Remembering Michael Jackson

Remembering Michael Jackson

Born August 29, 1958 is an ingenious legend whose talent and passion will continue to touch anyone who calls himself a music fan. For generations to come, the world will revere Michael Joseph Jackson as the King of Pop, the mogul who revolutionized the music industry and forever changed the way we watch music videos.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame not once but twice, Michael Jackon’s music resonates with all who has heard it.  The seventh child of the Jackson family, Michael began his impressive career as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1969. The child prodigy assumed lead vocals at the tender age of eight. In 1966, singing James Brown’s hit, I Got You (I feel good) and a string of Motown hits, the band won a major local talent competition.

Throughout the late sixties, The Jackson 5 would tour extensively, performing at clubs and venues frequented by African-Americans. Rolling Stone magazine adulated the young Michael Jackson for his overwhelming musical gifts. With the band, Jackson scored his first consecutive Billboard number 1 singles, with classic hits such as I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save and I’ll Be There.

It was Jackson’s solo efforts that would catapult him to great fame and put him in the stratosphere of big names such as Elvis Presley and The Beatles. He remains the first African-American to build a strong crossover fan base in pop music. His first solo album, Off The Wall, was an elaborate effort which saw collaboration from Quincy Jones and legendary names such as Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney. With such star-studded backing, it’s no wonder his debut album would go on to spawn 4 Billboard Top 10 hits and sell an astonishing 20 million copies worldwide.

For his nifty work on Off The Wall, Jackson bagged 3 American Music Awards, 2 Billboard Music awards and the Grammy Award for Best Male RnB Vocal Performance that year. In 1980, he managed to seal off a deal to secure the highest royalty rate in the music industry; for every album he sells, Jackson will reap in 37% of the profits.

Not one to be complacent, Jackson thought Off the Wall did not achieve the success it deserved, and he vowed to surpass all expectations with his sophomore album. This is a man who relentlessly pushes himself to greater heights and never settles. Michael Jackson is definitely the epitome of swagger.

With Thriller, Jackson enjoyed unprecedented success and worldwide recognition. The Thriller album is the apotheosis of a musical masterpiece. The album made a dent on the Billboard charts, having stayed in the Top 10 for 80 consecutive weeks and spent almost half of that time at the coveted top spot. To date, Thriller has sold more than 109 million copies, making it the best selling album of all time. Thriller is often touted as a culturally significant, grandeur album.

Cementing Jackson as an artistic entertainer was his vault of music videos released during the Thriller era. Thriller, Billie Jean and Beat it all but define the way music videos are today. Instead of making a music video, Jackson transformed his music videos into a form of tantalizing imagery. Achieving this through a smart use of storylines, choreographed dance routines and special effects, Jackson has and will be accredited for revolutionizing music videos in many, many generations to come.

Perhaps the performance that exalted him to the rank of the greats, Jackson debuted his signature moonwalk move at the Motown 25 television special.

Watched by some 50 million people, Jackson’s pioneered slick moonwalk, in which he glides seamlessly across the stage, had fans and critics break into a salvo. It was a dance move never before witnessed by mankind and it is one performance that would be remembered as an iconic moment in pop culture. As a tribute to the King of Pop, fans and aspiring dancers alike still channel their inner Michael Jackson as they try to master the moonwalk.

The rave and fanfare surrounding Billie Jean and the Motown performance helped propel Thriller the album to immense success. By the end of the era, Michael Jackson had scooped up 8 Grammy Awards.

Enter the era of Bad. Proving his career had legs and longevity, Jackson put out 7 hit singles off the Bad album and 5 of which climbed to the top of the charts. Embarking on the Bad world tour, Jackson broke all forms of records when he drew multitudes of fans wherever he toured. Selling out 7 shows at the London Wembley stadium, where 504,000 fans had watched him perform live on stage, Jackson would later earn himself a spot in the World Guinness Record. The tour grossed $125 million.

Renewing his deal with Sony in 1991 for a whooping $65 million was yet another record setting feat for Jackson. His eighth album, Dangerous, was released that same year. The first single off the album, Black and White, saw Jackson sit comfortably at the Billboard charts for 7 weeks. The latter two singles, Remember the Time and Heal the World also saw measurable success.

The following year, Jackson founded the Heal the World foundation, which aimed to lend help to underprivileged children. Always the selfless person that he was, he invited these children into the famous Neverland Ranch; a $17 million theme park that comprised of rollercoasters and a movie theater. Beneath all the magnificence and stardom was a humble human being who genuinely cared for children.

Jackson set out on the Dangerous world tour with a goal that is both generous and benevolent. Of the tour, he said he aimed to gross $100 million to benefit impoverished children all over the world. The tour would concurrently support the fight against AIDS, in honor of Ryan White’s passing.

In 1993, Jackson gave yet another earth-shattering performance at the Super Bowl halftime. Giving fans the treat of their lives, he took to the stage and delivered 4 enthralling performances; Jam, Billie Jean, Black or White and Heal the World. His appearance increased ratings exponentially; 135 million Americans reportedly tuned in to watch the King of Pop.

At the 35^th Annual Grammy Awards, he was conferred the title of “Living Legend”.

With a string of hits on his hand, a Greatest Hits compilation was well underway. Aptly titled HIStory, the album is a multiple disc collection that packs 30 Michael Jackson songs in one; 15 of which were classic tunes and the other 15 were new songs.

By now Jackson was no stranger to breaking records. The debut single, Scream, saw collaboration with his sister, Janet Jackson. It debuted at number 5, the highest charting single there was at the time. Jackson upped his game and broke his own record when he released You Are Not Alone, and had his song debut on the number 1 spot on the Billboard Charts. The song now holds the Guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut on the Billboard top spot.

Also no stranger to sold-out arenas, Jackson performed the HIStory World Tour to 4.5 million fans, making it the biggest and most watched tour at the time.

By the new millennium, for his musical works and achievements, Jackson had already broken a handful of Guinness World Record. More so than any other living celebrity, what would probably define him as a philanthropic celebrity was his support for charitable benefits. He was listed in the Guinness World Record for lending his support to 39 charities. A man who gives back to society is a man worth respecting.

A star of Michael Jackson’s magnitude is bound to be hit by a slew of controversies. As magnificent as his career was, he too suffered a life that was full of deceit and exploitation. He was a human being who was bereft of basic rights such as personal freedom and space. Over the years, the embattled star had to constantly fight off bad press that put him in a bad, almost devilish light.

No matter the allegations, no matter what the dark truth may be, let us all remember Michael Jackson the way he should be remembered; a great music legend that will never be replicated.

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