Artist Discussion Series: Michael Jackson

[AwallaceUNC]

<center>

Michael Jackson

<img src="http://www.michaeljackson.com/lofi/images/pic08.jpg">
Born August 29, 1958
Primary Genres: Pop, R&B
Seconday Genres/Styling: Dance, Soul, Showtunes
Estimated Total Worldwide Sales: 300,000,000 (450,000,000 including Jackson 5 sales)
US #1 Singles (Any Chart): 18
US #1 Singles (Primary Chart): 13
UK #1 Singles: 7
US #1 Albums (Any Chart): 6
US #1 Albums (Primary Chart): 5
UK #1 Albums: 7 (+1 Unofficial release)
US Top 40 Singles (Primary Chart): 37
RIAA-Certified Platinum and/or Multi-Platinum Albums: 8
RIAA-Certified Certified Gold Albums: 10
Grammys: 13
Received Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980
Inducted Into World Music Awards Hall of Fame in 1989
Inducted Into BET Hall of Fame in 1995 (first year of eligibility, first inductee)
Inducted Into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (as a Jackson 5 member) in 1997
Inducted Into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (as a solo artist) in 2001
Inducted Into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (as a songwriter) in 2002
**Stats do not include Jackson 5 numbers unless specifically notes**

Official Discography
<table width="75%" border="1"><tr><td>Got To Be There (1971)</td><td>Thriller (1982) (#1) (Grammy)</td><td>Invincible (2001) (#1)</td></tr><tr><td>Ben (1972)</td><td>Farewell My Summer Love (1984)</td><td>Greatest Hits - HIStory V. 1 (2001)</td></tr><tr><td>Music and Me (1973)</td><td>Bad (1987) (#1)</td><td>Number Ones (2003)</td></tr><tr><td>Forever, Michael (1975)</td><td>Dangerous (1991) (#1)</td><td>The Ultimate Collection (2004)</td></tr><tr><td>Off the Wall (1979) (#1)</td><td>HIStory... Book I (1995) (#1)</td><td>The Essential Michael Jackson (2005)</td></tr><tr><td>One Day In Your Life (1981)</td><td>Blood on the Dance Floor... (1997)</td><td>-</td></tr></table>

Unofficial Discography (Select Titles)
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982) (Grammy)

Home Video Releases
The Making of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" (1984) (VHS only) (Grammy)
Moonwalker (1987) (VHS only)
Michael Jackson: Legend Continues (1989) (VHS only)
Michael Jackson - Dangerous: The Short Films (1993)
Michael Jackson - Video Greatest Hits - HIStory (1995)
History on Film, Volume 2 (1997)
Number Ones (2003)
Michael Jackson - The One (2004)
Michael Jackson: Live in Bucharest - The Dangerous Tour (2005)

Select Filmography
"The Jacksons" (1976)
The Wiz (1978)
Captain EO (1986)
Moonwalker (1988)
"The Simpsons" (1991)
Men In Black II (2002)[/size] </center>

Most Popular Songs
Thriller (Grammy)
Beat It (#1) (2 Grammys)
Billie Jean (#1) (2 Grammys)
Will You Be There (Theme From <i>Free Willy</i>)
She's Out of My Life
You Rock My World
We Are the World (with USA For Africa) (Grammy)
Childhood (Theme From <i>Free Willy 2</i>)
Black or White (#1)
Bad (#1)
PYT (Pretty Young Thing)
Scream (with Janet Jackson) (Grammy)
The Way You Make Me Feel (#1)
Man in the Mirror (#1)
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (#1) (Grammy)
Heal the World
Rock With You (#1)
Ben (#1)
Ease on Down the Road
Shake Your Body Down to the Ground
One Day In Your Life (#1)
Say Say Say (with Paul McCartney) (#1)
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
I Just Can't Stop Loving You (#1)
Dirty Diana (#1)
Liberian Girl
Another Part of Me (#1)
Remember the Time (#1)
Smooth Criminal
In the Closet (#1)
Leave Me Alone (Grammy)
You Are Not Alone (#1)
They Don't Really Care About Us
Earth Song (#1)
Blood on the Dance Floor (#1)
Heartbreaker
The Girl Is Mine (with Paul McCartney) (#1)
One More Chance (#1)




Notable Facts
*Known as "The King of Pop"
*He is famous for his elaborate music videos. The "Thriller" video was one of the first and is sometimes credited for the popularity of music videos.
*He had his own 3-D movie attraction, <i>Captain EO</i>, at Epcot, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland frm 1986 through 1998
*His album, <i>Thriller</i>, is the best-selling of all time in the world and the 2nd best-selling within the US. It has been certified 27x Platinum (Diamond) by the RIAA and has sold somewhere between 47 and 60 million copies
*He has more #1 singles on Billboard's Hot 100 than any other solo artist
*His entire family is famous. Along with four of his brothers, he was part of the legendary Jackson 5 as a child. His sisters, La Toya and Janet, are a model and a pop star, respectively.
*He was at one time linked to Elvis, the "King of Rock," through marriage to his daughter, Lisa Marie
*His nine Platinum-certified singles are second only to Elvis among male artists
*He is the only artist to have 5 #1 hits from the same album (<i>Bad</i>)
*Jackson had more #1s than any other artist in the 1980s
*He was the first artist to have a song debut at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100
*<i>Bad</i> holds the record for longest time spent in Billboard's Top 5
*The Grammy-winning <i>Scream</i> video was the most expensive to produce in history
*Tied with Carlos Santana and Nora Jones, he has the record for the most Grammys won in a single night (eight)
*He has been parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic on numerous occasions, resulting in the artist's biggest hits
*Has received several Presidential awards, including Artist of the Decade (1980s) from President George H. W. Bush
*Popularized the "Moonwalk," a trademark dance of his live performances
*He has supported more charities than any other artist
*He has gone to #1 on the charts in 5 different decades: the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, and 2000s

Mini-Biography
Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958) is an American musician and entertainer whose successful music career and controversial personal life have been at the forefront of pop culture for the last quarter-century.
Jackson began his musical career at the age of seven as the lead singer of The Jackson 5 and made his first solo recordings in 1971 while remaining a member of the group.[1] He began a full-fledged solo career in 1979 and formally parted with his siblings in 1984.[2] In his solo career, Jackson recorded and co-produced the best-selling album of all-time[3] Thriller (with worldwide sales over 51 million), received thirteen Grammy awards[4] and charted thirteen number-one singles in the U.S. Throughout his four-decade career, Michael Jackson has been awarded numerous honors, including the World Music Award's Best-selling pop male artist of the Millennium and he is a double-inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and in 2001 as a solo artist.[5] He is also a member of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.
From 1988 to 2005, Jackson lived on his Neverland Ranch property, on which he built an amusement park and private zoo for the enjoyment of economically disadvantaged and terminally ill children.
His frequently held sleepover parties have received disparaging media coverage, especially after he revealed that he sometimes slept in the same bed with several unrelated children. The attention grew particularly intense when he was accused of child sexual abuse both in 1993 and 2003. He was tried and acquitted of the allegations in 2005.
(Biography from Wikipedia)

Official Website: www.michaeljackson.com


<hr>
Past Artist Discussions:
1. Aerosmith
2. Elvis Presley
<hr>
-Aaron

[AwallaceUNC]

His certainly disturbing and arguably illegal personal life aside, Michael Jackson is one of my all-time favorite artists. Admittedly, I don't own many of his albums (just the double-disc <i>History</i> and the four-disc <i>Ultimate Collection</i> plus the <i>History</i> DVD) and there are some songs that I just don't care for. I do know a good amount of his music, though, and the stuff that is good is golden.

Though he was the biggest artist of the 1980s, his music transcends that decade and isn't the least bit dated. The same can be said for his '90s stuff (the '70s stuff is a little disco-ey, but still fun). He's a truly brilliant songwriter and musician who has proven himself capable of constructing timeless masterpieces. The "King of Pop" mantra is entirely deserved.

My favorite songs are "Will You Be There", "Black and White", "Thriller", "Scream", and "Man in the Mirror." Unfortunately, I never got to experience <i>Captain EO</i>.

Does anyone remember some sort of movie with Michael Jackson and animated characters (the chipmunks, perhaps)? I remember seeing it when I was young, but I can't find info on it online.

-Aaron

[memnv]

The movie may be Free to Be... You & Me (1974) (TV)

[kbehm29]

One of my all-time favorite artists as well, and I won't comment on his personal life.

We own the mini-movie Moonwalker (I think this may be what you remember - it really is quite remarkable), which is just amazing...and I own several CD's, including History, as well. I'm glad he still has a strong fan base, albeit the majority in foreign countries. I am glad of his accomplishments, and I believe the music industry wouldn't be the same place without him.

I wish him well in the future.

[AwallaceUNC]

The movie may be Free to Be... You & Me (1974) (TV)

I don't think so... this had to have been a late 80s or early 90s production. I remember Michael being on the run from someone in a warehouse or something like that.

-Aaron

[kbehm29]

The movie may be Free to Be... You & Me (1974) (TV)

I don't think so... this had to have been a late 80s or early 90s production. I remember Michael being on the run from someone in a warehouse or something like that.

-Aaron

Yes - that would be Moonwalker. I have it on VHS, and haven't been able to find it on DVD.

[AwallaceUNC]

Yes - that would be Moonwalker. I have it on VHS, and haven't been able to find it on DVD.

Cool! Thanks... I'll have to rewatch that at some point. It's apparently only available on VHS.

-Aaron

[Lars Vermundsberget]

I guess I'll have to say I never really liked Michael Jackson, but I admit he had quite some mighty catchy tunes!

[MadonnasManOne]

Michael Jackson was, without a doubt, one of the best artists of the late 70's, and 80's. While Madonna is my favorite female artist of the 80's (she still is, even today), Michael Jackson was my favorite male artist during the 80's. It is unfortunate that he will never be able to replicate the success he had during that time, but, I am glad that he has left behind a great catalog of music that I can go back to, time and again.

In fact, I am currently listening to his HIStory double CD, which contains 15 of his greatest hits, and at the time, 15 new songs. HIStory, by the way, was released in 1995, not 2001. Of course, it's debut single was "Scream", which also featured his sister, Janet Jackson. Janet, at this time, had already established herself as a formidable artist, and would soon, with the release of her hit album, Janet, become even more high-profile than Michael. This is mostly due to the personal problems that would take Michael Jackson down from his thrown. Even though he has since released only one new album, Invincible, it appears that Michael's best days as an artist are behind him.

My favorite Michael Jackson song is "Man In The Mirror". I think it sums him up, perfectly. Also, Michael Jackson actually crowned himself the "King of Pop". The media did not bestow that title upon him, but, after they ridiculed him for saying that about himself, I guess it stuck, because that's how the media would refer to him for some time.

[rexcrk]

Does anyone remember some sort of movie with Michael Jackson and animated characters (the chipmunks, perhaps)? I remember seeing it when I was young, but I can't find info on it online.

-Aaron

Well... there was an Alvin and the Chipmunks video (hosted by Will Smith) called Rockin' With the Chipmunks and they go through all different eras of music. During the 80's part they feature Michael Jackson's videos of Beat It and Smooth Criminal and they draw Alvin in as if he's there interacting with Michael. I'm not sure if this is what you're talking about though

And just to note, I'm listening to the Chipmunk Adventure soundtrack right now (ironic huh? )

[Loomis]

I have an incredibly soft-spot for Michael Jackson, and is one of the few 'pop' indulgences that I possess. Not only do I own all the solo albums from 'Off the Wall' through 'Invincible' - yes, even the underrated 'Blood on the Dancefloor'.

Raises the question - should recent musical crimes be forgiven for a history of outstanding work? Many fine artists have had early strong careers, only to produce pure crap later on. MJ, it must be said, is not batting 100 anymore, with far too many 'Heal the Worlds' and not enough 'Smooth Criminal'. His best days, as MadonnasManOne mentioned, are certainly behind him but we'll always have the music.

However, the thing I've always enjoyed about MJ are the music videos. I'm a huge fan of the music video format, as some of the best 'short films' have been made in this format. MJ has certainly worked with some big-name directors too: Martin Scorsese ('Bad'); John Landis ('Thriller'); Mark Romanek ('Scream'), John Singleton ('Remember the Time') and David Fincher ('Who Is It?') to name a few. My personal favourite would have to be 'Smooth Criminal', as it brings together all those famous MJ elements: dancing; funky music and small children (sorry, couldn't resist).

I highly recommend getting the HIStory DVDs and the Dangerous - The Short Films simply because they have the full versions of 'Bad', 'Smooth Criminal' and 'Thriller', as I've been told that some of the ones appearing on the 'Number Ones' DVD are the shortened versions.

Does anybody know if the full version of 'You Rock My World' video appears on anything?

[AwallaceUNC]

HIStory, by the way, was released in 1995, not 2001

Right... <i>Book 1</i> (the double-disc) was released in 1995. In 2001, a single-disc greatest hits CD reused that name but added "Greatest Hits" and "Volume 1" to the title. Both releases are in the chart.

As for MJ being past his prime, I totally agree with you. It's quite sad, really. I did enjoy "Heartbreaker," but nothing else from recent years has won me over. It's odd that someone can produce such a large quantity of timeless music but then his career itself is unable to have the same longevity. But then, as I pointed out in the notable facts section, he has had #1 songs in each decade of his career, so perhaps we're selling him a little short. Who knows, maybe the ever-delayed 2007 album will surprise us all.

However, the thing I've always enjoyed about MJ are the music videos. I'm a huge fan of the music video format, as some of the best 'short films' have been made in this format. MJ has certainly worked with some big-name directors too

Yeah, his videos are as impressive to me as the music itself and while I like music videos in general as well, that's not something I'd say for most artists. I think MJ probably leads the pack of music video artists. I only have the first <i>HIStory</i> DVD so I definitely need to pick up at least those two others.

Now we just need <i>Captain EO</i> released in a WDT set.

-Aaron

[AwallaceUNC]

I've now added Hollywood Walk of Fame stars for all 3 artists in the series thus far. I couldn't find a year for when Elvis got his, though.

Well... there was an Alvin and the Chipmunks video (hosted by Will Smith) called Rockin' With the Chipmunks and they go through all different eras of music. During the 80's part they feature Michael Jackson's videos of Beat It and Smooth Criminal and they draw Alvin in as if he's there interacting with Michael. I'm not sure if this is what you're talking about though

And just to note, I'm listening to the Chipmunk Adventure soundtrack right now (ironic huh? )

Yes, I remember this too. It's not what I was thinking of (sounds like it was <i>Moonwalker</i>, but these Chipmunk specials and movies are something I'd like to get on DVD too

-Aaron

[MadonnasManOne]

HIStory, by the way, was released in 1995, not 2001

Right... <i>Book 1</i> (the double-disc) was released in 1995. In 2001, a single-disc greatest hits CD reused that name but added "Greatest Hits" and "Volume 1" to the title. Both releases are in the chart.

Who knows, maybe the ever-delayed 2007 album will surprise us all.

-Aaron

Oops, Aaron. I failed to see that. I didn't realize that this was done with HIStory. Thanks for clarifying!

Nothing is outside the realm of possibility, but, it's highly unlikely that Michael Jackson could recapture his glory days. You never know.

[Argenbrit]

He may be nuts, but he's a great artist. Also one of my all-time favourites.

[MickeyMousePal]

Michael Jackson is king of Pop and we might not ever have another like Michael Jackson.

Has so many number one hits it's hard to pick which one is the best.
I probably have more CD's of him then any other singer.

[crunkcourt]

While Michael Jackson isn't my role model or anything I absolutely love him, he is up there with one of my favorite artists of all times. It's important to be able to seperate an artist from their actions, and you can still appreciate their art and not approve of their actions. But anyways, I've always thought that if I could ever see one concert of my dreams it would be Michael Jackson in the 80's.

[cydney]

Michael Jackson is one of the greatest artists out there. I love his music. Some of my favorites songs are Thriller, The Way You Make Me Feel, Billie Jean and Scream his duet with Janet. Michael as a person, well, very questionable is all I will say.

[MichaeLeah]

I have a copy of the album Thriller and I have to say it is an excellent album. There isn't really a weak track on the whole album.

[dvdjunkie]

Why do we even have to discuss this person. He WAS talented, and WAS from a very great music family, but then he turned weird. I haven't listened to anything he has done since "Thriller". I don't consider him to be anything more than a 'child molester' who had a lot of money and a good attorney.