Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - L to Z»Artists - M
    Artists - M Music - 1970s Music - 1980s 8 Mins Read

    Michael Jackson

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    The King of Pop is a lofty title for any person to live up to, but there’s no doubt that Michael Jackson was qualified. He had not yet reached his teens when he was recording million-selling hits with his brothers in The Jackson 5.

    Born in 1958, Michael was the seventh of nine children to Joseph and Katherine Jackson. He was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness and only officially left the organisation in 1987.

    jacko_020

    By the time he reached his adult years, he was recording albums that rewrote the rules of the popular music industry and setting new standards in the arts of dance and music videos.

    Between childhood and adulthood, he became what many consider the consummate pop artist.

    Michael was barely out of kindergarten when he was added to his older brothers’ band as a novelty. However, the boy’s prodigious gifts for singing and dancing soon revealed themselves and Michael became their lead performer.

    They were discovered by Motown in 1969 and soon began recording massive pop-soul hits like I Want You Back and I’ll Be There as The Jackson 5.

    During this time, Michael began making his first solo recordings. His songs, which included gentle, sweet ballads like Got To Be There and toe-tappers like Rockin’ Robin, hit just as big as The Jackson 5‘s songs.

    michaeljackson_205The Jackson 5 continued to record smash hits into the mid-70s for Motown, including classics like Dancing Machine. Usually, Michael sang lead on these. He also continued his solo career with songs like Just A Little Bit Of You.

    The Jackson 5 became The Jacksons when they moved to Epic Records in the mid-70s.

    They continued to hit big with songs like Enjoy Yourself and began writing and producing their own hits like the dance-floor scorcher Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground).

    It was around this time that Michael began to think seriously about resuming his solo career. Michael met master producer Quincy Jones while playing the Scarecrow in the film version of The Wiz (1978).

    He recruited Jones to produce a new solo album for him and the result was Off The Wall (1979), a classic pop-soul album that helped him make the transition from child performer to adult star.

    It was also full of hits: The propulsive, disco-tinged Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough grooved hard over a bed of swirling strings and the mellow-but-equally-danceable Rock With You was sweetened with horns and Michael’s multi-tracked vocal harmonies. Both songs became #1 hits and the album went multi-platinum.

    Off The Wall was a massive success, but Jackson had even bigger hits up his sleeve. He truly earned his superstar status with Thriller, an album that boasted an unprecedented seven Top-10 hit singles, sold over 40 million copies, and won no less than eight Grammy awards.

    From the guitar-driven funky rock of Beat It – which featured a memorable (unpaid) guitar solo from Eddie Van Halen – to the sweet synth-driven balladry of Human Nature,

    Thriller was the rare album that had something for every pop listener. Accordingly, it held the #1 spot of Billboard‘s top album charts for a jaw-dropping 37 weeks.

    However, the music of Thriller was only part of its overall impact on pop culture. Another key part of its significance came from the innovative videos made to promote it. Videos like Billie Jean and Beat It meshed Michael’s mastery of dance with sophisticated visual storytelling, making him the first R&B artist to get heavy airplay on MTV.

    The album’s most memorable video came from the title song, a complex mini-movie that paid tribute to classic horror films like Night Of The Living Dead and An American Werewolf In London. In fact, the video was directed by Werewolf’s director, John Landis.

    Thriller allowed Michael Jackson to influence pop culture in many ways. The layered red-leather jacket and the single sequined glove he wore became fashion trends after being seen in his videos. The ‘moonwalking’ dance step he dreamt up for his appearance on Motown’s 25th Anniversary Special became a fad among dancers.

    Billie Jean was the second single to be extracted from the album which would go on to sell more than forty million copies worldwide. With Jackson’s vocals recorded in one take, the song boasted a video which enjoyed enormous television attention and undoubtedly added to his already impressive reputation.

    The workaholic vegetarian man-child with Diana Ross’s face and one sequined glove had made the most successful pop album of all time. It didn’t just go gold or platinum . . . It went nuclear! Even parodies of his work could become major hits, as proven by “Weird Al” Yankovic’s success with Eat It, his food-themed parody of Beat It.

    On Oprah he explained away his whitening skin by claiming he had some rare pigmentation disease. Well even if we bought that, Jacko, What about the snout? Maybe it was an after effect of his hair catching fire in that Pepsi commercial in January 1984? Maybe he spent too long in the oxygen tank which the National Enquirer revealed on their front cover? Maybe Bubbles (Michael’s pet chimp) bit it off? Who knows (or cares)?

    michaeljackson_280Being a moon walking, single-glove-wearing, child-friendly freak without a nose didn’t take away from his truly superb voice and outstanding  dance steps – they just gave him the added edge that all pop icons need.

    Although he would not release another album until 1987, Jackson stayed busy throughout the mid-80s. He appeared with his brothers on their hit album Victory and also on the subsequent, hugely successful ‘Victory’ tour.

    He also lent his backup vocals to Rockwell’s hit song Somebody’s Watching Me and appeared in the Disneyland/Epcot Centre 3-D attraction Captain EO.

    He performed on the all-star USA For Africa charity song We Are The World, which he also co-wrote with Lionel Richie. This song also made millions of dollars for charity and won the Song of The Year Award at the 1986 Grammy Awards.

    In 1987, reports appeared that Jackson had offered $50,000 to buy the remains of the Elephant Man (the deformed Victorian John Merrick, immortalised in David Lynch’s 1980 film of the same name) from the London Hospital.

    The headquarters of the Jehovah’s Witnesses issued a statement saying they no longer considered the singer to be of their faith.

    Michael Jackson returned to the pop charts with Bad (1987). The title cut was a #1 pop and R&B hit that also had a memorable video – directed by Martin Scorcese – that depicted Michael Jackson calling the bluff of a group of would-be tough guys.

    The Bad album also scored hits with the swirling love songs The Way You Make Me Feel, the piano-accented ballad I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, the socially-conscious Man In The Mirror and the guitar-driven rocker Dirty Diana. These follow-ups all went to #1 on the charts as Jackson toured the world and delighted screaming audiences of all ages.

    1992’s Dangerous found Michael experimenting with a new R&B style called New Jack Swing on Remember The Time and recruiting Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash to lend his guitar chops to Black And White. Both songs were hits and were followed by another successful social-consciousness song, Heal The World.

    In 1993, a complaint was filed on behalf of 13-year-old Jordan Chandler, which accused Jackson of sexual molestation. The civil action was settled for an undisclosed sum and the family of the child then refused to allow him to testify in the subsequent criminal case which collapsed.

    No charges were ever legally proven in the case and due to a confidentiality clause, neither side has commented on the allegations other than to state that the payment did not constitute an admission of guilt. Subsequent to the settlement, Californian law has been modified, to avoid minors having a financial incentive not to testify in a criminal lawsuit.

    Michael Jackson married twice. In 1994, he married Elvis Presley‘s daughter, Lisa Marie, but they were divorced within two years. In 1996, he married Debbie Rowe. Despite two children, Prince Michael and Paris Katherine, the couple also divorced, in 1999.

    Early in 2002, Jackson had another son, Prince Michael II (sometimes known as “Blanket”) via a surrogate mother, whose identity was not released. For security reasons, the children were masked whenever they appeared in public. Ms Rowe claimed that this was at her request, to prevent kidnapping.

    Finally, in November 2003, Jackson was booked and released on bail to face charges of “lewd or lascivious acts” with a child under 14.

    He faced nine counts on various charges. Jackson countered with allegations of mistreatment and police brutality. In 2005 Jackson stood trial and was cleared of all charges.

    Jackson died on 25 June 2009 after suffering from cardiac arrest. Before his death, Jackson had reportedly been administered drugs such as propofol and lorazepam. The Los Angeles County Coroner declared his death a homicide, and his personal physician, Conrad Murray, pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter.

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Denise LaSalle
      Denise LaSalle
      Denise LaSalle (real name Denise Craig) was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and raised in LeFlore County. After serving her apprenticeship…
    • Donny Osmond
      Donny Osmond
      Few can make the claim that they grew up in the public eye as truthfully as Donny Osmond can. He has…
    • Marie Osmond
      Marie Osmond
      Olive Marie Osmond was born in Ogden, Utah, the eighth of nine children (and the only daughter) born to Olive…
    • Tim Buckley
      Tim Buckley
      Born on Valentine's Day 1947, California-raised Buckley's heroes were Nat King Cole and Johnny Cash, and his 1966 folk rock debut leaned heavily on psychedelia.…
    • Phoebe Snow
      Phoebe Snow
      Born Phoebe Ann Laub in New York City in 1952, the singer changed her name after seeing 'Phoebe Snow', a…
    • Music Machine, The
      Music Machine, The
      The Music Machine rode the songwriting genius of Sean Bonniwell, who was ahead of his time in protest songs like Eagle…
    • Warren Zevon
      Warren Zevon
      Warren Zevon was born in Chicago, the son of a Russian-Jewish boxer turned professional gambler. He spent most of his…
    • Cretones, The
      Cretones, The
      The Cretones were a Los Angeles-based new wave and power pop group in the early 1980s. Led by singer/guitarist Mark…

    Motown
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleMichael Holliday
    Next Article Michael Schenker Group

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Pop Will Eat Itself
      This irreverent quartet from Stourbridge in the West Midlands, […]
    • Perry Mason
      1 9 5 7 – 1 9 6 6 (USA) 271 x 60 minute episodes Trial […]
    • Over The Top (1987)
      Dating from the post-Rambo period when Sylvester […]
    • Rick Springfield
      Born Richard Lewis Springthorpe on 23 August 1949 in the Sydney […]
    • Teenage Caveman (1958)
      A junior member of a bunch of superstitious cave-dwellers […]
    • Hec Ramsey
      1 9 7 2 – 1 9 7 4 (USA) 10 x 90/120 minute episodes From […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html

    More sad news 😢
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN

    edition.cnn.com

    Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a...
    5 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    7 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news 😪

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid 😂

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear 😥 rest in peace 🙏 🕊 xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😢

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Hi everyone. Were in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes.

    Hi everyone. We're in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes. ... See MoreSee Less

    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 2

    Comment on Facebook

    Ironically, this post has jumped off the page at me. You'll probably get most traffic today because everyone will want to see what they might be missing!

    Martin Platt

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.