NEW YORK: When Michael Jackson anointed himself “King of Pop” over two decades ago, there was considerable rumbling about his hubris: Yes, he may have become a world sensation with record-setting sales of “Thriller,” and yes, he may have had a string of No. 1 hits with smashes like “Billie Jean” and “Beat It,” but the king of all pop music?
Surely, in a modern music history that has given us Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder and so many other greats, that title was more than a bit inflated.
But in actuality, Jackson understated his significance.
Jackson came into our public consciousness as an impossibly cute preteen wonder in 1969, an unbelievably precocious singer in his family band, The Jackson 5. The soon-to-be Motown legend channeled songs like “I Want You Back,” and “I’ll Be There” with a passion and soulfulness that belied his young years. Even then, his dance moves, copped from the likes of James Brown and Jackie Wilson, were exquisite, and his onstage presence outshone seasoned veterans.
The spotlight began to dim when he entered his late teens, however, and while he still had R&B hits with the Jacksons.
But then he met Quincy Jones, and the musical landscape changed. With the legendary producer, Jackson crafted “Off the Wall”.
The best-selling album showed the world a grown-up Michael Jackson with grown-up artistry, showcasing his breathy alto-soprano voice and providing a springboard to his early videos.
At the time, it was Jackson’s music that was front and centre and his personal life had yet to become intertwined with his public image.
That began to change during “Thriller”. Also produced by Jones, it featured even more of Jackson’s song writing talents. Selling more than 50 million albums to become the globe’s best-selling disc, it spawned seven Billboard top 10 hits, including two No. 1s with “Billie Jean” and “Beat It.” It won a then-unprecedented eight Grammys and numerous other awards.
It was an impact measured much more than in statistics.
He broke racial barriers on MTV, becoming the first African-American artist to be prominently featured on the young, rock-oriented cable TV channel when the success of “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” became so overwhelming it could not be ignored.
He also established the benchmark for the way videos would be made, with stunning cinematography and choreography.
But as Jackson’s fame grew, his eccentricities, from his strange affinity for children and all things childlike, to his at times asexual image to his fascination with plastic surgery, began to dull the shine off of his sparkling image. If his plastic surgery made him disturbingly unwatchable, soon, allegations of child abuse would make him reviled among many. He was first accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy in 1993; no charges were ever filed, a civil lawsuit was settled out of court. Though he had a chart-topping album with “HIStory” in 1995 and was still a superstar, he was a damaged one. A criminal charge of molestation of another young boy in 2004, which resulted in his acquittal in 2005, further stripped his marketability and his legacy.
But when he announced he’d be doing a series of comeback concerts, the demand was so insatiable he was signed on for an unprecedented 50 shows.
Of course, there will be no comeback now. But the legacy he leaves behind is so rich, so deep, that no scandal can torpedo it. The “Thriller” may be gone, but the thrill will always remain. — AP
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