Today marks the 27th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s passing, and the world grieves along with it.
Dubbed the “King of Pop“, he is widely regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century. His musical achievements broke American racial barriers and made him a dominant figure worldwide. Through his unique music videos, songs, concerts, and even fashion, and fashion, he proliferated visual performance for artists in popular music, popularizing street dance moves such as the moonwalk, the robot, and the anti-gravity lean.
Making his public debut at age six as the lead singer of the Jackson 5, he debuted with four consecutive number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the songs “I Want You Back” (1969), “ABC”, “The Love You Save”, and “I’ll Be There” (all 1970). The group left Motown for Epic Records in early 1976, with the exception of Jermaine, who was replaced by youngest brother Randy. Changing their name to the Jacksons upon signing with Epic, they released four studio albums and one live album between 1976 and 1981, including the successful albums Destiny (1978) and Triumph (1980) and singles “Enjoy Yourself” (1976), “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” (1978), “This Place Hotel” (1980), and “Can You Feel It” (1981).
At the same time, Jackson rose to fame with his album Off the Wall in 1979 and achieved unprecedented global success with the Grammy winning album Thriller in 1982, the best-selling album in history. This was accompanied by the music videos “Beat It” (featuring Eddie van Halen), “Billie Jean”, and “Thriller”, directed by John Landis fresh off his American Werewolf in London fame.
He then left the Jacksons to fully pursue a solo career, starting with the Bad album in 1987. Bad was the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Bad”, “The Way You Make Me Feel”, “Man in the Mirror”, and “Dirty Diana”. Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995) produced the US number-one singles “Black or White” and “You Are Not Alone”. He then stepped out of the public eye due to the child sexual abuse allegations before releasing a final album Invisible in 2001.
On June 25, 2009, less than three weeks before his This Is It concert was scheduled to begin in London, with all dates sold out, Jackson died at age 50 from cardiac arrest caused by a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose. MTV and BET, which originally showed his music videos, aired marathons of Jackson’s music videos.
His memorial service was was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, preceded by a private family service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park’s Hall of Liberty. The memorial service was one of the most watched events in streaming history, with an estimated US audience of 31.1 million and a worldwide audience of an estimated 2.5 to 3 billion.
His songs have covered themes of love and loss, but also heavier aspects such as political injustice, race integration and environmentalism through “Heal the World”, “They Don’t Care About Us”, “Black or White”, and “Earth Song”. Additionally, his influence has transcended borders, such as Bollywood, Europe, the Middle East, and even has been credited as the backbone of the K-Pop industry, influencing countless artists and shaping the genre’s development. His influence even reached remote corners of the world such as São Tomé and Príncipe, or Tristan da Cunha, where tribute artists keep his legacy alive by celebrating his music.
So today, whether you’re blasting his music, or watching the new Michael Jackson film, you’re helping keep his legacy alive.
