Back Story:
"Blame it on the Boogie", "ABC", "Want You Back"… How could one not love the Jackson 5? It’s no secret that the musical family had one sibling in particular that broke out to become one of the most famous solo artists, known for his unique lifestyle choices and immense success. I chose to highlight Jackson’s life during the 1980s because this was the decade when the world really got to know him, aside from his family. The Jackson 5 rose to a great amount of fame in the 1960s (biography.com editors, 2014).
In 1979, Michael Jackson released his first album Off the Wall, gaining fame and recognition.
In the 1980s:
In the year 1980, Michael Jackson received the first Grammy of his career in the category of Best R&B Male Vocal Performance. This came from "Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough", from his debut album (grammy.com authors, accessed 2021).
Following this milestone, Jackson released his second album, Thriller in 1982. This album remains the second best-selling album of all time in the United States at 65 million copies sold (NPR.com authors, 2009). Aside from the track "Thriller", the album included hits such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and "P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)." In 1983, the revolutionary 13-minute music video for "Thriller" was created (Hebblethwaite, 2013).
Yes, the 80s were a time of musical success for Jackson, but he also formed his image through his dance moves, flashy clothes and singular glove. In 1987, Jackson released his album Bad, which featured well-known tracks such as "Bad", "Smooth Criminal", "The Man in the Mirror" and more (npr.com authors, 2009).
Music would not have been the same in the ‘80s if it weren’t for Michael Jackson and his creative mind and talent! Jackson passed away in 2009.
What’s your favorite Michael Jackson song or era?
References
'Thriller' is no longer the best-selling album of all time in the US. NME. Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://www.nme.com/news/music/michael-jackson-thriller-best-selling-album-2368877.
A&E Networks Television. (2021, March 3). Michael Jackson. Biography.com. Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://www.biography.com/musician/michael-jackson.
File:Michael Jackson 1984.jpg - wikimedia commons. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michael_Jackson_1984.jpg.
Guardian News and Media. (2013, November 21). How Michael Jackson's thriller changed music videos for ever. The Guardian. Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/21/michael-jackson-thriller-changed-music-videos.
Michael Jackson. Discogs. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://www.discogs.com/artist/15885-Michael-Jackson.
NPR. (2009, June 26). A Michael Jackson timeline. NPR. Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4702126.
YouTube. (n.d.). Thriller- Michael Jackson . YouTube. Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thriller%2Bmichael%2Bjackson.
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