Usually, it takes the benefit of hindsight to realize you’re seeing history in the making, the meeting of two monumental forces that will redefine an entire medium of art. But watching Diana Ross sing “Upside Down” in concert, joined by Michael Jackson, it was clear from the start this was the meeting of two powerhouses with too much talent to contain.
Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic fame originally wrote and produced this ’80s disco anthem, with Ross recording it as the lead single for her eleventh studio album, Diana. That autumn, it enjoyed a whole month at the very top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and abroad it enjoyed just as much love. In 1981, Ross performed it onstage as part of her television special, Diana, and was joined by her labelmate, Jackson, and it was a night that still gets people chattering today—because how on Earth do you balance that much talent on one stage, anyway?
Diana Ross teamed up with Michael Jackson for a unique performance of “Upside Down”
Ross parted ways with the Supremes in 1970, and while it was a shame to break up such a dream team, Ross certainly did well for herself in her solo endeavors, to make the understatement of the millennia. The success of “Upside Down” earned Ross her ninth Grammy nomination, and it’s celebrated at number 80 in Billboard‘s Hot 100 60th Anniversary listing.
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It was a big deal for co-writers Rodgers and Edwards, who once admitted, “Diana Ross was the first big star we ever worked with and we took it very seriously.” The trio chatted for several days so the two could get to know Ross—and that made a world of difference for the legendary Ross.
Rodgers explained, “This was the first time in her life somebody cared about who she was; what she was — everyone previously had treated her the way we had treated Sister Sledge — they got her in and said ‘Sing this’. We [took a more personal approach].”
Then there’s the team-up between Ross and Jackson.
This stage isn’t big enough for all this history being made
To this day, Ross is considered the latest and most enduring blueprint for what it means to be a pop diva, writes Ross megafan Chuck Arnold for The New York Post. In an interview with Arnold and Edwards, the latter pointed to “I’m Coming Out” as the anthem for Ross’s newfound success and her growing role as the face of pop music for the entire medium and for Black America.
“I said, ‘Diana, this is gonna be your coming-out song. We think of you as our black queen,” Edwards had said. “And I even wrote a [horn] fanfare. I explained to her that it’s just like when the president comes out and they play ‘Hail to the Chief.'”
Who should share the stage with Queen Diana Ross but the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, singing “Upside Down” as these two turned the music landscape upside down. In fact, it’s almost too much to handle. A few versions of this iconic performance exist on YouTube, all with millions of views, and the comments are full of fans of both artists who can’t get enough of their respective favorite pop stars.
Perhaps the most outright declaration of sides came from one comment reading, “It was nice of Diana to warm the crowd up for Michael’s 30 second concert.” In a similar vein, another teased, “Its like once you give MJ the mic he’s not giving it back…. Its his show now lol.”
Another, however, praised the moment for what it is and the grace Ross displayed in celebration of music itself, writing, “The fact that Diana just immediately went in the back and was getting down is EVERYTHING !!!!. No jealousy or ego tripping. Just pure love and joy.” Similarly, another cheered, “This is like the best duet EVER. Diana was GETTING IT after he took that mic and she ran off throwing her arms in the air. She is the only one who can pull off dancing in a dress like that, too!!”
It seems this song alone is still enough to turn the music world upside down!
