During his prime, Quincy Jones helped write, compose, and arrange some of the greatest pop hits in modern history for some legendary artists, including Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, and many more.
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As a way to remember Jones, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will honor Jones at the 2025 Oscars. That makes it the perfect time to revisit the playlist of some of the most essential Quincy Jones songs that represent the incredible mark he left on a generation of music fans. We’ll try to keep it to one song per artist since Jones produced entire albums for some of the singers on this list.
Michael Jackson - “Thriller”
It’s hard to choose just one Michael Jackson hit for this list, considering Jones produced many of them, including “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Dirty Diana,” and “Bad.” But with Halloween just passing, this felt like a perfect choice.
USA for Africa - “We Are the World”
Yes, that’s right. Quincy Jones produced the song that helped bring the world together in 1985 to help raise money for the famine going on in Ethiopia at the time.
George Benson - “Give Me the Night”
Released on the album of the same name, “Give Me the Night” was one of the first albums Jones released on his new label Qwest Records. While Benson sounds great on this record, the production on this song is immaculate.
Ray Charles - “One Mint Julep”
It speaks to Jones’ longevity that he produced a song for the Weekend as recently as 2022 and a song for Ray Charles back in 1961. Few people in any industry have had the privilege of being able to create art for that long.
The Brothers Johnson - “Strawberry Letter 23"
The cover of Shuggie Otis’ 1971 is likely just as popular as the original due in part to Jones’ updated production. He doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary but it just shows that Jones wasn’t afraid to take inspiration from the past and improve on it.
Donna Summer - “Love Is in Control”
Quincy Jones had the pleasure of producing Donna Summer’s self-titled tenth studio album. This particular song not only showcases Summer’s incredible voice but also embodies everything the 80s was about. Just listen and you’ll understand.
Aretha Franklin - “Angel”
Jones does an incredible job of combining Franklin’s voice with the production, which makes it difficult at times to decipher her voice from another instrument. It’s the sign of a true musical genius.
Donny Hathaway - “Little Ghetto Boy”
This 1972 soul song is amazing not only because it sounds great, but because it speaks to those who grew up underprivileged and fought to do better in life.
Richard - “Money Is”
Another example of Jones’ versatility. He could produce songs for R&B and soul artists with a hand tied behind his back, but his ability to create a record for someone as unique as Little Richard truly exemplifies how special Quincy was.
Lesley Gore - “You Don’t Own Me”
In the middle of The Beatles reign as the most popular act in music, Jones produced “You Don’t Own Me,” which went on to become one of Lesley Gore’s most memorable hits and his since been covered several times by many other artists.
Patti Austin - “Baby Come To Me”
While this song may not be as popular as other records on this list, it’s beloved by longtime fans of the popular ABC soap opera “General Hospital. When it was released in 1982, it didn’t perform well. But when it became the theme song for Luke Spencer, a character on the show, the record grew in popularity.
Quincy Jones - “Soul Bossa Nova”
It’s best we end this list with a record that has no vocals. Few producers can create a song that needs no words but yet can say so much. That’s what this upbeat song does.
Straight From 
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