Michael Joseph Jackson (29 de agosto de 1958 - 25 de junio de 2009) fue un cantante, compositor, bailarín y filántropo estadounidense. Apodado el " Rey del pop ", es considerado una de las figuras culturales más importantes del siglo XX. A lo largo de una carrera de cuatro décadas, sus contribuciones a la música, la danza y la moda, junto con su vida personal publicitada, lo convirtieron en una figura global de la cultura popular. Jackson influyó en artistas de muchos géneros musicales. A través de presentaciones en el escenario y en video, popularizó movimientos de baile callejero como el moonwalk , al que bautizó, y el robot .
Fue el octavo hijo de la familia Jackson , e hizo su debut público en 1964 junto a sus hermanos mayores Jackie , Tito , Jermaine y Marlon como miembro de los Jackson 5 (más tarde conocidos como los Jacksons). Los Jackson 5 firmaron con Motown en 1968 y alcanzaron el éxito mundial con Michael como cantante principal. Jackson comenzó su carrera en solitario en 1971 mientras estaba en Motown y grabó múltiples sencillos exitosos. Se convirtió en una estrella solista mundial con su álbum de 1979 Off the Wall . Sus videos musicales , incluidos los de " Beat It ", " Billie Jean " y " Thriller " de su álbum de 1982 Thriller , se les atribuye el mérito de romper las barreras raciales y transformar el medio en una forma de arte y una herramienta promocional. Ayudó a popularizar MTV y continuó innovando con videos para sus álbumes Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995) e Invincible (2001). Thriller es el álbum más vendido de todos los tiempos , mientras que Bad fue el primer álbum en producir cinco sencillos número uno en el Billboard Hot 100 de Estados Unidos. [nb 1]
Desde finales de la década de 1980, Jackson se convirtió en una figura de controversia y especulación debido a su apariencia cambiante , relaciones , comportamiento y estilo de vida. En 1993, fue acusado de abusar sexualmente del hijo de un amigo de la familia. La demanda se resolvió fuera de la corte civil; Jackson no fue acusado debido a la falta de pruebas. En 2005, fue juzgado y absuelto de otras acusaciones de abuso sexual infantil y varios otros cargos. La Oficina Federal de Investigaciones no encontró evidencia de conducta criminal por parte de Jackson. En 2009, mientras se preparaba para una serie de conciertos de regreso, This Is It , Jackson murió por una sobredosis de propofol administrada por su médico personal, Conrad Murray , quien fue condenado en 2011 por homicidio involuntario por su participación en la muerte de Jackson. Su muerte desencadenó reacciones en todo el mundo, creando oleadas sin precedentes de tráfico de Internet y un aumento en las ventas de su música. Se estima que el servicio conmemorativo televisado de Jackson , celebrado en el Staples Center de Los Ángeles, fue visto por más de 2.500 millones de personas.
Jackson es uno de los artistas musicales con mayores ventas de todos los tiempos, con ventas estimadas de más de 500 millones de discos en todo el mundo. [nb 2] Tuvo 13 sencillos número uno en el Billboard Hot 100 ( el cuarto más alto de cualquier artista en la era Hot 100 ) y fue el primer artista en tener un sencillo entre los diez primeros en el Billboard Hot 100 en cinco décadas diferentes. Sus honores incluyen 15 premios Grammy , seis premios Brit , un Globo de Oro y 39 récords mundiales Guinness , incluido el de "Artista más exitoso de todos los tiempos". Las inducciones de Jackson incluyen el Salón de la Fama del Rock and Roll (dos veces), el Salón de la Fama de los Grupos Vocales , el Salón de la Fama de los Compositores , el Salón de la Fama de la Danza (lo que lo convierte en el único artista discográfico en ser incluido) y el Salón de la Fama Nacional del Rhythm & Blues .
Michael Joseph Jackson [3] [4] nació en Gary, Indiana , el 29 de agosto de 1958. [5] [6] Fue el octavo de diez hijos de la familia Jackson , una familia afroamericana de clase trabajadora que vivía en una casa de dos habitaciones en Jackson Street. [7] [8] Su madre, Katherine Esther Jackson ( de soltera Scruse), tocaba el clarinete y el piano, había aspirado a ser intérprete de country y western y trabajaba a tiempo parcial en Sears . [9] Ella era testigo de Jehová . [10] Su padre, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson , un ex boxeador, era operador de grúa en US Steel y tocaba la guitarra con una banda local de rhythm and blues , los Falcons, para complementar los ingresos de la familia. [11] [12] El bisabuelo de Joe, July "Jack" Gale, era un explorador del ejército de los EE. UU .; la tradición familiar sostenía que también era un curandero nativo americano . [13] Michael creció con tres hermanas ( Rebbie , La Toya y Janet ) y cinco hermanos ( Jackie , Tito , Jermaine , Marlon y Randy ). [11] Un sexto hermano, el gemelo de Marlon, Brandon, murió poco después de nacer. [14]
En 1964, Michael y Marlon se unieron a los Jackson Brothers, una banda formada por su padre que incluía a Jackie, Tito y Jermaine, como músicos de respaldo tocando congas y pandereta . [15] [16] Michael dijo que su padre le dijo que tenía una "nariz gorda", [17] y abusó física y emocionalmente de él durante los ensayos. Recordó que Joe a menudo se sentaba en una silla con un cinturón en la mano mientras él y sus hermanos ensayaban, listo para castigar cualquier error. [10] [18] Joe reconoció que regularmente azotaba a Michael. [19] Katherine dijo que aunque los azotes llegaron a considerarse abuso, era una forma común de disciplinar a los niños cuando Michael estaba creciendo. [20] [21] Jackie, Tito, Jermaine y Marlon negaron que su padre fuera abusivo y dijeron que los azotes, que tuvieron un impacto más profundo en Michael porque era más joven, los mantenían disciplinados y fuera de problemas. [22] Michael dijo que durante su juventud se sintió solo y aislado. [23]
Más tarde, en 1965, Michael comenzó a compartir la voz principal con Jermaine, y el nombre del grupo se cambió a Jackson 5. [ 24] En 1965, el grupo ganó un concurso de talentos; Michael realizó el baile de la canción de 1965 de Robert Parker " Barefootin' " y cantó " My Girl " de The Temptations . [25] De 1966 a 1968, los Jacksons 5 realizaron giras por el Medio Oeste ; tocaron con frecuencia en una serie de clubes negros conocidos como Chitlin' Circuit como acto de apertura para artistas como Sam & Dave , los O'Jays , Gladys Knight y Etta James . Los Jackson 5 también actuaron en clubes y salones de cócteles, donde se presentaban espectáculos de striptease , y en auditorios locales y bailes de escuelas secundarias. [26] [27] En agosto de 1967, mientras estaban de gira por la Costa Este , ganaron un concierto nocturno semanal de aficionados en el Teatro Apollo en Harlem . [28]
Los Jackson 5 grabaron varias canciones para un sello discográfico de Gary, Steeltown Records ; su primer sencillo, " Big Boy ", fue lanzado en 1968. [30] Bobby Taylor de Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers trajo a los Jackson 5 a Motown después de que abrieran para Taylor en el Regal Theater de Chicago en 1968. Taylor produjo algunas de sus primeras grabaciones de Motown, incluida una versión de " Who's Lovin' You ". [31] Después de firmar con Motown, la familia Jackson se mudó a Los Ángeles. [32] En 1969, los ejecutivos de Motown decidieron que Diana Ross debía presentar a los Jackson 5 al público, en parte para impulsar su carrera en televisión, enviando lo que se consideró el último producto de Motown de su "línea de producción". [33] Los Jackson 5 hicieron su primera aparición en televisión en 1969 en el concurso Miss Black America , interpretando una versión de " It's Your Thing ". [34] La revista Rolling Stone describió más tarde al joven Michael como "un prodigio" con "dotes musicales abrumadores" que "rápidamente emergió como el atractivo principal y cantante principal". [35]
En enero de 1970, « I Want You Back » se convirtió en la primera canción de los Jackson 5 en alcanzar el número uno en el Billboard Hot 100 de Estados Unidos ; permaneció allí durante cuatro semanas. Tres sencillos más con Motown encabezaron la lista: « ABC », « The Love You Save » y « I'll Be There ». [36] En mayo de 1971, la familia Jackson se mudó a una casa grande en Hayvenhurst , una finca de 2 acres (0,81 ha) en Encino, California . [37] Durante este período, Michael pasó de ser un artista infantil a un ídolo adolescente . [38] Entre 1972 y 1975, lanzó cuatro álbumes de estudio en solitario con Motown: Got to Be There (1972), Ben (1972), Music & Me (1973) y Forever, Michael (1975). [39] « Got to Be There » y « Ben », las canciones que dan título a sus dos primeros álbumes en solitario, se vendieron bien como sencillos, al igual que una versión de « Rockin' Robin » de Bobby Day . [40]
Michael mantuvo vínculos con los Jackson 5. [39] Los Jackson 5 fueron posteriormente descritos como "un ejemplo vanguardista de artistas negros que se fusionaron ". [41] Estaban frustrados por la negativa de Motown a permitirles aportes creativos. [42] La interpretación de Jackson de su sencillo " Dancing Machine " en Soul Train , que se encontraba entre los cinco primeros, popularizó el baile del robot . [43] [44]
Los Jackson 5 dejaron Motown en 1975, firmaron con Epic Records y cambiaron su nombre a The Jacksons. [45] Su hermano menor Randy se unió a la banda en esta época; Jermaine se quedó con Motown y siguió una carrera en solitario. [46] Los Jacksons continuaron de gira internacionalmente y lanzaron seis álbumes más entre 1976 y 1984. Michael, el principal compositor del grupo durante este tiempo, escribió canciones como " Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) " (1978), " This Place Hotel " (1980) y " Can You Feel It " (1980). [47]
En 1977, Jackson se mudó a la ciudad de Nueva York para protagonizar el papel del Espantapájaros en The Wiz , una película musical dirigida por Sidney Lumet , junto a Diana Ross , Nipsey Russell y Ted Ross. [48] La película fue un fracaso de taquilla. [49] Su banda sonora fue arreglada por Quincy Jones , [50] quien más tarde produjo tres de los álbumes en solitario de Jackson. [51] Durante su estancia en Nueva York, Jackson frecuentó el club nocturno Studio 54 , donde escuchó hip hop temprano ; esto influyó en su beatboxing en futuras pistas como " Working Day and Night ". [52] En 1978, Jackson insatisfecho con su nariz, decidió hacerse una rinoplastia . [53] Fue remitido a Steven Hoefflin , quien realizó las operaciones de Jackson. [54]
El quinto álbum en solitario de Jackson, Off the Wall (1979), lo estableció como un artista solista y lo ayudó a pasar del pop chicle de su juventud a sonidos más complejos. [38] Produjo cuatro entradas al top 10 en los EE. UU.: « Off the Wall », « She's Out of My Life » y los sencillos que encabezaron las listas « Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough » y « Rock with You ». [55] El álbum alcanzó el número tres en el Billboard 200 de EE. UU. y vendió más de 20 millones de copias en todo el mundo. [56] En 1980, Jackson ganó tres American Music Awards por su trabajo en solitario: Álbum favorito de soul/R&B, Artista masculino favorito de soul/R&B y Sencillo favorito de soul/R&B por «Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough». [57] [58] También ganó un premio Grammy a la Mejor interpretación vocal masculina de R&B en 1979 con «Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough». [59] En 1981, Jackson fue el ganador de los American Music Awards por Álbum favorito de soul/R&B y Artista masculino favorito de soul/R&B. [60] Jackson sintió que Off the Wall debería haber tenido un mayor impacto y estaba decidido a superar las expectativas con su próximo lanzamiento. [61] En 1980, consiguió la tasa de regalías más alta en la industria de la música: 37 por ciento de las ganancias mayoristas del álbum. [62]
Jackson grabó con el cantante de Queen, Freddie Mercury, de 1981 a 1983, grabando demos de « State of Shock », «Victory» y « There Must Be More to Life Than This ». Las grabaciones estaban destinadas a un álbum de duetos pero, según el mánager de Queen, Jim Beach , la relación se agrió cuando Jackson trajo una llama al estudio de grabación, [64] y Jackson se molestó por el consumo de drogas de Mercury. [65] «There Must Be More to Life Than This» fue lanzado en 2014. [66] Jackson grabó «State of Shock» con Mick Jagger para el álbum de los Jacksons Victory (1984). [67]
En 1982, Jackson contribuyó con "Someone in the Dark" al audiolibro de la película E.T. El extraterrestre . El sexto álbum de Jackson, Thriller , fue lanzado a fines de 1982. Fue el álbum más vendido en todo el mundo en 1983, [68] [69] y se convirtió en el álbum más vendido de todos los tiempos en los EE. UU. [70] y el álbum más vendido de todos los tiempos en todo el mundo , vendiendo aproximadamente 70 millones de copias. [71] [72] Encabezó la lista Billboard 200 durante 37 semanas y estuvo en el top 10 de las 200 durante 80 semanas consecutivas. Fue el primer álbum en producir siete sencillos top-10 del Billboard Hot 100, incluidos " Billie Jean ", " Beat It " y " Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' ". [73]
El 25 de marzo de 1983, Jackson se reunió con sus hermanos para Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever , un especial de televisión de la NBC. El programa se emitió el 16 de mayo ante una audiencia estimada de 47 millones de personas , y contó con la participación de los Jackson y otras estrellas de Motown. [74] La interpretación en solitario de Jackson de "Billie Jean" le valió su primera nominación al premio Emmy . [75] Con un guante decorado con diamantes de imitación , [76] estrenó su baile moonwalk , que Jeffrey Daniel le había enseñado tres años antes, y se convirtió en su baile característico en su repertorio. [77] Jackson originalmente había rechazado la invitación al programa, creyendo que había estado haciendo demasiada televisión. Pero a pedido del fundador de Motown, Berry Gordy , actuó a cambio de una oportunidad de hacer una actuación en solitario. [78] El reportero de Rolling Stone, Mikal Gilmore, calificó la actuación de "extraordinaria". [38] La actuación de Jackson generó comparaciones con las apariciones de Elvis Presley y los Beatles en The Ed Sullivan Show . [79] Anna Kisselgoff de The New York Times elogió la perfecta sincronización y técnica involucradas en el baile. [80] Gordy describió estar "hipnotizado" por la actuación. [81]
En la 26.ª edición de los premios Grammy , Thriller ganó ocho premios y Jackson ganó un premio por el libro de cuentos ET the Extra-Terrestrial . Ganar ocho premios Grammy en una ceremonia es un récord que ostenta con la banda Santana . [59] Jackson y Quincy Jones ganaron el premio al Productor del año (no clásico). Thriller ganó el Álbum del año (con Jackson como artista del álbum y Jones como su coproductor), y el sencillo ganó el premio a la Mejor interpretación vocal pop (masculina) para Jackson. «Beat It» ganó el Disco del año y la Mejor interpretación vocal rock (masculina). «Billie Jean» ganó dos premios Grammy: Mejor canción de R&B y Mejor interpretación vocal de R&B (masculina), con Jackson como compositor y cantante respectivamente. [59]
Thriller ganó el Grammy a la Mejor Ingeniería de Grabación (No Clásica), en reconocimiento a Bruce Swedien por su trabajo en el álbum. [82] En la 11.ª edición anual de los American Music Awards , Jackson ganó otros ocho premios y se convirtió en el artista más joven en ganar el Premio al Mérito. [83] También ganó el premio al Artista Masculino Favorito, Artista Soul/R&B Favorito y Artista Pop/Rock Favorito. «Beat It» ganó el premio al Vídeo Soul/R&B Favorito, el Vídeo Pop/Rock Favorito y el Sencillo Pop/Rock Favorito. El álbum ganó el premio al Álbum Soul/R&B Favorito y el Álbum Pop/Rock Favorito. [83] [84] Las ventas de Thriller se duplicaron después del lanzamiento de un vídeo musical extendido, Thriller de Michael Jackson , en el que se ve a Jackson bailando con una horda de zombis. [85] [86]
El éxito transformó a Jackson en una fuerza dominante en la cultura pop mundial. [86] Jackson tenía la tasa de regalías más alta en la industria de la música en ese momento, con aproximadamente $2 por cada álbum vendido (equivalente a $6 en 2023), y estaba obteniendo ganancias récord. Las muñecas modeladas a imagen de Jackson aparecieron en las tiendas en mayo de 1984 por $12 cada una. [87] En el mismo año, The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller , un documental sobre el video musical, ganó un Grammy al Mejor Video Musical (Longform). [59] Time describió la influencia de Jackson en ese momento como "estrella de discos, radio, video de rock. Un equipo de rescate de un solo hombre para el negocio de la música. Un compositor que marca el ritmo durante una década. Un bailarín con los pies más elegantes de la calle. Un cantante que atraviesa todos los límites del gusto, el estilo y el color también". [87] El New York Times escribió "en el mundo de la música pop, está Michael Jackson y están todos los demás". [88]
En noviembre de 1983, Jackson y sus hermanos se asociaron con PepsiCo en un acuerdo promocional de 5 millones de dólares que batió récords para el patrocinio de una celebridad (equivalente a 15,3 millones de dólares en 2023). La primera campaña de Pepsi, que se desarrolló en los EE. UU. de 1983 a 1984 y lanzó su tema "Nueva Generación", incluyó patrocinio de giras, eventos de relaciones públicas y exhibiciones en tiendas. Jackson ayudó a crear el anuncio y sugirió usar su canción "Billie Jean", con letras revisadas, como jingle . [89]
El 27 de enero de 1984, Michael y otros miembros de los Jacksons filmaron un comercial de Pepsi supervisado por Phil Dusenberry , [90] un ejecutivo de la agencia de publicidad BBDO , y Alan Pottasch , director creativo mundial de Pepsi, en el Shrine Auditorium de Los Ángeles. Durante un concierto simulado ante un teatro lleno de fanáticos, la pirotecnia accidentalmente prendió fuego al cabello de Jackson, lo que le provocó quemaduras de segundo grado en el cuero cabelludo. Jackson se sometió a un tratamiento para ocultar las cicatrices y tuvo su tercera rinoplastia poco después. [91]
Pepsi llegó a un acuerdo extrajudicial y Jackson donó el acuerdo de 1,5 millones de dólares (equivalente a 4,4 millones de dólares en 2023) al Brotman Medical Center en Culver City, California ; su ahora cerrado Michael Jackson Burn Center fue nombrado en su honor. [92] [93] Jackson firmó un segundo acuerdo con Pepsi a fines de la década de 1980 por 10 millones de dólares (equivalente a 26,8 millones de dólares en 2023). La segunda campaña cubrió 20 países y brindó apoyo financiero para el álbum Bad de Jackson y su gira mundial de 1987-88. Jackson tenía patrocinios y acuerdos publicitarios con otras empresas, como LA Gear , Suzuki y Sony , pero ninguno fue tan significativo como sus acuerdos con Pepsi. [89]
El Victory Tour de 1984 encabezó el cartel de los Jacksons y mostró el nuevo material en solitario de Jackson a más de dos millones de estadounidenses. Fue la última gira que hizo con sus hermanos. [94] Tras la controversia sobre la venta de entradas del concierto , Jackson donó su parte de las ganancias, un estimado de 3 a 5 millones de dólares , a la caridad. [95] Durante el último concierto del Victory Tour en el Dodger Stadium en Los Ángeles, Jackson anunció su separación de los Jacksons durante "Shake Your Body". [96]
Con Lionel Richie , Jackson coescribió el sencillo benéfico « We Are the World » (1985), que recaudó dinero para los pobres en los EE. UU. y África. [97] [98] Ganó 63 millones de dólares (equivalente a 178 millones de dólares en 2023), [98] y se convirtió en uno de los sencillos más vendidos de todos los tiempos , con 20 millones de copias vendidas. [99] Ganó cuatro premios Grammy en 1985, incluida la canción del año para Jackson y Richie. [97] Jackson, Jones y el promotor Ken Kragen recibieron premios especiales por sus papeles en la creación de la canción. [97] [100] [101] [102]
Jackson colaboró con Paul McCartney a principios de los años 1980 y se enteró de que McCartney ganaba 40 millones de dólares al año por poseer los derechos de las canciones de otros artistas. [98] En 1983, Jackson había comenzado a comprar derechos de publicación de canciones de otros, pero era cuidadoso con sus adquisiciones y solo pujaba por unas pocas de las docenas que le ofrecían. Las primeras adquisiciones de Jackson de catálogos de música y derechos de autor de canciones, como la colección de Sly Stone , incluyeron "Everyday People" (1968), " 1-2-3 " (1965) de Len Barry y " The Wanderer " (1961) y " Runaround Sue " (1961) de Dion DiMucci .
En 1984, Robert Holmes à Court anunció que estaba vendiendo el catálogo de ATV Music Publishing que comprendía los derechos de publicación de casi 4.000 canciones, incluyendo la mayor parte del material de los Beatles. [103] En 1981, a McCartney se le había ofrecido el catálogo por £ 20 millones ($ 40 millones) (equivalente a $ 134 millones en 2023). [98] [104] Jackson presentó una oferta de $ 46 millones (equivalente a $ 135 millones en 2023) el 20 de noviembre de 1984. [103] Cuando Jackson y McCartney no pudieron hacer una compra conjunta, McCartney no quería ser el único propietario de las canciones de los Beatles y no realizó una oferta por su cuenta. [105] [104] Los agentes de Jackson no pudieron llegar a un acuerdo y en mayo de 1985 abandonaron las conversaciones después de haber gastado más de $ 1 millón y cuatro meses de trabajo de diligencia debida en las negociaciones. [103]
En junio de 1985, Jackson y Branca se enteraron de que The Entertainment Company de Charles Koppelman y Marty Bandier había hecho una oferta tentativa para comprar ATV Music por 50 millones de dólares; a principios de agosto, Holmes à Court se puso en contacto con Jackson y se reanudaron las conversaciones. La oferta aumentada de Jackson de 47,5 millones de dólares (equivalente a 135 millones de dólares en 2023) fue aceptada porque podía cerrar el trato más rápidamente, ya que había completado la debida diligencia. [103] Jackson aceptó visitar Holmes à Court en Australia, donde aparecería en el Teletón de Perth del Canal Siete . [106] Su compra de ATV Music se concretó el 10 de agosto de 1985. [98] [103]
La piel de Jackson había sido de color marrón medio durante su juventud, pero desde mediados de la década de 1980 gradualmente se volvió más pálida. El cambio atrajo una amplia cobertura mediática, incluida la especulación de que había estado blanqueando su piel . [107] [108] [109] Su dermatólogo, Arnold Klein , dijo que observó en 1983 que Jackson tenía vitíligo , [110] una condición caracterizada por parches de la piel que pierden su pigmento. También identificó lupus eritematoso discoide en Jackson. Diagnosticó a Jackson con lupus ese año, [110] y vitíligo en 1986. [111] Los efectos drásticos del vitíligo en el cuerpo pueden causar angustia psicológica. Jackson usó maquillaje de color claro, [112] y posiblemente cremas recetadas para blanquear la piel, [113] para cubrir las manchas desiguales de color causadas por la enfermedad. Las cremas despigmentaban las manchas y, con la aplicación de maquillaje, podía parecer muy pálido. [114] Jackson dijo que no se había blanqueado la piel a propósito y que no podía controlar su vitíligo, y agregó: "Cuando la gente inventa historias de que no quiero ser quien soy, me duele". [115] Se hizo amigo de Klein y de la asistente de Klein, Debbie Rowe . Rowe más tarde se convirtió en la segunda esposa de Jackson y en la madre de sus primeros dos hijos. [116]
En su autobiografía de 1988 y en una entrevista de 1993, Jackson dijo que se había sometido a dos cirugías de rinoplastia y una cirugía de mentón hendido , pero no más que eso. Dijo que perdió peso a principios de la década de 1980 debido a un cambio en la dieta para lograr un cuerpo de bailarín. [117] Los testigos informaron que a menudo se mareaba y especularon que sufría de anorexia nerviosa . Los períodos de pérdida de peso se convirtieron en un problema recurrente más adelante en su vida. [118] Después de su muerte, la madre de Jackson dijo que primero recurrió a procedimientos cosméticos para remediar su vitíligo, porque no quería parecer una "vaca manchada". Dijo que se había sometido a más de las dos cirugías cosméticas que afirmaba y especuló que se había vuelto adicto a ellas. [119]
En 1986, se informó que Jackson dormía en una cámara de oxígeno hiperbárico para retrasar el envejecimiento. Él negó la historia, [120] aunque se alegó que Jackson filtró una imagen de él durmiendo en una cámara de vidrio (según Jackson, esta era una foto promocional de una próxima ópera espacial en la que aparecía él ) a The National Enquirer . [121] También se informó que Jackson se inyectó hormonas femeninas para mantener la voz alta y el vello facial ralo, le propuso matrimonio a Elizabeth Taylor y posiblemente tenía un santuario de ella, y se sometió a una cirugía estética en los ojos. El manager de Jackson, Frank DiLeo, negó todas ellas, excepto que Jackson tuviera una cámara. DiLeo agregó: "No sé si duerme en ella. No estoy a favor. Pero Michael cree que es algo que probablemente sea saludable para él. Es un poco fanático de la salud". [122]
Cuando Jackson se llevó a su mascota chimpancé Bubbles de gira por Japón, los medios de comunicación lo retrataron como un aspirante a personaje de dibujos animados de Disney que se hacía amigo de los animales. [123] También se informó de que Jackson había ofrecido comprar los huesos de Joseph Merrick (el "Hombre Elefante"). [124] En junio de 1987, el Chicago Tribune informó de que el publicista de Jackson había ofrecido un millón de dólares por el esqueleto al London Hospital Medical College en su nombre. La universidad sostuvo que el esqueleto no estaba a la venta. DiLeo dijo que Jackson tenía un "interés absorbente" en Merrick, "basado puramente en su conciencia de la importancia ética, médica e histórica". [125]
En septiembre de 1986, utilizando la historia de la cámara de oxígeno, el tabloide británico The Sun etiquetó a Jackson "Wacko Jacko", un nombre que Jackson llegó a despreciar. [4] [126] The Atlantic señaló que el nombre "Jacko" tiene connotaciones racistas, ya que se origina de Jacko Macacco , un mono utilizado en los partidos de cebo de monos en Westminster Pit a principios de la década de 1820, y "Jacko" se usaba en la jerga cockney para referirse a los monos en general. [127]
Jackson trabajó con George Lucas y Francis Ford Coppola en la película en 3D de 17 minutos y 30 millones de dólares Captain EO , que se presentó desde 1986 en Disneyland y Epcot , y más tarde en Tokyo Disneyland y Euro Disneyland . [128] Después de haber sido retirada a finales de los años 1990, volvió al parque temático durante varios años después de la muerte de Jackson. [129] En 1987, Ebony informó que Jackson se había desvinculado de los testigos de Jehová. [130] Katherine Jackson dijo que esto podría haber sido porque algunos testigos se opusieron firmemente al video de Thriller , [131] que Michael denunció en una publicación de los testigos en 1984. [132] En 2001, Jackson le dijo a un entrevistador que todavía era testigo de Jehová. [133]
El primer álbum de Jackson en cinco años, Bad (1987), fue muy esperado, y la industria esperaba otro gran éxito. [134] Se convirtió en el primer álbum en producir cinco sencillos número uno en Estados Unidos: « I Just Can't Stop Loving You », « Bad », « The Way You Make Me Feel », « Man in the Mirror » y « Dirty Diana ». Otra canción, « Smooth Criminal », alcanzó el puesto número siete. [55] Bad ganó el Grammy de 1988 a la Mejor Ingeniería de Grabación - No Clásica y el Premio Grammy de 1990 al Mejor Video Musical , Versión Corta por « Leave Me Alone ». [59] [82] Jackson ganó un premio al logro en los American Music Awards en 1989 después de que Bad generara cinco sencillos número uno, se convirtiera en el primer álbum en encabezar las listas en 25 países y el álbum más vendido en todo el mundo en 1987 y 1988. [135] [136] Para 2012, había vendido entre 30 y 45 millones de copias en todo el mundo. [137] [138]
El Bad World Tour se desarrolló del 12 de septiembre de 1987 al 27 de enero de 1989. [139] En Japón, la gira tuvo 14 entradas agotadas y atrajo a 570.000 personas, casi triplicando el récord anterior para una sola gira. [140] Las 504.000 personas que asistieron a siete espectáculos con entradas agotadas en el estadio de Wembley establecieron un nuevo récord mundial Guinness . [141]
En 1988, Jackson publicó su autobiografía, Moonwalk , con aportes de Stephen Davis y Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis . [142] Vendió 200.000 copias, [143] y alcanzó la cima de la lista de bestsellers del New York Times . [144] Jackson habló de su infancia, los Jackson 5 y el abuso de su padre. [145] Atribuyó su apariencia facial cambiante a tres cirugías plásticas, la pubertad, la pérdida de peso, una dieta vegetariana estricta, un cambio de peinado y la iluminación del escenario. [146] [117] En junio, Jackson fue honrado con la Gran Medalla Vermeil de la Ciudad de París por el entonces alcalde de París Jacques Chirac durante su estadía en la ciudad como parte del Bad World Tour . [147] [148] El 20 de julio, Jackson se convirtió en el primer plebeyo en la historia en ingresar al Guildhall de Londres a través de la Entrada Real del edificio. [149] En octubre, Jackson lanzó una película, Moonwalker , que incluía imágenes en vivo y cortometrajes protagonizados por Jackson y Joe Pesci . En los EE. UU. se lanzó directamente en video y se convirtió en el videocasete más vendido en el país. [150] [151] La Asociación de la Industria Discográfica de Estados Unidos (RIAA) lo certificó como ocho veces Platino en los EE. UU. [152]
En marzo de 1988, Jackson compró 2700 acres (11 km² ) de tierra cerca de Santa Ynez, California , para construir una nueva casa, Neverland Ranch , a un costo de 17 millones de dólares (equivalente a 44 millones de dólares en 2023). [153] Instaló una noria , un carrusel , una sala de cine y un zoológico. [153] [154] [155] Un personal de seguridad de 40 personas patrullaba los terrenos. [154] Poco después, apareció en el primer anuncio de televisión occidental en la Unión Soviética . [156]
Jackson se hizo conocido como el " Rey del Pop ", un apodo que los publicistas de Jackson adoptaron. [18] [157] [158] Cuando Elizabeth Taylor le entregó el premio Soul Train Heritage en 1989, lo llamó "el verdadero rey del pop, el rock y el soul". [159] El presidente George HW Bush lo designó "Artista de la Década" de la Casa Blanca. [160] En la 38.ª edición de los premios BMI en 1990, Jackson fue la primera persona en ser honrada con un premio que lleva el nombre de su destinatario. [161] De 1985 a 1990, Jackson donó 455.000 dólares al United Negro College Fund , [162] y todas las ganancias de su sencillo "Man in the Mirror" se destinaron a la caridad. [163] Su interpretación de "You Were There" en la celebración del 60.º cumpleaños de Sammy Davis Jr. le valió a Jackson una segunda nominación al Emmy. [75] Jackson fue el artista más vendido de la década de 1980. [164]
En marzo de 1991, Jackson renovó su contrato con Sony por 65 millones de dólares (equivalente a 145 millones de dólares en 2023), un acuerdo récord , [165] superando el contrato de renovación de Neil Diamond con Columbia Records . [166] En 1991, lanzó su octavo álbum, Dangerous , coproducido con Teddy Riley . [167] Fue certificado ocho veces platino en los EE. UU., y en 2018 había vendido 32 millones de copias en todo el mundo. [168] [169] En los EE. UU., el primer sencillo, « Black or White », fue la canción del álbum con mayor éxito en las listas; fue número uno en el Billboard Hot 100 durante siete semanas y logró actuaciones similares en las listas en todo el mundo. [170] El segundo sencillo, « Remember the Time », alcanzó el puesto número tres en la lista de sencillos Billboard Hot 100. [171] A finales de 1992, Dangerous fue el álbum más vendido del año en todo el mundo y "Black or White" el sencillo más vendido del año en todo el mundo en los Billboard Music Awards . [164] En 1993, interpretó "Remember the Time" en los Soul Train Music Awards en una silla, diciendo que se torció el tobillo durante los ensayos de baile. [172] En el Reino Unido, " Heal the World " alcanzó el número 2 en las listas en 1992. [173]
Jackson fundó la Heal the World Foundation en 1992. La organización benéfica llevó a niños desfavorecidos al rancho de Jackson para que utilizaran las atracciones del parque temático y envió millones de dólares a todo el mundo para ayudar a los niños amenazados por la guerra, la pobreza y la enfermedad. Ese julio, Jackson publicó su segundo libro, Dancing the Dream , una colección de poesía. La Dangerous World Tour se desarrolló entre junio de 1992 y noviembre de 1993 y recaudó 100 millones de dólares (equivalentes a 210 millones de dólares en 2023); Jackson actuó para más de 3,5 millones de personas en 70 conciertos, todos ellos fuera de los EE. UU. [175] [176] Parte de las ganancias se destinó a la Heal the World Foundation. [177] Jackson vendió los derechos de transmisión de la gira a HBO por 20 millones de dólares, un acuerdo récord que aún se mantiene. [178]
Tras la muerte del portavoz y amigo del VIH/SIDA Ryan White , Jackson suplicó a la administración Clinton en la gala inaugural de Bill Clinton que donara más dinero a organizaciones benéficas y de investigación sobre el VIH/SIDA [179] [180] e interpretó « Gone Too Soon », una canción dedicada a White, y «Heal the World» en la gala. [181] Jackson visitó África a principios de 1992; en su primera parada en Gabón fue recibido por más de 100.000 personas, algunas de ellas con carteles que decían «Bienvenido a casa Michael», [182] y fue galardonado con un Oficial de la Orden Nacional del Mérito del presidente Omar Bongo . [183] [184] Durante su viaje a Costa de Marfil, Jackson atrajo a multitudes más grandes que el Papa Juan Pablo II en sus visitas anteriores. [185] Fue coronado "Rey Sani" por un jefe tribal en la aldea marfileña de Krindjabo , donde agradeció a los dignatarios en francés e inglés, firmó documentos que formalizaban su realeza y se sentó en un trono dorado mientras presidía danzas ceremoniales. [182]
En enero de 1993, Jackson actuó en el espectáculo de medio tiempo del Super Bowl XXVII en Pasadena, California. La NFL buscaba un artista de renombre para mantener altos los índices de audiencia durante el medio tiempo tras la disminución de las cifras de audiencia. [186] [187] Con 133,4 millones de espectadores, fue el primer Super Bowl cuyo espectáculo de medio tiempo atrajo mayores cifras de audiencia que el juego. [188] Jackson interpretó " Jam ", "Billie Jean", "Black or White" y "Heal the World". Dangerous subió 90 puestos en la lista de álbumes de Estados Unidos después de la actuación. [107]
Jackson dio una entrevista de 90 minutos a Oprah Winfrey el 10 de febrero de 1993. Habló de los abusos que sufrió durante su infancia a manos de su padre; creía que se había perdido gran parte de su infancia y dijo que a menudo lloraba de soledad. Negó los rumores de los tabloides de que había comprado los huesos del Hombre Elefante, dormido en una cámara de oxígeno hiperbárico o blanqueado su piel, y declaró por primera vez que tenía vitíligo. Después de la entrevista, Dangerous volvió a entrar en la lista de álbumes de Estados Unidos en el top 10, más de un año después de su lanzamiento. [18] [107] La entrevista en sí se convirtió en la entrevista televisiva más vista en la historia de los Estados Unidos hasta la fecha, con más de 90 millones de espectadores. [189]
En enero de 1993, Jackson ganó tres premios American Music Awards : Álbum favorito de pop/rock ( Dangerous ), sencillo favorito de soul/R&B («Remember the Time») y fue el primero en ganar el Premio Internacional a la Excelencia en Artistas. [190] [191] En febrero, ganó el «Premio Leyenda Viviente» en la 35.ª edición de los Premios Grammy en Los Ángeles. [59] Asistió a la ceremonia de premiación con Brooke Shields . [192] Dangerous fue nominado a Mejor Interpretación Vocal (por «Black or White»), Mejor Interpretación Vocal de R&B («Jam») y Mejor Canción de R&B («Jam»), y Bruce Swedien y Teddy Riley ganaron el Grammy a Mejor Ingeniería de Sonido - No Clásica. [82]
En agosto de 1993, Jackson fue acusado de abuso sexual infantil por un niño de 13 años, Jordan Chandler, y su padre, Evan Chandler. [193] Jordan dijo que él y Jackson habían participado en actos de besos, masturbación y sexo oral . [194] Si bien la madre de Jordan inicialmente le dijo a la policía que no creía que Jackson lo hubiera abusado, su posición vaciló unos días después. [149] [195] Evan fue grabado discutiendo su intención de presentar cargos, que Jackson utilizó para argumentar que era víctima de un padre celoso que intentaba extorsionarlo. [195] La hermana mayor de Jackson, La Toya, lo acusó de ser un pedófilo; [196] luego se retractó de esto, diciendo que su esposo abusivo la había obligado a hacerlo. [197]
La policía allanó la casa de Jackson en agosto y encontró dos libros de arte legales de gran formato que mostraban a niños pequeños jugando, corriendo y nadando en varios estados de desnudez. [198] Jackson negó conocer el contenido de los libros y afirmó que si estaban allí, alguien tenía que enviárselos y no los abrió. [199] Jordan Chandler le dio a la policía una descripción de los genitales de Jackson. Se realizó un registro corporal y los jurados consideraron que la descripción no coincidía. [200] [201] [202] En enero de 1994, Jackson llegó a un acuerdo extrajudicial con los Chandler por una suma total reportada de $23 millones. [203] La policía nunca presentó cargos criminales. [204] Citando la falta de evidencia sin el testimonio de Jordan, el estado cerró su investigación el 22 de septiembre de 1994. [205]
Jackson había estado tomando analgésicos para sus cirugías reconstructivas del cuero cabelludo, administradas debido al accidente comercial de Pepsi en 1984, y se volvió dependiente de ellos para lidiar con el estrés de las acusaciones de abuso sexual. [206] El 12 de noviembre de 1993, Jackson canceló el resto del Dangerous World Tour debido a problemas de salud, estrés por las acusaciones y adicción a los analgésicos. Agradeció a su amiga íntima Elizabeth Taylor por su apoyo, aliento y consejo. El final de la gira concluyó su acuerdo de patrocinio con Pepsi. [207]
In late 1993, Jackson proposed to Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, over the phone.[208] They married in La Vega, Dominican Republic, in May 1994 by civil judge Hugo Francisco Álvarez Pérez.[209] The tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a publicity stunt to deflect away from Jackson's sexual abuse allegations and jump-start Presley's career as a singer.[210][209] Their marriage ended little more than a year later, and they separated in December 1995.[211] Presley cited "irreconcilable differences" when filing for divorce the next month and only sought to reclaim her maiden name as her settlement.[210][212] After the divorce, Judge Pérez said, "They lasted longer than I thought they would. I gave them a year. They lasted a year and a half."[209] Presley later said she and Jackson had attempted to reconcile intermittently for four years following their divorce, and that she had traveled the world to be with him.[213]
Jackson composed music for the Sega Genesis video game Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994), but left the project around the time the sexual abuse allegations surfaced and went uncredited.[214][215] The Sega Technical Institute director Roger Hector and the Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima said that Jackson's involvement was terminated and his music reworked following the allegations.[216][217] However, Jackson's musical director Brad Buxer and other members of Jackson's team said Jackson went uncredited because he was unhappy with how the Genesis replicated his music.[218]
In June 1995, Jackson released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, is a greatest hits album (reissued in 2001 as Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I). The second disc, HIStory Continues, contains 13 original songs and two cover versions. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for eight million shipments in the US.[219] It is the bestselling multi-disc album of all time, with 20 million copies (40 million units) sold worldwide.[170][220] HIStory received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.[59] The New York Times reviewed it as "the testimony of a musician whose self-pity now equals his talent".[221]
The first single from HIStory was "Scream/Childhood". "Scream", a duet with Jackson's youngest sister Janet, protests the media's treatment of Jackson during the 1993 child abuse allegations against him. The single reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100,[171] and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".[59] The second single, "You Are Not Alone", holds the Guinness world record for the first song to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[222] It received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance" in 1995.[59]
In 1995 the Anti-Defamation League and other groups complained that "Jew me, sue me, everybody do me/ Kick me, kike me, don't you black or white me", the original lyrics of "They Don't Care About Us", were antisemitic. Jackson released a revised version of the song.[223]
In late 1995, Jackson was admitted to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance, caused by a stress-related panic attack.[224] In November, Jackson merged his ATV Music catalog with Sony's music publishing division, creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. He retained ownership of half the company, earning $95 million up front (equivalent to $190 million in 2023) as well as the rights to more songs.[225][226]
"Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, and topped the UK Singles Chart for six weeks over Christmas 1995.[173] It became the 87th-bestselling single in the UK.[227] At the 1996 Brit Awards, Jackson's performance of "Earth Song" was disrupted by Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker, who was protesting what Cocker saw as Jackson's "Christ-like" persona. Jackson said the stage invasion was "disgusting and cowardly".[228][229]
In 1996, Jackson won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form, for "Scream" and an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.[59][230] In July 1996, Jackson performed for Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's fiftieth birthday at Jerudong Park Amphitheater, which was specifically built for that birthday concert.[231] Jackson was reportedly paid $17 million (equivalent to $33 million in 2023).[232] Jackson promoted HIStory with the HIStory World Tour, from September 7, 1996, to October 15, 1997. He performed 82 concerts in five continents, 35 countries and 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans, his most attended tour. It grossed $165 million.[139] During the tour, in Sydney, Australia, Jackson married Debbie Rowe, a dermatology assistant, who was six months pregnant with his first child.[233]
Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. (commonly known as Prince) was born on February 13, 1997. His sister Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson was born on April 3, 1998.[234] Jackson and Rowe divorced in 2000, Rowe conceded custody of the children, with an $8 million settlement (equivalent to $14.6 million in 2023).[235] In 2004, after the second child abuse allegations against Jackson, she returned to court to reclaim custody. The suit was settled in 2006.[236]
In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies, making it the best-selling remix album. It reached number one in the UK, as did the single "Blood on the Dance Floor".[237] In the US, the album reached number 24 and was certified platinum.[168]
From October 1997 to September 2001, Jackson worked on his tenth solo album, Invincible, which cost $30 million (equivalent to $51.6 million in 2023) to record, making it the most expensive album of all time.[238] In June 1999, Jackson joined Luciano Pavarotti for a War Child benefit concert in Modena, Italy. The show raised a million dollars for refugees of the Kosovo War, and additional funds for the children of Guatemala.[239] Later that month, Jackson organized a series of "Michael Jackson & Friends" benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. Other artists involved included Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, the Red Cross and UNESCO.[240] In 1999, Jackson was presented with the "Outstanding Humanitarian Award" at Bollywood Movie Awards in New York City where he noted Mahatma Gandhi to have been an inspiration for him.[241][242] From August 1999 to 2000, he lived in New York City at 4 East 74th Street.[243] At the turn of the century, Jackson was awarded with the Artist of the 1980s Decade Award at the 27th American Music Awards,[244] and the Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium Award at the 12nd World Music Awards.[245] In 2000, Guinness World Records recognized him for supporting 39 charities, more than any other entertainer.[246]
In September 2001, two concerts were held at Madison Square Garden to mark Jackson's 30th year as a solo artist. Jackson performed with his brothers for the first time since 1984. The show also featured Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, Destiny's Child, Monica, Liza Minnelli and Slash. The first show was marred by technical lapses, and the crowd booed a speech by Marlon Brando.[247] 45 million people watched the television broadcast of the shows in November according to Nielsen Media Research.[248] After the September 11 attacks (in which Jackson narrowly avoided death by oversleeping and missing a scheduled meeting at the World Trade Center[249]), Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., on October 21, 2001. Jackson performed "What More Can I Give" as the finale.[250]
The release of Invincible was preceded by a dispute between Jackson and his record label, Sony Music Entertainment. Jackson had expected the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him in the early 2000s, after which he would be able to promote the material however he pleased and keep the profits, but clauses in the contract set the revert date years into the future. Jackson sought an early exit from his contract.[251] Invincible was released on October 30, 2001. It was Jackson's first full-length album in six years, and the last album of original material he released in his lifetime.[251] It debuted at number one in 13 countries, and went on to sell eight million copies worldwide, receiving double-platinum certification in the US.[168][252][253]
On January 9, 2002, Jackson won his 22nd American Music Award for Artist of the Century.[254][255] Later that year, an anonymous surrogate mother gave birth to his third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (nicknamed "Blanket"[nb 3]), who had been conceived by artificial insemination.[256] On November 20, Jackson briefly held Blanket over the railing of his Berlin hotel room, four stories above ground level, prompting widespread criticism in the media. Jackson apologized for the incident, calling it "a terrible mistake".[257] On January 22, promoter Marcel Avram filed a breach of contract complaint against Jackson for failing to perform two planned 1999 concerts.[258] In March, a Santa Maria jury ordered Jackson to pay Avram $5.3 million.[259][260] On December 18, 2003, Jackson's attorneys dropped all appeals on the verdict and settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount.[261]
On April 24, 2002, Jackson performed at Apollo Theater. The concert was a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee and former President Bill Clinton.[262] The money collected would be used to encourage citizens to vote. It raised $2.5 million.[263] The concert was called Michael Jackson: Live at the Apollo and was one of Jackson's final on-stage performances.[264]
In July 2002, at Al Sharpton's National Action Network in Harlem, Jackson called the Sony Music chairman Tommy Mottola "a racist, and very, very, very devilish", and accused him of exploiting black artists for his own gain. The accusation prompted Sharpton to form a coalition investigating whether Mottola exploited black artists.[265] Jackson charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger".[266] Sony issued a statement calling the accusations "ludicrous, spiteful, and hurtful" and said Mottola had championed Jackson's career for years.[265] Sony refused to renew Jackson's contract and said that a $25 million promotional campaign had failed because Jackson refused to tour in the US for Invincible.[238]
Beginning in May 2002, a documentary film crew led by Martin Bashir followed Jackson for several months.[257] The documentary, broadcast in February 2003 as Living with Michael Jackson, showed Jackson holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with a twelve-year-old boy.[17][267] He said that he saw nothing wrong with having sleepovers with minors and sharing his bed and bedroom with various people, which aroused controversy. He insisted that the sleepovers were not sexual and that his words had been misunderstood.[268][269]
In October 2003, Jackson received the Key to the City of Las Vegas from Mayor Oscar Goodman.[270] On November 18, 2003, Sony released Number Ones, a greatest hits compilation. It was certified five times platinum by the RIAA, and ten times platinum in the UK, for shipments of at least 3 million units.[168][271]
On December 18, 2003, Santa Barbara authorities charged Jackson with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of intoxicating a minor with alcoholic drinks.[272] Jackson denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.[273] The People v. Jackson trial began on January 31, 2005, in Santa Maria, California, and lasted until the end of May. Jackson found the experience stressful and it affected his health. If convicted, he would have faced up to twenty years in prison.[274] On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted on all counts.[275] FBI files on Jackson, released in 2009, revealed the FBI's role in the 2005 trial and the 1993 allegations, and showed that the FBI found no evidence of criminal conduct on Jackson's behalf.[276][277]
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After the trial, Jackson became reclusive.[278] In June 2005, he moved to Bahrain as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.[279] In early 2006, it was announced that Jackson had signed a contract with a Bahrain startup, Two Seas Records. Nothing came of the deal, and the Two Seas CEO, Guy Holmes, later said it was never finalized.[280][281] Holmes also found that Jackson was on the verge of bankruptcy and was involved in 47 ongoing lawsuits.[279] By September 2006, Jackson was no longer affiliated with Two Seas.[281]
In April 2006, Jackson agreed to use a piece of his ATV catalog stake, then worth about $1 billion, as collateral against his $270 million worth of loans from Bank of America. Bank of America had sold the loans to Fortress Investments, an investment company that buys distressed loans, the year before. As part of the agreement, Fortress Investments provided Jackson a new loan of $300 million with reduced interest payments (equivalent to $450 million in 2023). Sony Music would have the option to buy half of his stake, or about 25% of the catalog, at a set price. Jackson's financial managers had urged him to shed part of his stake to avoid bankruptcy.[226][282] The main house at Neverland Ranch was closed as a cost-cutting measure, while Jackson lived in Bahrain at the hospitality of Abdullah.[283] At least thirty of Jackson's employees had not been paid on time and were owed $306,000 in back wages. Jackson was ordered to pay $100,000 in penalties.[226] Jackson never returned to Neverland after his acquittal.[284]
In mid-2006, Jackson moved to Grouse Lodge, a residential recording studio near Rosemount, County Westmeath, Ireland. There, he began work on a new album with the American producers will.i.am and Rodney Jenkins.[285] That November, Jackson invited an Access Hollywood camera crew into the studio in Westmeath.[170] On November 15, Jackson briefly joined in on a performance of "We Are the World" at the World Music Awards in London, his last public performance, and accepted the Diamond Award for sales of 100 million records.[170][286] He returned to the US in December, settling in Las Vegas. That month, he attended James Brown's funeral in Augusta, Georgia, where he gave a eulogy calling Brown his greatest inspiration.[287]
In 2007, Jackson and Sony bought another music publishing company, Famous Music LLC, formerly owned by Viacom. The deal gave Jackson the rights to songs by Eminem and Beck, among others.[288][289] In a brief interview, Jackson said he had no regrets about his career despite his problems and "deliberate attempts to hurt [him]".[290] That March, Jackson visited a US Army post in Japan, Camp Zama, to greet more than 3,000 troops and their families.[291][292] As of September, Jackson was still working on his next album, which he never completed.[293]
In 2008, for the 25th anniversary of Thriller, Jackson and Sony released Thriller 25, with two remixes released as singles: "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008".[294] For Jackson's 50th birthday, Sony BMG released a series of greatest hits albums, King of Pop, with different tracklists for different regions.[295] That July, Fortress Investments threatened to foreclose on Neverland Ranch, which Jackson had used as collateral for his loans. Fortress sold Jackson's debts to Colony Capital LLC.[296][297] In November, Jackson transferred Neverland Ranch's title to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC, a joint venture between Jackson and Colony Capital LLC. The deal earned him $35 million.[298] In 2009, Jackson arranged to sell a collection of his memorabilia of more than 1,000 items through Julien's Auction House, but canceled the auction in April.[299]
In March 2009, amid speculation about his finances and health, Jackson announced a series of comeback concerts, This Is It, at a press conference at the O2 Arena.[300] The shows were to be his first major concerts since the HIStory World Tour in 1997. Jackson suggested he would retire after the shows. The initial plan was for ten concerts in London, followed by shows in Paris, New York City and Mumbai. Randy Phillips, the president and chief executive of AEG Live, predicted the first ten dates would earn Jackson £50 million.[301]
The London residency was increased to fifty dates after record-breaking ticket sales; more than one million were sold in less than two hours.[302] The concerts were to run from July 13, 2009, to March 6, 2010. Jackson moved to Los Angeles, where he rehearsed in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of the choreographer Kenny Ortega, whom he had worked with during his previous tours. Rehearsals took place at the Forum and the Staples Center owned by AEG.[303] By this point, Jackson's debt had grown to almost $500 million. By the time of his death, he was three or four months behind payments on his home in San Fernando Valley.[304][305] The Independent reported that Jackson planned a string of further ventures designed to recoup his debts, including a world tour, a new album, films, a museum and a casino.[300]
On June 25, 2009, less than three weeks before his concert residency was due to begin in London, with all concerts sold out, Jackson died from cardiac arrest, caused by a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose.[306][307] Conrad Murray, his personal physician, had given Jackson various medications to help him sleep at his rented mansion in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles. Paramedics received a 911 call at 12:21 pm Pacific time (19:21 UTC) and arrived at the property four minutes later.[308] Jackson was not breathing and CPR was performed.[309] Resuscitation efforts continued en route to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and for more than an hour after Jackson's arrival there, but were unsuccessful,[310][311] and Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 pm Pacific time (21:26 UTC).[312][313] Murray had administered propofol, lorazepam, and midazolam;[314] Jackson's death was caused by a propofol overdose.[307][311]
News of his death spread quickly online, causing websites to slow down and crash from user overload,[315] and it put unprecedented strain[316] on many services and websites including Google,[317] AOL Instant Messenger,[316] Twitter and Wikipedia.[317] Overall, web traffic rose by between 11% and 20%.[318][319] MTV and BET aired marathons of Jackson's music videos,[320] and Jackson specials aired on television stations around the world.[321] MTV briefly returned to its original music video format,[5] and they aired hours of Jackson's music videos, with live news specials featuring reactions from MTV personalities and other celebrities.[322]
Jackson's memorial 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. Over 1.6 million fans applied for tickets to the memorial; the 8,750 recipients were drawn at random, and each received two tickets.[323] The memorial service was one of the most watched events in streaming history,[324] with an estimated US audience of 31.1 million[325] and a worldwide audience of an estimated 2.5 to 3 billion.[326][327]
Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Jennifer Hudson, and Shaheen Jafargholi performed at the memorial, and Smokey Robinson and Queen Latifah gave eulogies.[328] Al Sharpton received a standing ovation with cheers when he told Jackson's children: "Wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with. But he dealt with it anyway."[329] Jackson's 11-year-old daughter Paris Katherine, speaking publicly for the first time, wept as she addressed the crowd.[330][331] Lucious Smith provided a closing prayer.[332] On September 3, 2009, the body of Jackson was entombed at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.[333]
In August 2009, the Los Angeles County Coroner ruled that Jackson's death was a homicide.[334][335] Law enforcement officials charged Murray with involuntary manslaughter on February 8, 2010.[336] In late 2011, he was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter[337] and held without bail to await sentencing.[338] Murray was sentenced to four years in prison, but was released after one year and eleven months.[339]
At the 2009 American Music Awards, Jackson won four posthumous awards, including two for his compilation album Number Ones, bringing his total American Music Awards to 26.[340][341] In the year after his death, more than 16.1 million copies of Jackson's albums were sold in the US alone, and 35 million copies were sold worldwide, more than any other artist in 2009.[342][343] He became the first artist to sell one million music downloads in a week, with 2.6 million song downloads. Thriller, Number Ones and The Essential Michael Jackson became the first catalog albums to outsell any new album.[344] Jackson also became the first artist to have four of the top-20 bestselling albums in a single year in the US.[345] Within the year following his death, Jackson sold over 75 million records worldwide.[346] By the end of 2013, Jackson had sold over 50 million albums worldwide since his death.[347]
Following the surge in sales, in March 2010, Sony Music signed a $250 million deal (equivalent to $350 million in 2023) with the Jackson estate to extend their distribution rights to Jackson's back catalog until at least 2017; it had been due to expire in 2015. It was the most expensive music contract for a single artist in history.[348][349] They agreed to release ten albums of previously unreleased material and new collections of released work.[348][350] The deal was extended in 2017.[351] That July, a Los Angeles court awarded Quincy Jones $9.4 million of disputed royalty payments for Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad.[51] In July 2018, Sony/ATV bought the estate's stake in EMI for $287.5 million.[352]
In 2014, Jackson became the first artist to have a top-ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades.[353] The following year, Thriller became the first album to be certified for 30 million shipments by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[354] A year later, it was certified 33× platinum after Soundscan added streams and audio downloads to album certifications.[355][nb 4]
In February 2024, Sony Music acquired half of Jackson's publishing rights and recording masters for an estimated $600 million. The deal includes assets from Jackson's Mijac publishing catalog, but excludes royalties from several Jackson-related productions, including the MJ Broadway musical and the Michael biopic. The deal is possibly the largest transaction ever for a single musician's work.[357][358]
Jackson's posthumous releases and productions are administered by the estate of Michael Jackson, which owns Jackson's trademarks and rights to his name, image and likeness.[359] The first posthumous Jackson song, "This Is It", co-written in the 1980s with Paul Anka, was released in October 2009. The surviving Jackson brothers reunited to record backing vocals.[360] It was followed by a documentary film about the rehearsals for the canceled This Is It tour, Michael Jackson's This Is It,[361] and a compilation album.[362] Despite a limited two-week engagement, the film became the highest-grossing documentary or concert film ever, with earnings of more than $260 million worldwide.[363] Jackson's estate received 90% of the profits.[364] In late 2010, Sony released the first posthumous album, Michael, and the lead single "Hold My Hand", a duet with Akon. The Jackson collaborator will.i.am expressed disgust, saying that Jackson would not have approved the release.[365]
The video game developer Ubisoft released a music game featuring Jackson for the 2010 holiday season, Michael Jackson: The Experience. It was among the first games to use Kinect and PlayStation Move, the motion-detecting camera systems for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.[366] In April 2011, Mohamed Al-Fayed, the chairman of Fulham Football Club, unveiled a statue of Jackson outside the club stadium, Craven Cottage.[367] It was moved to the National Football Museum in Manchester in May 2014,[368] and removed from display in March 2019 following renewed sexual assault allegations.[369]
In October 2011, the theater company Cirque du Soleil launched Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, a $57-million production,[370] in Montreal, with a permanent show resident in Las Vegas.[371] A larger and more theatrical Cirque show, Michael Jackson: One, designed for residency at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas, opened on May 23, 2013, in a renovated theater.[372][373]
In 2012, in an attempt to end a family dispute, Jackson's brother Jermaine retracted his signature on a public letter criticizing executors of Jackson's estate and his mother's advisors over the legitimacy of his brother's will.[374] T.J. Jackson, the son of Tito Jackson, was given co-guardianship of Michael Jackson's children after false reports of Katherine Jackson going missing.[375] Xscape, an album of unreleased material, was released on May 13, 2014.[376] The lead single, a duet between Jackson and Justin Timberlake, "Love Never Felt So Good", reached number 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making Jackson the first artist to have a top-10 single on the chart in five different decades.[377]
Later in 2014, Queen released a duet recorded with Jackson in the 1980s.[66] A compilation album, Scream, was released on September 29, 2017.[378] A jukebox musical, MJ the Musical, premiered on Broadway in 2022.[379] Myles Frost won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Jackson.[380] On November 18, 2022, Epic released a 40th-anniversary edition reissue of Thriller.[381][382] A biographical film based on Jackson's life, Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is scheduled for April 2025.[383] Jackson is played by his nephew Jaafar Jackson. Deadline Hollywood reported that the film "will not shy away from the controversies of Jackson's life".[384]
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In 2013, choreographer Wade Robson filed a lawsuit alleging that Jackson had sexually abused him for seven years, beginning when he was seven years old (1989–1996).[385] In 2014, a case was filed by James Safechuck, alleging similar sexual abuse over a four-year period starting when Safechuck was ten (1988–1992).[386][387][388] Both had previously testified in Jackson's defense during the 1993 allegations; Robson did so again in 2005.[389][390] In 2015, Robson's case against Jackson's estate was dismissed as it had been filed too late. Safechuck's claim was also time-barred.[391]
In 2017, it was ruled that Jackson's corporations could not be held accountable for his alleged past actions.[392][393] The rulings were appealed. On October 20, 2020, Safechuck's lawsuit against Jackson's corporations was again dismissed. The judge ruled that there was no evidence that Safechuck had had a relationship with Jackson's corporation, nor was it proven that there was a special relationship between the two.[394][395][396][397] On April 26, 2021, Robson's case was dismissed because of a lack of supporting evidence that the defendants exercised control over Jackson.[398]
Robson and Safechuck's allegations were the subject of the documentary film Leaving Neverland, released in March 2019.[399] Radio stations in New Zealand, Canada, the UK and the Netherlands removed Jackson's music from their playlists.[400][401][402] Jackson's family condemned the film as a "public lynching",[403] and the Jackson estate released a statement calling the film a "tabloid character assassination [Jackson] endured in life, and now in death".[404] Close associates of Jackson, such as Corey Feldman, Aaron Carter, Brett Barnes, and Macaulay Culkin, defended Jackson in the wake of the documentary's release, saying that Jackson had never molested them.[405][406][407]
Documentaries such as Square One: Michael Jackson, Neverland Firsthand: Investigating the Michael Jackson Documentary and Michael Jackson: Chase the Truth, presented information countering the claims suggested by Leaving Neverland.[408][409][410] Jackson's album sales increased following the documentary screenings.[411] Billboard senior editor Gail Mitchell said she and a colleague interviewed about thirty music executives who believed Jackson's legacy could withstand the controversy.[412] In late 2019, some New Zealand and Canadian radio stations re-added Jackson's music to their playlists, citing "positive listener survey results".[413][414]
On February 21, 2019, the Jackson estate sued HBO for breaching a non-disparagement clause from a 1992 contract. The suit sought to compel HBO to participate in a non-confidential arbitration that could result in $100 million or more in damages awarded to the estate.[415] HBO said they did not breach a contract and filed an anti-SLAPP motion against the estate. In September 2019, Judge George H. Wu denied HBO's motion to dismiss the case, allowing the Jackson estate to arbitrate.[416] HBO appealed, but in December 2020 the appeals court affirmed Wu's ruling.[417]
In 2020, a state law passed in California which granted plaintiffs in child sex abuse cases an additional period to file lawsuits. In October 2020 and again in April 2021, the Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled that MJJ Productions Inc. and MJJ Ventures Inc. employees were not legally obligated to protect the two men from Jackson. In August 2023, California's Second District Court of Appeal overturned the ruling, and the case was approved to move forward to trial court.[418]
Jackson has been referred to as the "King of Pop" for having transformed the art of music videos and paving the way for modern pop music. For much of Jackson's career, he had an unparalleled worldwide influence over the younger generation.[419] His influence extended beyond the music industry; he impacted dance, led fashion trends, and raised awareness for global affairs.[420] Jackson's music and videos fostered racial diversity in MTV's roster and steered its focus from rock to pop music and R&B, leading to the discontinuation of the album-oriented rock format previously dominant on the channel.[38][421]
In songs such as "Black or White", "Heal the World", "Earth Song" and "They Don't Care About Us", Jackson's music emphasized racial integration and environmentalism and protested injustice.[422][423] He is recognized as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time by Guinness World Records.[424][425] Jackson has also appeared on Rolling Stone's lists of the Greatest Singers of All Time.[426][427] He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century,[428] and his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.[429][430][431]
Trying to trace Michael Jackson's influence on the pop stars that followed him is like trying to trace the influence of oxygen and gravity. So vast, far-reaching and was his impact—particularly in the wake of Thriller's colossal and heretofore unmatched commercial success—that there weren't a whole lot of artists who weren't trying to mimic some of the Jackson formula.
— J. Edward Keyes of Rolling Stone[432]
Danyel Smith, chief content officer of Vibe Media Group and the editor-in-chief of Vibe, described Jackson as "the greatest star".[433] Steve Huey of AllMusic called him "an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the skills to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility and loads of sheer star power".[4] BET said Jackson was "quite simply the greatest entertainer of all time" whose "sound, style, movement and legacy continues to inspire artists of all genres".[434]
In 1984, Time pop critic Jay Cocks wrote that "Jackson is the biggest thing since the Beatles. He is the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley. He just may be the most popular black singer ever." He described Jackson as a "star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style, and color too."[87] In 2003, The Daily Telegraph writer Tom Utley described Jackson as "extremely important" and a "genius".[435] At Jackson's memorial service on July 7, 2009, Motown founder Berry Gordy called Jackson "the greatest entertainer that ever lived".[436][437] In a June 28, 2009 Baltimore Sun article, Jill Rosen wrote that Jackson's legacy influenced fields including sound, dance, fashion, music videos and celebrity.[438]
Pop critic Robert Christgau wrote that Jackson's work from the 1970s to the early 1990s showed "immense originality, adaptability, and ambition" with "genius beats, hooks, arrangements, and vocals (though not lyrics)", music that "will stand forever as a reproach to the puritanical notion that pop music is slick or shallow and that's the end of it". During the 1990s, as Jackson lost control of his "troubling life", his music suffered and began to shape "an arc not merely of promise fulfilled and outlived, but of something approaching tragedy: a phenomenally ebullient child star tops himself like none before, only to transmute audibly into a lost weirdo".[439] In the 2000s, Christgau wrote: "Jackson's obsession with fame, his grotesque life magnified by his grotesque wealth, are such an offense to rock aesthetes that the fact that he's a great musician is now often forgotten".[440]
Jackson is widely regarded as having been a prolific philanthropist and humanitarian.[441][442][443][444] Jackson's early charitable work has been described by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as having "paved the way for the current surge in celebrity philanthropy",[445] and by the Los Angeles Times as having "set the standard for generosity for other entertainers".[441]
By some estimates, he donated over $500 million, not accounting for inflation, to various charities over the course of his life.[441] In 1992, Jackson established his Heal the World Foundation, to which he donated several million dollars in revenue from his Dangerous World Tour.[446]
Jackson's philanthropic activities went beyond just monetary donations. He also performed at benefit concerts, some of which he arranged. He gifted tickets for his regular concert performances to groups that assist underprivileged children. He visited sick children in hospitals around the world. He opened his own home for visits by underprivileged or sick children and provided special facilities and nurses if the children needed that level of care.
Jackson donated valuable, personal and professional paraphernalia for numerous charity auctions. He received various awards and accolades for his philanthropic work, including two bestowed by presidents of the United States. The vast breadth of Jackson's philanthropic work has earned recognition in the Guinness World Records.[441][447][448]
On May 14, 1984, President Ronald Reagan gave Jackson an award recognizing his support of alcohol and drug abuse charities,[449] and in recognition of his support for the Ad Council's and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Drunk Driving Prevention campaign. Jackson allowed the campaign to use "Beat It" for its public service announcements.[450]
Jackson was influenced by musicians including James Brown, Little Richard, Jackie Wilson, Diana Ross, Fred Astaire, Sammy Davis Jr., Gene Kelly,[451] and David Ruffin.[452] Little Richard had a substantial influence on Jackson,[453] but Brown was his greatest inspiration. When Jackson was a small child, his mother would wake him whenever Brown appeared on television. Jackson described being "mesmerized".[454]
Jackson's vocal technique was influenced by Diana Ross; his use of the oooh interjection from a young age was something Ross had used on many of her songs with the Supremes.[455] She was a mother figure to him, and he often watched her rehearse.[456] He said he had learned a lot from watching how she moved and sang, and that she had encouraged him to have confidence in himself.[457]
Choreographer David Winters, who met Jackson while choreographing the 1971 Diana Ross TV special Diana!, said that Jackson watched the musical West Side Story almost every week, and it was his favorite film; he paid tribute to it in "Beat It" and the "Bad" video.[458][459][460]
Jackson sang from childhood, and over time his voice and vocal style changed. Between 1971 and 1975, his voice descended from boy soprano to lyric tenor.[461] He was known for his vocal range.[426] With the arrival of Off the Wall in the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded; Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder, and wrote that "Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly."[462] By the time of 1982's Thriller, Rolling Stone wrote that Jackson was singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".[463]
The turn of the 1990s saw the release of the introspective album Dangerous. The New York Times noted that on some tracks, "he gulps for breath, his voice quivers with anxiety or drops to a desperate whisper, hissing through clenched teeth" and he had a "wretched tone". When singing of brotherhood or self-esteem the musician would return to "smooth" vocals.[464] Of Invincible, Rolling Stone wrote that, at 43, Jackson still performed "exquisitely voiced rhythm tracks and vibrating vocal harmonies".[465] Joseph Vogel notes Jackson's ability to use non-verbal sounds to express emotion.[466] Neil McCormick wrote that Jackson's unorthodox singing style "was original and utterly distinctive".[467]
Jackson had no formal music training and could not read or write music notation. He is credited for playing guitar, keyboard, and drums, but was not proficient in them.[468] When composing, he recorded ideas by beatboxing and imitating instruments vocally.[468] Describing the process, he said: "I'll just sing the bass part into the tape recorder. I'll take that bass lick and put the chords of the melody over the bass lick and that's what inspires the melody." The engineer Robert Hoffman recalled that after Jackson came in with a song he had written overnight, Jackson sang every note of every chord to a guitar player. Hoffman also remembered Jackson singing string arrangements part by part into a cassette recorder.[468]
Jackson danced from a young age as part of the Jackson 5,[469] and incorporated dance extensively in his performances and music videos.[469] According to Sanjoy Roy of The Guardian, Jackson would "flick and retract his limbs like switchblades, or snap out of a tornado spin into a perfectly poised toe-stand".[469] The moonwalk, taught to him by Jeffrey Daniel,[77] was Jackson's signature dance move and one of the most famous of the 20th century.[470] Jackson is credited for coining the name "moonwalk" for this street dance move, previously known as the "backslide".[471][472] His other moves included the robot,[44][473] crotch grab, and the "anti-gravity" lean of the "Smooth Criminal" video.[469]
Jackson explored genres including pop,[4][474] soul,[4][154] rhythm and blues,[474] funk,[475] rock,[474][475] disco,[476] post-disco,[475] dance-pop[477] and new jack swing.[4] Steve Huey of AllMusic wrote that Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads were softer and more soulful.[4] Its tracks included the ballads "The Lady in My Life", "Human Nature", and "The Girl Is Mine",[478][463][479] the funk pieces "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'",[478][463] and the disco set "Baby Be Mine" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".[479]
With Off the Wall, Jackson's "vocabulary of grunts, squeals, hiccups, moans, and asides" vividly showed his maturation into an adult, Robert Christgau wrote in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981). The album's title track suggested to the critic a parallel between Jackson and Stevie Wonder's "oddball" music personas: "Since childhood his main contact with the real world has been on stage and in bed."[480] With Thriller, Christopher Connelly of Rolling Stone commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery.[463] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[478] In "Billie Jean", Jackson depicts an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered her child,[4] and in "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media.[463] "Beat It" decried gang violence in a homage to West Side Story, and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey.[4][35] He observed that "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years. In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona.[4]
In Bad, Jackson's concept of the predatory lover is seen on the rock song "Dirty Diana".[481] The lead single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a traditional love ballad, and "Man in the Mirror" is a ballad of confession and resolution. "Smooth Criminal" is an evocation of bloody assault, rape and likely murder.[134] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that Dangerous presents Jackson as a paradoxical person.[482] The first half of the record is dedicated to new jack swing, including songs like "Jam" and "Remember the Time". It was the first Jackson album in which social ills became a primary theme; "Why You Wanna Trip on Me", for example, protests world hunger, AIDS, homelessness and drugs. Dangerous contains sexually charged songs such as "In the Closet". The title track continues the theme of the predatory lover and compulsive desire. The second half includes introspective, pop-gospel anthems such as "Will You Be There", "Heal the World" and "Keep the Faith".[464] In the ballad "Gone Too Soon", Jackson gives tribute to Ryan White and the plight of those with AIDS.[483]
HIStory creates an atmosphere of paranoia.[484] In the new jack swing-funk rock tracks "Scream" and "Tabloid Junkie", and the R&B ballad "You Are Not Alone", Jackson retaliates against the injustice and isolation he feels, and directs his anger at the media.[485] In the introspective ballad "Stranger in Moscow", Jackson laments his "fall from grace"; "Earth Song", "Childhood", "Little Susie" and "Smile" are operatic pop songs.[484][485] In "D.S.", Jackson attacks lawyer Thomas W. Sneddon Jr., who had prosecuted him in both child sexual abuse cases; he describes Sneddon as a white supremacist who wanted to "get my ass, dead or alive".[486] Invincible includes urban soul tracks such as "Cry" and "The Lost Children", ballads such as "Speechless", "Break of Dawn", and "Butterflies", and mixes hip hop, pop, and R&B in "2000 Watts", "Heartbreaker" and "Invincible".[487][488]
Jackson released "Thriller", a 14-minute music video directed by John Landis, in 1983.[489] The zombie-themed video "defined music videos and broke racial barriers" on MTV, which had launched two years earlier.[38] Before Thriller, Jackson struggled to receive coverage on MTV, allegedly because he was African American.[490] Pressure from CBS Records persuaded MTV to start showing "Billie Jean" and later "Beat It", which led to a lengthy partnership with Jackson, and helped other black music artists gain recognition.[491] The popularity of his videos on MTV helped the relatively new channel's viewing figures, and MTV's focus shifted toward pop and R&B.[491][492] His performance on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever changed the scope of live stage shows, making it acceptable for artists to lip-sync to music video on stage.[493] The choreography in Thriller has been copied in Indian films and prisons in the Philippines.[494] Thriller marked an increase in scale for music videos, and was named the most successful music video ever by the Guinness World Records.[222]
In "Bad"'s 19-minute video—directed by Martin Scorsese—Jackson used sexual imagery and choreography, and touched his chest, torso and crotch. When asked by Winfrey in the 1993 interview about why he grabbed his crotch, he said it was spontaneously compelled by the music. Time magazine described the "Bad" video as "infamous". It featured Wesley Snipes; Jackson's later videos often featured famous cameo roles.[495][496] For the "Smooth Criminal" video, Jackson experimented with leaning forward at a 45-degree angle, beyond the performer's center of gravity. To accomplish this live, Jackson and designers developed a special shoe to lock the performer's feet to the stage, allowing them to lean forward. They were granted U.S. patent 5,255,452 for the device.[497] The video for "Leave Me Alone" was not officially released in the US, but in 1989 was nominated for three Billboard Music Video Awards[498] and won a Golden Lion Award for its special effects. It won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form.[59]
He received the MTV Video Vanguard Award in 1988; in 2001 the award was renamed in his honor.[499] The "Black or White" video simultaneously premiered on November 14, 1991, in 27 countries with an estimated audience of 500 million people, the largest audience ever for a music video at the time.[170] Along with Jackson, it featured Macaulay Culkin, Peggy Lipton, and George Wendt. It helped introduce morphing to music videos.[500] It was controversial for scenes in which Jackson rubs his crotch, vandalizes cars, and throws a garbage can through a storefront. He apologized and removed the final scene of the video.[158]
"In the Closet" featured Naomi Campbell in a courtship dance with Jackson.[501] "Remember the Time" was set in ancient Egypt, and featured Eddie Murphy, Iman, and Magic Johnson.[502] The video for "Scream", directed by Mark Romanek and production designer Tom Foden, gained a record 11 MTV Video Music Award Nominations, and won "Best Dance Video", "Best Choreography", and "Best Art Direction".[503] The song and its video are Jackson's response to being accused of child molestation in 1993.[504] A year later, it won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form. It has been reported as the most expensive music video ever made, at $7 million;[505] Romanek has contradicted this.[506] The "Earth Song" video was nominated for the 1997 Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form.[507]
Michael Jackson's Ghosts, a short film written by Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston, premiered at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. At over 38 minutes long, it held the Guinness world record for the longest music video until 2013, when it was eclipsed by the video for the Pharrell Williams song "Happy".[508] The 2001 video for "You Rock My World" lasts over 13 minutes, was directed by Paul Hunter, and features Chris Tucker and Marlon Brando.[509] It won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video in 2002.[510]
In December 2009, the Library of Congress selected "Thriller" as the only music video to be preserved in the National Film Registry, as a work of "enduring importance to American culture".[511][512] Huey wrote that Jackson transformed the music video into an artform and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameos, while breaking down racial barriers.[4]
Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists in history,[513] with sales estimated around 500 million records worldwide.[514][Note 2] He had 13 number-one singles in the US in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era until Drake tied with Jackson with First Person Shooter.[515] He was invited and honored by a president of the United States at the White House three times. In 1984, he was honored with a "Presidential Public Safety Commendation" award by Ronald Reagan for his humanitarian endeavors.[516] In 1990, he was honored as the "Artist of the Decade" by George H. W. Bush.[517] In 1992, he was honored as a "Point of Light Ambassador" by Bush for inviting disadvantaged children to his Neverland Ranch.[518]
Jackson won hundreds of awards, making him one of the most-awarded artists in popular music.[519] His awards include 39 Guinness World Records, including the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time,[424][425] 13 Grammy Awards,[520] as well as the Grammy Legend Award[521] and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award,[522] and 26 American Music Awards, including the Artist of the Century and Artist of the 1980s.[244] He also received the World Music Awards' Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium and the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award.[245][523] Jackson was inducted onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980 as a member of the Jacksons, and in 1984 as a solo artist. He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame as a member of the Jackson 5 in 1997 and 1999,[524] respectively, and again as a solo artist in 2001.[525] In 2002, he was added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[526] In 2010, he was the first recording artist to be inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame,[527] and in 2014, he was posthumously inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.[528] In 2021, he was among the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.[529]
In 1988, Fisk University honored him with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.[530] In 1992, he was invested as a titular king of Sanwi, a traditional kingdom located in the south-east of Ivory Coast.[531] In July 2009, the Lunar Republic Society named a crater on the Moon after Jackson.[532] In August, for what would have been Jackson's 51st birthday, Google dedicated their Google Doodle to him.[533] In 2012, the extinct hermit crab Mesoparapylocheles michaeljacksoni was named in his honor.[534] In 2014, the British Council of Cultural Relations deemed Jackson's life one of the 80 most important cultural moments of the 20th century.[535] World Vitiligo Day has been celebrated on June 25, the anniversary of Jackson's death, to raise awareness of the auto-immune disorder that Jackson suffered from.[536]
In 1989, Jackson's annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts were estimated at $125 million.[222] Forbes placed Jackson's annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997.[537] Jackson has been one of the wealthiest musical artists; estimates of Jackson's net worth during his life range from negative $285 million to positive $350 million for 2002, 2003 and 2007.[538][539] Forbes reported in August 2018 that Jackson's total career pretax earnings in life and death were $4.2 billion.[540][541] Sales of his recordings through Sony's music unit earned him an estimated $300 million in royalties. He may have earned another $400 million from concerts, music publishing (including his share of the Beatles catalog), endorsements, merchandising and music videos.[542]
In 2013, the executors of Jackson's estate filed a petition in the United States Tax Court as a result of a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over US federal estate taxes.[543] The executors claimed that it was worth about $7 million, while the IRS that it was worth over $1.1 billion. In February 2014, the IRS reported that Jackson's estate owed $702 million; $505 million in taxes, and $197 million in penalties.[544] A trial was held from February 6 to 24, 2017.[545] In 2021, the Tax Court issued a ruling in favor of the estate, ruling that the estate's total combined value of the estate was $111.5 million and that the value of Jackson's name and likeness was $4 million (not the $61 million estimated by the IRS's outside expert witness).[546]
In 2016, Forbes estimated annual gross earnings by the Jackson Estate at $825 million, the largest ever recorded for a celebrity, mostly due to the sale of the Sony/ATV catalog.[547] In 2018, the figure was $400 million.[548] It was the eighth year since his death that Jackson's annual earnings were reported to be over $100 million, thus bringing Jackson's postmortem total to $2.4 billion.[549] Forbes has consistently recognized Jackson as one of the top-earning dead celebrities since his death, and placed him at the top spot from 2013 to 2023.[550][551]
In 1987, he left the Jehovah's Witnesses. There was strong opposition to his "Thriller" video on the part of some Witnesses. Perhaps the controversy figured into his decision to leave. But I don't know that for a fact because I didn't talk to him about what he'd done. I couldn't. Witnesses do not discuss spiritual matters with a person who has disassociated himself from the Witnesses, including family members. But I want to stress that, contrary to published reports, I was not required to "shun" my son. Our relationship is as loving today as it was when he was a Witness. I just can't ask him, "Why, Michael?"
TVG: How did you avoid self-destruction? MJ [Michael Jackson]: I think religion entered in? TVG: Are you still a Jehovah's Witness? MJ: Yeah.
Who's the criminal? Who's the jack-the-ripper in the room?... I'm sleeping on a sleeping bag on the floor. I give him the bed, 'cause he has a brother named Star. So him and Star took the bed. And I'm on the floor on the sleeping bag.
50 million albums sold worldwide after his death
Immersive audio mixes of Thriller are now available at various DSPs, including 360 Reality Audio on Amazon, Spatial Audio on Apple Music, mixed by Serban Ghenea from the original masters for immersive audio, with the immersive mixes by John Hanes.
Not many artists could pull off such a variety of styles (funk, post-disco, rock, easy listening, ballads)...
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