Although the Jackson 5 had already scored three Number One hits in 1969 ("I Want You Back," "ABC" and "The Love You Save"), it wasn't until "I'll Be There" that Michael Jackson felt he and his brothers had cemented their standing as pop hitmakers. As the King of Pop explained, "'I'll Be There' was our real breakthrough song; it was the one that said, 'We're here to stay.' It was Number One for five weeks, which is very unusual. That's a long time for a song and the song was one of my favorites of all the songs we've ever done. How I loved the words: 'You and I must make a pact/We must bring salvation back.'"