come out on top of a music survey, voted for by listeners to BBC Radio 2. Billie Jean has been voted the greatest dance record of all time.
A panel of dance music experts drew up a shortlist of 20 records, with Bille Jean being one of them. They were all selected for their musical merit and importance in the narrative of UK dance music – and spanned the years from 1966 to 2001.
Radio 2 listeners were then invited to vote online for their favourite and the top 10 songs were revealed in a three-part series presented by Zoe Ball – The Greatest Dance Records Of All Time – which concluded on Tuesday evening.
The results prove the station, which is now the most listened to in the UK, is a distance relative of its former self during its Middle of the Road era of the 1980s.
Zoe Ball says: "I'm delighted that Billie Jean has been voted the greatest dance record ever made. This is Jackson at his best."
The top ten in full:
1. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson (1983)
2. I Feel Love – Donna Summer (1977)
3. Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine – James Brown (1970)
4. Strings Of Life – Rhythim Is Rhythim (1987)
5. Where Love Lives – Alison Limerick (1994)
6. Keep On Movin' – Soul II Soul (1989)
7. Can You Feel It – Fingers Inc. (1988)
8. Big Fun – Inner City (1988)
9. Theme From S-Express – S-Express (1988)
10. Key To My Happiness – The Charades (1966)
The programme was produced by Unique Productions.
