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Michael Jackson - the genie and the genius

Michael Jackson has been celebrated for his ingenius and spectacular contribution to music, but what exactly was that contribution?

Michael was the easy master of showbusiness. He understood how to appeal to mass audiencs in a way that music marketing executives were inable to do before. He will probably always be best known for his Thriller Album, the number 1 bestselling album of all time, which he co-produced with motown mogul Quincy Jones. It revolutionised the music industry, doing for it a lot of what JAWS had done for movies - fast paced, exciting, innovative blockbuster videos. As an original stragey, John Landon (director of American Werewolf in London) was hired to direct the now iconic and memorable, Thriller, mimicked by both Chris Brown (on stage) and Jennifer Garner (on the silver screen).

Altogether 7 singles were released from 80s album, a novel accomplishment for a solo artist. Most of these debuted in the Billboard Top Ten For starters. The album featured a more original, sophisticated and careflly cultivated cover than other albums before it. One of the notable features was the tiger cub next to him on the centrefold. In ancient times, kings used wild animals on insignia, and in portraits as a metaphor for their power. For the modern King of Pop, the feline signalled his entertainment takeover and the silky, svelte moves that he would become legendary for.

The album's music videos took the music industry to a whole new level of artistry. Madonna was to follow closely on his heels of Thriller with the song Vogue, which formalised and acknowledged dance trends in the clubs. Strictly speaking, the material girl had piped Michael to the post with her meandering dance hook in holiday. This was, however, a singular move, and did not have the professionally choreographed, intricate sequences and movements of the Thriller videos, like Michaels elegant knee jerk onto the table in Beat it visuals. Although memorable, this was only one of his numerous signature moves. African American bands like the Tavares and the Jackson 5 had always used chorus-like dancing but this was noticeably less intricate, less distinctive and less exciting. Michael was the first solo artist to introduce this standard of dance, one that required a great deal of expertise and flexibility. This continued to be a feature not only of many of his videos that followed, but of the industry in general.

Being the first black artist to be signed bySONY Records for a record-breaking figure at the time, Jackson broke colour bars in music, and demonstrated that black artists could stretch profitably into the realm of popular music, rather than stay in the smaller market of R&B. Needless to say, at the Grammies he continued to cultivate his ubiquitousand flamboyant style with a shiny outfit, having already launched a fashion craze as copies of his red jackets were flown around the world. His short pants look also caught on quickly. The famous star, was accompanied by Brooke Shields and popular TV sitcom child star, when he accepted 8 Grammies, still a record for a solo artist. These include wins ifor best male vocal performance n three categories - POP, ROCK and R&B. The only artists to accomplish this are Al Jerreau and more recently Justin Timberlake.

Thriller was part of the larger phenomena of Michael as a superpersonality. Together with Madonna, the fifth child of the Jackson family from Indiana defined the eighties. With Lionel Richie, he won another Grammy after the BAD album for We are the World, which he co-wrote and co-produced with Richie. Although not the first collaboration of its kind (the first was by UK's Band Aid), it was moving and again, carried a winning melody. He would win his last Grammy for Best Video for Scream, his duet with his youngest sister. Janet and Michael are the only siblings to have scored number one hits in both the UK and the USA. As though this was not enough for the HIStory books, there are other commendations, notably his groundbreaking solos - Heal the World and The Earth Song, not original ideas, but new for a solo artist.

That Jackson sparkle in the eighties and nineties came as a result of his tactical approach, and his vigilance. He kept his ear to the ground and kept his sound relevant and appealing. Even when it seemed as though much of the magic had faded, the musical genius still managed to sellout 50 concerts with ease. A fifty year career, countless singles, and albums, he counts as one of the most prolific artists and businessmen of all time. In years to come, he may well be spoken about in the same breath as other unique and unforgettable personalities of the twentieth century - Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, and the Beetles.

 

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