Michael Jackson’s death yesterday from a heart attack was a shocking and tragic event that leaves a chasm in the cultural landscape. Jackson’s meteoric rise and electrifying prime in the Eighties leaves an insurmountable legacy. His subsequent musical and physical decline over the past decade draws comparison to the other King. He is a twenty-first century Elvis.
In fact his contribution to the world of popular music, and the enlarged and refined means of communicating it in the media, makes his impact more seismic than even Presley’s. I was seven years old when BAD was released and it sprung an obsession with Jackson that lasted a good few years. It wasn’t just his genre-spanning musical work but how he enshrined even dance moves within the public consciousness: the Smooth Criminal ‘lean’, and of course, the moonwalk. Someone sliding back between the point and heel of his foot became as iconic as man landing on the moon itself.
He straddled the generations too (no, not like that, he was cleared): someone born in the Sixties will have been as affected by the young boy performing ‘Ben’ as a child of the Eighties was by the dazzling sequins and faux-military regalia of Jackson belting out ‘Bad’: still young and breathtakingly agile, on the cusp of his more radical and disturbing physical transformations.
However, that incident with Jarvis Cocker at the Brits, ‘Jesus Juice’, dangling his son over the balcony and all the rest, scarred the past decade with controversy. He was ‘Wacko Jacko’ for too long and never got the chance to redeem himself at the O2, an event which was always shrouded in doubt.
But at Canongate today we’re celebrating his life and we’ve taken a straw poll of everyone’s favourite MJ tracks, solo or as part of the Jackson Five. Here’s our list so far, please add your own in the comments:
Billie Jean (on top with four votes)
Smooth Criminal (second with three votes)
Beat It (third with two votes)
Rock My World
I Want You Back
Black or White
Thriller
ABC
Bad
Ben
Rest In Peace, Michael Jackson
Jared Price
Date: Sat Jul 25, 2009 03:20 AM GMT
I like Weird Al's Michael Jackson Parody's
Rip Michael Jackson
mee
Date: Fri Jun 26, 2009 02:17 PM GMT
I hope people just get over the 'controversy' and celebrate the legend that he was.
ps: I can't pick a song. I like too many of them!
Dan
Date: Fri Jun 26, 2009 12:05 PM GMT
Avon, that's a quality joke. I'm afraid MATG terms and conditions means I can repeat to frinds as if it's my own.
Avon
Date: Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:52 AM GMT
What’s the difference between Alex Ferguson and Michael Jackson? Fergie will be playing Giggs in August.
I thank you.
Spex
Date: Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:12 AM GMT
I wasn't a fan, but I always thought it was a shame that he was a lunatic of the media's (and public's) making. It's sad he's died so young.
I remember all these songs listed and he truly was an icon of my generation.
