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Michael Jackson's Thriller was such a phenomenal financial success that the breadth of its musical achievement is often obscured.
Is it possible that Michael Jackson’s Thriller is underrated?
No, don’t consult your dictionary, I mean underrated in the way you think I mean underrated.
Yes, it’s an album that sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, the best-selling recording ever. And for that very, very good reason, it’s well known as a business and marketing success. Thriller revived a sagging music industry that couldn’t market disco and failed to understand punk rock. The videos for Jackson’s songs, especially “Beat It” and “Thriller,” established music video as viable art form instead of a long-form commercial. In addition, Jackson’s success was a crossover behemoth. He drew from all genres and made music that moved him without regard to the racial barriers imposed by the music industry.
That’s all well and good, but for me the real impact of Thriller is the music. It was daring and inventive and—incredibly—all of its gambles paid off. I think that all the focus on the business and sociological elements of Jackson’s success obscures the magnificent artistic achievements on the album.
The stellar moments start on the first track. The percussive rumble that launches “Wanna Be Startin’ Something,” is a pure hip-hop inspired breakbeat, which was visionary for 1982, but the best part of the song is Jackson’s singing. He shadowboxes these beats, countering them at times with long notes and jabbing at times with stuttering growls. I don’t know if Mary J. Blige was inspired by this track, but there’s a very clear link between it and her early work.
“Baby Be Mine” offers another daring fusion, as the horn sounds of Memphis R&B with the dry synthesizer fills what would become the calling card of mid ‘80s pop. The song blends them as if it were a natural progression. The title track starts with an overture. This wasn’t that unusual in the pop that Jackson grew up on in the early ’70s, but it was completely anachronistic by the early ‘80s as songs became tighter and shorter. Yet, it works perfectly in setting the tone for the extended drama. Many vampire movies owe their existence to this song and its video.
The hand claps on “Thriller” and “Beat It” influenced the most recent TV on the Radio disc, Dear Science, and Eddie Van Halen’s snarling guitar of “Beat It” revived the glorious sound of funk and rock together in a way that hadn’t been heard since Labelle disbanded in 1976.
“Billie Jean” is another one of the all-time great vocal performances on this recording. Just think about the hiccup of wistful regret that launches the line “She told me her name was Billie Jean/as she caused a scene.” The hiccup comes back at regular intervals growing into a melancholy lament, yet—as we all remember—“the kid is not my son.” Jackson’s vocal technique creates an additional narrative element to the song. Another remarkable aspect of that song is that it is written in a minor key. Minor key songs are lighter and darker and rarely make the top 10.
“Human Nature” is also a vocal tour de force, with Jackson’s wispy croon gracefully phrasing behind the beat. It’s sung with technique that many a jazz vocalist might admire; it’s little wonder that Miles Davis covered it in 1985. The hard-charging “P.Y.T.” (Pretty Young Thing) features more vocal gambits, along with ad libs.
Seven of the nine tracks on this 42-minute masterpiece were top-10 hits (only “Baby Be Mine” and “The Lady in My Life” missed the top echelon of the charts). The soaring finish of his early hit “I’ll Be There” notwithstanding, Jackson didn’t possess a voice that could take a vowel and fill a football stadium with it. Instead, he used his voice to contrast and accent unique rhythms, and Thriller is full of these innovations. The music on Thriller was forward-looking and the performances are riveting. Twenty-seven years later, it still sounds new and exciting. Thriller would be the pop masterpiece of the past 40 years if it had sold one-tenth of the units it moved, but fortunately it was music that millions got to hear.
Martin Johnson is a regular contributor to The Root.
Read more King of Pop coverage on Newsweek.com .
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No, don’t consult your dictionary, I mean underrated in the way you think I mean underrated. online games
Whatever the issue when michael was still alive, all was in court, and judge do thier part, and some were settled..
I love michael jackson...what i like him the most is that even his so popular, i never see him on media being Loud or rude person, specially the way he talk...He's a good father ,and in a modern country like america, and a very popular person well He tried to be a good husband too...
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Hummm and good For him He help so many people Charity and others, what about us specially those who think hes not good, have we ever done some helping like what he did? hummm... michael is a good person...and only God knows Him truly...May Michael Jackson Rest in Peace.
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ALL THAT MATTERS TO ME IS THAT ALL THIS BAD NEWS GETS LAID TO REST. WHEN THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT COMES NO ONE WILL BE SAVED BY HOW THEY FELT ABOUT ANOTHER PERSON. WE ALL HAVE BIBLES AND I GUESS MOST OF US HAVE UNDERSTANDING SO LET'S PUT THAT TO USE. LET'S FOCUS ON THE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS OF LIFE...AND I'M HOPING YOU ALL KNOW WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND WHAT'S NOT. MICHAEL JACKSON I LOVED YOU FROM I WAS FOUR YRS OLD AND I STILL DO. HEY....TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE JUST REMEMBER, IT DON'T MATTER IF YOU ARE BLACK OR WHITE. LOVE IS JUST LOVE. PEACE BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
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I am fifty years of age and seen many changes good and bad done to African Americans by others and ourselves. Where are the educated and vocal defenders of our race when we need them to fire back at the naysayers within the media especially conservative media? Where are the peoples voices being heard; thank God for THE ROOTS. I have only seen a handful of prominent people defend Micheal Jackson's Memory.
The media continues to speak out of both sides of their mouths; building him up and then tearing him down. I am so frustrated with our (black) major media outlets and other organizations that shrink at political and other controversial events that concerns us. They sit back and let other major outlets rip our culture and its people both in and out of the spotlight apart.
Micheal's life was perhaps just as tragic as many souls on this earth; his was just more out there because of who he was. For all the naysayers and "Christians" who believe Micheal may have molested those children remember, it is God and only God that will either redeem or denounce Micheal; neither you or I have that job qualification.
There some media and individuals of the media that to me are shredding his memory and denounce him as an American Icon. If Americans of all races can accept Marliyn Monroe, Elvis and many other troubled entertainers and history makers all humanly flawed then why not Micheal.
No one can be certain of what was going on in Micheal's life but Michea and those tightly knitted to him. Not surprising experts (leeches) on Micheal are popping up everywhere. I don't know if I can say a specific name but here it goes; the writer(leech), Diane Dimond who followed Micheal's court case continues to appear on television and condemn him and is make a living off what she believes Micheal to have been. Funny how people are amazingly psychic.
There are those who want to dismiss Micheal Jackson as an American Icon.
Please let Micheal Jackson be our Icon because of his God given talent. There is a book Dancing the Dream written by Micheal in 1992 that gives true insight into his world not the world that others say his world was like. Please read it and then decide before casting your stones. Remember he was one of us don't let his legacy be tarnished. So much of our history has already stolen from us.
My little brother 10 years my junior, self taught, musician/writer is so because of Micheal's music. As a young boy in the 80's my brother became enthralled with the man's music and the spirit of the music. He never cared or talked about how Micheal looked or how he acted; it was all about the music.