The Musical Importance of Michael Jackson

Over the last week and a half it has been hard to get away from the deluge of Michael Jackson coverage whether on television, online, in a newspaper or magazine or on the radio. It's amazing just how many people and organizations who failed to support him over the last decade are now coming forward and singing his praises. Hypocrisy has been running wild.

At the same time, a number of people just can't seem to understand the historical impact of his passing. They are tired of the coverage and don't think someone who was accused of child molestation should be given this much attention.

Although I agree that the coverage has gotten out of hand, I do understand why it's become the story that it has. When it comes down to it, Jackson was many things to many different people.

Unfortunately, we will never know for sure what happened between Jackson and those kids. The only thing that is certain is his impact on the music world. Yes, he was strange and weird but he was also a amazing singer and songwriter. He captured the heart of a worldwide audience and is the biggest international star this world has seen since Elvis Presley.

Jackson is the inspiration for just about all of the music we see today. The Jackson Five were the first of the boy bands and there would have been no N'Sync or Jonas Brothers without them. In his solo career Jackson became the inspiration for many pop, rock and R&B singers including his sister Janet, Justin Timberlake, and Usher.

Jackson was able to mesh a number of different genres in his music from disco to rock to R&B and never miss a beat. He singlehandedly changed the way we view music by creating elaborate music videos that told stories and took the audience on a journey. Thriller alone is not only the best video ever made but possibly the best song ever made. He along with Madonna are responsible for MTV's success.

In the same way that he changed the music video, he changed the concert world. Before he came on the scene, most artists presented their songs in a straightforward way with no flair. Jackson, however, took the concert performance to a whole new plateau by creating elaborate spectacles that brought his songs to life. Many times Jackson would recreate his music videos on stage. His concerts featured video screens, pyro, vanishing acts and, of course, plenty of dancing.

Today it's hard to find a artist who doesn't have some kind of special effects during their concerts. Artists like Britney Spears and Timberlake use choreographed dancing throughout their shows. Jackson is responsible for all of it. However, no other artist was able to take it to the level that he did. The only one who ever came close was Garth Brooks.

Beyond his performances, Jackson was also a inspiration off the stage with his humanitarian efforts. Today it is fashionable to spend some time in Africa or hold charity functions but back when Jackson was spending so much time and effort on his global outreach, it was almost unheard of. Since then stars like U2's Bono have stepped in to join him.

No matter whether you liked him or not, you can't deny the impact that he had. If you enjoy music, you have to give Jackson some credit for shaping the way the music world stands today.

For me, Jackson was my first introduction to music along with Madonna. Thriller and Like A Virgin were my first albums back when I was five years old and they remain two of my favorites to this day. I can still remember running to my neighbors house to watch the Thriller video because we didn't have cable.

Jackson was also my first concert when I was eight and I remember how thrilling it was to see my favorite videos and songs come to life. To see the Smooth Criminal dance moves live and see Jackson moonwalk across the stage was priceless. Later, when we finally got cable and HBO I remember rushing home to see his Dangerous tour aired live.

From the first time I ever heard Jackson sing, I was hooked on everything music related. Since then, it has become the area that I spend most of my time writing in. Listening to music is a stress reliever and a hobby for me. For that, I thank Jackson because he gave me my love of music.

That, rather than the controversy, is what I will be thinking of when I watch the memorial tomorrow.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson 1958-2009