Michael Jackson AND THE RE-INVENTION OF POPULAR MUSIC Joseph
Vogel, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, June 14, 2012. May not be
re-used without permission.
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KING OF POP Over 750 million albums sold worldwide 13 Grammy
Awards; 13 #1 singles Best-selling album of all- time ( Thriller );
best-selling music video of all time Inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame twice (once with the Jackson 5 and once as a solo
artist)
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WHAT IS POP? WHAT IS POP? Music for the masses What young
people listen to Music you can dance to Roots are in jazz, blues,
folk, soul and rock Often contrasted with classical music and
hymns
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CHARACTERISTICS OF POP Basic verse/chorus song structure
Relatively short in length (usually between 2-4 minutes) Often
characterized as ephemeral, simple, commercial, formulaic, low art
Catchy, memorable, accessible, popular Encompasses many genres and
styles
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HOW DOES MICHAEL JACKSON CHALLENGE CONVENTIONAL
DEFINITIONS/UNDERSTANDINGS OF POP?
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1) UNUSUAL THEMES Music critic Jody Rosen: His music is the
strangest and darkest ever to achieve blockbuster success
Tensions/oppositions (anxiety/ecstasy; vulnerability/power;
isolation/community; entrapment/liberation) Example: Wanna Be
Startin Somethin
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2) ECLECTIC INSPIRATIONS AND CREATIVE FUSIONS Michael Jackson
was like a sponge. Quincy Jones Influences include James Brown,
Stevie Wonder, Charlie Chaplin, Fred Astaire, Michelangelo, Debussy
You Are Not Alone (Maxfield Parish) Will You Be There (Beethovens
Ninth Symphony) Startin Somethin (Manu Dibangos Soul Makossa) Black
or White (Singin in the Rain and Do the Right Thing) Greg Tate:
Jackson was willing to pull from anybody he thought would make his
own expression more visceral, modern or exciting
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3) ARTISTIC AMBITION Michael Jackson: Music is like tapestry.
Its different layers, its weaving in and out, and if you look at it
in layers you understand it better. Layers, simplicity/depth,
details, sonic personality Assembled dynamic teams of musicians,
producers and engineers, including Quincy Jones and Bruce Swedien
Took over 800 multi-track tapes to make the Bad album; some songs,
like Smooth Criminal, took over 200
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4) CHALLENGES PREVAILING STANDARDS Michael Jackson: I want the
music to represent the way we feel. Its rebellionWere letting out
what we always wanted to say to the world. Passion and anger and
fire! Broke down racial barriers at MTV and on radio Challenged his
audiences expectations and social scripts; stayed outside the box,
unpredictable Challenged his audiences expectations and social
scripts; stayed outside the box, unpredictable
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5) UNIQUE PRESENTATION What can be done within a particular
form/structure? Versatility Emotional Spectrum Intros and outros,
improvisation, call and response The voice as instrument:
beatboxing, ad-libs, cries, exclamations, gasps, grunts, shouts
Michael Jackson: Its a universe of where you can go with those
twelve notes
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STRANGER IN MOSCOW Written and produced by Michael Jackson
(1995) First composed at the Hotel Metropol in Moscow not long
after the collapse of the Soviet Union Minor-key ballad combining
modernist aesthetics and blues- rooted pain and loneliness
Evocative song about masks and illusions, exile and estrangement I
was wanderin in the rain/Mask of life, feelin insane
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BILLIE JEAN Written, arranged, co-produced, and choreographed
by Michael Jackson (1982) Ranked at the top of many music critics
lists as the best pop song in history Captures all the paradoxes of
Jackson: intriguing and disturbing, explicit and enigmatic,
confession concealment Cultural critic Mark Fisher: Billie Jean is
not only one of the best singles ever recorded; it is one of the
greatest art works of the 20 th century, a multileveled sound
sculpture whose slinky, synthetic panther sheen still yields up
previously unnoticed details and nuanced nearly thirty years on.
Introduced a new multi-aesthetic art form
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EARTH SONG Written and composed by Michael Jackson (1995)
Became a #1 hit all over the world, but not released as a single in
the U.S. Fused gospel, opera, blues and rock A lamentation rooted
in the pages of Job and Jeremiah, the Romantic prophecies of Blake
and Yeats, and African American spirituals Last song Jackson
performed before he died
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I know the creator will go, but his work survives. That is why
to escape death, I attempt to bind my soul to my work. -Michael
Jackson