Michael Jackson Appreciation Thread (or why I think he's the greatest artist of the 20th century)

Other than he didn't play any musical instruments, and that he relied on outside producers and musicians??

 

Yes. Saying that he bought the rights to songs and slapped his name on it is a hefty claim that's gonna need some actual proof.

SEE this:

 

TROLL ALERT

 

Melodies and harmonies...really cool.

I'll never listen to that again, and haven't cared about Beat It since...well, ever.

I outgrew that crap on day 1.

I was into the Beatles and the Who in the crib, never had time for the pop drivel from the likes of MJ.

Sorry...he's the definition of 'overrated.'

All style, no substance.

 

Is it a burden to have all the answers at such a young age?

 

Wow, you'd think some people here were dissecting the later Beethoven string quartets, the way they talk about "pop drivel" or "dance music."

 

All I know is...when I was a kid, the question was, MJ or Prince??

I was a Prince guy.

Everyone would say, "Micheal Jackson is a musical genius; Prince is a weirdo..."

Amazing, how things turned out.

 

MJ was the Liberace of the 80s. There.

 

Don't you know? We only talk about the highest forms of art here. Like the Beatles! Or the Who!

 

If this is supposed to be an "appreciation thread", isn't that post pretty much the definition of thread crap?

 

They're confusing their Rock favorites with Beethoven and Mozart. Really, Rock isn't on a different artistic level then pop.

Michael Jackson's viewed as a genius and Prince is still viewed as a weirdo. Except now Prince is an irrelevant angry old weirdo.

 

Musical geniuses in the 1980s were not gearing their work to 12 year olds by pairing their music to childlike videos. Sorry. And the Beatles if they didn't grow out of their making music geared to 12 year old phase would not be very highly thought today and certainly nobody would be calling them geniuses.

 

I can, but I thought there were rules about thread crapping on this forum.

 

Yeah, their turned out to be both weird.

 

One day, Grasshopper, you shall learn that there is no greater artistic accomplishment possible in rock and roll than "Tutti Frutti" or "Money" or "Hound Dog," and that it is such teeth-grindingly class-conscious stabs at middlebrow respectability like "concepts" and "suites" and "segues" and other signifiers of "real music" that are juvenile and silly. After all, Grasshopper, what is more beautiful or meaningful in the universe than a young woman dancing?

 

I love MJ's work through Dangerous. After that, there are a few good tracks ("Scream", "Stranger In Moscow", "Blood on the Dancefloor"), but the overall quality of his work took a huge dip as his personal life got dragged more into the public eye. I think he got so big that people were afraid to tell him no or to force him to hone his ideas to a higher level.

At his best, he was an amazingly gifted performer with an ear for a great pop song. But if we're talking musical genius from the '80s, it's Prince for me all the way. Not only did he write a series of massive hits for himself, he wrote a series of massive hits for other artists, and the songs that weren't hits were as good or better than the hits. On top of it, he could play every instrument on an album and you'd think it was a full band, and his live shows are pure musical energy. So I wouldn't call MJ a genius, but he was definitely supremely talented.

 

Do Not Feed The Troll

This person is threadcrapping on this and the bobbi Kristina thread

Threadcrapping is against forum rules. This is an appreciation thread for fans of Michael Jackson. Don't like him? Then move on.

 

When someone claims MJ is the greatest artist of the 20th Century
And opens a thread to discuss his opinion on such

Making comments that would suggest otherwise seems relevant

 

Do you know what a producer does? (Serious question). Also, if you truly can't hear the Quincy Jones sound (not 'sound'; no air quotes needed), I think you need to listen to more of his productions from the late 1970s/early 80s. Not just OTW and Thriller, but Give Me The Night, The Dude and Light Up The Night (the 1980 Brothers Johnson album). Once you learn the characteristics or sonic qualities of a Quincy Jones production, they're not difficult to spot.

 

Did Michael Jackson not have adult fans in the 1980s? Was Thriller a children's album?!

 

Damn does this have to be explained again. I said the staggering sales numbers from Thriller was because he geared his videos towards children. That does not mean no adults like it. It was about his videos to many people if not most who bought it.

 

As far as I am aware there were 7 singles released from Thriller, of which only 3 had videos.
Billie Jean
Beat It
Thriller
Please take the time to watch these videos on You Tube and then come back and explain how these videos were geared specifically towards children.

 

Then they can explain how appealing to children means it is lesser music.

 

I would say he was top artist of the 80's for me.