Michael Jackson Dead

[Tink]

I can understand what you are saying Bunyip, but in music, people look for different things, and I think Michael Jackson was a break through and inspiration to alot of people...

The music you are talking about, alot is classic, his was pop..

Off topic -- I was just thinking the other day that Elizabeth Taylor idolized him, imagine the day she goes - alot would be in mourning...

 

[mayk]

An article some may find interesting.

Michael Jackson Died For Our Sins

By: Mike Gerber

When I heard that pop singer Michael Jackson had died, I could not help but remember what a staple he was in the late-night monologues. What would all the hacks, myself included, do now? Crypto-queer GOPers and philandering family-values types can only get you so far. Perhaps Roseanne Barr could be coaxed out of retirement and given the Ambassadorship to Iran. Perhaps Oprah could be slipped some chemical that turned her into a combination of James Brown, Wilhelm Reich, and Minnie Pearl. Even then, they'd be no Michael Jackson. Everything Jackson did was a set-up; everything he was, a punchline.

For his entire adult life, Jackson was ridiculed in public by the best in the business. Think about that for a second. He knew what everybody thought of him--he must've known. At what point did all that weirdness change, from something inside of him, to something caused by all of us? Only he could know, if he ever did, and now he's dead.

Some portion of this ridicule was earned: the compulsive plastic surgery, the persistent whiff of child molestation, the bizarre marriage to Elvis' daughter--these were, if not earth-shattering events, deviations from the norm reasonably worthy of a satirist's attention. But I think anyone not getting paid on a 13-week contract has to admit that at a certain point it became a peculiar kind of public torture. Most of the time that Michael Jackson made the monologue, he hadn't done anything genuinely newsworthy. Yet there he was, the butt of another joke about gayness, or pedophilia, or plastic surgery, or germophobia...I could go on, but there's no point. There never was.

One of the biggest changes in American pop culture has been the demise of humor based on stereotypes (or at least its widespread concealment). This is a good thing, but as the humor of stereotype has waned, other things have had to step in. The things that have filled the void are

a) celebrity humor; and for those intellectuals among us
b) absurdism about "inhuman autopilots"--zombies, pirates, robots, ninjas, etc.

Add in reflexive taboo-busting--sex and drug jokes--and you have described 99% of what passes for comedy in these United States. Most political humor is celebrity humor with a veneer of importance; it comes from no political viewpoint, only comments on behavior. Most of the NPR/New Yorker brand is absurdist autopilot humor, with enough celebrity to satisfy their timeliness fetish.

All that is another post, so I'll leave it and finish this one. Unlike say, Cary Grant, Michael Jackson had the ill fortune to be a celebrity when nightly scrutiny of a pop singer's personal habits became what passed for incisive commentary. Precisely when American power needed all the restraining that satire could throw at it, satire became obsessed with celebrities. Coincidence? Surely not. Part of this was the entertainment industry's self-aggrandizing belief that nobody in the audience knows about anything but entertainment--which, after fifty years, has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. But even more powerful was simple risk-aversion. Any Jackson joke was risk-free. Since he was both celebrity and inhuman autopilot, the material flooded forth; and in that flood was protection, safety in numbers. That's why it all felt strangely impersonal, as if this "Michael Jackson" we were all laughing at didn't exist as a person. To the extent that anybody I knew spared a thought for the guy, the human being, they decided he deserved it for being so weird. Such is the compassion of the herd.

But so what? you might say. Life's rough, and Jackson didn't have to be rich and famous. He didn't have to get nose jobs and sleep in a hyperbaric chamber. Well, here's what: It's inconceivable to me that all this concentrated ridicule did not drip down, poison-like, to the man himself, and make a difficult life even more difficult. And it would be one thing if the enjoyment generated as a result of this pain was in any way instructive, constructive, or substantial. It wasn't. It was just meanness. Occasionally Jackson deserved our scorn, but most of the time he didn't, and it says a lot about the culture in which we live that Michael Jackson--a pop singer--was the target of so much vitriol. Anybody who runs for President, much less does what it takes to win, is just as weird as Michael Jackson was. They simply hide it better. Here was a guy so terrorized by his father that he'd vomit at the sight of him; a guy whose talent robbed him of his own childhood; a guy who spent the rest of his life mutilating himself and possibly mistreating others in an utterly doomed attempt to release from his pain. Apportion the blame however you like, but what the hell is funny about that? The moment you stop to think about it--for one second--it no longer becomes fodder for humor. So when we laugh at a Michael Jackson joke, we should know: that's not laughter, that's keeping yourself dead inside.

To accept that there is a limit to how much we can make fun of a celebrity, is to accept that certain behavior is more important than other behavior, and proportionality is a dangerous thought in our politicized times--if you want to get another 13-week contract. Yes everybody knew about Michael Jackson, and his existence as shorthand predisposed him to be joked about; but every second of airtime that he was being ridiculed, other much more worthy targets were escaping without critique. It's not a stretch to suggest that this, too, has created our troubled world.

If satire has a salutary effect (which is debatable), its benefits come in proportion to the importance of the target: what sort of danger is being curtailed or avoided by the force of ridicule. In blasting away at Michael Jackson, American comedy did more than merely shoot a perfectly motionless fish in a tiny glass barrel; it ignored some authentic sea monsters cruising the coast. And for that, everybody in the satirical end of comedy needs to take a long, hard, look--not at the spectacle of Michael Jackson, but at ourselves.

Which was maybe why we were so content to look at him in the first place.

http://www.tinyrevolution.com/mt/archives/003001.html

 

[kincella]

there are 3 little children....12,11 and 7
lets think about his children that are left behind....he was an abused kid...abused by his parents and his family....an article yesterday suggested that he abused his children, just like he abused his body and mind....and now his mother aged 79 has gained custody of them....the abused cycle continues....
god help the little children

 

[Tink]

 

[Agentm]

Wow people still believe this crap. This was from like 5 years ago and she denied this. The media are really getting desperate for news. Do your research and Don't believe everything you read guys. Especially from tabloid newspapers from Britain.

hey shadow,, thanks for the response

i got the article from 9msm yesterday.. i know they are unreliable and it did not get repeated in the ageonline, so i had my suspicions later on..

your correct, the article is a fake as its being reported today,, when i saw it merely posted it and did not research the source as i thought msm may have done so..

i viewed the article as humorous and tragic, and the comments insensitive..

now i view the article as fake and insensitive to the children.. the author needs therapy

cheers

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/831672/rowes-jackson-interview-fake-says-lawyer


msm's attempt at a retraction..



A newspaper interview that quoted Michael Jackson’s ex-wife as saying he was not the biological father of his two children is a fake, her attorney says.

And a tabloid report that provided details from the "leaked autopsy" of the pop icon's body is also untrue, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.


The News of the World interview with former Jackson wife Debbie Rowe, which has since been removed from its website, quoted her as saying: "I offered him my womb … [but] it wasn't Michael's sperm."

"I got paid for it, and I've moved on. I know I will never see my children again."

But Rowe's lawyer Marta Almli claims the quotes were made up, saying: "The interview did not occur … the article is a complete fabrication."

 

[Agentm]

in all fairness debbie rowe did do an interview and this is the transcript

Debbie Rowe Interview #2

The following interview was on November 25, 1997 and was on the Channel 4 NBC News show. This is the same interviewer and show as her first interview

DR = Debbie Rowe Jackson
CH = Chuck Henry
KL = Kelly Lange (in studio)

Visual Description

KL: We finally get to see the Jackson 3 together. The mom Debbie Rowe Jackson, dad the King Of Pop of course, Michael Jackson, and his Prince, their son. Chuck Henry spent the day with the family at Jackson's Neverland Ranch, and he came back with a very special report. Chuck ...

CH: Thanks Kelly, Debbie Rowe Jackson invited us up to the Neverland Ranch because she wanted to put the rumors and the speculation to rest. She wanted us to see her son. She wanted to talk about life with Michael. She says that she never thought living in the spotlight would be so difficult.

(Chuck Henry & Debbie Rowe sitting together on the grounds of Neverland Ranch)

DR: I, I didn't think it was going to be this brutal, really...

CH: Debbie Rowe talking about the tabloids. I met the Jackson family this weekend at their ranch in Neverland. And I asked Debbie Rowe to once again set the record straight. The tabloid have characterized her as a joke or a freak for having Michael's son.

DR: It's very hurtful, even if it's a lie. And, I don't care what The Enquirer says. They're not truthful, they're not truthful, they don't go for the facts. They go for the sensationalism, they go for the story, they don't care who they hurt.

(Michael and Lisa Marie together in South Africa)

KL: Then there are the stories about Michael having an affair with his ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley. Like the weekend they appeared together in South Africa.

(Chuck Henry and Debbie Rowe talking again)

DR: Then I heard that same weekend that Michael had married Lisa in Johannesburg. So I waited for him to call me that night and I said, "Oh, Congratulations," and he said, "For what?" I said, "You and Lisa got married, it's wonderful." I said, "Wait a minute, that means you have two wives!"

(Michael, Prince, Debbie and Chuck walking together)

CH: How does the Lisa thing get so out of hand.

DR: I'm not sure, if it's they want to think that Michael's out having an affair, that he's not capable of having a friendship. You know that, maybe with most people you can't have a friendship or relationship with an ex-wife or friend of the opposite sex, because all of a sudden your sleeping together.

(Michael walking with Prince, then they sit down on the grass)

CH: You never worry about anything, like fidelity?

DR: No

CH: Cheating on you?

DR: No, no we have great communication. It's totally by my approval, they have a relationship, and what people don't understand is his relationship with her is separate from his relationship with me. They're friends, they're very good friends, and I would never, I would never tell him, "Oh, you can't see your friends." He would never tell me I can't see my friends. I am glad that they have a relationship together. I am glad to see them together, they have a lot in common.

(Michael and Prince playing)

DR: Now there's nothing Michael could do that would humiliate me. Nothing. My friendship with him is the most important thing to me, and if this marriage gets in the way of that friendship, then we'll put that marriage aside. But I want to go on as friends, that's more important to me then anything else, especially with having kids.

CH: Now in fairness we contacted The Enquirer about it's response, the executive editor of the paper claims that they were the first to break many stories about the Jackson's.

This is part 2 of the interview

KL: The Jackson 3. What is it like to live with Michael Jackson? What kind of a dad is he? And what is it like to be his wife? Debbie Rowe Jackson invited us to the Neverland Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley, she answered those questions and for the first time she got the record straight about baby number two.

(Michael, Prince, Debbie and Chuck walking)

CH: This is where baby Prince is growing up, it's a place called Neverland. It's here that we captured pictures, for the first time ever, of mom, the King of Pop and his Prince.

(Debbie and Chuck)

DR: It's heaven, it's heaven and it's where he can get away and be a dad, and be a kid, with his kid.

CH: And, the kind of father Michael is..

DR: The best, look at him (Michael and Prince Playing). That's what it's all about, that is what all this is about. CH: When Michael is home, can you give me an idea of what his day is like, I mean as far as with his son.

DR: Well, whenever they baby's awake he's with the baby, the whole time. If the baby's napping that when he steals away to work, to write music, to dance.

(All walking)

CH: But pretty soon this dad won't be stealing away from only one baby. The Jackson family is growing.

CH: So you're expecting?

(Debbie and Chuck)

DR: Yes, a little girl in May. And we are going to name her Paris Michael Katherine. I wanted to name her Michael after Michael but Michael said no. So we decided Paris because that's where she was conceived.

CH: Yeah

DR: Michael, because I really want Michael's name in her name, and Katherine after his mom.

(Michael and Prince sitting in grass)

CH: And how does Michael feel about having a baby girl?

DR: He's picking out clothes already to dress her up. You know, he's, he loves kids.

(All Walking)

CH: When we first came out the door, he said, "Well wait a minute, I want to go back up and get some toys for him." For Prince, so he goes back up and he brings down this giant lollipop, or whatever it was.

DR: Yeah, like father like son, definitely has daddy's sweet tooth.

(Debbie and Chuck)

CH: So little Prince is going to have a little sister.

DR: Yes.

CH: How about after that?

(They laugh)

DR: Give me a minute, give me a minute, I'm getting old. I hope so, I hope we can have a lot of kids together. He's such a great dad.

PART 3 NOT TRANSCRIBED YET.

Back to Transripts

 

[bowman]

Tink

The numbers only tell us what we already know - that he was immensely popular. What they don't tell us is how much of his popularity was due to his musical talent, and how much of it was due to the razzmatazz, the way out costumes, and the co-performers that were all part of his show.

I'm not passing judgement on his ability as an entertainer....I'm just trying to look at it objectively.

It's all relative isn't it. The early Beatles haircuts were outrageous for their time.

And then a bit later there were these sedate outfits.

Having said that, Lennon and McCartney are songwriters in another league altogether.

 

[Tink]

Good post Agent

That was on TV the other day and the one with Lisa Marie Presley with Michael Jackson.

I think the tabloids just blow it all out of proportion, they dont care who they hurt in the long run, as long as the paper sells..

They should be penalized for publishing crap - too bad we cant get them to put it on the front page that they were WRONG ...
wouldnt that be nice

 

[Agentm]

there was elvis, the king and mj the king of pop..

nothing comes close really..
US chart records and achievements
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (July 2007)

* Jackson had nine platinum singles in the United States, trailing only Elvis Presley (27) and Mariah Carey (10). Rihanna also has 9 platinum singles, which are only calculated by the RIAA for a fee, upon request.
* Jackson had 16 gold singles in the United States, behind only Elvis Presley (54), Madonna (26), The Beatles (24), Mariah Carey (23), Janet Jackson (21), Whitney Houston (18), Elton John (17) and The Temptations (17).
* Jackson's Thriller remained at number one for thirty-seven weeks, the longest-ever stay by a non-soundtrack album and second only to West Side Story.[1]
* Thriller spent a record 80 consecutive weeks, more than a year and a half, in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. It was the first of only three albums to remain on the Top 10 for more than a year (along with Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill and Celine Dion's Falling into You).
* "Thriller" is the best-selling album in U.S. history, at 50 million.
* Thriller is the only album in the United States to have sold more copies than any other in two separate years, topping the sales charts in 1983 and 1984.
* Four of Jackson's albums, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory, and Invincible, debuted at number one in the United States.
* Jackson was the first artist to have four Top 10 singles from one album (Off the Wall).
* Jackson was the first artist to have seven Top 10 singles from one album (Thriller), a feat matched only by his sister Janet and Bruce Springsteen.
* Jackson was the first artist to simultaneously have the number one album and number one single on Billboard's Pop Charts and Black Charts.
* Jackson was the first artist in the 1980s to have two simultaneous Top 5 hits ("Beat It" and "Billie Jean" on April 16, 1983).
* Jackson is the only artist to have five number one hits from one LP, Bad ("Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", and "Dirty Diana").
* Jackson had nine number one singles in the 1980s, more than any other artist during the decade.
* Jackson was the first artist to have a song debut as high as #5 on the Hot 100 ("Scream" in 1995).
* Jackson was the first artist to ever have a song debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 ("You Are Not Alone").[1]
* Jackson's album Bad remained in the top five of the Billboard 200 for 38 weeks, longer than any other album to date.
* Jackson has had 13 number-one singles on Billboard's Hot 100 singles charts, trailing only The Beatles (20), Mariah Carey (18) and Elvis Presley (18 or 17, depending on source).
* Jackson had 28 top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, trailing only The Beatles (29), Elvis Presley (36), and Madonna (37).
* Jackson had 37 top 40 hits on the Hot 100.

[edit] Jackson's US number ones

Michael Jackson had 13 number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and 1 number one collaboration, "Say Say Say", featuring Paul McCartney.

* 1972: "Ben" (1 week)
* 1979: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (1 week)
* 1980: "Rock with You" (4 weeks)
* 1983: "Billie Jean" (7 weeks)
* 1983: "Beat It" (3 weeks)
* 1983: "Say Say Say" (6 weeks)
* 1985: "We Are The World" (4 weeks) (this track is counted extraofficially, considering that was credited to USA for Africa)
* 1987: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (with Siedah Garrett) (1 week)



* 1987: "Bad" (2 weeks)
* 1987: "The Way You Make Me Feel" (1 week)
* 1988: "Man in the Mirror" (2 weeks)
* 1988: "Dirty Diana" (1 week)
* 1991: "Black or White" (7 weeks)
* 1995: "You Are Not Alone" (1 week)

[edit] Jackson's US Top 10 Hits

Michael Jackson had 29 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

* 1971: "Got to Be There" #4
* 1972: "Rockin Robin" #2
* 1972: "Ben" #1
* 1979: "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" #1
* 1980: "Rock With You" #1
* 1980: "Off The Wall" #10
* 1980: "She's Out Of My Life" #10
* 1983: "The Girl Is Mine" (with Paul McCartney) #2
* 1983: "Billie Jean" #1
* 1983: "Beat It" #1
* 1983: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" #5
* 1984: "Human Nature" #7
* 1984: "P.Y.T." #10
* 1984: "Say Say Say" (with Paul McCartney) #1
* 1984: "Thriller" #4
* 1985: "We Are The World" #1
* 1987: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (with Siedah Garrett) #1



* 1987: "Bad" #1
* 1988: "The Way You Make Me Feel" #1
* 1988: "Man In The Mirror" #1
* 1988: "Dirty Diana" #1
* 1989: "Smooth Criminal" #7
* 1991: "Black or White" #1
* 1992: "Remember The Time" #3
* 1992: "In The Closet" #6
* 1993: "Will You Be There" #7
* 1995: "Scream"(with Janet Jackson) #5
* 1995: "You Are Not Alone" #1
* 2001: "You Rock My World" #10

[edit] Jackson's US R&B number ones

Michael Jackson had 13 number one hits on the Billboard R&B charts.

* 1979: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (5 weeks)
* 1980: "Rock with You"
* 1983: "The Girl Is Mine" (3 weeks)
* 1983: "Billie Jean" (9 weeks)
* 1983: "Beat It"
* 1987: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
* 1987: "Bad"



* 1987: "The Way You Make Me Feel"
* 1988: "Man in the Mirror"
* 1988: "Another Part of Me"
* 1991: "Remember the Time"
* 1991: "In the Closet"
* 1995: "You Are Not Alone" (4 weeks)

[edit] UK chart records and achievements

* With 11.5 million copies, Michael Jackson is one of only eight musical acts that have sold more than 10 million singles in Britain.[2]
* Jackson had 8 number one albums on the British charts, including billing him with the Jackson Five, and is tied with David Bowie for fourth place all time.[3] (Madonna has 10, Elvis Presley has 11, and the Beatles have 15.)
* Jackson holds the record for the most Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart in one year, registering 19 in 2006.[2]
* Jackson had 40 Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart.[4]
* Jackson had 50 Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart.[4]
* Jackson's Thriller and Bad' are the 8th- and 9th-highest-selling albums in UK history.

Besides Jackson, only Queen, with the 1st- and 7th-best-selling albums, has multiple entries in the top twenty. They are '.[5]

[edit] Jackson's UK number ones

Michael Jackson had seven number one hits on the UK Singles Charts.

* 1981: "One Day in Your Life" (2 weeks)
* 1983: "Billie Jean" (1 week)
* 1987: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (with Siedah Garrett) (2 weeks)
* 1991: "Black or White" (2 weeks)



* 1995: "You Are Not Alone" (2 weeks)
* 1995: "Earth Song" (6 weeks)
* 1997: "Blood on the Dance Floor" (1 week)

[edit] French chart records and achievements

* Invincible, released in 2001, had the highest first week of sales for a foreign album in France, shifting 166,000 copies.[6]
* Jackson had four diamond albums in France. They are Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory.
* Jackson had 22 top ten hits on the French Top 100 Singles charts.
* Jackson had 36 top 40 hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.

[edit] Jackson's French number ones

Michael Jackson had seven number one hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.

* 1983: "Billie Jean" (3 weeks)
* 1983: "Say Say Say" (1 week)
* 1983: "Thriller" (3 weeks)
* 1991: "Black or White" (2 weeks)



* 1992: "Heal the World" (2 weeks)
* 1995: "You Are Not Alone" (1 week)
* 2001: "You Rock My World" (3 weeks)

[edit] German chart records and achievements

* Jackson had five albums in Germany that reached platinum status. They are Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory, and Invincible.
* Jackson had 16 top ten hits on the German Top 100 singles charts.
* Jackson had 29 top 40 hits on the Top 100 singles charts.

 

[Agentm]

too much for one post......... it continues


[edit] Jackson's German number ones

Michael Jackson had two number one hits on the Top 100 singles charts.

* 1995: "Earth Song" (6 weeks)
* 1996: "They Don't Care About Us" (3 weeks)

[edit] Spanish chart records and achievements

* Jackson had 35 top 20 hits on the Top 20 Singles charts.
* Jackson had 29 top ten hits on the Top 20 Singles charts.

[edit] Jackson's Spanish number ones

Michael Jackson had 20 number one hits on the Top 20 Singles charts.

* 1983: "The Girl Is Mine" (3 weeks)
* 1983 & 2006: "Billie Jean" (2 weeks)
* 1983: "Say Say Say" (1 week)

* 1988 & 2006: "Smooth Criminal" (6 weeks)
* 1991: "Black or White" (110 weeks)
* 1995: "Scream" (4 weeks)
* 1996 & 2006: "Stranger in Moscow" (5 weeks)
* 1997 & 2006: "Blood on the Dance Floor" (7 weeks)
* 2001: "You Rock My World" (1 week)
[edit] Australian chart records and achievements

* Jackson had eight albums in Australia that earned platinum or multi-platinum certifications. They are Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory, Invincible, Number Ones, and The Essential Michael Jackson.
* Jackson had 27 top 20 hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.
* Jackson had 20 top ten hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.

[edit] Jackson's Australian number ones

Michael Jackson had four number one hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.

* 1972: "Ben" (8 weeks)
* 1979: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (3 weeks)
* 1983: "Billie Jean" (5 weeks)
* 1991: "Black or White" (8 weeks)

[edit] Norwegian chart records and achievements

* Jackson had three singles that earned a gold certification in Norway. They are "Earth Song," "They Don't Care About Us," and "You Rock My World."
* Jackson had 21 top ten hits on the Top 20 Singles charts.

[edit] Jackson's Norwegian number ones

Michael Jackson had four number one hits on the Top 20 Singles charts.

* 1979: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (2 weeks)
* 1983: "Say Say Say" (5 weeks)
* 1987: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (with Siedah Garrett) (7 weeks)
* 1991: "Black or White" (6 weeks)

[edit] Other records and achievements

* Jackson has supported more charities than any other pop singer - 39 charitable organizations either with monetary donations through sponsorships of their projects or the participation in their activities. The charities involved include AIDS Project L.A., American Cancer Society, BMI Foundation, Inc., Childhelp USA, United Negro College Fund, YMCA - 28th Street/Crenshaw, The Sickle Cell Research Fund and Volunteers of America[7].
* David O. Selznick's 1940 Best Film Oscar for Gone with the Wind (USA, 1939) was bought by Jackson for $1,542,000 on June 12, 1999, at Sotheby's, New York City. The Academy Awards no longer permits such sales, all but ensuring that it will remain the most expensive Oscar.
* Jackson and Bubbles, a porcelain sculpture created by the artist Jeff Koons in 1988 sold for $5,616,750 at Sotheby's in New York City on May 15, 2001. The piece measures 106.7 x 179.1 x 82.6 cm (42 x 70.5 x 32.5 in) and is described as a mix of pop culture and high art. The sculpture shows Jackson reclining with his arm around his pet monkey. It is the most valuable sculpture by a living artist.
* Jackson's part-feature film, part-music video, Ghosts (USA, 1996), is 38 minutes long and was based on an original concept by horror writer Stephen King. Jackson plays five different roles in the video, directed by Stan Winston. It is the longest music video of all time.
* Jackson holds the record for most expensive music video ("Scream" in 1995 with sister Janet Jackson) cost reportedly over seven million U.S. dollars.
* On November 14, 1991, Michael Jackson’s music video, Black or White was broadcast simultaneously in 27 countries with an estimated audience of 500 million people. It is the largest audience ever to view a music video.
* In March 1991, Jackson signed a new record-breaking US$890 million contract by Sony. It is still the largest recording contract of all time.
* In 1986 Jackson signed a $15 million deal with Pepsi - it was the largest ever endorsement for product promotion.
* Jackson has the record for the two best-selling VHS music videos ever released ("Moonwalker" [1988] in first place, and "The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller" [1984] in second place).
* Jackson jointly holds the record for most Grammy Awards won in a single year. He won eight awards at the 1984 ceremony. This was equaled by Carlos Santana at the 2001 ceremony.
* Jackson jointly holds the record for most American Music Awards won in a single year, winning eight awards at the 1984 ceremony. This was equaled by Whitney Houston at the 1994 ceremony.
* Jackson jointly holds the record for the most World Music Awards won in a single year, with five awards at the 1996 ceremony (tied with Whitney Houston from the 1994 ceremony).
* Jackson holds the record for winning more Billboard awards than any other male artist, having 26.
* Jackson holds the record for winning more Billboard awards than any other artist in one year, grabbing 13 in 1983.
* Jackson has more music awards than any other artist in the history of music.
* Honored as artist of the decade by former President, George H. W. Bush in 1989 and another seven awards from others.
* Named "Artist Of The Century" at the American Music Awards ceremony in 2002.
* Jackson's "Bad World Tour" (1987–1989) was the highest-grossing tour ever at the time, with over $125 million earned. This record was later broken by the "Dangerous World Tour" (1992-1993) and later broken again by the "HIStory World Tour" (1996-1997), which is still the biggest tour ever in terms of international attendance (4.4 million tickets outside of USA).
* Michael Jackson is the only foreign artist to have sold more than 1,500,000 units in Turkey with all his albums (Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory, Blood On The Dance Floor and Invincible). Bad is the best-selling foreign album in Turkey with the sales of 560,000 units. HIStory is the best-selling double album by a foreign artist in Turkey with more than 145,000 units sold.
* Jackson's album "Thriller" (1982) is the best selling album of all time with more than 104 million copies.
* Would have been the biggest audience ever to see an artist in one city, from "This Is It" in 2009.
* Would have been the most amount of people to attend a series of arena shows, from "This Is It" in 2009.
* The fastest ticket sales in history, with 700,000 tickets sold in about four hours for the now-cancelled "This Is It" tour in 2009.
* Jackson is the third best selling artist of all time with over 750 million records sold. (First, second and fourth are as follows: 1. The Beatles, 2. Elvis Presley, 4. Bing Crosby)
* At one stage, Michael Jackson was one of the wealthiest entertainers in the world, with a fortune of more than $750 million. [8]
* Jackson has been given 197 recognized awards.



* 2006: "Rock with You" (1 week)
* 2006: "Beat It" (1 week)
* 2006: "Bad" (14 week)
* 2006: "The Way You Make Me Feel" (1 week)
* 2006: "Dirty Diana" (1 week)
* 2006: "Leave Me Alone" (1 week)
* 2006: "Jam" (1 week)
* 2006: "Heal the World" (1 week)
* 2006: "You Are Not Alone" (1 week)
* 2006: "Earth Song" (1 week)

[edit] Canadian chart records and achievements

* Jackson had three number one albums in Canada. They are Thriller, Bad, and HIStory.
* Jackson had five albums in Canada that were either platinum or multi-platinum sellers. They are Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory. Thriller has been certified 2x Diamond in Canada.
* Jackson had three singles that earned at least one platinum certification in Canada. They are "Billie Jean," "Beat It," and "Say Say Say."
* Jackson had 29 top 20 hits on the Top 50 Singles charts.
* Jackson had 20 top ten hits on the Top 50 Singles charts.

[edit] Jackson's Canadian number ones

Michael Jackson had five number one hits on the Top 50 Singles charts.

* 1983: "Billie Jean" (7 weeks)
* 1983: "Beat It" (2 weeks)
* 1984: "Say Say Say" (1 week)
* 1987: "Bad" (1 week)
* 1991: "Black or White" (8 weeks)

 

[Mr J]

Tink

The numbers only tell us what we already know - that he was immensely popular. What they don't tell us is how much of his popularity was due to his musical talent, and how much of it was due to the razzmatazz, the way out costumes, and the co-performers that were all part of his show.

I'm not passing judgement on his ability as an entertainer....I'm just trying to look at it objectively.

I think it is his skill as a performer that most appreciate, not specifically his music talent. His music is very good, but it's when it is combined with his dancing, the choreography and the energy that make him the icon that he is.

 

[Prospector]

AgentM, you have done some serious research there. I have missed every one of the shows produced so far on TV since his death. I just hope that a talented producer will soon put together a quality showcase of MJ; not dwell on the negative stuff, but just celebrate his achievements. But knowing my luck I will miss that too. Foxtel did several of Health Ledgers movies when he died, but I guess with MJ it all has to be produced first.

Hell, I have even legally downloaded (ie paid through ITunes) Thriller, Bad and HIStory albums since Friday! As well as several video clips. Now for me to pay, really says something.

I take your point. The second Mrs Gumnut was a fan and left some of her collection in the boat shed. I plan on listening to them after reading you guys expressing such respect for his art.

gg

Ah, GG, hope you enjoy them.

 

[trainspotter]

Michael Jackson is dead? Would never have guessed it ! ROFL

 

[bunyip]

I can understand what you are saying Bunyip, but in music, people look for different things, and I think Michael Jackson was a break through and inspiration to alot of people...

QUOTE]

True enough....Jackson was unique - entirely different to any singing star before him, he was completely outside the mould.
Mind you, I'm not sure what the mould was, but Jackson definitely wasn't part of it.
Different people - different tastes in music and entertainment.
Charlie Pride, Slim Dusty and Johnny Cash are/were singers whose talent I admired.
But a friend of mine takes an opposite view and regards their music as 'country crap - nasal, twangy rubbish.'

Love him or hate him, Michael Jackson certainly left his mark on the music and entertainment industry.
He'll be sadly missed, although not by me.

 

[Tink]

Different people - different tastes in music and entertainment.
Charlie Pride, Slim Dusty and Johnny Cash are/were singers whose talent I admired.
But a friend of mine takes an opposite view and regards their music as 'country crap - nasal, twangy rubbish.'

Yep thats it Bunyip

I dont mind country - all music is different and unique in its own way..

 

[Timmy]

* Jackson has supported more charities than any other pop singer - 39 charitable organizations either with monetary donations through sponsorships of their projects or the participation in their activities. The charities involved include AIDS Project L.A., American Cancer Society, BMI Foundation, Inc., Childhelp USA, United Negro College Fund, YMCA - 28th Street/Crenshaw, The Sickle Cell Research Fund and Volunteers of America[7].

Thanks for these posts Agentm. I just picked out that one piece (quoted). I liked his music and showmanship (and was awestruck by his dancing), but didn't know of his generosity.

I have missed every one of the shows produced so far on TV since his death. I just hope that a talented producer will soon put together a quality showcase of MJ; not dwell on the negative stuff

I too have not watched any of the TV stuff; and yes once they quit digging dirt (and just recycling it) maybe I will.

 

[bunyip]

Yep thats it Bunyip

I dont mind country - all music is different and unique in its own way..

For me it's country and also rock 'n roll that appeals. There were many sensational bands and individuals from the sixties era....Beach Boys, Beatles, Delltones, Normie Rowe, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Little Patti, The Safaris, and loads of others. Even my kids who are late teens to early twenties, love that sixties music and admit it leaves the modern stuff for dead.
Last year my kids and I attended a sensational outdoor concert featuring Little Patti, The Delltones, Normie Rowe, Johnny Young (of Countdown fame) and some others from the sixties era. They're now in their 60's and even 70's but can still belt out a tune as well as they ever could. Pure musical talent - they were and still are so good that they had no need of showmanship.

 

[Mr J]

Pure musical talent - they were and still are so good that they had no need of showmanship.

Michael Jackson didn't need it to be popular, it just made him much more so.

 

[nunthewiser]

Normie rowe and talent in the same sentence!! ???

someone tellim he,s dreaming

 

[robots]

hello,

good evening, top posts Agentm

yeah man do as Prospector get the songs on the ipod, computer, stereo, beatbox whatever and listen to these awesome tracks

the footage of people dancing in UK to Billie Jean was just amazing and the funeral is going to be one awesome ride

if your capital city is hosting a party get down to it brothers

thankyou
professor robots