Introduction
Released as the third single from his 1995 album HIStory: Past, Present and Future – Book I, “Earth Song” stands as one of Michael Jackson’s most impassioned and socially conscious anthems . Written during the Bad tour in June 1988 at a hotel in Austria, Jackson described how the song “suddenly dropped into [his] lap,” born from an emotional response to the planet’s suffering.
Musically, Earth Song blends elements of blues, gospel, opera, and pop, a distinctive fusion that underscores its dramatic and spiritual urgency . Unlike his earlier socially conscious tracks such as We Are the World, Man in the Mirror, or Heal the World, this song was notably the first by Jackson to directly and overtly address environmental destruction and animal welfare .
The accompanying short film, directed by Nick Brandt, was filmed across four continents—from the Amazon to war-torn Europe, from Africa’s poaching zones to the U.S.—depicting humanity’s devastating impact on earth, followed by a miraculous restoration scene as Jackson sings the final verse . The video earned the prestigious Genesis Award in 1996 and garnered a Grammy nomination in 1997 for Best Short Form Music Video .
Commercially, Earth Song achieved phenomenal success internationally. It topped charts in the UK (becoming Jackson’s best-selling single there, with over a million copies sold and six weeks at #1, including the coveted Christmas No. 1), as well as in Germany, Spain, Italy, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, and Switzerland . Despite not being released as a single in the U.S., its message and emotional resonance cemented it as one of Michael Jackson’s most iconic and enduring works.