Remembering Michael Jackson, The King of Pop
I’ve never been a huge Michael Jackson fan.
I can sing along to a few of Jackson’s catchier songs such “Billie Jean,” “Bad” and “Black or White.” I’ve done the moon walk and the “Thriller” dance. I’ve even sported a single glove.
But when I try to remember the words to “Beat It,” Weird Al Yankovic’s parody “Eat It” pops up in my head instead.
The problem is, I’m a bit too young to truly remember Michael Jackson or his legacy.
Agewise, I’m on the cusp of Generation X. When MJ was the King of Pop, I was a toddler. When teenagers in New York City, Toyko and London were screaming his name, I was crying for Mom.
But I’ve always been aware of Michael — his music, his cultural influence, his lengthy, bizarre fall from society’s graces. And if there’s one thing that reminds me instantly of Michael Jackson, it’s “Thriller.”
You watch the full, official “Thriller” music video right here.
Released in 1982 on Epic Records, the album “Thriller” came on the heels of an already lengthy recording career — first with his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon in The Jackson 5, later as a solo artist.
A professional performer since age 6 or so, Michael Jackson started branching off on his own in 1972. He released four solo studio albums with Motown, including “Got to Be There” and “Ben,” and appeared as the Scarecrow in “The Wiz” (the all-black version of “The Wizard of Oz“).
In 1979, Jackson and Quincy Jones jointly produced “Off the Wall,” featuring such songwriters as Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney. It was the first album to generate four US top 10 hits, including the chart-topping single “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.”
Three years later, after contributing the song “Someone In the Dark” to the Grammy Award-winning storybook version of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” Jackson released “Thriller.”
THE Michael Jackson album. The album that netted seven Grammy Awards, spawned seven Top 10 singles (including “Billie Jean” and “Beat It”) and spent 37 weeks in peak position on the Billboard charts. It sold between 47 million and 109 million copies worldwide.
Yeah. I was a year old. Just a few years shy of Michael mania.
The King of Pop would go on to release some of the world’s best selling records — including “Bad” (1987), “Dangerous” (1991) and “HIStory” (1995) — before his once brilliant reputation became clouded by child sex abuse scandals and financial woes.
Despite all that notoriety, “Thriller” remains a hit.
When Filipino prison inmates decided to recreate a classic music video, they picked “Michael Jackson’s Thriller.” When one pair of newlyweds decided to surprise their wedding guests, they chose “Thriller” for their first dance.
There’s even a “Thriller” dance sequence in Jennifer Garner’s “Big” homage, “13 Going on 30.”
“Thriller” has it all. Zombies. Vincent Price. Werewol… er, cats.
What’s more, the music video boasts one of filmdom’s finest pedigrees.
John Landis (“The Blues Brothers,” “An American Werewolf in London”) directed the music video. Legendary special effects artist Rick Baker did the makeup. And composer Elmer Bernstein, known for such films as “The Magnificent Seven,” “The Great Escape” and “True Grit,“
added some incidental music.
If there’s one piece of cultural heritage that will be passed down from generation to generation of American school children, it’s the “Thriller” dance. Not “The Mexican Hat Dance” or the “Hokey Pokey.”
(Okay, maybe the “Hokey Pokey” will survive. But it will be mixed with elements of “Thriller.”)
Today, I plan to memorialize Michael Jackson as best as I can by watching all 13 minutes of the “Thriller” music video. And dancing. I suggest you do the same.
***
Michael Jackson’s movie career shrank in comparison to his monumental music output, but he did have a couple memorable film roles.
In addition to his role in “The Wiz,” Jackson starred as the title do-gooder in 1986’s “Captain EO,” written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
He also made appearances on “The Simpsons” and “Men in Black II.”
The movie “Moonwalker” combined live footage of Jackson’s concerts with a series of fantasy segments starring the artist. (Thanks for the reminder, Justin.)
She Likes to Watch 
On his films: You’re forgetting “Moonwalker.”
I remember when Thriller first came out. Jacko was pretty much off my radar screen at the time. I was back from Moqui about a year and working at a popular Mission Valley restaurant while attending SDSU. Soon, Thrilla music was EVERYWHERE. It seemed to rejuvenate popular music. It was a mega-HUGE crossover hit thrilling Rock and Pop fans. You couldn’t go to a San Diego club in those daze and NOT hear it. (It kind of reminded me of how the first Boston album sent ripples over the culture — but Boston was more a thrilla for Rock stoners than Pop fans. Thriller was the perfect feel-good soundtrack for the feeling-better early ’80s when interest rates began to melt and to be cool meant to have money … or at least pretend you had it. Trendy is as trendy does and in my mind I can see men and women driving toward the beach on Garnet in PB in convertible 325i’s wearing red Wayfarers with Blaupunkt’s blaring Billie Jean. Status and brand names, baby. it was the era of Reagan & Coke … And Michael Jackson was all grown up and COOL. Alas, I wasn’t going in the same direction as those Beemers with the bee-you-tee-full people. I never owned the album, but knew plenty who did. So it went. The ’80s were heady times and Michael Jackson owned them … he will forever be king of that hedonistic period. Rest in Peace.