Billboard #1 Hits: #281: “Ben”- Michael Jackson – October 14, 1972. #1 for 1 week in Billboard Hot 100.
- Single: “Ben”- Michael Jackson
- Record Company- Motown
- Genre: Pop
- Written by Don Block and Walter Scharf
- Time: 2:44
- B-side: “You Can Cry On My Shoulder”
- Album- Ben
- Grade: B
- Peaked at #1 1 week in Billboard Hot 100. #7 in UK Singles Chart, #1 in Australia.
“Ben” was written for Donny Osmond but The Osmonds were on tour and Donny was on tour and unavailable. The song was played on the closing credits of the movie Ben- about a killer rat. Michael became the 3rd youngest solo performer to hit #1 after Stevie Wonder who was 13 when he hit the top with “Fingertips” and that heavy metal God- Donny Osmond who was just shy of 14 when he hit with “Go Away Little Girl.”
slicethelife 
A love song to a rat. Obviously before Michael got…strange.
I think one of the turning points for Michael was when he tried to buy the elephant man’s bones… but maybe Ben bit him.