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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' is een nummer, afkomstig van Michael Jacksons album Thriller uit 1982. Het was tevens de eerste track van dat album, maar pas het vierde nummer dat werd uitgegeven op single, na The Girl Is Mine, Billie Jean en Beat It. Op 8 mei 1983 werd het nummer wereldwijd op single uitgebracht.

Hoewel de single geen bijbehorende videoclip had, zorgde het toch voor een vervolg op het succes van Michael Jackson, met een nummer 5-notering in Amerika en een nummer 1-hit in Nederland en Denemarken. Het was de tweede Nederlandse nummer 1-hit van het album.

Oorspronkelijk zou het nummer al op het album Off the Wall staan; het was dan ook geschreven in 1978. Toch werd het niet opgenomen tot Thriller uit 1982.

Het nummer werd ook opgenomen op de verzamelalbums HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995) en This Is It (2009). Een remix in samenwerking met Akon werd opgenomen op Thriller 25 (2008) en uitgebracht als single.

Trijntje Oosterhuis nam ook een versie van het nummer op. Op haar album Never Can Say Goodbye (2009) met Michael Jackson-covers staat een medley van Wanna Be Startin' Something', Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough en Working Day and Night.

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album Thriller (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 9, 1983, by Epic Records. It was written and co-produced by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones. The lyrics pertain to strangers spreading rumors to start an argument for no good reason. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" evokes the disco sound of Jackson's previous studio album, Off the Wall, released in 1979. The song is characterized by a complex rhythm arrangement and a distinctive horn arrangement.

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" became Jackson's fourth consecutive top 10 single from Thriller on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number five. The song also topped the charts in Canada as well as the Netherlands and charted within the top 20 and top 30 in several countries. It was generally well received by contemporary music critics. As part of the release of Thriller 25, a remix of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", titled "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008 with Akon", was recorded with Akon, and released as the second single from the album. The remix was commercially successful, mainly charting within the top 10 in six countries, as well as the top 20 in several territories worldwide and top 40 in Canada. It was more successful internationally than in the United States, having peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 81, which was the song's lowest charting position.

Unlike previous singles from Thriller, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" did not have a music video to accompany it but was performed by Jackson on world concert tours as both a member of the Jacksons and as a solo artist. Following Jackson's death in June 2009, the song re-entered music charts worldwide. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" has been covered and sampled by multiple recording artists since its release, notably by Rihanna in her 2007 song "Don't Stop the Music", who was sued as a result. Aside from Thriller, the song appears on multiple compilation and greatest hits albums by Jackson.