Flash back
How Michael Jackson Out Sings, Outsells, Outperforms, and Outlasts The Beatles
Link to the article
March 01, 2008 by
Robert Lewis
"He is this generation's Judy Garland: a star trained since kindergarten to perform."
The Beatles are among the most popular and commercially successful bands in the history of sound. Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr became icons in the 1960s when they left their
hometown of Liverpool, England, and embarked on a campaign that would take the United Kingdom by storm.
They have sold millions upon millions of records in their home country and the surviving members of the group, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, remain as popular as ever. The 1960s was a decade dominated by "Beatlemania," but subsequent decades have brought about a new 'mania' in the U.K.: Michael Jackson mania. The "King of Pop" boasts the best-selling album of all-time, 1982's "Thriller," and his past seven albums (dating back to 1982) have all topped the U.K. charts (Michaeljacksonforsale.com). His choreography in videos such as "Thriller" and "Bad" and in his live performances is unparalleled. His vocal talent on tracks such as "The Girl is Mine" make musical legend Paul McCartney sound inferior and deficient by comparison. His latest records have embraced the club-friendly, dance floor genre of music that is wildly popular in the U.K. and has ensured that his iconic status in merry old England (which to date has spanned roughly 25 years) will endure and flourish in the decades to come. And as scandals and legal trials surrounding the singer have continued to make front-page news, Michael mania continues in the British newspapers and tabloids to the present day. The Beatles have claimed to be "more popular than Jesus," but they possessed neither the talent nor the staying power to be more popular than Michael Jackson (Paoletta).
He has been named "the biggest-selling artist of all time" for the groundbreaking amount of album sales of "Off the Wall," "Thriller," "Bad," and "Dangerous." He has been called "the single most awarded entertainer the world has
ever known," as he has taken home endless numbers of Grammys and various other music-related awards from
nations across the planet. He has been proclaimed "the most popular artist in the history of show business," surpassing in the minds of many famed performers such as Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and Madonna. And he has been called "the world's most famous man," an assertion that would seem largely ostentatious if it had not some truth accompanying it (Welte). Walter Yetnikoff, President of CBS , Jackson's label, in the early 80's, stated that "At one point, the Smithsonian was thinking of setting up a Michael Jackson wing. With Thriller, this young guy set the world on fire" (Hamilton).
On a 2002 visit to the U.K. for a fundraiser, Michael Jackson was mobbed by a mass of hysterical British fans at Paddington Station, London. As he made his way through the crowd to the train, Jackson was violently knocked about and ultimately knocked to the ground by the mass of British fans, and "was lucky to escape injury as mass hysteria gripped his die-hard admirers" (Michael Jackson mobbed by fans). Uri Geller, a fundraiser who invited Jackson to help raise funds for a children's charity, described the scene as "horrifying" and explained that "I have been around for 35 years. I have met Elvis Presley, Elton John, John Lennon, all the Beatles. I have never ever seen anything like that and I hope I never will see it again" (Michael Jackson mobbed by fans). "I honestly thought we wouldn't make it and we would end up in hospital" Geller explained later, "It was just horrifying" (Michael Jackson mobbed by fans).
The scene was one of "pure chaos, recalling Beatlemania back in the 1960s" (Michael Jackson mobbed by fans). The scene was not an isolated one, though. The mobs of fans have become so routine in the U.K. and abroad that Michael has resorted to wearing disguises to conceal his identity. "I do disguises for different reasons...I like to study people-be like the fly on the wall. Even if ifs [sic] two old ladies sitting on a bench or some kids on a swing. Because I don't know what it's like to fit in an everyday situation." An 'everyday situation' is something Michael has not experienced in a number of decades.
In the peak of Beatlemania, The Beatles, too, were excluded from everyday situations in the United Kingdom. They were mobbed by hordes of fans in the streets, and even in the friendly confines of an elevated stage during concerts they were mobbed-verbally. The group had become "so popular-and their female fans so hysterically voluble-that they could barely hear themselves play over the screaming of the crowds that came to their concerts" (Paoletta). And not since that period has the mere presence of a performer routinely lifted mass amounts of British fans to such frenzied levels-until Michael Jackson.
There are parallels other than mass British hysteria between Michael Jackson and the Beatles, however. The most important of these parallels lies in their beginnings-Michael with the "Jackson 5" (later "The Jacksons") and the
Beatles before their split in 1970. After the dissolution of the
band, as Paul, John, George and Ringo went their separate ways, "none of the four Beatles would write any songs or make any recordings comparable in quality to the ones they made as a group" (Paoletta). When the group had been together, "their musical limitations had been offset by the creative synergy of their collaboration" but as they worked independent of one another their "limitations overwhelmed them, and they spent the rest of their lives struggling in vain to rival the achievements of their youth" (Paoletta). The members of the group were simply not complete musicians in their own right. Neither Paul McCartney nor John Lennon, who had written the great majority of their group's songs, failed to generate any degree of success in their individual ventures and whatever genius that was present in their work as a group (one could argue that little or no genius had been present at all) fell apart as soon as the band called it quits.
The opposite is true for Michael Jackson, however, whose extraordinary genius was stifled as he carried his less-talented family members during his time with the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons. The great majority of Michael Jackson's success came after his group had disbanded, as post-"Jacksons" singles such as "Billie Jean," "We Are the World," "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," "Black or White," "Earth Song," "You Are Not Alone," and "Blood on the Dance Floor" and albums such as "Thriller," "Bad," "Dangerous," "HIStory," "Blood on the Dance Floor," "Invincible," and "Number Ones" have all spent time at the top of the British charts. His extreme youth during his time with the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons was a key factor in his delayed progress as a musician, but his first solo album "Off the Wall" and tracks such as "Wait" and "Be Not Always" reveal a mature, magnificent Jackson more than ready to come into his own.
The Music
Rewind a few decades all the way back to 1982, where the music started it all. "Thriller," the best-selling album in international music history, was released and took the United Kingdom by storm. It was the first of Michael's seven number one records (his debut effort "Off the Wall" peaked at 5 on the charts) as it spent 8 weeks at the top of the British charts, another 15 weeks in the second slot. Of its nine tracks, six were hit singles: "Billie Jean" was a top single; "Beat it" made it to the third slot; "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "The Girl is Mine," the latter featuring Paul McCartney, peaked at 8; the title track just cracked the top ten while "P.Y.T." ("Pretty Young Thing") just missed the top ten at 11. Though "Off the Wall" introduced Michael Jackson to British pop fans, his first number one single "Billie Jean" was what made them take serious notice, and was the driving force for the album to become the eighth-most commercially successful album in British history, with sales reaching 3,578,107 as of November 2006 (Queen is champion of UK album sales).
The most crucial song of the album, however, is "The Girl is Mine." The song features Beatles legend Paul McCartney lending his vocals to a light-hearted, silky soft track in the tradition of the early Beatles. Jackson and
McCartney take turns soulfully expressing their love for the same woman. McCartney: "The girl is mine, (yep)
she's mine." Jackson: Don't waste your time / Because the doggone girl is mine" (Thriller). How fitting is it that the best-selling album in the history of music would feature a collaboration of the legend of old, McCartney, and the legend of the present, Jackson? Whether or not McCartney would like to believe it, his inclusion in the track is an affirmation, in more ways than one, of a symbolic passing of the torch from himself to Jackson.
Beginning superficially (as humans do) with the surface of the song, Jackson is clearly the superior vocalist. Not to slight McCartney in any way, as Jackson has diminished the talents of performers numerous times (including his brother Jermaine [see Jackson's entrance in the final bars of "Wait"] and sister Janet [see "Scream"]), but McCartney finds himself fighting an unwinnable battle: competing against arguably the finest vocalist in history while in his prime ("Victory", "HIStory"). McCartney gives a valiant effort-"Don't build your hopes to be let down / 'Cause I really feel it's time"-but high above it (literally as well as figuratively) comes the honey sweet sound of Michael Jackson-"I know she'll tell you I'm the one for her / 'Cause she said I blow her mind / The girl is mine / The doggone girl is mine" ("Thriller"). McCartney is well overmatched, and this example of direct comparison serves well to concretely establish that fact.
Focusing on the symbolic undertones of the track, McCartney's willingness to be included on the track demonstrates a reluctant surrendering of his claim to the throne of pop royalty. It is extremely fitting that the track ends with a fade of both men repeating "mine mine mine," each battling the other for possession of a girl-a symbol that is, well, symbolic. The old guard, McCartney, grasps for control over his empire while the newcomer, Jackson, vocally takes control of the kingdom as he proves his skills superior on the track itself as well as in the unprecedented album sales, which are detailed in the subsequent paragraph. "Mine mine / Mine mine mine" (Thriller). Track goes to Jackson; album goes to Jackson; the kingdom of pop goes to Jackson, as he will ultimately be crowned the "King of Pop."
The 1987 follow-up to "Thriller" and the second of Michael Jackson's number one records in the United Kingdom is "Bad," which debuted at the top slot where it remained for 5 weeks. Of the 11 tracks, 9 were hit singles: "I Just
Can't Stop Loving You" was the sole number one hit; "Leave Me Alone" made it to the second slot; the title track
and "The Way You Make Me Feel" both spent time at 3; "Dirty Diana" peaked at 4; "Smooth Criminal" broke the top ten at 8; and "Liberian Girl," "Another Part of Me," and "Man in the Mirror" peaked at 13, 15, and 21 respectively. The album, like its predecessor, has become one of the most successful albums in British history as it has sold an astonishing 3,554,301 copies as of November 2006, making Michael Jackson the only artist other than Queen to own multiple spots in the top ten all-time U.K. record sales (Queen is champion of UK album sales). The Beatles, whose top-selling album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is number two on the charts as of November 2006, have not earned that distinction.
The Videos
Essay author Jason King offers what works as a preface to the aim of music video production:
And while a music video is usually deemed successful if it helps to boost an album's sales, the relationship between video production and record sales is rather indirect. Like television commercials and magazine advertisements, videos are foremost concerned with the selling of life-styles, everyday practices, and ideologies through the proliferation of strategic and carefully constructed images. The selling of these images, placed in the context of a 'likable' song, will hopefully lead the consumer to buy the album...[However], the selling strategy of videos becomes complicated in the context of crossover superstars like...Michael Jackson. (Boehm)
Essentially, Michael Jackson's music videos are not the typical brand of video. While the Beatles were content to use home video-esque footage of band members for videos such as "Penny Lane," Jackson's videos are well
thought out, well-produced, well-rehearsed and feature elaborate choreography and costumes. "[He] established
much of the form's vocabulary as it remains in place today," says Rolling Stone Magazine's Alan Light. "He made the video more than an inexpensive promotional tool, offering instead a superhuman combination of singing, dancing and special effects that virtually no artists are capable of re-creating onstage." His videos, beginning with "Thriller," have created such an overwhelming and dynamic a medium that it becomes difficult to market them effectively. The "Thriller" video has been called "the most important video clip in music history" and has led to the assertion that Jackson has single-handedly created the medium of music videos in MTV's infancy, as he uses "the burgeoning medium of music video to [its] maximum advantage, as his revolutionary videos became fixtures on MTV, which was only a year old at the time of Thriller's release" (Welte). Jackson As videos such as "Ghosts" feature elaborate plotlines with a runtime of 38 minutes, audiences see many of Jackson's works as shorts films rather than music videos. The music video for "Scream," the first single from "HIStory," cost a record $7 million for a four-minute-and-forty-five-second video while record executives such as Gina Harrell of Elektra Records says that her label spends anywhere from $300,000 and $600,000 per music video for her major bands/performers (MUSIC VIDEOS).
One example of an elaborate music video is the title track from "Bad." The video is directed by Oscar award-winning director Martin Scorsese, and has a runtime of 17 minutes. American action film star Wesley Snipes works opposite Michael Jackson as the film's primary antagonist. The video is rich in character development, beginning in an upscale private boys' school where Darryl (Michael Jackson) has just completed his term and begins a long train ride to his home in the urban slums. Upon his arrival he is greeted by local street toughs, his so-called friends, who colorfully joke that private school has made Darryl soft, and challenge him to prove himself by robbing an old man in the subway. Darryl approaches the old man and grabs him, telling him to run away before the others take his money. Mini Max, a street tough played by Wesley Snipes, says to Darryl "You ain't bad!" to which Darryl replies, "You wanna see bad?" and transforms himself from a soft-spoken kid trying to escape the slums into Michael Jackson with a leather coat, permed hair, and a gang of similar looking men around him. It is only here that the song "Bad" begins for the first time, and the mean, aggressive, highly-stylized dance routine that follows is aesthetically beautiful and absolutely amazing. Jackson's expert dance ability is on complete display in the video, and make it easy to understand why he places such emphasis on the visual aspect of musical performance (IMDB BAD).
Emphasis on Live Performance
he true essence of performance is displayed second-hand in music videos, however, and cannot match the drama of watching magic unfold just yards away upon a stage. The Beatles placed little importance on live
performances since, as mentioned before, the crowds of fans were so loud that the group could not hear their own
instruments anyway, and focused instead on making their mark on vinyl in the recording studio. Another factor which focused the group's attention to recordings was that "none of the four Beatles was an instrumental virtuoso" and could not have been viewed as expert live performers even if they had wanted to be (Paoletta). "The Beatles were among the first pop musicians to start thinking in terms of recordings, not songs or live performances, as the finished musical product that they would offer to the listening public" (Paoletta).
Michael Jackson, however, pulls out all the stops in his live performances. Many consider the European leg of his "Dangerous" tour to be his peak. A most representative performance in London's Wembley Stadium in April 1992 finds the British crowd stunned by Jackson's "superhuman combination of singing, dancing and special effects that virtually no artists are capable of re-creating onstage." Jackson begins the concert with a bang and "[hits] the stage amid an explosion of fireworks, [stares] down the audience for several moments and [slams] into a two-and-a-quarter-hour career retrospective of monster hits." Jackson is "brilliant, sappy and stirring, his boundless performing talents can still inspire awe" as he tears through his dozens upon dozens of hit songs from his own work as well as the work of his former group, the Jackson 5. He employs mechanized skeletons during "Thriller," and uses fireworks, explosions, movie screens and other assorted extras to heighten the quality of the performance. Yet Jackson is not dependent on the extras, as "his finest moments in front of this audience of almost 72,000 came when he was completely alone" and is described as being "a consummate showman above all."
His most stunning and famous live performance, however, came during the May 10, 1983, television special celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of Motown. Jackson was performing "Billie Jean," which was topping the
charts at the time, when he revealed to the world a dance
move that would excite the world: the Moonwalk. Jackson wanted to create a maneuver where he would "walk backward and forward at the same time, like walking on the moon" (Hamilton). "When he slid across that stage, I could feel it was like an earthquake. I was always around break dancers who attempted things like that, but I hadn't seen anyone pull it off. It was as though he was some kind of a robot," said Island Def Jam chairman Antonio Reid (Hamilton). The performance turned Michael's already flourishing album sales into a frenzy, as "Thriller" was flying off the shelves like never before. The performance has been called "one of the most electrifying dance routines in television history," and even classic Hollywood musical film star Fred Astaire phoned Jackson to congratulate him, saying "You're one hell of a mover" (Hamilton).
Continuing below...
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