Song · Jackson 5
“I Want You Back” by Jackson 5
Released 1969
“I Want You Back” by Jackson 5 appears on 11 radio countdowns from 6 stations between 2007 and 2026. It was first released in 1969. Its best result is #135 on the 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #744 indie & aaa song of all time and #134 of the '70s.
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Video from YouTube (The Ed Sullivan Show). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
Motown put "I Want You Back" out on October 7, 1969, as the Jackson 5's very first single, and it came off their debut album Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5. Berry Gordy, Fonce Mizell, Deke Richards and Freddie Perren wrote it, and it's a cyclone of a record, all bounce and swing, with a lead vocal so bright and hungry it nearly knocks the needle off.
The group rolled it out on their first TV spots, The Hollywood Palace that October and The Ed Sullivan Show that December, and by January 31, 1970, it had given them their first number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It ran the Soul singles chart for four weeks too, backed by a remake of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "Who's Lovin' You," and has sold over 6 million copies worldwide. Rolling Stone later ranked it 104th among the greatest songs of all time.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 746 | WTMD | WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time | 897 |
| 2009 | 742 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) | 885 |
| 2012 | 653 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) | 885 |
| 2014 | 207 | WXPN | WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) | 885 |
| 2018 | 170 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs | 892 |
| 2020 | 808 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
| 2022 | 135 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s | 908 |
| 2023 | 572 | WYEP | WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 | 1229 |
| 2023 | 626 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time | 909 |
| 2025 | 519 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs | 800 |
| 2026 | 646 | WYEP | WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time | 1180 |
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