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What was different about Michael's music?

KB50MJ

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Now so far there have only been 3 revolutions in the music business.

1. Elvis(50's)- he(his people) had an uptempo fusion of country and rhythm and blues with a strong back beat. His novel versions of existing songs, mixing "black" and "white" sounds, made him popular. And lets face it. It was a new kind of sound for the mainstream America.

2. The Beatles(60's)- Well this is self explanatory. They created a new sound never heard in rock music before. At the tiem it was new original and innovative and it sounded liek nothing else.

3. Michael Jackson(80's, 90's)- Now I know the mainia he created. But what was different about his music to launch him into and above the level of Elvis and The Beatles? Not the dancing or the music videos. I mean just the music.

What was new and original about it?

I always ask myself this question and I just can't get an answer.

What do you think?
 
It's different.... Like I always say when I listen to some R&B of today like Neyo, I can't help but compare it to Off the Wall. It's just classic MJ! He has that signature.

Like his signature uptempo bass in his songs, the 'hee hee' and 'shamones'... LOLS!

Plus, it's hard to classify Michael in one era because he did so many genres of music from soul to rock.

I dont know it's hard to explain.. Can anyone explain it more eloquently than mine please?
 
I'd say the rythm and the voice. No one had a voice like his. I was mesmerized by it as a kid. The hiccups especially :lol:
 
To me it is the emotion in his voice. I always felt Michael's voice is so vulnerable. Like listening to Give In To Me...it's like he's on the verge of crying..he feels it completely.

He said it himself when he was a boy "I don't sing it if I don't mean it"

Also, this was really interesting to me when I heard it. I met a man about 3 years ago who said he was a cook for Michael at one time (and Earth Wind and Fire at one point). I got super excited when I heard that, so I started asking him more about Michael. One of the things he said about his music was that Michael's music/beats is like the human heartbeat. He said that's why everyone in the world feels/loves it. Thought that was a unique perspective.
 
Michael's music is just timeless, You can listen to a song from Off the wall even and it could be something new from today, Can't say that about many songs from the 70's.
He was way ahead of time too with his music, Always the first to do things with sounds and others followed.
 
The rythm, the lyrics, the melodies, and how he put together a song. Not to mention the dance ofcourse!
And ofcourse - the videos! We all know who was responsible for 1. African Amaricans in musicvideos on MTV :yes: and 2. Musicvideos with plots.

And noone have made a video like thriller.
 
He mixed different kinds of music R&b, Pop, Rock, jazz and classical music and made it his own. The way he sings is also unique the hip-cups the hee hees the Aaows! The crying in his voice the joy in another. The Lyrics in his music, the sounds he put into the music, the beat box, a heart beat, and sounds from banging on things, he would put this on his records! I always loved how he did his own background vocals as well it made the song sound more powerful! Just the effort this man put into his music was/is MAGIC!
 
What was different??

The source.

Original, imitated, never duplicated.

He counted on inspirational sources, but NEVER copied them.

MJ let the God light shine within him & let L.O.V.E. take over.
 
Michael's voice was unique. It makes you feel the song, without the music he is even better. He had those high notes that no one else can carry out like he can. He was the one and only.
Try as you may you cannot copy his style of singing or even come close.
He put his soul in every song and you can hear it. Michael was a perfectionist and he always strived to be better.
 
the message. the crossing of genres and the passion. music was his entire life. his entire life.
 
his innovation was in a certain combination of rhythm and melody. he considered melody to be king, and yet, the driving, intoxicating beat in many of his songs drove them into the public's "special" affection. but if you examine all his self-written songs on the whole, it's the melody that reigns supreme. it was this component of musical obfuscation that is his trade secret. I believe that he owed part of this to his musical heritage (Motown) and also to his association with Bruce Swedien and Quincy Jones, but much of it was pure Michael.
 
KB50MJ said:
Now so far there have only been 3 revolutions in the music business.

1. Elvis(50's)- he(his people) had an uptempo fusion of country and rhythm and blues with a strong back beat. His novel versions of existing songs, mixing "black" and "white" sounds, made him popular. And lets face it. It was a new kind of sound for the mainstream America.

2. The Beatles(60's)- Well this is self explanatory. They created a new sound never heard in rock music before. At the tiem it was new original and innovative and it sounded liek nothing else.

3. Michael Jackson(80's, 90's)- Now I know the mainia he created. But what was different about his music to launch him into and above the level of Elvis and The Beatles? Not the dancing or the music videos. I mean just the music.

What was new and original about it?

I always ask myself this question and I just can't get an answer.

What do you think?
Click to expand...
You forgot Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, James Brown, & Miles Davis.
 
What made Michael different for me is that he was one of the few Black male singers who had a big variety to their music, it not just about love, he told storys and made you think, he talked about the problems of the world and his lyrics were different. I get tired of hearing these artist on tv only singing about love, sex, and money, theres no more originality in the black community, we need to change that people!
 
MySerenity5 said:
It's different.... Like I always say when I listen to some R&B of today like Neyo, I can't help but compare it to Off the Wall. It's just classic MJ! He has that signature.
Click to expand...

Campari said:
I'd say the rythm and the voice. No one had a voice like his. I was mesmerized by it as a kid.
Click to expand...

Dangerous21 said:
To me it is the emotion in his voice. I always felt Michael's voice is so vulnerable.
Click to expand...

bluetopez said:
He mixed different kinds of music R&b, Pop, Rock, jazz and classical music and made it his own. The way he sings is also unique. The crying in his voice the joy in another. The Lyrics in his music, the sounds he put into the music, I always loved how he did his own background vocals as well it made the song sound more powerful! Just the effort this man put into his music was/is MAGIC!
Click to expand...

Jmoney said:
What made Michael different for me is that he was one of the few Black male singers who had a big variety to their music, it not just about love, he told storys and made you think, he talked about the problems of the world and his lyrics were different. I get tired of hearing these artist on tv only singing about love, sex, and money, theres no more originality in the black community, we need to change that people!
Click to expand...

YES!!!!!! These are DEFINITELY some of the reasons!!! :clapping::clapping:
 
I think the whole package of michael made him what he was, but if you are just going to speak musically.

In terms of vocals he was insane, he mixed soul,funk,rnb and pop and made music that had soul and feeling, they weren't just catchy songs you like and then throw away 2 weeks later, they where timeless classics, you can listen to billie jean today and it's as good as in 1982, that rarely ever happens.
 
What I thinks is unique about MJs music, is that he don't use the same voice in his songs.
When you hear Elvis, Beatles, Timberlake, Spears, you name it. Their voice and kind of singing is useally the same. But for Michael, he ALWAYS use another type of singing in each of his songs...

Listen and compare: Tabloid Junkie, Earth Song, Blood on the Dance Floor, Heal the World, Beat it, Dirty Diana, Who is it, Why you wanna trip on me, Dangerous, Childhood, Little Susie.. you name it... The singing cant be compared, but you ALWAYS knows its Michael.. Thats Insane...
 
I think it has to do with the fact that Michael's music is timeless, you can listen to it forever and ever!
It has to do with his voice too it's something special, and the rhythms.
His music is magic, it can lift you up even if you are so upset and down it lifts you right up and all his music has a message that you can find yourself in :yes:
I always say that his music has some kind of spell on it that you keep listen to it forever and you can never get enough of it no matter how many times you've listened to it!
Every song of him is different none of them sound the same so you get all kind of things to listen too, it's really special I can't put my finger on it how he did it but it's really amazing and no one can ever do that only him!
 
When I listen to Michael's music, there are many songs that sounds like he is singing directly to you (the listener). You get an intimate feeling with him when listening to his music and that's why I think so many people responded to his music.

When I first got into him when I was 11 (around the Dangerous era), I just thought his music was so much fun and eclectic. It wasn't all the same record on the album, there was a different feel and sound to each song. I also thought he had a beautiful voice and he emotes very well in his music.

I must admit that the music videos helped a lot because then you could visualize the song while listening to it in the car or on the radio.

I don't think it was just the music that made him a revolutionary character. It was the music combined with the dance, showmanship, and technology. The world was waiting for someone like him to blow the roof off the music industry.

mktrade2001 said:
What I thinks is unique about MJs music, is that he don't use the same voice in his songs.
When you hear Elvis, Beatles, Timberlake, Spears, you name it. Their voice and kind of singing is useally the same. But for Michael, he ALWAYS use another type of singing in each of his songs...

Listen and compare: Tabloid Junkie, Earth Song, Blood on the Dance Floor, Heal the World, Beat it, Dirty Diana, Who is it, Why you wanna trip on me, Dangerous, Childhood, Little Susie.. you name it... The singing cant be compared, but you ALWAYS knows its Michael.. Thats Insane...
Click to expand...


Oh yes, I totally agree with this ^^ also. Michael had many different voices and he likes to experiment and try new sounds and new techniques.
 
mktrade2001 said:
What I thinks is unique about MJs music, is that he don't use the same voice in his songs.
When you hear Elvis, Beatles, Timberlake, Spears, you name it. Their voice and kind of singing is useally the same. But for Michael, he ALWAYS use another type of singing in each of his songs...

Listen and compare: Tabloid Junkie, Earth Song, Blood on the Dance Floor, Heal the World, Beat it, Dirty Diana, Who is it, Why you wanna trip on me, Dangerous, Childhood, Little Susie.. you name it... The singing cant be compared, but you ALWAYS knows its Michael.. Thats Insane...
Click to expand...
That's not really unique. Marvin Gaye, Prince, Donna Summer, Evelyn King, El DeBarge, Minnie Riperton, Jackie Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Ronald Isley, Jill Scott, Terence Trent D'Arby, & Phillip Bailey all use different voices and sounds.
 
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