Michael Jackson was truly an extraordinary talent of huge cultural significance and major musical influence.
But despite what I’m hearing on tonight’s wall-to-wall coverage, the self-proclaimed King of Pop was not as big as the Beatles on either count—though he wanted so much to beat the Beatles that he bought their catalog and recorded with one of them. And he wasn’t as transformational as Elvis Presley either–though he married Elvis’s daughter and likely ended his life in similar fashion.
Truth be told, not counting his classic hits with his brothers in the Jackson 5, his artistic achievement is mainly limited to the 1980s and his three solo albums “Off the Wall” (released in 1979), “Thriller” and “Bad” and their landmark singles, his groundbreaking videos and concerts notwithstanding. Aside from his 1991 album “Dangerous,” his ‘90s and beyond were wasted with increasingly bizarre and sometimes spiteful behavior, lawsuits, charges of abominable criminal behavior, phenomenal excess and a lifestyle totally lacking in anything remotely healthy.
All of this could have been overlooked had he been able to transition himself creatively, like Madonna has done throughout her career. But Jackson was so stuck in one musical time and place such that the big tour he was working himself to death to prepare for would essentially be that of an oldies act.
I don’t mean to diminish him or his immense contributions. He was indeed the biggest star of his time. Sales-wise–for what that’s worth–he was bigger than the Beatles and Presley. But in the end, it was all overshadowed by sorry self-indulgence, fed by self-hatred and finalized, inevitably, by self-destruction. A great tragedy, long in the making.
Eloquently and succinctly put. I’ve Tweeted this – if you’re on Twitter, I’m @dotdotdottweet.
Great little commentary except for the last sentence. His was not a great tragedy by a long shot.
Michael Jackson will be the greatest pop singer in the whole world. Everyone will miss him.