Jackson changed course of music, society

By 1980, Jackson’s star had eclipsed that of his band, so the solo success of “Thriller” wasn’t totally unexpected. It was the Beatlemania scale of Jackson’s popularity that threw people. It also threw Jackson, who soon began showing signs of the eccentricity that would unfortunately come to define him.

That shouldn’t diminish the impact of “Thriller.” After millions of people watched Jackson moonwalk to “Billie Jean” in his March 1983 performance on the “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever” TV special, they were ready for performers who offered dance moves and wilder rhythms. Thus the stage was set for Prince and Madonna to break out nationally. Before Jackson, the only dance music MTV played was British. After “Thriller,” the channel embraced hip-hop and, eventually, rap.

It took a half decade for Jackson to return with 1987’s “Bad” album. Although it didn’t sell as much as “Thriller,” it had more No. 1 singles — five in all. Sadly, by this time people were paying less attention to the music (which cleverly blended rock and R&B), and were instead wondering why Jackson’s face kept changing so dramatically with each new album cover.

And yet Jackson soon became known as the “King of Pop.” The moniker was purportedly thought up by PR people, but like the Rolling Stones’ “world’s greatest rock ’n’ roll band” appellation, it stuck because there was truth to it. Jackson’s innovations might have slowed down, but his hits didn’t. The best of the later ones were the most wistful, like “Remember the Time” and “Will You Be There,” both of which seemed to expose the humanity behind Jackson’s showbiz façade.

Jackson’s unexpected death will no doubt reignite interest in the “tabloid fodder” aspects of his life. Like Elvis Presley, though, Jackson was far more than the sum of his eccentricities. He was a professional artist at an age when most people are in grade school. And he had already changed the course of music — and to a degree, society — at a stage of life when most people are just starting to make their mark on the world.

Tony Sclafani is a regular contributor to msnbc.com

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