Walk into any wedding reception, retro club night, or even a high-end fashion show today and there is a high probability you’ll hear that thunderous, marching drum beat. It starts with a rhythmic stomp. Then the brass kicks in. By the time the vocals arrive, you aren’t just listening to a song; you’re experiencing a sonic tidal wave. Can You Feel It by The Jacksons isn't just a disco-era relic. Honestly, it’s one of the most ambitious pieces of pop production ever committed to tape.
Released in late 1980 as part of the Triumph album, this track represents a very specific moment in music history. The Jackson 5 were long gone, replaced by a more mature, self-produced unit known simply as The Jacksons. They were fighting for relevance in a post-Disco Demolition Night world. They won.
The Sound of 1980: More Than Just a Groove
While the late seventies were defined by the four-on-the-floor thump of Studio 54, the turn of the decade demanded something bigger. Something more cinematic. Michael and Jackie Jackson, who co-wrote the track, weren't looking to just make people dance. They wanted to make people feel like they were part of a global movement.
The orchestration is massive. You have a full choir, a dominant horn section, and a bassline that feels like it’s vibrating in your marrow. It’s loud. It’s proud. Most importantly, it features a dual lead vocal performance that reminds us why this family dominated the airwaves for decades. Michael’s soaring, crystal-clear tenor trades lines with Randy’s grittier, soulful delivery. It creates a tension that keeps the song from feeling too sugary.
People often forget how much of a technical marvel this was. Recording technology in 1980 was sophisticated but still analog. Layering those dozens of vocal tracks and orchestral elements required a level of precision that most modern producers, even with their endless digital tracks, rarely achieve. The mixing board at Westlake Recording Studios was pushed to its absolute limit.
Why the Can You Feel It Music Video Changed Everything
If the song was a hit, the music video was a revolution. Today, we take high-budget music videos for granted. In 1981, they basically didn't exist in the way we know them. The "Can You Feel It" short film was a nine-minute epic filled with early CGI and practical effects that cost a staggering amount of money for the time.
It wasn't just a "performance" clip.
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It was a metaphorical visual feast featuring the brothers as literal giants scattering stardust over a grey, industrial world. Think about the scale. The Jacksons were positioning themselves as celestial beings bringing light to humanity. It sounds pretentious on paper, but on screen, it was breathtaking. It paved the direct path for Michael’s later solo extravaganzas like Thriller and Scream.
The "Triumph" of Self-Production
For years, the brothers were under the thumb of Berry Gordy at Motown. They were told what to sing, how to stand, and when to smile. By the time they got to the Triumph sessions, the training wheels were off.
- Creative Control: The brothers produced the album themselves.
- The Writing Duo: Michael and Jackie’s collaboration on this specific track showed a level of maturity that eclipsed their earlier "ABC" days.
- The Message: It’s a song about unity. It’s about the "blood in my veins" being the same as yours. In a fractured social climate, that message landed with a heavy, necessary weight.
The Massive Impact on Hip-Hop and Sampling
You can’t talk about the legacy of Can You Feel It by The Jacksons without talking about the 1990s and 2000s. Producers have pillaged this track for decades. Why? Because that opening drum break is untouchable.
Take a look at "Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down" by Puff Daddy. That 1997 smash hit is built entirely on the bones of the Jacksons' masterpiece. It’s not a subtle sample; it’s a tribute to the sheer infectiousness of the original rhythm. When you hear that "stomp-stomp-clap" pattern, your brain instantly recognizes the DNA of 1980.
It’s been sampled by everyone from girl groups to underground house producers. The song has this weird, magical quality where it can be sped up for a rave or slowed down for a hip-hop anthem and it still retains its power. It is "producer proof."
Misconceptions: It’s Not Just a "Michael" Song
A common mistake casual listeners make is treating this as a Michael Jackson solo track. It isn't. While Michael was clearly the gravitational center of the group by 1980—having already released the world-shattering Off The Wall—this was a collective effort.
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The harmonies are the signature Jackson 5 (now Jacksons) stack. That specific blend of voices is something only siblings can really achieve. There’s a frequency match in their vocal cords that creates a shimmering effect. If you strip Michael out, it’s still a great song. If you strip the brothers out, it loses that gospel-choir-on-steroids feel that makes it iconic.
The Technical Breakdown: Why It Works
Musically, the song is fascinating because it’s surprisingly simple yet layered with complexity.
The key is the repetition. The main hook is a rhythmic chant. It’s designed to be hypnotic. But underneath that chant, the bass is doing some incredibly busy work. The percussion isn't just a drum kit; it’s layers of shakers, handclaps, and what sounds like literal heavy machinery hitting the floor.
Then there’s the bridge. The atmospheric shift where the music drops away and leaves just the vocals and a light synth pad. It gives the listener a second to breathe before the final, explosive chorus kicks back in. That’s elite-level arrangement. It’s the "drop" before EDM even had a name for it.
Live Performances and the Victory Tour
If you really want to understand the power of this track, you have to look at the footage from the 1984 Victory Tour. It was the show opener. Imagine the lights going down in a stadium of 50,000 people. The "Can You Feel It" intro starts. The tension is unbearable.
The Jacksons would appear amidst smoke and lasers, and the moment the beat dropped, the energy was reportedly enough to shake the foundations of the stadium. It served as the perfect bridge between the group’s disco past and Michael’s world-dominating pop future.
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Cultural Significance in the Modern Era
We live in a world of "vibes." Songs today are often engineered to be background music for TikTok scrolls. Can You Feel It by The Jacksons is the opposite of background music. It demands your attention. It’s a maximalist anthem in a world that often settles for minimalism.
It’s also one of the few songs from that era that doesn't feel dated. Sure, the synthesizers have that specific 80s analog warmth, but the sentiment and the raw power of the performance feel contemporary. It deals with universal themes:
- Unity across racial and social lines.
- The physical power of music to move a crowd.
- The spiritual "feeling" of a shared experience.
Actionable Insights for Music Lovers and Creators
If you are a songwriter or a producer, there is a masterclass hidden in this track. Don't just listen to it—study it.
Analyze the Layering: Listen to the song on a high-quality pair of headphones. Try to isolate the different sounds. Notice how the "marching" percussion is actually made of three or four different rhythmic elements working together. Use this technique in your own mixes to create "weight" without clutter.
Study the Vocal Dynamics: Notice how Michael and Randy don't try to out-sing each other. They complement each other’s tone. If you’re working with multiple vocalists, focus on the "texture" of the voices rather than just the melody.
Embrace the Grandeur: Don't be afraid to go big. In an era of bedroom pop, there is a huge opening for music that feels "stadium-sized." Take the ambition of the Triumph album and apply it to modern tools.
Understand the History: To truly appreciate the song, watch the original music video. It provides the context of what the brothers were trying to achieve visually. It wasn't just about selling a record; it was about creating a mythos.
The Jacksons proved that you could be "pop" and "profound" at the same time. You can have a hook that sticks in someone's head for forty years while also delivering a message that actually means something. That is the ultimate goal of any artist, and with this track, they hit the bullseye.