Remembering ‘Thriller’
The social networks Facebook and Twitter are flooded with posts, Youtube is jammed. It’s after 1 am and have been following news that Michael Jackson is dead. He was slated to do 50, yes 5-0, shows here in London starting next month that would have marked a major comeback and solved his recent financial issues. I didn’t think he could do it – pull off 50 shows after not touring for years and at the age of 50 but never expected him not to make at least the first few.
Poor taste jokes and his more recent strange behaviour, child abuse allegations and general downwards spiral in front of the world’s media over the past decade aside, I can’t help but reflect on the impact that Michael Jackson has had on the music industry and fans around the world.
I still remember as a kid in the early 80’s seeing the ‘Thriller’ video clip on TV for the first time and being blown away. In the ‘Billie Jean’ video when he started walking on the sidewalk and the stones lit up as he did – ground breaking stuff that set the scene for MTV and the modern music video industry as we know it. The ‘Thriller’ album is still one of the all time best selling albums ever – estimates at between 50 and 110 million copies sold – at its peak selling a million copies a week – unheard of – to put it in perspective artists in recent times would be excited about album sales selling in the tens of thousands.
His early work in the Jackson 5 instantly highlighted his talent as a singer and performer – listening to his voice in tracks like ‘Ben’ and feeling his stage presence in ‘ABC’ amongst others. His later stage performances were awe inspiring – the way he could move, pop, slide and manipulate his body just blew all others away. Look for his live ‘Billie Jean’ performances with that one glove and hat and those tap shoes…
Kids the world over imitated him, wore the same outfits he wore and tried to emulate his dance moves – am sure most have attempted his legendary “moon walk”. Dropping Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” in a house party DJ set – that starting kick drum, that first breakdown – always gets a dance floor moving and any high school dance, local club night or wedding that you go to there are tracks of his played that have a similar effect.
Despite the last decade of controversy (and am sure there will be more to come now that he is gone) you cannot not acknowledge his amazing creative talents as a singer, songwriter and performer and his influence over the music industry as we know it today. Michael Jackson RIP.
