Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson

Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com

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10 Reasons Michael Jackson Became The King Of Pop

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THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:08 am

On June 25, 2009, the music world stopped spinning when news broke of the death of Michael Jackson. Jackson's unparalleled place in music history was quickly solidified as millions of fans around the world mourned the loss. The GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles subsequently sprang into action with the unveiling of the special exhibit, Michel Jackson: A Musical Legacy, which served as a follow-up to the Michael Jackson: HIStyle exhibit that opened in February of that year.

On the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2010, GRAMMY winners Smokey Robinson, Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood, Usher, and Jennifer Hudson teamed for an all-star 3-D rendition of "Earth Song" in tribute to Jackson, who that year was honored posthumously with a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award.

With more than 75 million albums sold in the United States, Jackson ranks No. 7 on the RIAA's list of top-selling artists of all time. As we approach the five-year anniversary of his death, we look back on 10 royal achievements that made Jackson the King of Pop.

1970: First Four No. 1 Hits
Jackson made history with his brothers in the Jackson 5 when they became the first group in pop history to have their first four singles hit No. 1. The songs were "I Want You Back," "I'll Be There," "The Love You Save," and "ABC." The latter earned the Jackson 5 their first GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus.

1982: Thriller Is Released
Following the release of his 1979 hit album Off The Wall, Jackson released Thriller on Nov. 30, 1982. Both albums were inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2008, but Thriller is widely considered Jackson's most successful album. Co-produced by Quincy Jones and Jackson, the landmark album became the first album to generate seven Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. With sales of 29 million copies, Thriller is tied with the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975 as the best-selling album of all time according to the RIAA.

1983: The Moonwalk
Jackson debuted what would become his signature dance move, the moonwalk, during a performance of "Billie Jean" on the May 16, 1983, TV special "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" in celebration of the label's 25th anniversary.

Later that year, on Dec. 2 Jackson changed the music video world for good when he released the music video for "Thriller." The near 14-minute epic unlocked the unlimited possibilities of music video, while helping to cement the viability of the medium.

1984: Eight GRAMMYs, One Night
Jackson made history when he became the first artist to win eight GRAMMYs in one night at the 26th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 28, 1984. The King of Pop's haul included Album Of The Year for Thriller and Record Of The Year for "Beat It." Jackson is among the artists with the most GRAMMYs won in the '80s with 11.

1984: Hollywood Walk Of Fame X 2
Jackson became the first celebrity to have two stars in the same category on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Before receiving a recording star as a solo artist, he earned his name in cement as part of the Jacksons (previously known as the Jackson 5) in 1980.

1988: GRAMMY Solo Performance Debut
Jackson made his solo GRAMMY stage debut on the 30th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which took place in New York on March 2, 1988. Arguably one of the greatest performances in GRAMMY history, Jackson performed a medley featuring "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Man In The Mirror."

1993: GRAMMY Legend Award
To date, only 15 individuals have been awarded the prestigious GRAMMY Legend Award — a Recording Academy Special Merit Award that is presented to individuals or groups for ongoing contributions and influence in the recording field. Jackson became the 10th individual to earn this honor in 1993.

1997: The Jackson 5 Enter The Rock Hall
Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the first time as part of the Jackson 5 with his brothers Jackie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson, and Tito Jackson. He was later inducted as a solo artist in 2001.

2009: 2.6 Million Downloads Sold
In the week following his death, Jackson became the first artist to sell more than 1 million digital tracks in one week. (He sold 2.6 million tracks, easily breaking the old record.) He also became the first artist to have the three best-selling albums in the United States. Two weeks later, he became the first artist to have six of the 10 best-selling albums.

2014: Jackson Makes History … Again
On May 21 Jackson became the first artist in history to score a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades when "Love Never Felt So Good" (from his posthumous release, Xscape) reached No. 9.

Michael Jackson's GRAMMY Moments: YouTube Playlist

 

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Joe Jackson

Joe Jackson

Photo: D. Dipasupil/FilmMagic

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Jackson Family Patriarch Joe Jackson Dies At 89

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A man whose legacy has reached across the world for generations, his driving life changed music forever
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Jun 27, 2018 - 4:04 pm

Born in 1928, father, provider and disciplinarian Joe Jackson drove his inspiring family to international music success, and for Michael Jackson and his sister Janet Jackson, individual artistic status as unforgettable cultural icons. On June 27 the Jackson estate confirmed the family patriarch had died at age 89 from cancer.

The elder Jackson developed an ear for music, and initially drafted his three elder sons — Jack, Tito and Jermaine Jackson — under the name the Jackson Brothers. When Michael and Marlon Jackson joined the fold, a legendary R&B group was born. Under their father's management, the Jackson 5 were signed by Berry Gordy's Motown Records in 1969 and he continued as their manager through the early years.

Eventually Michael Jackson took off on his own, followed by Janet Jackson later, who Joe Jackson also managed early in her career. With Joe Jackson's work ethic behind them, Janet Jackson went on to earn five career GRAMMYs, most recently for Best Dance Recording for "All For You" at the 44th GRAMMY Awards.

Michael Jackson, meanwhile, went on to be crowned the King of Pop and earned a career total of 13 GRAMMY Awards, including Album Of The Year for his smash hit record, Thriller, at the 26th GRAMMY Awards and Record and Song Of The Year for "We Are The World," co-written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, at the 28th GRAMMYs. Michael Jackson received the GRAMMY Legend Award in 1993 and the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 for his unparalleled contributions to the music industry.

"My father, my incredible father, drove me to be the best that I can," Janet Jackson said about her dad. Social media remembrances have wished Joe Jackson peace and expressed awe at how the music he started has touched the world amid a harsh and sometimes tragic life that broke boundaries and accomplished the almost impossible.

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Remembering Michael Jackson's Record-Setting Music Career

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THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:08 am

Over the course of a four-decade career, Michael Jackson set a lot of records. In 1984 his landmark album Thriller became the first album to generate seven Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1988 his follow-up Bad became the first album to yield five No. 1 hits. In 1995 "You Are Not Alone" became the first single to enter the chart at No. 1.

Jackson's record-setting ways didn't stop when he died on June 25, 2009. In the week after his death, he became the first artist to sell more than 1 million digital tracks in one week. (He sold 2.6 million tracks, crushing the old record.) He also became the first artist to have the three best-selling albums in the United States. Two weeks later, he became the first artist to have six of the 10 best-selling albums.

When Nielsen SoundScan released its final sales tallies for 2009, Jackson had four of the year's top 20 albums, a record for the SoundScan era. He also had seven of the year's top 100 albums and nine of the year's top 200 digital songs.

Jackson had Top 10 hits in each of the last five decades, which is remarkable for someone who was only 50 when he died. The Jackson 5's first hit, "I Want You Back," cracked the Top 10 the very last week of the '60s. Jackson kept his Top 10 record alive in the '00s (if just barely) when "You Rock My World" reached No. 10 in 2001.

It's extraordinary how young Jackson was when he hit it big. Before his 12th birthday in August 1970, he had sung lead on three No. 1 hits: "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "The Love You Save." (Two months later, there would be a fourth, "I'll Be There," which made the Jackson 5 the first act to top the Hot 100 with its first four hits.)

Jackson was just 12 when he first made the cover of Rolling Stone; 13 when he landed his first Top 5 solo hit ("Got To Be There"); and 14 when he sang the Oscar-nominated "Ben" on the Academy Awards.

Most of the chart records Jackson set were tied to the trio of albums he recorded with legendary producer Quincy Jones from 1979–1987. Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad sold tens of millions of copies and generated a combined total of 17 Top 10 hits.

Thriller, released when Jackson was 24, logged 37 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. That constituted the second-longest run in the top spot since the chart became a weekly feature in 1956. Only the West Side Story soundtrack had more weeks on top. (Ironically, Jackson's video for "Beat It," one of the iconic hits from Thriller, was an homage to "West Side Story.")

Jackson also set some GRAMMY records. In 1984 he became the first artist to win eight GRAMMYs in one night. (In 2000 Carlos Santana equaled the feat.) That same year, he became the only artist to win GRAMMYs in the Pop, Rock and R&B Fields in one year. (He remains one of only three artists to win in all three fields over the course of a career. The others are B.B. King and Tina Turner.)

Over the years, Jackson won a total of 13 GRAMMYs. Fittingly, they recognized the wide range of his talents. Four of the awards were for vocal performances, three for music videos, two for songwriting, and one for producing. (Of the other three, two were in the general categories of Album and Record Of The Year, while one was for Best Recording For Children.)

The Recording Academy gave Jackson its GRAMMY Legend Award in 1993 and posthumously presented him a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.

Jackson's most memorable night at the GRAMMYs was Feb. 28, 1984, the year of his Thriller sweep. But a close second was March 2, 1988. He was nominated for four awards for Bad and for Producer Of The Year — and lost them all. But he still came away a winner. His tour-de-force performance that night of "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Man In The Mirror" belongs on the short list of the greatest performances in GRAMMY history.

(Paul Grein writes the weekly Chart Watch blog for Yahoo.com.)

 

News

Michael Jackson: A Pop Messiah

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THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 3:22 pm

Michael Jackson photos »
Michael Jackson video »
Related news: MJ's Final Hours »
Related blog: A Record Setter »
Related blog: HISMuseum

True story. The first time I saw Michael Jackson perform, I cried.

Go ahead, laugh. But that's just how devastatingly talented Michael was. From the time he assumed the world stage 41 years ago to his tragic death last year at age 50, Michael consistently demonstrated that magical, mystical quality called "mojo." But I'm getting ahead of myself. Permit me to backtrack…

It's 1969 and I'm watching a TV variety show called "The Hollywood Palace," anxiously awaiting the television debut of the Jackson 5. After what seems like an eternity, the group is introduced and they launch into their debut Motown single, "I Want You Back." The resulting performance was positively mind-bending. Michael was just 11 years old — the same age I was — but he sang and moved with the soul, precision and confidence of a Lilliputian James Brown. The level of professionalism — dare I say, the mastery — was off the charts.

Looking back, it seems ironic that I witnessed this performance on a black-and-white television. Watching the Jackson 5 that October night, my drab world suddenly went widescreen, went Technicolor. I wasn't the only one affected. My 14-year-old sister had this fevered expression on her face that I'd never seen before. Even in my youth and inexperience, I knew that look. It was the expression of a girl consumed by the flames of sexual obsession.

And that's when the tears began to trickle. I knew that, barring a miracle, I would never annihilate a woman the way Michael did when he performed.

It's been a year since we learned of the King of Pop's death, right on the eve of a much-anticipated series of comeback concerts. Had he lived to perform those shows, I'm sure the multiple GRAMMY winner would have decimated a new generation of girls and boys. Michael possessed the same megaton talent and appeal as Elvis and the Beatles. When Michael sang and moved, you couldn't take your eyes (or ears) off of him.

Michael was transformed into a global megastar in the wake of his coming-of-age masterpieces Off The Wall and Thriller, but he was always a megastar to African-American boomers like myself. Just as Elvis and the Beatles lit fires in the hearts of suburban white kids, Michael and his brothers inspired a generation of black kids to take up music. Thanks to his influence, I learned to play the guitar. It's a gift that keeps on giving.

In death as in life, Michael's mystique just seems to grow. Nowadays I'm struck by the notion that he was a sort of pop messiah — a notion underscored by the eerie Biblical allegories of Michael's life. Born the impoverished son of a man named Joseph, Michael was a musical wonderworker who sacrificed his youth to inspire others. His career leveled off in the mid-'70s, only to stage the most successful "resurrection" in entertainment history. Many fans will argue that Michael was unjustly persecuted (i.e., "crucified") later in his career. Any mythology professor worth his or her salt would have a field day with this stuff.

I was trawling the Internet last June 25 when news broke that Michael had been rushed to the hospital suffering cardiac arrest. Even before his death was confirmed, I knew he was gone. For decades I had a premonition that Michael would die young, so when his time finally arrived there was no shock or prostrating grief, just acceptance.

Unlike that night in 1969, I didn't cry.

(Bruce Britt is an award-winning journalist and essayist. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, and other prominent publications. He lives in Los Angeles with his beloved Fender Telecaster.)

Michael Jackson (L) & Lionel Richie (R) at the 1986 GRAMMYs

Michael Jackson (L) & Lionel Richie (R) at the 1986 GRAMMYs

 
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GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Lionel Richie & Michael Jackson Win Song Of The Year For "We Are The World"

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In the latest edition of GRAMMY Rewind, we revisit the night the Quincy-Jones-produced, mega-star-studded charity single won big at the 1986 GRAMMYs
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jul 3, 2020 - 8:55 am

On Jan. 28, 1985, 35 years ago, legendary producer Quincy Jones gathered 45 of the biggest artists of the day, including Bob Dylan, Huey Lewis and the News, Stevie Wonder and Cyndi Lauper, at A&M Studios in Los Angeles to record the now-historic charity single, "We Are The World." The goal of this one-time supergroup, USA For Africa, was to raise money for famine relief in Africa; in Ethiopia alone, more than 1 million people had died due to hunger in the prior two years.

For the latest episode of GRAMMY Rewind, GRAMMY.com revisits the 28th GRAMMY Awards, held in Los Angeles in 1986, when the star-studded, seven-minute track, penned by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Jones, took home Song Of The Year, along with three other big wins.

"We Are The World" Wins Song Of The Year

Read: From Aretha Franklin To Public Enemy, Here's How Artists Have Amplified Social Justice Movements Through Music

"We are so proud to be a part of an industry of people that when the world is in need of helping each other, this music industry of ours responded," Richie said to his peers as he and Jackson accepted the Song Of The Year GRAMMY. "When we called, you responded, and we thank you for that."

A cultural phenomenon and major commercial success, "We Are The World" sold more than 8 million copies in the U.S. and raised more than $75 million for famine relief in Africa. In addition to winning the GRAMMY for Song Of The Year, it also won for Record Of The Year, Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal and Best Music Video. The visual for the song is a joyful journey back to the big-haired '80s, giving an inside look into the famous studio session.

Watch: GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Kendrick Lamar, U2 & Dave Chappelle Open The 2018 GRAMMYs With A Powerful Performance

The initial idea for "We Are The World" came from singer/activist/actor Harry Belafonte, who was inspired by Band Aid's 1984 charity single, "Do They Know It's Christmas." Both singles inspired 1985's Live Aid, the first benefit concert of its size and caliber, as well as Willie Nelson's long-running Farm Aid shows.

Ultimately, "We Are The World" showed what the influence and unity of the music industry could accomplish when it comes together for a good cause and addresses the important issues of the time.

GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Donna Summer Win Best Female R&B Vocal Performance For "Last Dance" In 1979