1983 Iconic Pop Hit Originally Written for ToTo is Climbing the Charts Again 43 Years Later

The fifth single off of the Michael Jacksonalbum Thriller has made its way onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart again, 43 years after its 1983 release. "Human Nature," a moody, brooding ballad, has found renewed interest as Michael, the 2026 biopic centering the pop legend, has become the number one movie in the United States.

"Human Nature" was written and composed by Steve Porcaro, a founding member of the rock band Toto. The song was inspired by a moment when his daughter came home upset that a boy at school had hit her. Porcaro wanted a reason to explain the boy's behavior and chalked it up to one of three reasons: the boy liked her, people can be weird, or "it's human nature." Toto ultimately passed on the track, preferring a more stadium-rock sound.

While producer Quincy Jones was working on the track, Michael Jackson was with him in the studio, sleeping on a couch. As Jones was getting ready to call it a day, Jackson woke up and asked to record the vocals. He did so in a single take with zero edits or need for punch ins.

"Human Nature" was added to the Thriller track list and was released as the fifth single from the album in July of 1983. The single reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 list and became the fifth Top 10 hit for the singer from Thriller. "Human Nature" was released to critical acclaim with Slant writing the song was "probably the best musical composition on the album and surely one of the only A/C ballads of its era worth remembering."

Michael the movie was released in 2026 and follows the early life of Jackson through the 1960s up until the early 1980s. The soundtrack for the film contains 13 of Jackson's hits including "Human Nature," "Beat It," "Thriller," and "Billie Jean."

Despite passing on the song originally, the band Toto has performed "Human Nature" on occasion as part of a tribute to Jackson after his death.

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Related: 4 Michael Jackson Classics Are Suddenly Climbing the Charts Decades Later

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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 2:03 PM.