Media-dubbed pop diva Mariah Carey buckled under the crippling pressure of fame this year, and barely a tear was shed. The weeping that resulted at the news of her snap was not out of anguish but rather laughter. “Who is Mariah Carey to be breaking down, and what has she been through to make it so rough?” seemed to be the resounding question. R&B fame with little talent, a booming body and a multi-bazillionaire ex-hubby to pull strings for you at work. How miserable.
Michael Jackson, on the other hand, now that kid has some serious issues — enough to fill about a year’s worth of “Dear Abby” — and he seems to have handled it fairly well. Aside from the whole plastic-surgery thing, the creepy kids ordeal, the nasty televised kiss with Elvis’ daughter, the long list of creepy A-list buddies and the life-enhancing sleeping chamber, he seems to be a pretty normal guy. Well, maybe not. But at least he can put out monumental pop albums like nobody else.
His latest and potentially greatest album, the extremely calculated and ultra-fine-tuned Invincible, drops this week to an audience that is still as willing as ever to indulge itself in that taboo music-industry genre/entity that we call pop music. If Britney, Christina and the boys have proven anything in their short reign, it’s that we will dance, and what better to dance to than pop music. Based on what we know about Michael — which is plentiful but always unreliable — he can dance, he can make us dance, and he will continue to dance until mother nature stops him from doing so. And that, my friends, is why Jacko is the King of Pop.
In anticipation of Invincible, The Badger Herald examines the King of Pop and the history that made him into not only music royalty but also the definition of walking, talking tabloid fodder.
In the 1970s:
– Michael is singled out from Jackson 5 and begins his solo career.
– 1971 — “Got to Be There” is released as Jackson’s first solo single.
– 1972 — As a solo singer, his remake of “Rockin Robin” reaches No. 2 in the United States.
– 1978 — Stars in and records soundtrack for the musical “The Wiz.”
– Tried desperately to shake the childlike image that resulted from years of fronting Jackson 5.
– Begins to work with Quincy Jones, a partnership that would yield Off The Wall in 1979 and is certified platinum a few months later, consequently affirming Jackson’s status as an adult artist.
In the 1980s:
***Jackson establishes himself as a strong force in pop music with his successful albums and extensive videos.
– 1982 — Thriller is released and goes on to become the most commercially successful album of all time, claiming the No. 1 spot for 37 weeks and remaining on the charts for 122 weeks. The album wins seven Grammys and produces the No. 1 singles “Billie Jean, ” “Beat It” and “Thriller.”
– The videos accompanying Thriller take music videos to a new level with their heavily choreographed dance sequences and complex narratives, resembling short films rather than typical MTV fodder. The videos for “Thriller” and “Beat It” solidify Jackson’s presence in the new music medium.
– 1983 — Performs the “moonwalk” on TV for the first time. Also signs largest individual sponsorship deal with Pepsi. While filming commercials, Jackson’s hair ignites, postponing the shoot.
– Rumors — such as being dubbed the Messiah by Jehovah Witness groups, speculation that he slept in an oxygen chamber, and drug suspicions — begin to circulate. Overall creepy aura begins.
– Matters are not helped when he attends a ceremony with his pet chimp Bubbles.
– 1987– Releases Bad, which is propelled by tracks “Smooth Criminal” and “Leave Me Alone.” It is certified four times platinum just four months after its release.
In the 1990s:
*** Jackson’s personal life and habits become public knowledge and tabloid material. He dodges and faces rumors while still remaining relatively commercially successful.
– 1991 — Releases Dangerous, which eventually sells more than 7 million copies in the United States alone. The album includes single “Remember the Time,” “In The Closet” and “Black or White.”
– 1993 — The reclusive Jackson sits down for a rare one-on-one interview with talk-show host Oprah Winfrey. Bubbles does not join the King of Pop and the Queen of Daytime Talk.
– 1993 — A young male friend of Jackson makes allegations of sexual abuse. Charges are never made, but as a result of his Super Bowl performance of “Heal The World” — during which Jackson is surrounded by hundreds of children — and his seemingly odd friendship with child actor Macaulay Culkin, his creep level skyrockets.
– Matters do not improve as he goes into hiding later that year.
– 1994 — Matters are still not improved when he marries daughter of Elvis, Lisa Marie Presley, and makes America cringe when they kiss on air at the MTV Video Music Awards. The marriage ends 19 months later.
– 1995 — HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Jackson’s first greatest-hits album, is released. It includes the duet with his sister Janet, “Scream.” Accompanying video breaks the bank with its special effects and visuals, but producers save money on banana budget, as Bubbles makes no appearance.
– Marries Debbie Rowe and fathers two children, but the marriage ends in 1999.
In the 2000s:
Jackson releases his first record in six years, hoping to prove, in the most fickle era of music, that he is still the King of Pop.
– In two unrelated events (other than their complete pointlessness), Jackson makes a speech at Oxford University and rings the NASDAQ Bell. Bubbles is baffled too.
– 2001– Jackson is inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.
– 2001 — Two tribute concerts are held in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Usher, Jill Scott, ‘NSync, Liza Minnelli, Whitney Houston and many more gather to perform and to see the Jackson 5 onstage for the first time since 1984.
– Jackson releases Invincible.
