Playlist: The King of Pop
Music

24 June 2021

Playlist: The King of Pop

Playlist: The King of Pop



Introductions to vinyls and Crosley players are no longer necessary, so let's get down to business: to today's protagonist, Michael Jackson.Tomorrow, June 25, marks 12 years since the world stopped upon hearing of the singer's death. Known as the king of pop, Jackson had a successful, controversy-filled life that ended without warning at the age of 50. But let's start at the beginning.


Michael Joseph Jackson was born on 28 August 1958 in Gary, a town in the state of Indiana, United States of America. He was the seventh of nine children of the couple Joseph and Katherine Jackson. His musical career began when he was only six years old, by joining the group The Jackson 5 with four brothers. It wasn't long before his talent stood out and by the age of 11 he was already the lead singer of the group. With a very unique stage posture and dance style, Michael Jackson was a reference in the North American musical panorama from an early age.


It was in 1971 that the King of Pop began his solo career at Motown Records, the record label which also represented The Jackson 5. With the 1979 album Off the Wall, Michael Jackson achieved stardom, becoming a dominant figure in music. Three years later, the singer released the album Thriller, which would become the best-selling album of all time.





In this album, Michael Jackson broke down social barriers and transformed the medium of music into an art form. With sales estimated at 66 million copies worldwide, Thriller was the world's best-selling solo album to date, according to the Guinness World Records. On 21 February 1983, the album reached number one in the US bestsellers, where it stayed for 37 weeks, then dropped into the top 10 for a further 43 weeks.This was the album of singles such as 'Beat It', 'Billie Jean' and 'Thriller'.


Who doesn't remember the music video for 'Thriller', a 14-minute production that cost over €500,000? In the years following the release of Thriller, the album was not only a musical reference. It was also a turning point in the worlds of dance, fashion and television. The album was a milestone in the fight against racial discrimination in the music industry.


1987 was another important year in Michael Jackson's career. After delaying the album release for two years, it was in August of that year that Bad, the first album to produce five number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, came out. Despite great fan acceptance, Bad was poorly received by critics when compared to Thriller and Off the Wall.





It was from this time onwards that the singer's life began to gain media prominence due to the obvious changes in his appearance. The newspapers speculated about possible plastic surgery Jackson may have had, and the singer only confirmed having had two. In addition, the change in his skin colour was beginning to be pronounced. With many theories on this subject, what is known is that Michael Jackson suffered from vitiligo, an autoimmune skin condition that causes the loss of skin pigmentation. The singer was also diagnosed with Lupus in the early 1990s. The autoimmune disease also causes pain and changes to the skin, as the immune system attacks cells instead of defending them. The condition helped explain why Michael Jackson often appeared in public wearing a mask and had a dependency on painkillers. 


There are also some theories about the use of skin whitening creams, which could or could not be related to vitiligo. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the singer spoke about his skin condition and declared himself proud to be a black North American, denying that he bleached his skin out of shame.


In September 1987, Michael Jackson began the Bad World Tour, his first world tour as a solo artist, which brought over 4.4 million people to stadiums in 15 different countries. Throughout the 1990s, the performer continued to innovate on stage and on video, and popularised dance techniques such as the moonwalk.Michael Jackson explored various musical genres such as pop, funk, rock and soul. In addition to the three albums we have already discussed, the singer released seven more albums during his lifetime and two posthumous ones. He has won hundreds of awards, including 39 Guinness records and 15 Grammy Awards.





It was also in the 1990s, 1992 to be precise, that the singer set up the Heal the World foundation to help millions of children around the world. This interest for helping and being with children was a very predominant and criticised trait in Michael Jackson's personality. According to himself, he liked to surround himself with children because it reminded him of all the things he had been deprived of due to working throughout his childhood. However, this liking turned against the artist when, in 1993, the first of four accusations of child sexual abuse surfaced. Although he was acquitted of all the charges, this is a topic that is still causing a stir, especially after the 2019 documentary, Leaving Neverland.


Michael Jackson passed away on June 25, 2009. The cause of death was cardiac arrest, induced by an overdose of sedatives administered by his personal physician Conrad Murray, who was sentenced to four years in prison for manslaughter. Within all the theories about the singer, there are still some about the possibility that he is alive and about to return with a new album.


A true cultural icon, Michael Jackson had a complex life full of speculation. But one thing is for sure, his contributions in the world of music and dance changed the industry. Discover records by Michael Jackson and other artists in our vinyl record collection.




Vinyl records

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