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Michael Jackson's impact on music videos will live on forever
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Michael Jackson with his Thriller zombie co-stars.
As music fans the world over mourn the loss of international superstar Michael Jackson, his impact on music videos will live on. Jackson's legacy will be that of a consummate artist and performer, on record, stage, and screen.
Michael Jackson's first video as an adult performer was released in 1979, two years prior to the launch of groundbreaking music video television station MTV. Performing the song, "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," it was already clear that he was going to be a big star (no one knew, yet, how big) with charisma and dance moves enough for an entire dance troop. As a matter of fact, two-thirds of the way through the video, he even dances with two copies of himself. This was the first of three videos spawned by Jackson's classic, pre-Thriller album, Off The Wall, and was followed shortly thereafter by videos for "Rock With You" and "She's Out Of My Life."
In 1982, Jackson released the album that would set the standards for musical success that are still benchmarks today. Thriller showcased strong songwriting, memorable melodies, ultra-danceable beats, and the mature voice of an artist who had truly come into his own. 1983's "Billie Jean" music video became the first video by a black artist to be played on MTV.
Jackson followed that up with one of the most popular videos of all time, "Beat It," featuring real gang members, the immediately recognizable red leather jacket, and a fierce guitar solo by the already legendary young guitar phenom, Eddie Van Halen. This video was followed by Jackson's first duet with Paul McCartney, "Say Say Say."
Arguably the most famous video of all time was actually a short film (nearly 14 minutes long) based on the Thriller album's title track, and directed by John Landis (American Werewolf In London). The video features Jackson transforming into both a werewolf and a zombie, and leading a group of fashionably-clad zombies in dance steps that are still performed at dances and wedding receptions today. The song and video also features the voice of horror movie legend Vincent Price.
While never again attaining quite the level of notoriety generated by the "Thriller" video, Jackson continued to produce immensely popular video fare from each of his next three albums, Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory.
Bad featured videos for the title song, "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man In The Mirror," "Dirty Diana," "Another Part Of Me," "Smooth Criminal," "Leave Me Alone," and "Liberian Girl."
Dangerous produced videos for "Black Or White," "Remember The Time," "In The Closet," "Who Is It," "Jam," "Heal The World," "Give In To Me," "Will You Be There," and "Gone Too Soon."
HIStory generated videos for "Scream" (featuring Jackson's sister, Janet Jackson), "You Are Not Alone," "Earth Song," "They Don't Care About Us" (for which a pair of videos was made), and "Stranger In Moscow."
Jackson also released videos for "Blood On The Dance Floor," (from HIStory In The Mix), and "You Rock My World" and "Cry" (both from Invincible).
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