Michael Jackson died Thursday at age 50. I decided to let a couple days pass so that all the media hype could fizzle out a bit, but apparently the horrific Iran protests and the escalating North Korean crisis have been put on the back burner as Americans mourn the passing of a pop icon. So it would not be fair to be a music blog and not pay tribute.
From his early days with the Jackson 5...to one of the most acclaimed albums of all-time (Thriller)...to his last studio album (Invincible)...Michael could easily be called the most popular solo entertainer of all time (move over Elvis). Although much of his good music was popular in my older brother's generation...those of us born in the early 80's were fortunate enough to catch the end of his era. We caught the tail end of his popularity when he left his "cool" phase and quickly drifted into his "weird" phase (much like Elvis with his "young, skinny" phase to his "old, fat" phase). Awesome beats like "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" paved way for crappy songs like "Heal the World" and "You Are Not Alone" (despite setting the world record for the only song to debut at #1 on the Billboard charts...it still sucks).
From his early days with the Jackson 5...to one of the most acclaimed albums of all-time (Thriller)...to his last studio album (Invincible)...Michael could easily be called the most popular solo entertainer of all time (move over Elvis). Although much of his good music was popular in my older brother's generation...those of us born in the early 80's were fortunate enough to catch the end of his era. We caught the tail end of his popularity when he left his "cool" phase and quickly drifted into his "weird" phase (much like Elvis with his "young, skinny" phase to his "old, fat" phase). Awesome beats like "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" paved way for crappy songs like "Heal the World" and "You Are Not Alone" (despite setting the world record for the only song to debut at #1 on the Billboard charts...it still sucks).
Not only was Michael a pop icon, but he was also a great philantrophist. Michael gave a lot back to the public by donating to over 3 dozen charitable organizations...more than any other musician or entertainer of his time.
Whether he was a child molestor or not...in passing it's always best to remember the good side of people.
Here's to Michael Jackson the musician. A boy who was forced to give up his entire childhood to entertain the American public. The world may never hear another voice like his. His music made us all want to learn how to dance. It enlightened the human soul and made us all remember that the human voice is the most beautiful of all instruments.
Michael Jackson 1958-2009
Still his best in my opinion...(that picture at the beginning is terrible though)
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