Claim: Michael Jackson has a song named Billie Jean.

`` Billie Jean '' is a song by American singer Michael Jackson . It is the second single from the singer 's sixth solo album , Thriller -LRB- 1982 -RRB- . It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones . There are contradictory claims on the meaning of the song 's lyrics . One suggests that they are derived from a real-life experience , in which a female fan claimed that Jackson -LRB- or one of his brothers -RRB- had fathered her twins . However , Michael Jackson stated that `` Billie Jean '' was based on groupies he had encountered . The song is well known for its distinctive bassline played by Louis Johnson , the standard drum beat heard in the beginning , the repetition of `` Billie Jean is not my lover '' towards the end of the song and Michael Jackson 's vocal hiccups . The song was mixed 91 times by audio engineer Bruce Swedien before it was finalized , though he reportedly went with the second mix as the final product .   The song became a success ; it was one of the best-selling singles of 1983 and is one of the best-selling singles worldwide . The song topped both the US and UK charts simultaneously . It also topped the charts of Switzerland and reached the top ten in Austria , Italy , New Zealand , Norway and Sweden . `` Billie Jean '' was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America -LRB- RIAA -RRB- in 1989 . Rolling Stone magazine placed the song in the 58th spot on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time .   Awarded numerous honours -- including two Grammy Awards , one American Music Award , and an induction into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame -- the song and corresponding music video helped propel Thriller to the status of best-selling album of all time . The song was promoted with a short film that broke down MTV 's racial barrier as the first video by a black artist to be aired in heavy rotation . Also , Jackson 's Emmy-nominated performance on Motown 25 : Yesterday , Today , Forever , in which Jackson premiered his `` moonwalk '' , helped to popularize the song . It was additionally promoted through Jackson 's Pepsi commercials . Covered by modern artists , `` Billie Jean '' sealed Jackson 's status as an international pop icon .