I'll Be There Jackson 5: Five Weeks at No. 1 in 1970
I'll Be There Jackson 5 is the 1970 Motown single that ruled the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks.
Michael and Jermaine Jackson share the lead on a ballad about a promise to always show up.
It was the group's fourth number one in a row and their last.
This page covers who wrote it, how it charted, what critics said and the covers that followed.
The Jackson 5 in a 1974 publicity portrait.
Image credit: Photo by The Jackson 5, public domain in the United States, via Wikimedia Commons.
I'll Be There Jackson 5: The Song Behind the Promise
The song came out of Motown in 1970, at the peak of the Jackson 5's first run of hits.
Wikipedia files it as soul, and it runs 3:57.
Four Writers, One Producer
Four people share the writing credit.
- Berry Gordy.
- Hal Davis.
- Bob West.
- Willie Hutch.
Wikipedia credits Hal Davis as producer and Bob West as arranger.
It also notes that the article describes the songwriters as producers too.
Two Lead Voices
Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson both sing lead, and every I'll Be There Jackson 5 fan knows who takes which line.
This site's Hot 100 data says Michael was only 12 years old when the single reached number one.
If slow, tender soul is what you want next, the Mood Song Matcher can line up more of it.
A Slower Side of the Group
This site's Year-End data describes it as a more tender, ballad side of the group.
Record World praised the group's "versatility" in moving to a slower tempo.
For the wider picture of the label's decade, see our guide to 70s soul music.
Recording and Release
Wikipedia says the group recorded the song in June 1970 at Hitsville West in Los Angeles.
Motown released it on August 28, 1970.
It was the first single from the group's Third Album.
The rest of the decade's Motown story lives on Music of the 70s, if this one sends you looking for more.
The Single at a Glance
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Artist | The Jackson 5 |
| Writers | Berry Gordy, Hal Davis, Bob West and Willie Hutch |
| Producer and arranger | Hal Davis (producer), Bob West (arranger) |
| Lead vocals | Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson |
| Recorded | June 1970, Hitsville West, Los Angeles |
| Released | August 28, 1970, on Motown |
| Parent album | Third Album (first single) |
| B-side | One More Chance |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 22, 2026.
Hear a 1970 TV Performance
Press play to watch the group perform I'll Be There Jackson 5 style on The Jim Nabors Hour.
You can also find I'll Be There on the Listen Now jukebox.
On the Charts: Five Weeks at Number One
I'll Be There Jackson 5 hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the chart week starting October 17, 1970.
It replaced Neil Diamond's "Cracklin' Rosie" at the top.
It stayed for five straight weeks, which this site's weekly Hot 100 data confirms.
The Five Weeks
| Week | Chart week | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 17 to 23, 1970 | No. 1 |
| 2 | October 24 to 30, 1970 | No. 1 |
| 3 | October 31 to November 6, 1970 | No. 1 |
| 4 | November 7 to 13, 1970 | No. 1 |
| 5 | November 14 to 20, 1970 | No. 1 |
Source: this site's weekly Hot 100 number one data, matched against the Wikipedia article on the song.
Peaks Around the World
On the other charts, the record traveled less far than it did at home.
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | No. 1 |
| US Best Selling Soul Singles | No. 1 |
| UK Singles | No. 4 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | No. 14 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | No. 16 |
| New Zealand (Listener) | No. 18 |
| US Adult Contemporary | No. 24 |
| Australia (Go-Set) | No. 31 |
| West Germany | No. 45 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, weekly charts section, checked October 22, 2026.
Nine of the song's 1970 and 1971 chart peaks, drawn from the Wikipedia figures in the table above.
Year-End Standing
This site's Year-End Hot 100 data puts I'll Be There Jackson 5 at No. 7 for 1970.
Wikipedia adds two more rankings.
- UK Singles year-end, 1971: No. 49.
- US Hot 100 all-time list (1958 to 2018): No. 170.
To see the whole countdown around it, open our top songs of 1970 post.
Sales and Honors
Wikipedia reports I'll Be There Jackson 5 as the group's most successful single.
- Sales: 4.2 million copies in the US and 6.1 million worldwide.
- UK (BPI): Gold, for 400,000 units.
- Grammy Hall of Fame: inducted in 2011.
The same page calls it the most successful Motown single of the "Detroit era," which it dates from 1959 to 1972.
Reception and Legacy
The numbers tell part of the story, and the 1970 record book tells the rest.
Ten Weeks Beat Every Other Act
This site's weekly data counts the Jackson 5 at number one for ten weeks in 1970, and I'll Be There Jackson 5 supplied half of them.
No other act in that data reached ten, and Simon & Garfunkel were next with six.
| Song | Weeks at No. 1 | First week at No. 1 |
|---|---|---|
| I Want You Back | 1 | January 31, 1970 |
| ABC | 2 | April 25, 1970 |
| The Love You Save | 2 | June 27, 1970 |
| I'll Be There | 5 | October 17, 1970 |
Source: this site's weekly Hot 100 number one data.
Read how the first of them started the run in I Want You Back.
What Critics Said
- AllMusic wrote that it was rare for someone so young to sing "with so much authority and grace."
- Record World praised the group's "versatility" in using a slower tempo.
- Michael Jackson wrote in his 1988 autobiography Moonwalk that the song solidified the group's career.
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, reception section.
The Jackson 5 in a CBS Television publicity photo, 1972.
Image credit: Photo by CBS Television, public domain in the United States, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Last of the Run
Wikipedia says the group became the first to have their first four singles reach number one, and I'll Be There Jackson 5 was the fourth.
It also says this was the Jackson 5's final Hot 100 number one.
Their later singles peaked no higher than number two.
The full run of their decade sits on our page of Jackson 5 songs.
Covers and Later Versions
I'll Be There Jackson 5 fans can trace the song through several rebuilds, and one version matched the original at the top of the chart.
To hear what else the decade threw up, let the Random 70s Song Generator pick one.
Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz, 1992
Mariah Carey performed it as a duet with Trey Lorenz on MTV Unplugged.
The show was taped on March 16, 1992.
She sang Michael's lines, and Lorenz sang Jermaine's.
Carey and Walter Afanasieff co-produced it, and it came out on May 26, 1992, as the lead single from the EP MTV Unplugged.
It reached number one on the Hot 100, her sixth.
It was also number one in Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand.
It reached the top five in the UK and Ireland and the top ten in Australia.
It earned two Grammy nominations, for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best R&B Song.
The pair sang it again at Michael Jackson's memorial service on July 7, 2009.
Other Versions and Samples
- Arthur Hanlon, 2013: a bachata cover sung in Spanglish with Karlos Rosé on lead, which reached No. 41 on US Hot Latin Songs and No. 4 on Tropical Airplay.
- Wayne Wilkins: a remix for the 2009 album The Remix Suite.
- Busta Rhymes: his 2020 song Look Over Your Shoulders, featuring Kendrick Lamar, samples it.
Wikipedia also lists 2009 re-release peaks, with the UK at No. 49 and Austria at No. 60.
A promise made by a 12-year-old in 1970 is still the one people sing back.
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, covers and legacy sections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote I'll Be There by the Jackson 5?
Berry Gordy, Hal Davis, Bob West and Willie Hutch wrote I'll Be There for the Jackson 5.
Hal Davis produced it and Bob West arranged it.
Motown released the single on August 28, 1970, as the first single from the group's Third Album.
Who sings lead on I'll Be There by the Jackson 5?
Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson share the lead vocals on I'll Be There.
Michael was 12 years old when the song reached number one, according to this site's Hot 100 data.
When Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz covered it in 1992, she sang Michael's lines and he sang Jermaine's.
How many weeks was I'll Be There at number one?
I'll Be There spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, from the chart week of October 17, 1970, to the week of November 14, 1970.
It replaced Neil Diamond's Cracklin' Rosie.
It also spent six weeks at number one on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart.
Was I'll Be There the Jackson 5's last number one?
I'll Be There was the Jackson 5's fourth number one in a row and their last on the Billboard Hot 100.
It followed I Want You Back, ABC and The Love You Save.
Wikipedia says their later singles peaked no higher than number two.
Did Mariah Carey cover I'll Be There?
Mariah Carey covered I'll Be There as a duet with Trey Lorenz on MTV Unplugged, taped on March 16, 1992.
It was released on May 26, 1992, and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
It was her sixth number one.
They also performed it at Michael Jackson's memorial service in 2009.
Sources
- I'll Be There (Jackson 5 song), Wikipedia, for the writers, the June 1970 recording, the August 28, 1970 release, chart peaks, sales, the BPI certification, the Grammy Hall of Fame induction, reception quotes and the covers.
- Third Album, Wikipedia, for the album the song appears on.
- The Jackson 5, Wikipedia, for the group's background and the run of early hits.
- The five number one weeks, the ten-week 1970 total and the Year-End rank of No. 7 come from this site's own weekly Hot 100 and Billboard Year-End Hot 100 data.
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