Michael Jackson

[RussTCB]

As it nears the end of Michael Jacksons birthday (in my time zone), I'm reminded of how much I miss him. Here are 3 of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiwqxWT4CKw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEQAie8ABLE

Edited August 30, 2013 by russtcb

[dalsh327]

[MB.]

He hardly sang live, very obvious in this vid. Totally loved him though.

[Towelie]

My favourite posthumously released track:

Edited August 30, 2013 by Towelie

[izzygirl]

A classic among the classics, Billie Jean:

He was the best and he is missed.

[Iron MikeyJ]

The best Billie Jean is the one from motown 25. The 3 things that made the thriller album huge were

(in no order)

1. mj preforming billie jean at motown 25, debut of the moonwalk.

2. Becoming the first african american artists to get massive mtv air play

3. the thriller music video, I still feel it is the best music video ever made

[Coma16]

So... How would guys rank his albums?

[Iron MikeyJ]

So... How would guys rank his albums?

I started a thread for this.

[luciusfunk]

So... How would guys rank his albums?

Bad

Thriller

Dangerous

Just ranking the albums I've heard.

[RussTCB]

So... How would guys rank his albums?

Bad

Thriller

Dangerous

Just ranking the albums I've heard.

Bad

Thriller

Dangerous

Off The Wall

Blood On The Dance Floor

Invincible

[Guest Len B'stard]

The best Billie Jean is the one from motown 25. The 3 things that made the thriller album huge were

(in no order)

1. mj preforming billie jean at motown 25, debut of the moonwalk.

2. Becoming the first african american artists to get massive mtv air play

3. the thriller music video, I still feel it is the best music video ever made

How can you debut something thats been around before?

[magisme]

Possibly the greatest American performer of all time.

[bacardimayne]

One of the all time greats, and the first person I ever considered a "favorite musician". His death was the first celebrity death to really hit me. I was so excited for his comeback shows.

Edited September 3, 2013 by bacardimayne

[RussTCB]

Possibly the greatest American performer of all time.

That's how I always think of him. IMO he really was the best entertainer to ever walk a stage.

One of the all time greats, and the first person I ever considered a "favorite musician". His death was the first celebrity death to really hit me. I was so excited for his comeback shows.

Same here. I was absolutely crushed when he died. I've seen This Is It countless times now and sometimes it's harder than others to watch because I keep thinking of how cool those shows could have been.

[magisme]

I was in grad school when he died and classes hadn't started yet. I remember spending the whole day watching youtube videos of his performance. I started thinking I'd just watch one as sort of a tribute. Hours later I was still scouring youtube for anything I might have missed.

[bacardimayne]

I was a really big fan beforehand, but I had kinda stopped listening to him about two years before he died. When he died my interest was resparked and I was on Youtube watching entire concerts from the HIStory tour for days.

[Iron MikeyJ]

Greatest American enertainer? Greatest enertainer period. I'm sorry but no brit, asian, european, south american, or any other country has produced a preformer any where close to as good as MJ. Are there better musicians out there? yes. But not the complete package MJ was. Even the great Freddie Mercury couldn't be on stage the same time as Michael, unless he is singing back up. MJ in his prime would always out shine whomever was dumb enough to share the stage with him.

Who is the greatest frontman of all time? Michael Jackson was!!! I know he isn't rock, but honestly its true. Even Axl would look silly doing the snake dance next to MJ as he was doing "his" thing. I've been watching a lot of old videos lately, he is head and shoulders better than everyone else. He just owned the stage period, but he had been on it since he was 9. That's a lot of practice. That amoung other reasons is why Freddie, Axl, and everyone else are runner ups to him. He not only did it better than the rest, he also did it longer than the rest.

@Lenny,

I know the moonwalk can be traced back to old tap dance videos. But come on man? Gonna bust me on a technicality? MJ was the moonwalker, he owned that shit.

@OP,

I have always hated heal the world. That and we are the world are a couple of the worst songs MJ was ever a part of imo. I know they have a good message and all, but boring as shit to me. I much prefer Earth Song to either one of those. Just my 2 cents, but if you like it thats cool.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Mike420

[Johnny Drama]

The only celebrity whose death really shook me. Still draws a tear from deep within whenever the subject is raised TBH.

[Guest Len B'stard]

I know the moonwalk can be traced back to old tap dance videos. But come on man? Gonna bust me on a technicality? MJ was the moonwalker, he owned that shit.

But it's not just some old tap dance stuff man, it's a well known and oft-used dance move, he didn't own shit with the Moonwalk, he stole it off of B Boys...and even they didn't own it. And people try and lay it on like Jackos Moonwalk was somehow executed different but it's not...Jesus, even James Brown was doing it before...which is kind of a signpost when Jacko pretty much took his whole style, vocals and all off of James Brown.

The only celebrity whose death really shook me. Still draws a tear from deep within whenever the subject is raised TBH.

Do me a favour J, what was he, your Mum? Just a singer man. And one that possibly stuck his finger in little boys bums at that.

[Johnny Drama]

Well of course not that deep (my thoughts on the matter, not thumbs in arses) but like we all don't say you don't care about your favourite musos because you definitely rate them. I think alot of us don't realise how much we place on following our favourites until we talk to some person that has a casual love of it and you look like a massive nerd in the process

[RussTCB]

Greatest American enertainer? Greatest enertainer period. I'm sorry but no brit, asian, european, south american, or any other country has produced a preformer any where close to as good as MJ. Are there better musicians out there? yes. But not the complete package MJ was. Even the great Freddie Mercury couldn't be on stage the same time as Michael, unless he is singing back up. MJ in his prime would always out shine whomever was dumb enough to share the stage with him.

Who is the greatest frontman of all time? Michael Jackson was!!! I know he isn't rock, but honestly its true. Even Axl would look silly doing the snake dance next to MJ as he was doing "his" thing. I've been watching a lot of old videos lately, he is head and shoulders better than everyone else. He just owned the stage period, but he had been on it since he was 9. That's a lot of practice. That amoung other reasons is why Freddie, Axl, and everyone else are runner ups to him. He not only did it better than the rest, he also did it longer than the rest.

@Lenny,

I know the moonwalk can be traced back to old tap dance videos. But come on man? Gonna bust me on a technicality? MJ was the moonwalker, he owned that shit.

@OP,

I have always hated heal the world. That and we are the world are a couple of the worst songs MJ was ever a part of imo. I know they have a good message and all, but boring as shit to me. I much prefer Earth Song to either one of those. Just my 2 cents, but if you like it thats cool.

I've actually never been a huge fan of Heal The World either actually. My son LOVES it for some reason though, so it's kinda become something I listen to more because of that.

[magisme]

Greatest American enertainer? Greatest enertainer period.

I was trying to be sensitive to our international friends, but I agree.

[Iron MikeyJ]

Lenny,

Show me footage of james brown doing the moonwalk. I saw something once where someone said james brown did it also, but james's was quite different. If you know of a video I would love to watch it.

Was MJ inspired by James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Jackie Wilson and others? Yes without a doubt. But IMO he surpassed them all, and I am not judging by popularity. Song for song none of those guys can hang. Honestly MJ is probably 2nd only to the beatles as far as amount of really good songs. Now if you want to go by who had the best voice? MJ was good, but their have been plenty of better singers. But as far as voice, dancing, great songs, impact and everything else he is in a league all by himself. Hell look at justin timberlake and others, they want to be just like him.

If you put all the musicians of the 20th century together, I would say MJ is 2nd only to the beatles. Elvis is probably 3rd with Louis Armstrong and Jimi Hendrix rounding out the top 5. I am not saying these guys are the best per say. Just that when its all said and done, and we are all dead, these 5 will live on. I'm sure others will too, but these are the big 5 of the 20th century imo. For the record I can't stand Elvis, minus a couple of songs, but his impact can't be denied.

[Guest Len B'stard]

Yeah it's a little different but it's still the moonwalk, isn't it? It's a really really old step, thats just a fact, it is not and will never be Jacko's creation.

You talk about voice like it's some peripheral thing. Jacko better than Marvin Gaye, REALLY, seriously?!?! No...fuckin'...way. I'm sorry but I am just not having that, better than Marvin Gaye?!?! Marvin had more range as a singer, he communicated emotion better, he had the better songs, the lot. Maybe not dancing but fuck dancing.

Lets face it, Jacko was just a pale (no pun intended) version of James Brown...same kinda dancing (although with a slightly modern touch), same vocal style (which is the biggest aspect he tore off James Brown), just a pure rip off of James Brown, that is just plain undeniable.

I wouldn't even have him in my top ten. You can't fault his commercial standing and that but as an artist? ALL the people you mentioned i prefer to him. Jacko was good at Off The Wall, Thriller...after that? Still all good music but nothing that i'd consider exceptional.

Elvis is like an episode in history, like a fucking shooting star, some kinda fuckin' physical miracle. The Beatles were just plain genius, same with Hendrix, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, these guys were fuckin' Gods...Jacko don't belong in their league.

Jacko, to me is like the best of like...he belongs with Madonna and ABBA and Britney Spears as like...the pinnacle of THAT kind of pop music, he don't belong in the same planet as James Brown or Marv' or Sam Cooke.

[luciusfunk]

Greatest American enertainer? Greatest enertainer period. I'm sorry but no brit, asian, european, south american, or any other country has produced a preformer any where close to as good as MJ. Are there better musicians out there? yes. But not the complete package MJ was. Even the great Freddie Mercury couldn't be on stage the same time as Michael, unless he is singing back up. MJ in his prime would always out shine whomever was dumb enough to share the stage with him.