Jackson changed course of music, society

For the past decade or so, it almost seemed like public displays of eccentricity were all there was to Michael Jackson, who unexpectedly died June 25. But there was a time when Jackson was thought of primarily as a groundbreaking artist, not a celebrity oddball.

That time was 1983, when Jackson’s omnipresence on the pop charts was revolutionary because no African-American artist had ever achieved that high a level of success. Jackson earned his pop icon status by creating music that transcended genres; he also redefined the roles of music videos and dancing in popular music.

No matter what else Jackson did (and he did a lot), his musical legacy will always rest on the album “Thriller.” That was Jackson’s landmark 1982 release that became the biggest-selling album of all time. It moved over 100 million copies and spawned six hit singles — unheard of at that time.

“Thriller’s” first single was the deceptively easygoing duet with Paul McCartney, “The Girl Is Mine.” Sure it sounds like a lounge ballad now, but since it showcased singers from different races pledging their love to a woman, its allusions to an interracial affair were pretty daring.

Jackson was just getting started breaking boundaries. The next two singles, “Billie Jean” and “Beat It,” brought both social consciousness and rock guitar to the dance floor. It was then that his career started to really explode. These songs both spent several weeks at No. 1 and broke MTV’s “color barrier” (the channel had previously refused to play African-American artists, claiming it was a “rock station”).

More hits followed, including “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Human Nature” and “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing).” Jackson had “Thriller’s” title track made into a long-form music video that modernized the medium, making it a more credible art form. White rock acts had dominated in the early 1980s, so when Jackson became the biggest “rock star” of all, he opened doors for artists who otherwise might have been marginalized.

Timeline The ‘King of Pop’ Timeline of singer's life, from Jackson 5 to ‘Thriller’ to Neverland. msnbc.com

Before megastardom, Jackson was already a sensation when he started out as the pre-adolescent lead singer of the Motown family act the Jackson 5. That led to a solo career in 1971, when he topped the charts with the ballad “Ben.” Then he made the difficult musical transition from child star to adult sensation, which almost no one had done. How did Jackson manage it?

A natural talent
Jackson was able to capture the public’s fancy because he had an almost frighteningly natural ability to sing. At age 11, he sang lead on the No. 1 songs “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be There” with more mastery and passion than most adult vocalists. Depending on the song, he could make his voice soar to evoke sensitivity or roar to conjure James Brown.

Michael Jackson, 1958-2009 Michael Jackson glove sells for $350,000 Warrant: Jackson drugs came from Vegas firm Janet Jackson: Michael in denial over drugs L.A. police want Jackson records sealed Viacom wins rights to Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ Journalists detained after Jackson doctor leaves L.A. pushes to get repaid for Jackson memorial Jackson’s private funeral cost nearly $1 million FirstPerson: You call ‘This Is It’ ‘raw,’ ‘intimate’ Could Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ win an Oscar?

The Jackson 5’s records worked as both bubblegum pop (a big trend in 1969) and R&B. A lot of that had to do with the quality of Jackson’s singing. Few people seemed to realize it, but the Jackson 5 were also pioneers. They brought R&B to white preteens, helping to create the eventual audience that would be receptive to disco.

When disco arrived, Jackson was ready, leading his brothers through the adult-oriented hits “Dancing Machine,” “Enjoy Yourself” and “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground).” You can hear echoes of these records in Prince (whose first hit, “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” was a Jackson knockoff), the Bee Gees and Justin Timberlake.

Around 1978, Jackson and Quincy Jones formed a partnership that would give birth to the singer’s best-known solo efforts. Their first album together, 1979’s “Off the Wall,” delivered four Top 10 hits. Two of those, “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” and “Rock With You” went to No. 1 just as disco was dying, proving Jackson could again traverse genres. “Don’t Stop …” was also penned solely by Jackson, who was by now a first-rate songwriter.

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Michael Jackson glove sells for $350,000

Michael Jackson glove sells for $350,000 Warrant: Jackson drugs came from Vegas firm Janet Jackson: Michael in denial over drugs L.A. police want Jackson records sealed Viacom wins rights to Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ Journalists detained after Jackson doctor leaves L.A. pushes to get repaid for Jackson memorial Jackson’s private funeral cost nearly $1 million FirstPerson: You call ‘This Is It’ ‘raw,’ ‘intimate’ Could Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ win an Oscar?   Add Michael Jackson, 1958-2009 headlines to your news reader: