 " Billie Jean " is a song by American singer Michael Jackson . It is the second single from the singer 's sixth solo album , Thriller ( 1982 ) . It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones . There are contradictory claims on the meaning of the song 's lyrics . One suggests that they are derived from a real @-@ life experience , in which a female fan claimed that Jackson ( or one of his brothers ) had fathered one of her twins . However , Jackson himself stated that " Billie Jean " was based on groupies he had encountered . The song is well known for its distinctive bassline played by Louis Johnson and Jackson 's vocal hiccups . The song was mixed 91 times by audio engineer Bruce Swedien before it was finalized , though he reportedly went with the 2nd mix as the final product . 
