Paul McCartney originally wrote the song “Girlfriend” for Michael Jackson. He later included the track on his own 1978 album, *London Town*, with his band Wings.
The collaboration preceded their later, well-documented business feud. McCartney has noted he crafted the tune with Jackson’s vocal style in mind, though the King of Pop never recorded it during that period.
Jackson would eventually release his own version of “Girlfriend” on his 1979 album, *Off the Wall*. The song’s history highlights a professional relationship between two music icons before their eventual falling out.