In November 1982 MCA released E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: The Storybook an audiobook narrated by Michael Jackson for Steven Spielberg and produced by Quincy Jones. It featured an original song “Someone in the Dark” written by Rod Temperton. Epic Records had approved the project under two clear conditions: the album could not come out until after Christmas and the song was never to be issued as a single.
MCA broke both rules. Epic sued for two million dollars. The album was withdrawn from shelves but roughly a million copies had already shipped.
Watch Michael Jackson & Quincy Jones Win A GRAMMY For ‘E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial’ | GRAMMY Rewind
At the February 1984 Grammy Awards Michael Jackson took home eight trophies in a single night. Seven of them belonged to Thriller. The eighth was Best Recording for Children for the short-lived E.T. album. Standing on stage he told the audience “Of all the awards I’ve gotten I’m most proud of this one honestly.” He added that children were a great inspiration and that the album was for everyone. Quincy Jones used his own acceptance remarks to call out the lawyers and executives who had stopped the record from reaching a wider audience.
The win remains one of the quieter footnotes of Jackson’s record-breaking night. An album that barely survived its own release still managed to earn the honor he valued most.
Michael Jackson’s career was defined by ambition that refused ordinary limits. He turned Thriller into the best-selling album of all time, reinvented the music video and set performance standards that still influence artists decades later. Moments like the E.T. Grammy revealed a side of him that prized emotional connection and storytelling as highly as commercial dominance.
These lesser-known chapters keep expanding the full picture of an artist who found meaning in unexpected places. Keep exploring the stories behind the legend and discover how deeply the King of Pop’s creative reach extended.