THROWBACK: The Definitive Top 10 Michael Jackson Videos
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Today Michael Jackson would have turned 58 years old. It's been seven years since his unfortunate passing, yet each year we still see a number of modern music artists playing from the King of Pop's playbook.
A year ago, I had the opportunity to put together a list of Michael Jackson's very best music videos. As a lifelong fan, I had accumulated a strong familiarity with the very best of Michael's work. My scale (admittedly arbitrary) was one that took cinematography, choreography, scale, visual ambition, and lasting legacy into consideration for where it would fall on the list.
You can read the full article HERE (excuse the small formatting, they did a website transfer that seemed to alter some of the way the article is supposed to look). I thought I'd give you a few highlights in the section below.
10. Leave Me Alone
Michael Jackson VEVO, YouTube
The music video, by proxy, embraced the ridiculous nature of the rumors about Michael and made it seem like you were both on an amusement park ride and flipping through the pages of the National Enquirer. It not only emphasized the fact that Michael was willing to laugh at himself, but also that he was savvy enough to keep up with the cutting-edge trends in music video (the video is a kindred spirit to the stop-motion and animation capture also utilized in Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer music video)
9. Billie Jean
Michael Jackson VEVO, YouTube
Legend has it that MTV wasn't interested in playing music from black artists because their music wasn't "rock" enough for the channel. Whether you believe that or not, the fact remains that Billie Jean became one of the first videos by a black artist to be played by the channel. While this song once again makes an illusion to the media hounding Michael Jackson, he casually evades the paparazzi through some well timed dance moves.
8. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Michael Jackson VEVO, YouTube
Granted, today, a bulk of the background images look like something straight out of a do-it-yourself karaoke booth, the simplicity is all part of the charm. Michael looks like he's having such a great time that by the time two more Michael carbon copies show up for a tightly choreographed dance sequence, you can't help but groove along with him.
7. Beat It
Michael Jackson VEVO, YouTube
Beat It would set the formula for all Jackson videos to follow: a dissatisfaction with the status quo, epic choreography, and a million back up dancers ready to change the world. And who amongst us hasn't attempted the knife fight and accompanying dance routine depicted here?
6. Black or White
Michael Jackson VEVO, YouTube
Take the kid from Home Alone (Macaulay Culkin, one of the biggest movie stars in the world), have his dad played by the guy on Cheers (George Wendt, co-star of the biggest sitcom on TV), directed by one of the biggest comedy directors of all time (John Landis, with whom he had already broken records with on Thriller), with a guitar riff from the guy from the biggest rock band (Slash, at the height of his GNR days), featuring the debut of the hottest supermodel of the moment (Tyra Banks), and have it bookend it all with an appearance from Bart Simpson to close it all out.
... Also, he grabbed his crotch. A little too much. But, to be fair, he also turns into a black panther at the end of the video. So, there's that as well.
5. Bad
Michael Jackson VEVO, YouTube
In Bad Michael got the chance to show us that although, yes, he is doing the equivalent of a jazz routine in a subway station while trying to act street, he was going to be THE VERY BEST PERSON TO EVER do a jazz routine in the middle of a subway while trying to act street!
4. Remember The Time
Michael Jackson VEVO, YouTube
While other music videos featured Michael chasing after the girl to various degrees of success, Remember the Time captures Michael at his most believably passionate. All you have to do is listen to the acapella breakdown to hear it in his voice. When Michael gets going at about the 6:16 mark, it's downright unstoppable.
That is Michael getting down.
3. Scream
Michael Jackson VEVO, YouTube
[Mark] Romanek's pitch of having the pop stars flying above earth on an isolated spaceship gives Scream the perfect backdrop to Michael and Janet to not only vent their frustration with the media (this video came right after Jackson had been accused of child molestation), but a also set capable of showing off their considerable performance talent.
The most effective of which being: the duo's legendary dancing ability. In his original treatment, Romanek didn't even want the two siblings to dance. But after some much needed prodding (and four choreographers later), audiences got their first (and only) look at the two siblings dancing together in one of the most epic breakdowns of all time.
2. Smooth Criminal
Michael Jackson VEVO, YouTube
This is Mike firing at all cylinders.
Watching him go to work here is like watching Muhammad Ali in his prime. The precision to the movement. The confidence in his steps. The way he holds court. Even if you're not a Michael Jackson fan, per se, you have to give it up.
Which is why I have no qualms when I say: This is the greatest Michael Jackson choreography of all time. There is no debate. Other routines may be more beloved, replicated at weddings or have a special place in flash mob's hearts, but this is Michael at his very best. You might be able to do the steps to Beat It, but even on their best days, the world's best dancers would struggle to recreate what's on screen here.
1. Thriller
Michael Jackson VEVO, YouTube
Listen, we all knew this would end up as #1. You knew it before you even started reading this list. But you also would have been outraged if it wasn't #1 on the list. That's because no matter how predictable or inevitable it is to name Thriller as Michael's top video, it is 100% the right call.
The reason being: Thriller has and will always be the standard by which all videos should be judged.
And that's just a taste of the article. You can read the full thing right HERE!