I remember the day Michael Jackson died as clearly as if it were yesterday. I was back home, tagging along with my mom to pick my little brother up from t-ball practice. She was talking to some friends, while I stayed in the car, listening to the radio. And then I heard the news. Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, dead at 50.
I was 11 at the time, and curious as ever. I continued to listen, absolutely awestruck, as every single radio station, no matter the genre of music they usually played, aired their favorite MJ songs. I heard The Way You Make Me Feel, and the rest is history.
Say what you want about him, but I will always love Michael Joseph Jackson with my whole heart, and here's why.
1. His music is the shit.
This one is so obvious, but it still needs to be said. Wanna dance the night away to PYT, You Rock My World or Bad? Be my guest. How about belting your heart out to the ballads like I Just Can't Stop Loving You or She's Out of My Life? Heck yeah. Or what about some of his "lesser known" stuff, if that's even possible, like Do You Know Where Your Children Are, Streetwalker or Morphine? Check them out ASAP. Or maybe you're in the mood for some angry MJ. They Don't Care About Us and Leave Me Alone have got you covered. Gentle Michael more your style? You Are Not Alone, Heal the World and Earth Song have your name written all over it.
But, I'll leave some songs for you to discover on your own.
2. His dance moves.
At the peak of my MJ obsession, I legitimately taught myself to moonwalk. The crotch grab has MJ written aaaaaaaaall over it. His dance moves were jaw-dropping and passionate, and that's the beauty of it.
3. His style.
C'mon. The Thriller jacket. The Beat It Jacket. The white suit from Smooth Criminal. THE GLOVE. Jackson's style was so impressive that the Queen herself had to copy it.
4. His influence.
Rihanna sampled Jackson's Wanna Be Startin' Something' on Don't Stop the Music, Chris Brown sampled Human Nature for his song She Ain't You, The Weeknd covered Dirty Diana, Justin Timberlake reworked Love Never Felt So Good to make it a duet, and Justin Bieber did the same with Slave to the Rhythm. Jackson's influence can be found in every music genre, every dance move, every music video out there.
5. Thriller is the worldwide best selling album of all time.
It is the first and only album to go 30 times multi-platinum, which basically means Thriller has had more than 30 million sales in the USA alone. Worldwide, Thriller reigns supreme with over 100 million sales. Spending 37 weeks at the top of the Billboard charts, it also holds the record for most weeks spent at #1.
6. The Wiz.
Nothing and I mean nothing, is more feel-good than Michael Jackson and Diana Ross staring in an all-black remake of the Wizard of Oz, singing Ease on Down the Road together.
7. We Are The World.
Along with Lionel Richie, Jackson penned one of the greatest songs ever. With the talents of Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper, Bob Dylan and countless others, the song raised $10.8 million (equivalent to $24 million today) in the first four months. Since its release, "We Are the World" has raised over $63 million (equivalent to $138 million today) for humanitarian causes.
8. He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame- twice.
Once with the Jackson 5, once as a solo artist. He also has two stars on the Walk of Fame. Sick.
9. He has 23 Guinness World Records, 40 Billboard Awards, 13 Grammys, and 26 American Music Awards.
In 1984 alone, Jackson won 8, yes 8, Grammys, holding the record for the most Grammys won in one year.
10. Billie Jean was the first song/music video by an African American artist to be aired on MTV.
If that isn't legendary, then I don't know what is.
11. He was an activist.
It was always Jackson who could be found standing up for what he believed in or was against, whether it be starvation, AIDS, war, gang violence, race relations, or the environment. Again, I come back to They Don't Care About Us, a song created in response to police brutality. Or Song Groove (a.k.a. Abortion Papers). Or Price of Fame. Or Earth Song. He wasn't afraid to speak up.
12. He had the most outrageous pets.
Among them are Muscles the Boa, Louis and Lola the llamas and the most famous of them all, Bubbles the chimpanzee. Bubbles was adopted by Jackson from a cancer research clinic in Texas at the age of three.
13. He invented and patented his own shoes for the Smooth Criminal video.
Oh, you thought he did that famous tilt on his own? Well... he kinda did, just with the help of his own patented freakin' shoes.
14. His collaborations.
Paul McCartney, Queen, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Jay-Z, the list goes on. The man even had songs with his own siblings.
15. He had the biggest heart.
We Are the World is just the tip of the iceberg. Jackson donated the $1.5 million he made on the famous Pepsi commercial, where he was severely burned, to the burn victims of the Brotman Memorial Hospital. He donated the proceeds from the sales of Man in the Mirror to Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, a camp for children who suffer from cancer. In 1989, Jackson donated tickets to his Bad tour to underprivileged children, and the proceeds from one of his shows in Los Angeles were donated to Childhelp USA, the biggest charity-organization against child-abuse. In 1992, he established the Heal The World Foundation which would help third world countries, primarily Sarajevo, educate their people on drug and alcohol abuse.
There is a reason MJ is crowned as the King. He will always wear that crown. His music, videos, dancing and influence will live on forever.
