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Japanese pressing of 2004 compilation includes four bonus tracks, ‘Blame It On The Boogie’, ‘Human Nature’, ‘The World’, & ‘One More Chance’. This five disc set is limited to 20,000 pieces & includes a DVD (NTSC/Region 2). CBS. 2004. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he made his debut as an entertainer in 1968 as a member of The Jackson 5. He then began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group, and that successful career led to him being dubbed the “King of Pop” in subsequent years. Jackson’s 1982 album Thriller remains the world’s best-selling album of all time, and four of his other solo studio albums are among the world’s best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).

In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in American popular music and culture. He was the first African American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV, with videos such as “Beat It“, “Billie Jean” and Thriller—widely credited with transforming the music video from a promotional tool into an art form—bringing fame to the relatively new channel. Videos such as “Black or White” and “Scream” made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV well into the 1990s. Beyond his success on television, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, with his elaborate stage performances. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced many hip hop, pop music and contemporary R&B artists across several generations.

Jackson donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his Heal the World Foundation, charity singles, and support of 39 charities. Other aspects of his personal life, including his changing appearances and behavior, generated significant controversy that damaged his public image. Though he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993, the criminal investigation was closed due to lack of evidence and Jackson was not charged. The singer had experienced health concerns since the early 1990s along with conflicting reports regarding the state of his finances since the late 1990s. Jackson married twice and fathered three children, actions which caused further controversy. In 2005, Jackson was tried and acquitted of different sexual abuse allegations and several other charges. The singer died on June 25, 2009, aged 50, after suffering cardiac arrest.

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for “Most Successful Entertainer of All Time”—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era—and the sales of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson’s highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, has made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades.

Life and career

1958–75: Early life and The Jackson 5

Michael Joseph Jackson was born August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, an industrial suburb of Chicago.^[3] The son of African-American parents Joseph Walter “Joe” Jackson and Katherine Esther Scruse,^[3] he was the seventh of nine children. His siblings are Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Randy and Janet.^[3] Joseph Jackson was a steel mill employee who often performed in an R&B band called The Falcons with his brother Luther. Jackson was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness by his devout mother.^[3]

Jackson stated that he was physically and emotionally abused by his father from a young age, enduring incessant rehearsals, whippings and name-calling. However, he also credited his father’s strict discipline as playing a large part in his success.^[4][5] In one altercation—later recalled by Marlon Jackson—Joseph held Michael upside down by one leg and “pummeled him over and over again with his hand, hitting him on his back and buttocks”.^[6] Joseph would also trip or push his male children into walls. One night while Jackson was asleep, Joseph climbed into his room through the bedroom window. Wearing a fright mask, he entered the room screaming and shouting. Joseph said he wanted to teach his children not to leave the window open when they went to sleep. For years afterwards, Jackson said he suffered nightmares about being kidnapped from his bedroom.^[6] In 2003, Joseph admitted to the BBC that he had whipped Jackson as a child.^[7]

Jackson first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. He said that during his childhood he often cried from loneliness and would sometimes start to vomit upon seeing his father.^{[8][9][10][11]} In Jackson’s other high profile interview, Living with Michael Jackson (2003), the singer covered his face with his hand and began crying when talking about his childhood abuse.^[6] Jackson recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed and that “if you didn’t do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you”.^[12]

Jackson showed musical talent early in his life, performing in front of classmates and others during a Christmas recital at the age of five.^[3] In 1964, Jackson and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers—a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine, respectively. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing; at the age of eight, he and Jermaine assumed lead vocals, and the group’s name was changed to The Jackson 5.^[3] The band toured the Midwest extensively from 1966 to 1968. The band frequently performed at a string of black clubs and venues collectively known as the “chitlin’ circuit“, where they often opened for stripteases and other adult acts. In 1966, they won a major local talent show with renditions of Motown hits and James Brown‘s “I Got You (I Feel Good)“, led by Michael.^[13]

The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including “Big Boy“, for the local record label Steeltown in 1967 and signed with Motown Records in 1968.^[3] Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as “a prodigy” with “overwhelming musical gifts”, noting that Michael “quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer” after he began to dance and sing with his brothers.^[14] The group set a chart record when its first four singles (“I Want You Back“, “ABC“, “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be There“) peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.^[3] During The Jackson 5′s early years, Motown’s public relations team claimed that Jackson was nine years old—two years younger than he actually was—to make him appear cuter and more accessible to the mainstream audience.^[15] Starting in 1972, Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben. These were released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise, and produced successful singles such as “Got to Be There“, “Ben” and a remake of Bobby Day‘s “Rockin’ Robin“. The group’s sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown’s strict refusal to allow them creative control or input.^[16] Although the group scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5 disco single “Dancing Machine” and the top 20 hit “I Am Love“, the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.^[16]

1975–81: Move to Epic and Off the Wall

The Jackson 5 signed a new contract with CBS Records in June 1975, joining the Philadelphia International Records division, later Epic Records.^[16] As a result of legal proceedings, the group was renamed The Jacksons.^[17] After the name change, the band continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984. From 1976 to 1984, Michael Jackson was the lead songwriter of the group, writing hits such as “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)“, “This Place Hotel” and “Can You Feel It“.^[13]

In 1978, Jackson starred as Scarecrow in the musical The Wiz.^[18] The musical scores were arranged by Quincy Jones, who formed a partnership with Jackson during the film’s production and agreed to produce the singer’s next solo album, Off the Wall.^[19] In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty surgery was not a complete success; he complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson’s second rhinoplasty and other subsequent operations.^[20]

Jones and Jackson jointly produced Off the Wall. Songwriters included Jackson, Heatwave’s Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney. Released in 1979, it was the first album to generate four U.S. top 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “Rock with You“.^[21] Off the Wall reached number three on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified for 7 million shipments in the U.S. and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.^[22][23] In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”.^[21] That year, he also won Billboard Music Awards for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (for “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”).^[21] Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.^[24] In 1980, Jackson secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37% of wholesale album profit.^[25]

1982–85: Thriller, Motown 25, We Are the World and business career

In 1982, Jackson contributed the song “Someone In the Dark” to the storybook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; the record won a Grammy for Best Album for Children.^[26] That year Jackson issued his second Epic album, Thriller. The album remained in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for 80 consecutive weeks and 37 of those weeks at the peak position. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including “Billie Jean“, “Beat It” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’“.^[27] Thriller was certified for 28 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the US.^[28][29] It is often cited as the best-selling album of all time, with worldwide sales between 47 million and 109 million copies.^[30][31][32]

Jackson’s attorney John Branca noted that Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the music industry at that point; approximately $2 for every album sold. He was also making record breaking profit from compact discs or the sale of The Making of Michael Jackson’s Thriller; a documentary produced by Jackson and John Landis. Funded by MTV, the documentary sold over 350,000 copies in a few months of sale. The era saw the arrival of novelties like dolls modeled after Michael Jackson, that appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of $12.^[33] Thriller retains a position in American culture. Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli explains, “At some point, Thriller stopped selling like a leisure item—like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie—and started selling like a household staple.”^[34]

Gil Friesen, president of A&M Records, said “the whole industry has a stake in this success”.^[33] Thriller raised the importance of albums, but multiple hits also changed notions about the number of singles to release.^[35] Time magazine explained that “the fallout from Thriller has given the [music] business its best years since the heady days of 1978, when it had an estimated total domestic revenue of $4.1 billion”.^[33] Time summed up Thriller’s impact as a “restoration of confidence” for an industry bordering on “the ruins of punk and the chic regions of synthesizer pop”. The publication described Jackson’s influence at that point as “Star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too”.^[33] The New York Times called him a “musical phenomenon”, saying that “in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else”.^[36] According to the The Washington Post, Thriller paved the way for other acts such as Prince.^[37]

Jackson debuts the moonwalk during his performance on Motown 25

On March 25, 1983, Jackson performed live on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special, both with The Jackson 5 and on his own singing “Billie Jean”. Debuting his signature dance move—the moonwalk—his performances during the event were seen by 47 million viewers during its initial airing, and drew comparisons to Elvis Presley‘s and the The Beatles‘ appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.^[38] The New York Times said, “The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing”.^[39]

Jackson suffered a setback on January 27, 1984. While filming a Pepsi Cola commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Jackson suffered second degree burns to his scalp after pyrotechnics accidentally set his hair on fire. Happening in front of a full house of fans during a simulated concert, the incident was the subject of heavy media scrutiny and elicited an outpouring of sympathy.^[40] PepsiCo settled a lawsuit out of court, and Jackson gave his $1.5 million settlement to the “Michael Jackson Burn Center” which was a piece of new technology to help people with severe burns.^[40] Jackson had his third rhinoplasty shortly afterward and grew self conscious about his appearance.^[20]

On May 14, 1984, Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award presented by American President Ronald Reagan. The award was given for Jackson’s support of charities that helped people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.^[41] Jackson won eight awards during the 1984 Grammys. Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the 1984 Victory Tour, headlined by The Jacksons, showcased much of Jackson’s new solo material to more than two million Americans.^[42] He donated his $5 million share from the Victory Tour to charity.^[43]

Jackson at the White House South Portico with President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan, 1984

Jackson co-wrote the charity single “We Are the World” with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to aid the poor in Africa and the US. He was one of 39 music celebrities who performed on the record. The single became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly 20 million copies sold and millions of dollars donated to famine relief.^[44]

While working with Paul McCartney on the two hit singles “The Girl Is Mine” and “Say Say Say“, the pair became friendly, occasionally visiting one another. In one discussion, McCartney told Jackson about the millions of dollars he had made from music catalogs; he was earning approximately $40 million a year from other people’s songs. Jackson then began a business career buying, selling and distributing publishing rights to music from numerous artists. Shortly afterward, Northern Songs—a music catalog holding thousands of songs, including The Beatles’ back catalog—was put up for sale.^[45][46]

Jackson took immediate interest in the catalog but was warned that he would face strong competition. Excited, he skipped around saying, “I don’t care. I want those songs. Get me those songs Branca [his attorney]“. Branca then contacted the attorney of McCartney, who clarified that his client was not interested in bidding; “It’s too pricey”. After Jackson had started negotiations, McCartney changed his mind and tried to persuade Yoko Ono to join him in a joint bid, she declined, so he pulled out. Jackson eventually beat the rest of the competition in negotiations that lasted 10 months, purchasing the catalog for $47.5 million.^[45][47]

1986–90: Appearance, tabloids, Bad, autobiography and films

Jackson’s skin was a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in the early 1980s, his skin gradually grew paler. This change gained widespread media coverage, including rumors that Jackson was bleaching his skin.^[8] In the mid-1980s, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus; the latter was in remission in Jackson’s case, and both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight. The treatments he used for his condition further lightened his skin tone, and, with the application of pancake makeup to even out blotches, he could appear very pale.^[48] The structure of his face changed as well; several surgeons have speculated that Jackson had undergone multiple nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, thinned lips and a cheekbone surgery.^[49] Changes to his face were, in part, due to periods of significant weight loss.^[17] Jackson lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet and a desire for “a dancer’s body”.^[50] Witnesses reported that Jackson was often dizzy and speculated that he was suffering from anorexia nervosa; periods of weight loss would become a recurring problem for the singer later in life.^[51] Some medical professionals have publicly stated their belief that the singer had body dysmorphic disorder, a psychological condition whereby the sufferer has no concept of how he is perceived by others.^[48] Jackson had a fourth rhinoplasty and, wanting masculine features, had a cleft put in his chin.^[20][52]

Beginning in 1986, Jackson was the subject of increasingly sensational reports in gossip tabloids as well as mainstream press. That year The National Enquirer published a series of photographs of Jackson lying in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber,^[53] claiming that he slept in the chamber to slow the aging process. When Jackson bought a pet chimpanzee called Bubbles, it was reported as an example of increasing detachment from reality.^[54] In 2003, the singer claimed that Bubbles had been trained to use the toilet and to clean his own bedroom.^[53] Later, it was reported that Jackson had offered $1 million for the bones of Joseph Merrick, the “Elephant Man.”^[55] Jackson would not directly address these reports until 1993, but they became embedded in public consciousness,^[52] inspiring the pejorative nickname “Wacko Jacko.” Despite Jackson’s insistence that the reports were completely invented, a biographer would claim in 2004 that Jackson’s publicists had leaked the rumors to the press for promotional reasons.^[56] When discussing the rumors with that biographer, Jackson remarked:

Why not just tell people I’m an alien from Mars. Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They’ll believe anything you say, because you’re a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, “I’m an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight,” people would say, “Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He’s cracked up. You can’t believe a damn word that comes out of his mouth.”

—Michael Jackson^[57]

Jackson two years after he was diagnosed with vitiligo, here in the early stages of the disease

Jackson starred in the Francis Ford Coppola-directed 3-D film Captain EO. It was the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis at the time, and was later hosted in Disney theme parks. Disneyland featured the film in its Tomorrowland area for nearly 11 years, while Walt Disney World screened the film in its Epcot theme park from 1986 to 1994.^[58] With the industry expecting another major hit, Jackson’s first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated.^[59] Bad had lower sales than Thriller, but was still a substantial commercial success. In the US, it spawned seven hit singles, five of which (“I Just Can’t Stop Loving You“, “Bad“, “The Way You Make Me Feel“, “Man in the Mirror” and “Dirty Diana“) reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, more than any other album.^[60] As of 2008, the album sold 30 million copies worldwide, including eight million shipments in the US.^[23][61] During the year of 1987, Jackson disassociated himself from the Jehovah’s Witness, in response to strong opposition he received from the group that disapproved of Thriller.^[62][63]

The Bad World Tour began on September 12, 1987, and finished on January 14, 1989.^[64] In Japan alone, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour.^[65] Jackson broke a Guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. He performed a total of 123 concerts to a total audience of 4.4 million people, and gained a further Guinness World Record when the tour grossed him $125 million. During the trip he invited underprivileged children to watch for free and gave donations to hospitals, orphanages and other charities.^[64]

Jackson wore a gold-plated military style jacket with belt in the Bad era.

In 1988, Jackson released his first autobiography, Moon Walk, which took four years to complete and sold 200,000 copies.^[66] Jackson told of his childhood, his experience in The Jackson 5 and the abuse he suffered as a child.^[67] He also spoke of his plastic surgery, saying he had two rhinoplastic surgeries and the surgical creation of a cleft in his chin.^[50] In the book, he attributed the change in the structure of his face to puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hair style and stage lighting.^[50] Moon Walk reached the top position on The New York Times best sellers’ list.^[68] The musician then released a film called Moonwalker, which featured live footage, music videos, and a feature film that starred Jackson and Joe Pesci. Moonwalker debuted atop the Billboard Top Music Video Cassette chart, staying there for 22 weeks. It was eventually knocked off the top spot by Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues.^[69]

In March 1988, Jackson purchased land near Santa Ynez, California to build Neverland Ranch at a cost of $17 million. Jackson installed Ferris wheels, a menagerie, and a movie theater on the 2,700-acre (11 km²) property. A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds. In 2003, the property was valued at approximately $100 million.^[14][70] In 1989, his annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts was estimated at $125 million for that year alone.^[71] Shortly afterwards, Jackson became the first Westerner to appear in a television ad in the Soviet Union.^[69]

Jackson’s success resulted in his being dubbed the “King of Pop“, a nickname conceived by actress and friend Elizabeth Taylor when she presented Jackson with an “Artist of the Decade” award in 1989, proclaiming him “the true king of pop, rock and soul”.^[72][73] President George H. W. Bush presented the singer with The White House’s special “Artist of the Decade” award in recognition of Jackson’s musical influence in the 1980s; Bush commended Jackson for acquiring a “tremendous following” among other achievements.^[74] From 1985 to 1990, Jackson donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund, and all of the profits from his single “Man in the Mirror” went to charity.^[75][76] Jackson’s live rendition of “You Were There” at Sammy Davis Jr.’s 60th birthday celebration received an Emmy nomination.^[69]

1991–93: Dangerous and Super Bowl XXVII

In March 1991, Jackson renewed his contract with Sony for $65 million; a record breaking deal at the time, displacing Neil Diamond‘s renewal contract with Columbia Records.^[70] Jackson released his eighth album Dangerous in 1991. As of 2008, Dangerous has shipped 7 million copies in the U.S. and has sold 32 million copies worldwide; it is the most successful new jack swing album of all time.^[23][77][78] In the US, the album’s first single “Black or White” was the album’s biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining there for seven weeks, with similar chart performances worldwide.^[79] The album’s second single “Remember the Time” spent eight weeks in the top five in the US, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.^[10] In 1993, Jackson performed the song at the Soul Train Awards in a chair, saying he had suffered an injury in rehearsals.^[80] In the UK and other parts of Europe, “Heal the World” was the biggest hit from the album; it sold 450,000 copies in the UK and spent five weeks at number two in 1992.^[10]

Jackson founded the “Heal the World Foundation” in 1992. The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson’s ranch, to go on theme park rides that Jackson had built on the property after he purchased it. The foundation also sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war and disease. The Dangerous World Tour began on June 27, 1992, and finished on November 11, 1993. Jackson performed to 3.5 million people in 67 concerts. All profits from the concerts went to the “Heal the World Foundation”, raising millions of dollars in relief.^[10][81] He sold the broadcast rights to his Dangerous world tour to HBO for $20 million, a record-breaking deal that still stands.^[82] Following the illness and death of Ryan White, Jackson helped draw public attention to HIV/AIDS, something that was still controversial at the time. He publicly pleaded with the Clinton Administration at Bill Clinton‘s Inaugural Gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research.^[83][84]

In a high-profile visit to Africa, Jackson visited several countries, among them Gabon and Egypt.^[85] His first stop to Gabon was greeted with a sizable reception of more than 100,000 people in “spiritual bedlam”, some of them carrying signs that read, “Welcome Home Michael”.^[85] In his trip to the Ivory Coast, Jackson was crowned “King Sani” by a tribal chief.^[85] He then thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed official documents formalizing his kingship and sat on a golden throne while presiding over ceremonial dances.^[85]

One of Jackson’s most acclaimed performances came during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. As the performances began, Jackson was catapulted onto the stage as fireworks went off behind him. As he landed on the canvass, he maintained a motionless “clenched fist, standing statue stance”, dressed in a gold and black military outfit and sunglasses; he remained completely motionless for several minutes while the crowd cheered. He then slowly removed his sunglasses, threw them away and began to sing and dance. His routine included four songs: “Jam“, “Billie Jean”, “Black or White” and “Heal the World”. It was the first Super Bowl where the audience figures increased during the half-time show, and was viewed by 135 million Americans alone; Jackson’s Dangerous album rose 90 places up the album chart.^[8]

Jackson was given the “Living Legend Award” at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. “Black or White” was Grammy nominated for best vocal performance. “Jam” gained two nominations: Best R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.^[10]

1993–94: Sexual abuse accusations and first marriage

Jackson gave a 90-minute interview with Oprah Winfrey in February 1993, his first television interview since 1979. He grimaced when speaking of his childhood abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood years, admitting that he often cried from loneliness. He denied previous tabloid rumors that he bought the bones of the Elephant Man or slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The entertainer went on to dispel suggestions that he bleached his skin, stating for the first time that he had vitiligo. The interview was watched by an American audience of 90 million, becoming the fourth most-viewed non-sport program in U.S. history. It also increased awareness of vitiligo, a relatively unknown condition before then. Dangerous re-entered the album chart in the top 10, more than a year after its original release.^[8][9][10]

Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler and his father Evan Chandler.^[86] The friendship between Jackson and Evan Chandler broke down. Sometime afterwards, Evan Chandler was tape-recorded saying amongst other things, “If I go through with this, I win big-time. There’s no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever…Michael’s career will be over”.^[87] A year after they had met, under the influence of sodium amytal, a controversial sedative, Jordan Chandler told his father that Jackson had touched his penis.^[88] Evan Chandler and Jackson, represented by their legal teams, then engaged in unsuccessful negotiations to resolve the issue in a financial settlement; the negotiations were initiated by Chandler but Jackson did make several counter offers. Jordan Chandler then told a psychiatrist and later police that he and Jackson had engaged in acts of kissing, masturbation and oral sex, as well as giving a detailed description of what he alleged were the singer’s genitals.^[89]

An official investigation began, with Jordan Chandler’s mother adamant that there was no wrongdoing on Jackson’s part. Neverland Ranch was searched; multiple children and family members denied that he was a pedophile.^[89] Jackson’s image took a further turn for the worse when his older sister La Toya Jackson accused him of being a pedophile, a statement she later retracted.^[90] Jackson agreed to a 25-minute strip search, conducted at his ranch. The search was required to see if a description provided by Jordan Chandler was accurate. Doctors concluded that there were some strong similarities, but it was not a definitive match.^[90] Jackson made an emotional public statement on the events; he proclaimed his innocence, criticized what he perceived as biased media coverage and told of his strip search.^[86]

Jackson began taking painkillers, Valium and Ativan to help him cope with chronic pain resulting from an accident involving the collapse of stage rigging during the Dangerous Tour and for joint inflammation from Lupus. Jackson started taking Xanax for panic attacks and stress stemming from the allegations made against him of child abuse. By the fall of 1993, Jackson was addicted to the drugs.^[91] His health deteriorated to the extent that he canceled the remainder of the Dangerous World Tour and went into drug rehabilitation for a few months.^[92] The stress of the allegations also caused Jackson to stop eating, and he lost a significant amount of weight.^[93] With his health in decline, Jackson’s friends and legal advisers took over his defense and finances; they called on him to settle the allegations out of court, believing that he could not endure a lengthy trial.^[92][93]

Tabloid reaction to the allegations put Jackson in an unfavorable light.^[94] Complaints about the coverage and media included everything from bias against Jackson, accepting stories of alleged criminal activity for money to accepting confidential leaked material from the police investigation in return for money paid.^[95] On January 1, 1994, Jackson settled with the Chandler family and their legal team out of court, in a civil lawsuit for $22 million. After the settlement Jordan Chandler stopped co-operating with police regarding criminal proceedings. Jackson was never charged, and the state closed its criminal investigation, citing lack of evidence.^[96]

In May 1994, Jackson married singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. They had first met in 1975 during one of Jackson’s family engagements at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and were reconnected through a mutual friend in early 1993.^[94] They stayed in contact every day over the telephone. As child molestation accusations became public, Jackson became dependent on Lisa Marie for emotional support; she was concerned about his faltering health and addiction to drugs.^[91] Lisa Marie explained, “I believed he didn’t do anything wrong and that he was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it.”^[97] In a phone call he made to her, she described him as high, incoherent and delusional.^[91] Shortly afterwards, she tried to persuade Jackson to settle the allegations out of court and go into rehabilitation to recover—he subsequently did both.^[91] Jackson proposed to Lisa Marie over the telephone towards the fall of 1993, saying, “If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?”.^[91] Presley and Jackson married in the Dominican Republic in secrecy; the parties denied they had been married for nearly two months.^[98] The marriage was, in her words, “a married couple’s life … that was sexually active”.^[99] At the time, the tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a ploy to prop up Jackson’s public image in light of prior sexual abuse allegations.^[98] Jackson and Presley divorced less than two years later, remaining friendly.^[100]

1995–99: HIStory, second marriage and fatherhood

One of many identical statues, positioned throughout Europe to promote HIStory. The statue illustrates the singer’s flamboyant clothing and hair style, influenced by military imagery.

In 1995, Jackson merged his Northern Songs catalog with Sony’s publishing division creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Jackson retained half-ownership of the company, earned $95 million upfront as well as the rights to even more songs.^[46][101] He then released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a 15-track greatest hits album, and was later reissued as Greatest Hits – HIStory Vol. I in 2001, while the second disc, HIStory Continues, contained 15 new songs. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for seven million shipments in the US.^[102] It is the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, with 20 million copies (40 million units) sold worldwide.^[79][103] HIStory received a Grammy nomination for best album.^[104]

The first single released from the album was the double A-side “Scream/Childhood“. “Scream” was a duet, performed with Jackson’s youngest sister Janet. The single had the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number five, and received a Grammy nomination for “Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals”.^[104] “You Are Not Alone” was the second single released from HIStory; it holds the Guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[71] It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success, receiving a Grammy nomination for “Best Pop Vocal Performance”.^[104] In late 1995, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance; the incident was caused by a stress related panic attack.^[105] “Earth Song” was the third single released from HIStory, and topped the UK singles chart for six weeks over Christmas 1995; it sold a million copies, making it Jackson’s most successful single in the UK.^[104]

The HIStory World Tour began on September 7, 1996, and finished on October 15, 1997. Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans. The show, which visited 5 continents and 35 countries, became Jackson’s most successful in terms of audience figures.^[64] During the Australian leg of the HIStory World Tour, Jackson married dermatologist nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe, who bore him two children: a son, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (also known as “Prince”), and a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson.^[100][106] The pair first met in the mid-1980s, when Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo. She spent many years treating his illness as well as providing emotional support. They built a strong friendship, then became romantically involved.^[107] Originally there were no plans to marry, but following Rowe’s first pregnancy, Jackson’s mother intervened and persuaded them to do so.^[108] Jackson later claimed that he was in such a rush to leave the hospital with daughter Paris in 1998 that he cut the cord and left with the baby covered in blood, taking the placenta with him in his haste.^[109] The couple divorced in 1999, and remained friends, with Rowe giving full custody of the children to Jackson.^[110]

In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies as of 2007, making it the best selling remix album ever released. It reached number one in the UK, as did the title track.^[111][112] In the US, the album was certified platinum, but only reached number 24.^[23][104] Forbes placed his annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997.^[70]

Throughout June 1999, Jackson was involved in a number of charitable events. He joined Luciano Pavarotti for a benefit concert in Modena, Italy. The show was in support of the non-profit organization Warchild, and raised a million dollars for the refugees of Kosovo, as well as additional funds for the children of Guatemala.^[113] Later that month, Jackson organized a set of “Michael Jackson & Friends” benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. Other artists involved included Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana Chandrakumar, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the “Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund”, the Red Cross and UNESCO.^[114]

2000–02: Label dispute, Invincible and third child

In 2000, Jackson was listed in the book of Guinness World Records for his support of 39 charities, more than any other entertainer or personality.^[115] At the time, Jackson was waiting for the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him; this allowed him to promote his old material how he liked and prevented Sony from getting a cut of the profit. Jackson expected this to occur early in the new millennium, however, due to the fine print and various clauses in the contract, this revert date is still many years away. Jackson began an investigation, and it emerged that the attorney who represented the singer in the deal was also representing Sony, creating a conflict of interest.^[112] Jackson was also concerned about another conflict of interest. For a number of years, Sony had been pushing to buy all of Jackson’s share in their music catalog venture. If Jackson’s career or financial situation were to deteriorate, he would have to sell his catalog. Thus, Sony had something to gain from Jackson’s career failing.^[116] Jackson was able to use these conflicts as leverage to exit his contract early.^[112] Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony.^[112] As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled. Jackson made allegations in July 2002 that Mottola was a “devil” and a “racist” who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own personal gain.^[112] He charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a “fat nigger“.^[117] Sony disputed claims that they had failed to promote Invincible with sufficient energy, maintaining that Jackson refused to tour in the US.^[118]

Six years after his last studio album and after spending much of the late 1990s out of the public eye, Jackson released Invincible in October 2001 to much anticipation. To help promote the album, a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden occurred in September 2001 to mark the singer’s 30th year as a solo artist. Jackson appeared onstage alongside his brothers for the first time since 1984.^[119] The show also featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, ‘N Sync, and Slash, among other artists.^[30] In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The concert was aired on October 21, 2001, and included performances from dozens of major artists, including Jackson, who performed his song “What More Can I Give” as the finale.^[116] Invincible was a commercial success, debuting atop the charts in 13 countries and going on to sell approximately 10 million copies worldwide. It received double-platinum certification in the US.^{[23][79][116]} However, the sales for Invincible were notably low compared to his previous releases, due in part to a diminishing pop music industry, the lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute.^[116] The album spawned three singles, “You Rock My World“, “Cry” and “Butterflies“, the latter without a music video.

Jackson’s third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (also known as Blanket) was born in 2002.^[120] The mother’s identity was never released by Jackson, but he has said the child was the result of artificial insemination from a surrogate mother and his own sperm cells.^[110] In November of that year, Jackson brought his newborn son onto the balcony of his hotel room in Berlin, as fans stood below. Holding him in his right arm, with a cloth loosely draped over the baby’s face, Jackson briefly extended the baby over the railing of the balcony, four stories above ground level, causing widespread criticism in the media. Jackson later apologized for the incident, calling it “a terrible mistake”.^[121]

2003–07: Documentary, trial and business ventures

In 2003, Sony put out a compilation of Jackson’s hits on CD and DVD. In the US, the album peaked at number 13 and was certified platinum by the RIAA; in the UK it was certified for shipments of at least 1.2 million units.^[23][122]

In a 2003 Granada Television documentary titled Living with Michael Jackson, the singer was seen holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with Gavin Arvizo, who would later accuse him of child sexual abuse.^[123] In the same documentary Jackson was observed spending large amounts of money in an apparently frivolous manner, including as much as $6 million in a single store.^[70] Shortly after the documentary aired, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child sexual abuse and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in order to commit that felony. All charges involved the same boy, Gavin Arvizo, who was under 14 at the time of the alleged crimes.^[123]

Fans showing their support for Jackson after the entertainer is accused of child molestation in 2003

Michael Jackson with his children in Disneyland Paris, 2006

Jackson denied the sexual abuse allegations, saying that the sleepovers were in no way sexual in nature. Jackson’s friend Elizabeth Taylor defended him on Larry King Live, saying that she had been there when they “were in the bed, watching television. There was nothing abnormal about it. There was no touchy-feely going on. We laughed like children and we watched a lot of Walt Disney. There was nothing odd about it.”^[124] During the investigation, Jackson’s profile was examined by mental health professional Dr. Stan Katz; the doctor spent several hours with the accuser too. The assessment made by Katz was that Jackson had become a regressed 10-year-old and did not fit the profile of a pedophile.^[125]

The People v. Jackson trial (2005) began in Santa Maria, California, two years after Jackson was originally charged. During this period the singer became dependent on morphine and Demerol, a dependency which he subsequently overcame. He also suffered from stress-related illnesses and severe weight loss, that would alter his appearance. The trial lasted five months, until the end of May 2005, he was acquitted on all counts.^{[126][127][128]} Jackson then relocated to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.^[129]

Sony BMG released Visionary: The Video Singles to the European market: a series of 20 of his biggest hit singles of the 1980s and 1990s. Each single was issued weekly over a five-month period in DualDisc format (DVD video on one side, CD audio on the other), and the whole group of discs was made available as a boxed set afterwards.^[130] The box set was released in the U.S. on November 14, 2006.^[131]

Reports of financial problems for Jackson became frequent in 2006 after the closure of the main house on the Neverland Ranch as a cost-cutting measure.^[132] One prominent financial issue for him concerned a $270 million loan secured against his music publishing holdings. After delayed repayments on the loan, a refinancing package shifted the loans from Bank of America to debt specialists Fortress Investments. A new package proposed by Sony would have had Jackson borrow an additional $300 million and reduce the interest rate payable on the loan, while giving Sony the future option to buy half of Jackson’s stake in their jointly owned publishing company (leaving Jackson with a 25% stake).^[101] Jackson agreed to a Sony-backed refinancing deal, although details were not made public.^[133] Despite these loans, according to Forbes, Jackson was still making as much as $75 million a year from his publishing partnership with Sony alone.^[134]

One of Jackson’s first documented public appearances since his trial was in November 2006, when he visited the London office of the Guinness World Records. He received eight records, among them “First Entertainer to Earn More Than 100 Million Dollars in a Year” and “Most Successful Entertainer of All Time”.^[71] Jackson was awarded the Diamond Award on November 15, 2006, for selling over 100 million albums, at the World Music Awards.^[79] Following the death of James Brown, Jackson returned to the U.S. to pay his respects. He, along with more than 8,000 people, paid tribute during Brown’s public funeral on December 30, 2006.^[135] In late 2006, Jackson agreed to share joint custody of his first two children with ex-wife Debbie Rowe.^[136] Jackson and Sony bought Famous Music LLC from Viacom in 2007. This deal gave him the rights to songs by Eminem, Shakira and Beck, among others.^[137]

I’ve been in the entertainment industry since I was six-years-old… As Charles Dickens says, “It’s been the best of times, the worst of times.” But I would not change my career… While some have made deliberate attempts to hurt me, I take it in stride because I have a loving family, a strong faith and wonderful friends and fans who have, and continue, to support me.^[138]

—Michael Jackson

2008–09: Milestones, real estate and a planned return to live performance

Neverland Ranch was Jackson’s permanent residence from 1988 to 2005. Pictured is an aerial shot of the theme park area of the property.

The 25th anniversary of Thriller was marked by the release of Thriller 25, which added the previously unreleased song “For All Time” and re-mixes of several songs by younger artists influenced by Jackson. The Thriller 25 package also included a DVD. Two remixes were released as singles to moderate success: “The Girl Is Mine 2008” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ 2008“. Thriller 25 sold well as a re-issue, peaking at number one in eight countries and Europe. It reached number three in the UK and top 10 on over 30 national charts.^{[139][140][141]} It was ineligible for the Billboard 200 chart as a re-release, but entered atop the Pop Catalog chart, where it stayed for 11 weeks and had the best sales on that chart since December 1996.^{[142][143][144]} In 12 weeks Thriller 25 sold over three million copies worldwide.^[145] Thriller 25 was the best-selling catalog album of 2008.^[144] As of the date of Jackson’s death, the album had sold 774,000 copies in the US.^[146]

To celebrate Jackson’s 50th birthday, Sony BMG released a series of compilation albums called King of Pop in 21 different markets. (North America was not one of those markets.) These albums included tracks from Jackson’s group and solo career, all voted for by fans. Each nation’s edition of the album had a different tracklist, according to how that nation’s fans voted.^[147][148] King of Pop did reach the top 10 in most countries where it was issued, and also sold well as an import in other countries.^[149][150]

Fortress Investments threatened to foreclose on Neverland Ranch, which Jackson used as collateral for loans running into many tens of millions of dollars. However, Fortress opted to sell Jackson’s debts to Colony Capital LLC. In November, Jackson transferred Neverland Ranch’s title to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC, which was a joint venture between Jackson and Colony Capital LLC. This deal cleared Jackson’s debt, and he reportedly even gained an extra $35 million from the venture. At the time of his death, Jackson still owned a stake in Neverland/Sycamore Valley, but it is unknown how large that stake was.^{[151][152][153]}

Prior to his death, Jackson was scheduled to perform 50 sell out concerts to over one million people, at London’s O₂ arena. The concerts would have commenced on July 13, 2009 and finished on March 6, 2010. According to Jackson’s website, tickets sales for the concerts broke several records. During a prior press conference, Jackson made suggestions of possible retirement.^[154] Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live stated that the first 10 dates alone would earn the singer approximately £50 million.^[155]

2009: Death

On June 25, 2009, Jackson collapsed at his rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles. Attempts at resuscitating him by his personal physician were unsuccessful.^[156] Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics received a 911 call at 12:22 p.m. (PDT), arriving three minutes later at Jackson’s location.^[157][158] He was reportedly not breathing and CPR was performed.^[159] Resuscitation efforts continued both en route to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and for an hour further after arriving at approximately 1:13 p.m. (20:13 UTC).^[156] He was noted to have been in cardiac arrest by the paramedics who attended him at his house.^[159] Jackson was pronounced dead at approximately 2:26 p.m. local time (21:26 UTC).^[160][161]

Musical style and performance

Themes and genres

Steve Huey of Allmusic said that, throughout his solo career, Jackson’s versatility allowed him to experiment with various themes and genres.^[162] As a musician, he ranged from Motown’s dance fare and ballads to techno-edged new jack swing to work that incorporates both funk rhythms and hard rock guitar.^[14] Michael, himself, stated at his pre-release party for his Off The Wall album that Little Richard had a “huge influence” on him.^[163]

Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write his songs on paper. Instead he would dictate into a sound recorder; when recording he would sing from memory.^[20][164] Several critics observed Off the Wall was crafted from funk, disco-pop, soul, soft rock, jazz and pop ballads.^{[162][165][166]} Prominent examples include the ballad “She’s out of My Life“, and the two disco tunes “Workin’ Day and Night” and “Get on the Floor”.^[165]

According to Huey, Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads were softer and more soulful.^[162] Notable tracks included the ballads “The Lady in My Life”, “Human Nature” and “The Girl Is Mine“; the funk pieces “Billie Jean” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’“; and the disco set “Baby Be Mine” and “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)“.^{[162][167][168][169]} With Thriller, Christopher Connelly of Rolling Stone commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery.^[169] Allmusic’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs “Billie Jean” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”.^[168] In “Billie Jean”, Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers.^[162] In “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” he argues against gossip and the media.^[169] The anti-gang violence rock song “Beat It” became a homage to West Side Story, and was Jackson’s first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey.^[14][162] He also observed that the title track “Thriller” began Jackson’s interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years.^[162] In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem “We Are the World“; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona.^[162]

“Thriller” One of Jackson’s signature pieces, “Thriller”, released as a single in 1984, utilizes cinematic sound effects, horror film motifs and vocal trickery to convey a sense of danger.[19] “Smooth Criminal” A single from the album Bad, released 1988, “Smooth Criminal” features digital drum sounds, keyboard-created bass lines and other percussion elements designed to give the impression of a pulsing heart.[170]

Problems listening to these files? See media help.

In Bad, Jackson’s concept of the predatory lover can be seen on the rock song “Dirty Diana“.^[171] The lead single “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” was a traditional love ballad, while “Man in the Mirror“, an anthemic ballad of confession and resolution, improved on his earlier “We Are the World”.^[59] “Smooth Criminal” was an evocation of bloody assault, rape and likely murder.^[59] Allmusic’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that Dangerous presents Jackson as a stark paradoxical individual.^[172] He comments the album is more diverse than his previous Bad, as it appeals to an urban audience while also attracting the middle class with anthems like “Heal the World“.^[172] The first half of the record is dedicated to new jack swing, including songs like “Jam” and “Remember the Time“.^[173] The album is Jackson’s first where social ills become a primary theme; “Why You Wanna Trip on Me”, for example, protests against world hunger, AIDS, homelessness and drugs.^[173] Dangerous contains sexually charged efforts like “In the Closet“, a love song about desire and denial, risk and repression, solitude and connection, privacy and revelation.^[173] The title track continues the theme of the predatory lover and compulsive desire.^[173] The second half includes introspective, pop-gospel anthems such as “Will You Be There“, “Heal the World” and “Keep the Faith”; these songs show Jackson finally opening up about various personal struggles and worries.^[173] In the ballad “Gone Too Soon“, Jackson gives tribute to his friend Ryan White and the plight of those with AIDS.^[174]

HIStory creates an atmosphere of paranoia.^[175] Its content focuses on the hardships and public struggles Jackson went through just prior to its production. In the new jack swing-funk-rock efforts “Scream” and “Tabloid Junkie”, along with the R&B ballad “You Are Not Alone“, Jackson retaliates against the injustice and isolation he feels, and directs much of his anger at the media.^[176] In the introspective ballad “Stranger in Moscow“, Jackson laments over his “fall from grace”, while songs like “Earth Song“, “Childhood“, “Little Susie” and “Smile” are all operatic pop pieces.^[175][176] In the track “D.S.“, Jackson launched a verbal attack against Tom Sneddon. He describes Sneddon as an antisocial, white supremacist who wanted to “get my ass, dead or alive”. Of the song, Sneddon said, “I have not — shall we say — done him the honor of listening to it, but I’ve been told that it ends with the sound of a gunshot”.^[177] Invincible found Jackson working heavily with producer Rodney Jerkins.^[162] It is a record made up of urban soul like “Cry” and “The Lost Children”, ballads such as “Speechless”, “Break of Dawn” and “Butterflies” and mixes hip hop, pop and rap in “2000 Watts”, “Heartbreaker” and “Invincible”.^[178][179]

Vocal style

Jackson sang from childhood, and over time his voice and vocal style changed noticeably, either through puberty or a personal preference to align his vocal interpretation to the themes and genres he chose to express. Between 1971 and 1975, Jackson’s voice “descended ever so slightly from boy soprano to his current androgynous high tenor”.^[180] In early 1973, the singer adopted a “vocal hiccup”, first heard in the song “It’s Too Late to Change the Time” from the Jackson 5‘s G.I.T.: Get It Together album.^[181] Jackson did not employ the hiccup fully until the recording of Off the Wall; its usage can be seen in full force in the “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” promotional video. The purpose of the hiccup—somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping—was to help promote a certain emotion, be it excitement, sadness or fear.^[16] With the arrival of Off the Wall in the late 1970s, Jackson’s abilities as a vocalist were well regarded; Allmusic described him as a “blindingly gifted vocalist”.^[165] At the time, Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the “breathless, dreamy stutter” of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that “Jackson’s feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that’s used very daringly”.^[166] 1982 saw the release of Thriller, and Rolling Stone were of the opinion that Jackson was then singing in a “fully adult voice” that was “tinged by sadness”.^[169]

Michael Jackson – “Black or White” The lead single from Dangerous, “Black or White” was one of Jackson’s most successful songs. The single is described by Sony Music as a hard rock song.[182] The track contains many features of Jackson’s vocal style, including the vocal hiccup he is known for.

The release of “Bad” in 1987 displayed gritty lead vocals on the verse and lighter tones employed on the chorus.^[19] A distinctive deliberate mispronunciation of “come on”, used frequently by Jackson, occasionally spelt “cha’mone” or “shamone”, is also a staple in impressions and caricatures of him.^[183] The turn of the 1990s saw the release of the introspective album Dangerous; here Jackson used his vocals to intensify the split themes and genres described earlier. The New York Times noted that on some tracks, “he gulps for breath, his voice quivers with anxiety or drops to a desperate whisper, hissing through clenched teeth” and he had a “wretched tone”.^[173] When singing of brotherhood or self-esteem the musician would return to “smooth” vocals.^[173] “In the Closet” contained heavy breathing and a loop of five scat-sung syllables, whereas in the album’s title track, Jackson performs a spoken rap.^[170][173] When commenting on Invincible, Rolling Stone were of the opinion that—at the age of 43—Jackson still performed, “exquisitely voiced rhythm tracks and vibrating vocal harmonies”.^[184] Nelson George summed up Jackson’s vocals by stating “The grace, the aggression, the growling, the natural boyishness, the falsetto, the smoothness—that combination of elements mark him as a major vocalist”.^[170]

Music videos and choreography

Steve Huey of Allmusic observed how Jackson transformed the music video into an art form and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameo appearances; simultaneously breaking down racial barriers.^[162] According to director Vincent Paterson, who collaborated with the singer on several music videos, Jackson conceptualized many of the darker, bleak themes in his filmography.^[185]

US patent 5255452, filed by Jackson, described the anti-gravity lean used in the music video for “Smooth Criminal“.

Before Thriller, Jackson struggled to receive coverage on MTV because he was African American.^[186] Pressure from CBS Records persuaded MTV to start showing “Billie Jean” and later “Beat It”, leading to a lengthy partnership with Jackson, also helping other black music artists gain recognition.^[187] The popularity of his videos on MTV helped to put the relatively young channel “on the map”; MTV’s focus shifted in favor of pop and R&B.^[187][188] Short films like Thriller largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in “Beat It” has frequently been imitated.^[189] The choreography in Thriller has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Indian films to prisons in the Philippines.^[190] The Thriller short film marked an increase in scale for music videos, and has been named the most successful music video ever by the Guinness World Records.^[71]

In the 19-minute music video for “Bad“—directed by Martin Scorsese—Jackson began using sexual imagery and choreography not previously seen in his work. He occasionally grabbed or touched his chest, torso and crotch. While he has described this as “choreography,” it garnered a mixed reception from both fans and critics; Time magazine described it as “infamous”. The video also featured Wesley Snipes; in the future Jackson’s videos would often feature famous cameo roles.^[56][191] For “Smooth Criminal“, Jackson experimented with an innovative “anti-gravity lean” in his performances, for which he was granted U.S. Patent No. 5,255,452.^[192] Although the music video for “Leave Me Alone” was not officially released in the US, in 1989, it was nominated for four Billboard Music Video Awards, winning three; the same year it won a Golden Lion Award for the quality of the special effects used in its production. In 1990, “Leave Me Alone” won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form.^[69]

The MTV Video Vanguard Artist of the Decade Award was given to Jackson to celebrate his accomplishments in the art form in the 1980s; the following year the award was renamed in his honor.^[10] “Black or White” was accompanied by a controversial music video, which, on November 14, 1991, simultaneously premiered in 27 countries with an estimated audience of 500 million people, the largest viewing ever for a music video.^[79] It featured scenes construed as having a sexual nature as well as depictions of violence. The offending scenes in the final half of the 14-minute version were edited out to prevent the video from being banned, and Jackson apologized.^[193] Along with Jackson, it featured Macaulay Culkin, Peggy Lipton and George Wendt. It helped usher in morphing as an important technology in music videos.^[194]

Jackson and sister Janet angrily retaliate against the media for misrepresenting them to the public. The acclaimed video for “Scream” was shot primarily in black and white, and at a cost of $7 million.

“Remember the Time” was an elaborate production, and became one of his longest videos at over nine minutes. Set in ancient Egypt, it featured groundbreaking visual effects and appearances by Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson, along with a distinct complex dance routine.^[195] The video for “In the Closet” was Jackson’s most sexually provocative piece. It featured supermodel Naomi Campbell in a courtship dance with Jackson. The video was banned in South Africa because of its imagery.^[10]

The music video for “Scream“, directed by Mark Romanek and production designer Tom Foden, is one of Jackson’s most critically acclaimed. In 1995, it gained 11 MTV Video Music Award Nominations—more than any other music video—and won “Best Dance Video”, “Best Choreography”, and “Best Art Direction”.^[196] The song and its accompanying video are a response to the backlash Jackson received from the media after being accused of child molestation in 1993.^[197] A year later, it won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form; shortly afterwards Guinness World Records listed it as the most expensive music video ever made at a cost of $7 million.^[104][198]

“Earth Song” was accompanied by an expensive and well-received music video that gained a Grammy nomination for Best Music Video, Short Form in 1997. The video had an environmental theme, showing images of animal cruelty, deforestation, pollution and war. Using special effects, time is reversed so that life returns, wars ends, and the forests re-grow.^[104][199] Released in 1997 and premiering at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, Ghosts was a short film written by Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston. The video for Ghosts is over 38 minutes long and holds the Guinness World Record as the world’s longest music video.^{[104][112][200][201]}

The HIStory World Tour was the third and final world concert tour by Michael Jackson as a solo artist, covering Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia and Hawaii from September 7, 1996 to October 15, 1997. The tour, which grossed a total of $163.5 million, included a total of 82 concerts attended by 4,500,000 fans

Royal concert in Brunei

Prior to the tour, Jackson performed a free concert at the Jerudong Park Amphitheatre in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei on 16 July, 1996, attended by 60,000 throughout the park. The concert was in celebration of the 50th birthday of Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei and was attended by the Brunei royal family.

Much of the concert resembled Jackson’s Dangerous World Tour, including his outfit and the set list, keeping the details of the upcoming HIStory Tour a close secret. The concert also marked the debut live performance of “You Are Not Alone” and “Earth Song” as well as the last performances of “Jam“, “Human Nature“, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” and “She’s out of My Life” at a Jackson concert. This concert also marked the last performances of “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” being sung fully live; subsequent performances have been partially lip-synched.

A high quality soundboard bootleg recording of the concert was leaked on the Internet. However it has been edited and is a different sound dub. A poor quality VHS copy has also been leaked.

The following is the set list for the royal concert.

1. “Brace Yourself” Video Introduction
2. “Jam“
3. “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’“
4. “Human Nature“
5. “Smooth Criminal“
6. “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You“
7. “She’s out of My Life“
8. Jackson 5 Medley: “I Want You Back” / “The Love You Save” / “I’ll Be There“
9. “Thriller“
10. “Billie Jean“
11. Black or White “Panther” Video Interlude
12. “The Way You Make Me Feel“
13. “Beat It“
14. “You Are Not Alone“
15. “Dangerous“
16. “Black or White“
17. “Man in the Mirror“
18. “Earth Song“

Tour announcement and stage

Unlike Jackson’s past two solo world tours, the HIStory Tour would not be sponsored by Pepsi-Cola.

The birth of Kingdom International, a joint venture between Jackson and HRH Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, the nephew of the Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, the King of Saudi Arabia from 1982 to 2005, was announced at a press conference held at the Palais des Congres in Paris, France on 19 March, 1995. Kingdom International allowed opportunities to be created and developed in the entertainment industry. In this conference Jackson said “Kingdom International is a dream come true.” It was then announced that Jackson would embark on his third solo world tour.

1996/1997: First leg (Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia and United States)

Jackson started the tour off with a concert at Letna Park in Prague with a 125,000 strong attendance, one of Jackson’s largest single attended concerts in his career. On January 3 and 4th 1997 Jackson only performed two concerts in America. He did not perform in the USA mainland, but rather in Honolulu, Hawaii at the Aloha Stadium to a crowd of 35,000 each.

1997: Second leg (Europe and Africa)

The second leg started off on May 31, 1997 at the Weserstadion in Bremen, Germany. Set list changes included the addition of Blood on the Dance Floor and later on the removal of the Off the Wall Medley and The Way You Make Me Feel. It was only during the first concert in Bremen that Jackson donned a red jacket for Blood on The Dance Floor, which was later replaced with a blue uniform. Blood on the Dance Floor was taken off the set list after the concert in Oslo, Norway on August 19, 1997. On August 29, 1997 Jackson performed at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark on his 39th birthday with 50,000 fans. He was presented with a surprise birthday cake, marching band, and fireworks on stage before the Jackson 5 Medley. A concert was supposed to take place on August 7 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, but was cancelled due to poor ticket sales, the only concert that was cancelled during the tour. The concert at Hippodrome Wellington of Oostende, Belgium was supposed to be held on August 31, 1997, but was postponed to September 3 following Princess Diana’s death. During the September 3 concert audiences were required to be put into “cages.” Starting with this concert, several of the final concerts had begun with the instrumental of Charlie Chaplin‘s Smile being played.

Set list

1. Gates of Kiev” Computer Animation Introduction
2. “Scream” / “They Don’t Care About Us” / “In the Closet“
3. “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’“
4. “Stranger in Moscow“
5. “Smooth Criminal“
6. “The Wind” Video Interlude
7. “You Are Not Alone“
8. “The Way You Make Me Feel” (September 7, 1996 to June 15, 1997)
9. Jackson 5 Medley: “I Want You Back” / “The Love You Save“
10. Jackson 5 Medley: “I’ll Be There“
11. Off the Wall Medley: “Rock with You” / “Off the Wall” / “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” (Only on certain concerts, last performed on June 10, 1997)
12. “Remember the Time” Video Montage Interlude
13. “Billie Jean“
14. “Thriller“
15. “Beat It“
16. “Come Together” / “D.S.” (Only on certain concerts from September 7, 1996 to November 11, 1996)
17. “Blood on the Dance Floor” (May 31, 1997 to August 19, 1997)
18. Black or White “Panther” Video Interlude
19. “Dangerous“
20. “Black or White“
21. “Earth Song“
22. “We Are the World” Video Interlude
23. “Heal the World“
24. “HIStory“

Tour Dates

First Leg

Second Leg

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (March 2009)

• The average attendance for each concert on the tour 48,638, with an average income of just under $2 million.^{[citation needed]}
• Jackson was the first in history to sell out the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. He performed two sold out concerts there on January 3 and 4, 1997.^{[citation needed]}
• On August 29, 1997, Jackson performed in Copenhagen, Denmark in front of 50,000 fans on his 39th birthday. Jackson was given a large surprise birthday cake on stage.
• In a similar way to performances of She’s out of My Life during the Dangerous Tour, a female audience member would be randomly picked to meet Jackson on stage for performances of You Are Not Alone.

[edit] Performers

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You’ve heard scattered segments of the MICHAEL JACKSON saga, but never in a smooth chronological progression that bonded all the elements together, and managed, en route, to include many of the entertainment industry s most intriguing celebrities: Jackie-O, the Reagans, the Bushes, the Windsors, the aristocracy of America s pop culture, and many of the movie stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. They all opened their doors and sometimes their arms to MICHAEL, the Gloved One, the Thriller.

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When the most famous, successful and talented pop singer of all time makes a comeback, the world sits up and listens, the press takes notes and the fans go shopping. And so it is with Michael Jackson, out of the limelight for five years, yet with his new album just released, its as if he’s never been away. Yes, ‘The King Of Pop’ has returned in triumphant style topping charts worldwide, breaking records and receiving rewards. Michael Jackson: An exceptional journey, brings the story up to date, using equal parts newly researched text and both classic and rarely seen full color photography, this book will appeal in every way to his millions of fans new and old. With only two other books currently available on this mega star (and both of these seriously outdated) this brand new visual documentary could not come at a better time.

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In late December 2008, Ian Halperin told the world that Michael Jackson had only six months to live. His investigations into Jackson’s failing health made headlines around the globe. Six months later, the King of Pop was dead.

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He was the pop icon the media loved to hate. Tremendously wealthy, inarguably eccentric, and one of the most famous people in the world, Michael Jackson was the unenviable target of constant public humiliation. The media poked fun at his skin, his features, his sexuality, and his lifestyle.Here, seasoned crime reporter Aphrodite Jones condemns the media for perpetuating hateful rumors and innuendoes, recounting just the sordid details, and reporting only the most despicable accusations and grisly charges made against Michael Jackson during his criminal trial. They had built a highly profitable industry around the superstar’s “freaky life” and banked on his conviction. And, it turns out, they got it all wrong.

In their efforts to make money and win ratings, the media missed the truth. It wasn’t until after the “not guilty” verdict that Jones had the insight and courage to admit her own unintentional role in the frenzy surrounding the shocking testimony, high drama, and countless celebrities in Michael Jackson’s high-profile criminal trial. Here, she makes amends with what is not only a truthful, well-documented chronicle of the entire trial but a powerful indictment against the media for conspiring to distort, dehumanize, and destroy Michael Jackson. Jones argues convincingly that the case against Jackson amounted to nothing more than a media-made, tax-paid scandal, and she makes an impassioned call to action for the public-at-large to think critically, question the integrity, and demand the truth in “the news”. –This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Actors: Michael DeLorenzo, Simon Fields, Traci Guns, Iman, Michael Jackson

• Directors: John Landis, Steve Barron, Gowers, Bruce, Pytka, Joe, Ritts, Herb

• Format: Best of, Color, DVD, Special Edition, NTSC

• Language: English

• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)

• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

• Number of discs: 1

• Rating: NR (Not Rated)

• Studio: Sony

• DVD Release Date: November 13, 2001

• Run Time: 89 minutes

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The Biggest Album Ever just got bigger. The 25th Anniversary Edition of Thriller celebrates this ground-breaking album with 7 bonus tracks, six of which are previously unreleased. The new tracks include exclusive remixes from Kanye West, Fergie, will.i.am and Akon along with a previously unreleased track from the Thriller sessions, “For All Time,” newly mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson. Also included is a BONUS DVD with new, digitally restored versions of the three videos from the album as well as the Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking performance of “Billie Jean” on the “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever” television special (first broadcast on NBC May 16, 1983).

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Like the Beatles and Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson is one of the handful of artists that can release an album of their number one singles. Number Ones includes his solo chart toppers in the UK and abroad from the period beginning with his Off the Wall album right up to the new song “One More Chance”, a collaboration with R Kelly. The remaining 17 songs on the album are all classics drawn from the disco-soul Off the Wall, the funky Thriller, the good Bad, the safe Dangerous, the semi-best-of History and the weak Invincible. Regardless of whether the bulk of Number Ones has appeared on other greatest hits albums, this is still an incredible selection of Michael Jackson’s best music. –Georgina Collins