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Rikkrishub t1_j1w7j0k wrote

This is hard to convey but when MJ was huge there wasn't an internet or cell phones or social media. Yet, he was hands down, bigger than Taylor Swift and Kanye combined. He owned music and music video. When Thriller came out the video played at the top of every hour on MTV.

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yampi30 OP t1_j1wbpjb wrote

This is very true he got famous the extremely hard way. Now you write a catchy sing and a couple of people use it on tik tok and you are trending. Don’t wanna imagine Michael with todays social media.

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Slight_Purpose_9092 t1_j1wydyy wrote

People have been getting famous through crappy one hit wonders that they may or may not have written since the beginning of the modern music industry. Nothing is different now. Nobody doing that in the past or today will ever become Michael Jackson famous doing it.

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yampi30 OP t1_j1y5jzb wrote

no but they get famous easy but nobody will ever be the same as the king of pop not even with tik tok

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kyle_750 t1_j1wrl4d wrote

Wouldn't this just get annoying? Commerical radio these days smashing a song just ruins it and brings on hate

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positivecynik t1_j1w5gmp wrote

When Thriller was released (1984 1982), he was like, the most famous pop star on the planet for about a year. Everyone trying to Moonwalk all the time.

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yampi30 OP t1_j1wbswc wrote

for about a year? he is the most famous pop star of all time

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big_hungry_joe t1_j1wuwsc wrote

Thriller came out in 82 and he was massive for at least the rest of the 80's

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Frankenstien23 t1_j1wqolh wrote

This might be an unpopular opinion but Jackson 5 is peak Michael Jackson

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Broad_Leopard_2816 t1_j1x167v wrote

I can see why you say that, but I would argue The Jacksons even more. Have you heard the albums Destiny and Triumph, some of the best work he ever did in the similar vein of Off the Wall.

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TheTravellingTA t1_j1wcomw wrote

I was in elementary school when Thriller came out. A lot of my friends were into him but I feel he really became mainstream (at least in my European country) once Bad came out (1987). Then he reached his peak with Dangerous.

All of this is highly subjective, of course.

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pfc_bgd t1_j1wttpb wrote

Basketball and marketing GOAT. And it felt like it at the time.

Not sure how else to describe it…

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SadAcanthocephala521 t1_j1wwu9p wrote

Basketball? Are you confusing MJ with Michael Jordan? Lol

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pfc_bgd t1_j1x3x3h wrote

Looool I thought I was in r/nba.

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yampi30 OP t1_j1y5guf wrote

thats why i didnt put “Mj” i was but then i knew somebody was gonna get confused jejeje

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Otherwise-Extreme-68 t1_j1w4us9 wrote

I saw him at Wembley in 97 i think for the HIStory tour. It was pure insanity, the atmosphere was incredible. I remember it started with a video of him in some kind of capsule, the video followed it for a while and then it came bursting through the stage before he stepped out. That one moment when he appeared will be burnt in my memory forever, really felt like being in a moment of history. I don't remember much about the rest of the concert as I was chatting up some girl, got her number too but it had rubbed off my hand by the time I got home!

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yampi30 OP t1_j1wc6h3 wrote

Ohh man thats awesomee! you were in an Mj concert thats really a moment in history seeing the greatest artist of all time performing must have been breathtaking. But thats sad that her number rubbed of by the time you got to your house. You never saw her again?

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Nizamark t1_j1wfxpf wrote

theses days it’s hard to imagine how huge thriller was.

like star wars, in that it permeated and altered all of pop culture.

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Volcano_Tequila t1_j1wr94f wrote

You have to understand that his later fame was built upon his first fame (with the Jackson Five), then continued fame with The Jacksons, then on his massive solo effort (Off the Wall), all before Thriller raised his fame to a whole other level. The Jackson Five / the Jacksons honed his singing, dancing and entertaining skills before live audiences, and then the combination of Thriller and videos on MTV from Thriller and then the live performance at the Motown 25th anniversary TV special captured the public like no artist since Elvis or The Beatles. His eccentricities added to his fame, and Bad and Dangerous kept the fire lit. Even Janet Jackson, with her own megahit albums, added to his fame. It was like nothing could stop him and then the allegations and surgeries and suits sullied it all for quite a while.

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yampi30 OP t1_j1y5ewt wrote

yeah those allegations really hurt his career right?

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SadAcanthocephala521 t1_j1wwn9g wrote

I was 6 or 7 around 84/85. I had a MJ glove and a microphone that you could sing into and hear yourself on the radio on a certain frequency lol

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Ungeez t1_j1x0cym wrote

My friend and I tried imitating his videos as little kids in the late '80s for fun haha. He was never not huge ever since he got famous in the early 70s, even was still huge in the 90s and after while most people made fun of him.

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yampi30 OP t1_j1y5kx1 wrote

people made fun of him?

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Abacab4 t1_j20ied7 wrote

Yeah, in the early 90s the joke was that he didn’t know if he was black or white.

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FuckedUp4Life t1_j2512ag wrote

People didn't know about his skin issues back then. They thought he wanted to be white.

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Obvious-Unit3560 t1_j1x6ezc wrote

Every song on thriller was a huge hit everywhere it was unbelievable you couldnt go anywhere without hearing him he did a duet with Paul McCartney about that same time everything he sang was HUGE!!

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yampi30 OP t1_j1y5ly6 wrote

thats amazing! The King of pop

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Abacab4 t1_j20iz70 wrote

I was four years old when the Thriller video had its world premiere on MTV and even then I knew it was a big deal. The video for Billie Jean might be even better though. He lit up the sidewalk with every step! The dude was larger than life.

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FuckedUp4Life t1_j2509ve wrote

Everyone knew Michael Jackson. Everyone. My grandma who was from a remote developing nation village knew and admired Michael Jackson. I saw her face light up when Michael was on the TV and she whispered his name under her breath in awe.

I'm too young to properly remember the Thriller era, but I remember the Bad era. In the UK when the Bad and Smooth Criminal videos debuted on TV the streets were empty. We only had 4 or 5 TV channels in those days. A particular TV show would have the rights to play the video. No Internet in those days so generally if you wanted to watch the video then you would need to watch it there and then. The streets would be empty. Near the time of the video you could see the streets emptying. The whole family would gather round the TV in anticipation of the new video. We would gather at my cousins house to watch it. Young and old. And Michael NEVER missed. I was a huge fan and I would be so proud of Michael for releasing yet another banger.

When Michael was touring in the UK, all the papers had Michael plastered on the front and in the middle. EVERYTHING was about Michael. Michael in the papers. Michael on TV. Michael on radio. Michael Jackson was more than a singer and performer. He was royalty. There was NO comparison.

Everyone loved Michael. From the grandmas to the gang bangers and everything in between. Except my best friend. He hated Michael. He was a Prince fan ( 🙈 ). He would come to my house to walk to school. I would have Michael playing on the TV while I got ready for school. He would stare daggers at the TV lol 🤣 .

BTW I saw Michael in his Bad and Dangerous tour.

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