One of the most known and distinguished musicians of all time is the pop-star Michael Jackson. He was an African American musical artist, a global icon, and the cultural phenomenon of the 20th century regarded as one of the best musicians of all time. Jackson was born in Indiana in 1958 to musical parents from where he established his stardom. He was among the most recognizable individuals in the world during his time who made history as a solo artist with the longest chart-topping career. After his death in 2009, Jackson has been in records as the king of pop based on his influence in music, dance and culture ( Robinson, 2017) . He was the bestselling American singer, songwriter, and dancer who enjoyed worldwide success for 50 years. His talent in music was second to none, and his ability to package the skill in a new way through form and content is incomprehensible. Michael Jackson became one of the most influential cultural figures in the United States and a dominant figure in pop culture ( Lucas, 2017) .
Michael Jackson can be considered a music icon based on his impact on popular culture. He was a brand in himself by intertwining his art and popular culture along with image and stagecraft. Furthermore, Jackson dominated each of the artistic avenues since his music was not complex enough to be studied from an academic sense ( Dodson, 2009) . Apart from the extraordinary success in his album sales that made him famous, Michael Jackson was famed for numerous other things including his fashion style, dance moves and philanthropic work. Today, Michael Jackson's unparalleled cultural influence continues to loom large over music, dance, entertainment, fashion, activism, history, and philanthropy. This essay discusses the person of Michael Jackson and the influence he had on the musical scene and popular culture.
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Personal Life
Michael Jackson's childhood was not normal, having been drafted into the family band as soon as he was old enough. He became a lead guy in the family band due to his energy and charisma, from where he was groomed into the legendary artist he was before his death ( Taraborrelli, 2010) . Michael Jackson began his career in a group formed with his brothers known as Jackson 5 that put up numerous chart-topping singles. He was the leading songwriter of the group and gained fame and success based on the accomplishment enjoyed by the family group.
While working with the Jackson Five band, there were internal disagreements that pushed Michael Jackson to launched a career as a solo artist. This was the beginning of his long and successful journey in music with albums after albums gaining platinum status on the Billboards across the world. His first solo work was met with exceedingly unexpected success on the global arena while introducing him as the one to watch. The album sold over 20 million copies, becoming the best-selling album of the year ( Robinson, 2017) . Later on, Michael Jackson released his soon to be best album titled Thriller that capitalized on the trending disco dance Fad. This album revealed Jackson's energetic style of music accompanied by unique dance moves that elevated him to superstardom ( George, 2010) . They were his first entry to winning the Grammy’s award in music that followed numerous other awards.
Throughout his musical career, Michael Jackson was regarded as a perfectionist and one who had grand music ambitions without limitations. The perfectionism was revealed in all his stage presence during performances and how he executed the dance moves in the form of choreographed art ( Galo, 2014) . As a result of this attribute, Michael Jackson grew into an inspirational figure who influenced all other artists on-stage performances and making of music videos. The musical influences varied across several genres, including R&B and western classical. His music is characterized as a fusion of different musical eras and styles, including soul music, R&B, Rock, as well as pop and dance ( Horn, 2017) .
Achievements
Michael Jackson is one of the most successful musical artists of all time based on the number of album sells and awards received. His earnings from musical career amounted close to a billion having sold more than one billion units across his career. Jackson holds the record as one of the best-selling musical artists with a total of eight albums produced and five of them becoming the best-selling records in the world ( Caulfield, 2009) . One of his most successful and best albums is the 1980 album “Thriller”, which sold more than 40 million copies and over 65 million units to make Jackson the best-selling artist in American history ( George, 2010) . The artist ranks third behind the Beatles and Elvis Presley in terms of record sales in the United States.
Apart from the sales, Michael Jackson has won numerous awards and recognitions based on his successful musical career. Some of the significant achievements for Michal Jackson include winning 14 Grammy Awards for best recording artist, 7 American music awards, as well as 8 MTV awards as the best singer and songwriter ( Taraborrelli, 2010) . Furthermore, his achievements include being included in the Guinness world records for his genius in music, getting the Grammy legend award, as well as being recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time with a Grammy lifetime achievement award. As if not enough, Michael Jackson was inducted into the Hollywood Hall of Fame for his musical career, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Dance Hall of Fame, as well as the Songwriters hall of fame ( Taraborrelli, 2010) .
One of Michael Jackson’s fame comes from his ability to electrify a live audience during concerts. He is attributed to have birthed modern pop based on his music with some of his albums changing the direction of pop music ( Lucas, 2017) . Michael Jackson was the first musician to push and define a new concept for music videos that entailed telling a story through lyrics and a short film. His song "Thriller" was a 13:42 short film, which was the first of its kind that has soon spread across the music industry ( George, 2010) . His album “Thriller” played a crucial role in influencing a broader culture. It had a significant effect on the rock and roll genre than any other record of the past decade ( Caulfield, 2009) . Its influence is seen in both the album, the artist and songs within this album.
Michel Jackson's career left an incredible mark on the American mainstream society and the music industry. The music videos and dance moves have continued to influence popular culture today as more people adopt or copy it into their lifestyle. The artist topped music charts for more than 30 years and was his competitor having set high standards in music and dance videos ( Stevens, 2010) . Michael's brilliance, edginess, and courage to explore uncharted territory became part of his brand and influenced a new generation of artists. He worked relentlessly to produce content worthwhile while collaborating with other great musicians. Each collaboration would leave a lasting and impressionable remark on the industry ( Galo, 2014) .
Influence
While Michael Jackson's worldwide album sales played a role in his fame, it was not the only reason why the artist was a renowned figure in society. Other factors contributing to his reputation was the influence he had on music and culture as a whole. The impact of Michael Jackson on music, dance, fashion and popular culture are vast and incomprehensible ( Lucas, 2017) . Like other great artists before him, Jackson's presence in the music industry was a massive boost to the success of the genre, and his style influenced numerous other musicians who came after him. He was the most celebrated figure in music during his time and inspired people from all walks of life. Furthermore, Jackson is credited with spreading dance to a global audience while setting a standard that future artists integrated into their careers ( Stevens, 2010).
Due to his shining star as one of the greats, Michael Jackson has been put in the same rank as other artists, politicians and visual artists of the century in terms of influence. During his time, no single solo artist managed to create a more significant impact on pop culture ( Robinson, 2017) . The influence from his musical landscape, dancing and songwriting shaped subsequent musicians and artists coming into the 21 st century as evidenced with the music of Christ Brown, Usher and Justin Timberlake. These are individuals who have grown into Michael Jackson musical style and attempts to create his signature move in all areas of dance and music ( Fast, 2012) .
The cultural influence of Michael Jackson is also seen in how he executed his dance moves while performing on stage. While he cannot be credited for creating the dance styles, Michael Jackson is recommended for perfecting the dancing with composure, executing them in a way that could easily blow away everyone with his performances. The strength of his dance moves was seen in the use of movie-like music videos where he set a bar high for other musicians to follow suit. Some of Jackson's dance movement defied the law of physics, described as fantastic fictions and signs of an alien invasion ( Fast, 2012) . They include the moonwalk dance, popping, locking, and robot that was popular with his music and has been adopted by numerous other artists such as Bruno Mars. Music might have made Michael Jackson a star, but his dance moves made him worldwide superstardom, including the moonwalk and music choreography during a stage performance. The world watched him gliding during the moonwalk dance was influenced by adopting the style in music ( Stevens, 2010) .
Furthermore, Michael Jackson gained fame with his flashy outfits and was hugely influential in the fashion industry. His musical influence was associated with an impact on fashion that comprised of attires touching on his eccentric style ( Fast, 2012) . Jackson was described as having a distinctive fashion style that always defied convention. He publicized the wearing of red leather zipped jackets and single white sequined glove, which influenced the culture as everybody wanted the leather jacket despite being controversial and unconventional ( Quinn, 2018) . His style is still witnessed today among contemporary musical artists such as Justine Bieber who adopted the iconic style and made it their own.
His cultural influence is also evidenced in how he defined racial barriers erected in music to become the best-selling African American artist. His musical appeal became universally accepted as he sought to uplift the status of African American music in the United States. He made culture take people of colourway before other celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, or Tiger Woods made in the United States. At the same time, Michael Jackson reintroduced black music to the American mainstream radio, at a time when music was segregated based on race. Some of his hits have been adopted as black American anthems when fighting for equal rights, such as the “Black Lives Matter movement” in the 2010s.
In other instances, Michael Jackson was a prominent figure in the cultural influences of his people that had an impact on different musical genres ( Quinn, 2018) . This is what has driven most rock musicians into appreciating the artistry of Michael Jackson and applying it to their musical style. He also influenced a crossover fan base on MTV due to his albums that broke the racial and colour barrier ( Delmont, 2010) . As a result, Jackson was responsible for introducing an era of multiculturalism and integration in the media that has benefited subsequent artists. He took part in fighting prejudice and injustices in the music industry by involving dancers from various ethnic groups in his videos.
His influence on culture can be described as timeless and ubiquitous as he was far ahead of his time. This was evident in the work Jackson produced and the philanthropy he championed ( Quinn, 2018) . Apart from being a performer, Michael Jackson was also a philanthropist who raised money for charities and contributed to helping the unfortunate in society. At the same time, Jackson used his music career as a source and platform of hope, peace, and love. His influence was also evident during his death when the internet became overwhelmed with people all over the world joined in the grief ( Stevens, 2010) . People went openly to the street, and impromptu tributes and memorials popped around the globe. His death saw many people playing his music in restaurants, television sets, computers, and open car windows, showing the extent of influence he had on the people. A televised memorial was held after his death, with an estimated 1 billion people watching it on television ( Delmont, 2010) .
Media Relations
Michael Jackson was a goldmine for tabloids who regularly used salacious headlines to sell thousands of copies. A majority of his lie was spent in the public eye, which was unavoidable thanks to the lavish lifestyle and numerous scandals surrounding his private life. Michael Jackson had two experiences and was described as being confounding and contradictory. In the 1980s, he hired a media team to publicize his image and spread positive messages ( Pomerantz, 2013) . As a result, Michael Jackson among the most recognized celebrities in the world until his death who dominated media pages.
His personal life grabbed headlines in the majority of his life, including his later days when he faced numerous controversies and negative issues. His achievements slowly turned negative as the media concentrated more on the personal experience of Jackson as opposed to his musical career ( Pomerantz, 2013) . Some of the adverse media reports involved issues of child molestation, marriage struggles, and plastic surgery. As a result of the negativity, Michael Jackson spent his last decade avoiding the scrutiny of prying media while seeking to make a return with a concert to counter the wrong image. This was not met when he died several weeks to his comeback concert in London that generated worldwide grief and attention ( Pomerantz, 2013) . Throughout his life and career, Michael Jackson remained a prominent public figure who continued to sell numerous concerts around the world. He remained the best-selling artist despite the negative media coverage due to his celebrity status, whose name was recognized all over the planet ( Caulfield, 2009) .
Conclusion
Michael Jackson is an embodiment of a legend in music and an icon, In the end, Michael Jackson is one of the legendary musical artists whose songs and work ethic altered the lives of everyone involved while changing the course of music. His influence has spanned generations and cultures, associated with high-pitched shrieks, twirls, moonwalks, and impactful songs ( Taraborrelli, 2010) . Michael Jackson is a legendary artist based on his mark on the industry that ushered a global culture. He changed the music industry forever while shading light while shedding light on world issues and philanthropy. Jackson was more than a poster; he was a humanitarian who supported organizations for social change. He was also a huge advocate for children and youth across the globe. Through his influence, Jackson brought a sense of connection and envisioned the world coming together in peace and harmony through unified music. Therefore, while Michael Jackson died in 2009, his music and his seminal influence on culture remain in perpetuity. The crossover influence is still evident today, as seen with several musicians sampling his vocals and crediting his power. Across genres and generations, the name of Michael Jackson remains unboxed as the king of pop, lifestyle, and culture ( Horn, 2017) .
References
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Delmont, M. (2010). Michael Jackson & television before Thriller. The Journal of Pan African Studies , 3 , 64-78.
Dodson, H. (2009, July 7). Michael Jackson: Icon. Retrieved from www.nypl.org/blog/2009/07/07/michael-jackson-icon/
Fast, 2012. Michael Jackson's Queer Musical Belongings. Popular Music and Society , 35 (2), 281-300.
Galo, P. (2014, May 18). Michael Jackson Hologram Rocks Billboard Music Awards: Watch & Go Behind the Scenes. Retrieved from http://billboard.com/articles/events/bbma-2014/6092040/michael-jackson-hologram-billboard-music-awards
George, N. (2010). Thriller: The Musical Life of Michael Jackson . Da Capo Press.
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Quinn, J. (2018, June 26). How Michael Jackson Influenced People and The World. Retrieved from https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/how-michael-jackson-influenced-the-world.html/
Robinson, P. (2017, May 31). Michael Jackson, the pop star was his unique creation. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jun/26/pop-star-michael-jackson
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