Michael Jackson the "King of Pop" Celebrates 50th Birthday

Whether you love Michael Jackson or Hate Michael Jackson, whether you believe the rumors or you don't, whether you think he's "Wacko Jacko" or "The King Of Pop, one thing most people agree on is the fact that Michael Jackson is a great performer. Michael has made over 49 videos and while it was hard to pare down the list to the top ten, here they are:

10.) Bad. The song is awesome and it's hard to sit through it without bobbing your head or tapping your feet. Michael Jackson did a little bit more than that, however, since this was the first music video in which Michael began his sexual moves. Grabbing his chest or the infamous "grabbing his crotch" move that anyone who ever copies Michael does. Plus Wesley Snipes was in it. That's a bonus.

9.) Childhood. While the video is boring compared to Michael Jackson's other videos, the expression on Michael's face as he sings this song about loss of childhood makes you realize how hard his own childhood was (when he had one). Anyone who has read Michael's autobiography "Moonwalk" or watched the made for television movie "The Jacksons" has heard about Joseph Jackson's hard handed methods of discipline, not to mention how Joe expected all of his sons to rehearse all the time, never getting any time to do childhood things. This was especially rough for the youngest, Michael. Michael, however, is trying to break the change with his three children. When interviewed via phone by Christopher Connelly of "Good Morning America" on his 50th birthday, Michael said that "sacrificing your childhood" was the hardest thing he'd had to do in his career. When asked about his own children, Michael responded, "I am letting them enjoy their childhood as much as possible. I really do-I let them go to the arcade and go to the movies and do things, I think that comes naturally. I want them to get to do the things I didn't get to do." When Chris asked, "It must mean a lot for your kids to be able to do the things you weren't able to do, huh?" Michael's response was, "Yeah, I get pretty emotional when I see them having a wonderful time, when they are on a ride and they are screaming and they are happy and they are running. It makes me emotional." You can see the video here.

8). Don't Stop Till You Get Enough. Upbeat song. Also another not so awesome video, but the reason for it being at number 8.....this is pure Michael Jackson. Pre-plastic surgery. No movie like videos or special effects except for the kaleidoscope lights going on around him as he sings. This is Michael Jackson, smiling, singing and dancing like no one else can. In effect, what you see is what you get.

7). Gone Too Soon. Michael Jackson made this ballad a tribute to his friend, Ryan White who died from AIDS. Anyone as old as myself remembers the controversy surrounding Ryan going or not going to school. Ryan never gave up and became an inspiration to others afflicted with the disease. After Ryan's death, Michael Jackson helped draw attention to AIDS and HIV, something that was very controversial at the time. Michael even made a public plea to President Bill Clinton and his organization, at Clinton's Inaugural Gala to give more money to research for this awful disease. I dare any mother to watch this video and not cry.

6). You Rock My World. While this is a great song, who isn't a pushover for the movie type music video. And who could sit down and not enjoy a movie that had not only Michael Jackson singing and dancing, but also the comedy of Chris Tucker, mob boss, Marlon Brando and bad guy, Michael Madsen. From the moment Chris and Michael started arguing over who was going to pay the bill for their food, then shifting the argument to who the pretty girl they saw was looking at (which resulted in them following her and not paying the bill) you just know this is going to be good. And you're not let down. Everyone played their parts well, the song is great, the choreography is awesome and Chris Tucker is a hoot. The ending will have you laughing when, after Michael burns down the club and gets the girl, Chris pulls up next to Michael and the girl and tells them to get in muttering, "Get in this car girl after all this trouble you done caused."

5). You Are Not Alone. Another simple but beautiful video with Michael Jackson belting out another gorgeous song with that awesome voice of his. Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of the "King", Elvis Presley and ex-wife of Michael also appears in this video. The way they sit and whisper to each other, smiling and nodding reminds you more of two dear friends than man and wife or exes. Most importantly, Michael is speaking out about how isolated he feels and how angry he is at the media for all the rumors. This music video holds the Guiness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Go me for picking this one, huh?

4). Heal The World. In this song, Michael once again speaks out about his own personal struggles while adding his worries about the world's fate. The starving children, the wars, the bad things that are going on around us each and every day and his hopes (like most of ours) that it will get better. Heal the world, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race. There are people dying, if you care enough about the living, make a better place for you and for me. If those words don't speak to you, then the clips of Mother Teresa, Princess Diana and Martin Luther King, Jr. among the masses just might.

3). Scream. No, this one was not picked because Guiness World Records listed it as the most expensive video ever made at a whopping $7 million. No, not because not only Michael, but Janet as well, were raging against the way the media portrayed both of them. No, not because it had 11 MTV VIdeo Music Award Nominations. No, not because it won for Best Choreography, Best Dance Video or Best Art Direction. It's here because when Michael and Janet team together, it's a double whammy....a good whammy. They both have great voices. Michael and Janet Jackson could dance circles around almost anyone in the business and their sibling rivalry showed during a video game will make any parent with children smile. Okay, so maybe it was about Janet and the choreography.

2). Ghost. Ghosts was a video movie written by Michael Jackson and Stephen King. It is over 38 minutes long and Guiness World Record....yes, them again, have rated it as the world's longest music video. While the song is good, the video is great. It features a lynch mob coming into Michael's castle with their children ready to run Michael out of town because he's a "weirdo." How many times has Michael heard that in real life? A child says, "Show them the neat stuff you showed us," then his brother slaps him on the back of the head saying, "Shut up! That's supposed to be a secret." Then the mother slaps him on the back of the head saying, "Don't hit your brother." All of the sudden, she is slapped by an invisible force. Everyone including her looks around and then back at Michael who seems angry. Maybe Michael is doing to her what he would have liked to do to his father when he was a child and was being struck. There's a very funny part before it gets creepy where Michael tries to "scare" the man and, well, you'll just have to see it for yourself. All four parts are posted on youtube with the first one starting here. Michael Jackson proves in this music video that not only can he sing and dance, but he can act and has a great comedic presence as well.

1) Thriller. Of course it would be Thriller. How can anyone think of Michael Jackson and not think of Thriller? Kids tried to emulate the dance, to emulate him, to be Michael. Thriller sold so many copies that it was estimated that every home in the world had a copy. Now the 25th Anniversary of Thriller has been released and is selling again. Thriller changed music videos forever and naturally, it would have to be number one.

How could, "We Are The World" be left out? Shouldn't it be in the top 10? Yes, it was an awesome video. Yes, it made lots of money (that's probably an understatement) for a great charity, USA For Africa. Yes, it had some of the top singers of all times in it. Stevie Wonder, Lionel Ritchie, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross, Kenny Rogers, Huey Lewis, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen....was anyone left out? Absolutely, since there were 45 singers total. But this is why "We Are The World" didn't count as a "Michael Jackson" video. Yes, it was Michael and Quincy Jones who made this happen but this article was about "Michael Jackson" alone. Okay, so some of the videos had guest stars in them but Michael was the main person in the videos that were selected. Ergo, not adding this one. However, let it be said that no one will ever forget this music video any more than they would "Thriller". It's not every day you see a music video like this one. Of course, that could be said about a lot of Michael Jackson's music videos.

So there you have it. The Best Of Michael Jackson in my opinion. Agree? Disagree? Let me know. In the meantime, best wishes to Michael Jackson and here's hoping you had a wonderful 50th birthday!