Nothing like it

Some of you have heard me say it before, but it is impossible for people born after 1980 or so to have any idea of how big a star Michael Jackson was at his peak. There is no star of his magnitude now, and there were few even before. Elvis Presley is the closest parallel I can think of.

Jackson revolutionized music, revitalizing a R&B as a category and was the first to really use music videos to project his artistic vision. He also all helped create hip hop as a dance style at a time when it is was mostly nothing more than break dancing. And if you've ever seen the style known as popping or locking, if you're my age you saw it for the first time in Jackson's videos and live performances. Take the time to watch the Thriller video. Then watch So You Think You Can Dance or any music video with dancing and it's impossible to miss his influence.

Granted, the guy was seriously screwed up, but he had a terribly abusive father, a devout Jehovah's Witness mother, and the life of a pop star from when he was a little kid. That would screw most people up. The fact that his life turned into a side show is a shame, but it doesn't diminish his accomplishments.

One question: Does he ever actually pronounce the word "thriller" at any point in the song?