Did Michael Jackson Use Autotune?

Written by Jeff Campbell in Solo Artists,Pop Last Updated November 17, 2022

Michael Jackson autotune lg

The widespread use of autotune has caused music listeners to question all artists about their potential use of autotune. Michael Jackson, who is known as the King of Pop, got his start before technology was heavily utilized. So did Michael Jackson use autotune?

Here’s what I know from looking into it:

Most of Michael Jackson’s catalog of music used no autotune as autotune was not invented until 1997, and Michael Jackson only released 1 album after that prior to his death. However, it is likely that autotune was used on that recording.

Because of this, many people want to know just how authentic the artists of that era were.

People also have this question about Michael Jackson because his singing voice was always distinct. This makes people wonder if what they hear is actually real.

This article will explore Michael Jackson’s singing voice as well as autotune in the ’80s.

Did Michael Jackson have a good voice?

Michael Jackson was known for his dynamic singing voice. With strict practice and discipline, his voice covered four octaves. However, as he got older, he could not hit the same high notes he did as a boy.

He may not have been the most soulful singer, but he could command an audience by combining his singing, dancing, and style.

Over time, singers’ voices change, some for the better but some for the worse. Michael Jackson was one of the rare artists whose voice got better with age, at least to a certain point in his life.

Michael was also known for having a voice that worked for many genres of music. 

He was known as a pop singer, but many of his songs have a very R&B sound due to his singing. His singing voice is a major reason why he was considered to be an all-around entertainer.

Many vocalists have referred to Michael’s singing as aggressive. This is important because Michael did later suffer damage to his vocal cords.

As any singer knows, it is important to not overuse your vocal cords.

Was autotune used in the 80s?

Autotune was not used in the ’80s as it was not invented until 1997. In the 1970s and 1980s, the most common vocal technique to improve a singer’s sound was known as double-tracking, where a vocalist would sing the exact same part twice (or more), resulting in a thicker, richer sound. 

And double-tracking often helped mask imperfections and sour notes since it blended 2 or more vocal takes.

Michael Jackson did not have the benefit of using autotune in the ’80s. As I mentioned, autotune technology was not invented until 1997. This means that Michael’s exceptional voice in the ’80s, and even the early ’90s, was very much authentic.

During the ’80s, artists were using things like synthesizers. 

These made the recording process easier, but they did not change the music in the way that autotune can. This meant that artists had to use their own voices in the ’70s and ’80s in ways that singers do not have to today.

This also meant that recording music pre-autotune and other vocal effects made the recording process more expensive as it would take longer.

With new technology, producers and engineers can fix mistakes digitally instead of having to re-record vocals. This is also why music became more experimental as time has gone on.

It’s simply a lot easier to do a bunch of different things using recording software like ProTools. And more than ever before, it’s possible to do all of that in your bedroom as Billie Eilish did on her 1st album.

Did Michael Jackson have perfect pitch?

Michael Jackson did have perfect pitch. Perfect pitch, also known as absolute pitch, is the ability to recreate a musical note without using a reference tone. 

In other words, you could say to Michael, “sing a middle C” and he would be able to do it without hearing it on an instrument first.

Michael Jackson achieved the pitch-perfect ability through both hard work and his genes. 

As many people know, Michael trained hard at the hands of his father. From an early age, he learned to sing, dance, and play various instruments.

It is important to point out that while Michael gained his perfect pitch over time, not everyone can learn it. This leads some singers to feel frustrated because they work for years and still don’t achieve it.

It really largely comes down to how our brains are wired.

Was Michael Jackson actually singing on stage?

Michael Jackson occasionally lip-synced concerts. This was not something he did often, but he relied on it when he felt ill or during complicated dance numbers.

Like many artists, Michael Jackson was known to lip-sync sometimes.

It seems this was a rare thing for Michael, especially early in his career. Giving the fans a great show was always important to Michael, as well as his own showmanship.

Lip syncing is common in pop music, especially for people who also dance in their live shows. 

It is important to note that a Michael Jackson performance was much more intense than most shows. It became incredibly difficult for him to be on stage for two or more hours and sing completely live.

This is why people do not fault Michael for lip-syncing as he got older.

Did Michael Jackson sing while dancing?

Michael Jackson did sing live while dancing, but he did not sing 100% live. As time went on, he found ways to not overuse his voice while putting on a full show for the audience, and that included both backing tracks and backup vocalists.

As many people know, singing and dancing at the same time is difficult.

Most artists struggle with it because it takes great breathing control. Many artists lip-sync in order to overcome this.

Michael Jackson is one of those artists who took advantage of lip-syncing to dance as much as he wanted to on stage.

Michael did not always, or even mostly, lip-sync, but he sometimes did. This was important because Michael was a complete entertainer, which means his dance routines were intricate.

Most of his live shows were sung live because Michael still wanted to be authentic. 

He truly valued the craft and wanted to please his fans to the best of his ability. Lip-syncing was not a crutch for the king of pop but rather a way to give the audience what they paid for.

Conclusion

Michael Jackson is considered to be one of the greatest entertainers of all time, despite the obvious controversy that surrounded his adult life and up to his death.

He laid a blueprint for what a singer, dancer, and public figure should be.

Not only was his voice super versatile, but he also had a perfect pitch. This is something many singers work for but never get.

He put his all into his live performances while also embracing technology to not overuse his voice.

Photo which requires attribution:

Michael Jackson Net Worth by celebrityabc is licensed under CC2.0 and was cropped and had a text overlay added.

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