The King of Pop Essay

"This was a record that had something for everybody by adding harder funk, hard rock, softer ballads, and smoother soul-expanding the approach to have something for every audience. That alone would have given the album a good shot at a huge audience, but it also arrived precisely when MTV was reaching its ascendancy, and Michael Jackson helped the network by being not just its first superstar, but first black star”. (https://www.udiscovermusic.com/artists/michael-jackson/, n.d.)

Rock ‘n’ Roll began and evolved around the late 1940’s and 1950’s time frame. There were many groups that participated in the creation and origin of Rock ‘n’ Roll, however the two primary groups were rhythm and blues and country music. “The origins of rock ‘n’ roll are often described in a way that could be represented by an algebraic formula: r&b + c&w = r&r” (Garofalo & Waksman, 2016, p. 56). While the formula is rather simplistic, it ignores the many groups of individuals, social and cultural influences that impacted the formation of Rock ‘n’ Roll. As Rolling Stone’s Robert Palmer (1990) noted:

Michael’s behaviour was the opposite to Whitney’s. He became a recluse. He made very few public appearances and hid within his Neverland Ranch stately home.

Michael Jackson was known around the world as the “King of Pop.” He was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, which molded him into a shy and quiet person. Something he was opposite of on stage. It is well documented that his father became violent with him and his brothers in order to push them to become successful. Thus, missing out on his childhood. During his early life, Michael had an accident that resulted in burns on his head and face. After this incident he had plastic surgery, changing the shape of his nose. Although he was born an African American, it became apparent that he started to appear lighter and lighter, bleaching his skin and ultimately appearing white. He created his own amusement park called Neverland, where there were exotic

Michael began his career as the lead singer in his older brothers' band when his father Joseph Jackson discovered that he had a distinct singing voice and the dance steps to go with it. At first, the Jackson 5 played local gigs and built a strong following. They recorded one single on their own, but it failed to generate much interest. In 1968, Motown had signed the Jackson 5 in 19

Michael Jackson was the king of pop which was a big part of the 1980s fashion world his dancing seemed to surprise everyone. Everyone wanted to be like him and dress like him. He dressed in leather jackets and some dress shoes and suits he was mesmerizing in the public eye he influenced a lot of the

When the majority of the population thinks of rock 'n ' roll, most tend to correlate the beginnings of the rock genre with Elvis Presley or The Beatles. However, the greater part of the start of rock 'n ' roll must be attributed to the influence of African American culture and music. The African American culture initiated and impacted so many of the first genres in music that stemmed off into be many of the genres we still listen to today. Due to racism and discrimination many “race” artists were not recognized for their artistic abilities. Most African American musicians have become discredited due to white musicians covering African American songs and making it more popular. Rock ‘n’ roll was a collective effort of white and black culture and musicians but little credit has gone to the African American side of the genre. To truly understand how “race” artists were the people to help mold rock ‘n’ roll, you must go back to the very beginning of the start of the music business.

Pop Art is defined as art based on modern popular culture and the mass media, especially as a critical or ironic comment on traditional fine art values. “To Americans, Pop Art was an artistic manifestation which reflected their own culture.” (Elmaleh 1) Many artists or writers will take normal, everyday things in nature, and will turn them into brighter things. This was considered to be a new movement because it was right after the war, so it was a darker time period. Throughout the text, Joe Hill tried to convey many things with his short story about Art using his own culture and what he knew, but I think the most obvious message that he tried to convey is emotion.

Michael Jackson had been making music for pretty much his entire life, for he started making music at a very young age. In fact, he started his music career at the age of 5 (“Michael Jackson”). He was considered to be the favorite out of the group by most people. “Michael Jackson was the youngest and most talented of five brothers whom his father, Joseph, shaped into a dazzling group of child stars known as the Jackson 5” (Vincent). The world soon became aware of how talented this young Michael really was. “Jackson was one of the nation’s finest 1960s rhythm-and-blues vocalists

Michael Jackson, a man that changed the music world forever. Jackson made his professional singing debut in 1964 with his siblings in a band called the Jackson 5. Jackson made it big with Jackson 5 having many singles reach the top 100 in the United States. But, when Jackson decided to start his own solo career in 1971 we were seeing a side of Michael Jackson that we have never seen before. Most importantly Jackson 1982, mulit-platinum selling album Thriller. Michael Jackson broke music barriers and made a change for racial equality in the music industry.

James Brown is American funk and soul artist who is well-known as the ‘Godfather of Soul’ and he was one of the most iconic figures in soul and funk music from 1950s. James had inspired a lot of artists and also on some genres. For example, his rhythmical funk songs were sampled on some hip-hop genre songs and influenced on the hip-hop genre’s development. Brown was known as his unique soulful voice with great showmanship. Brown was also known for his work of social Activist, writing songs about social problems. Some of his well-known songs are “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” (1965), “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965), and “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” (1966). Even though his greatest hits are from 1960s, a lot of these songs are still used in the commercials, films, and T.V. shows even in nowadays.

The Beatles were one of the most influential music groups of the rock era. They were able to conquer and influence pop culture with their music. Initially they affected the post-war baby boom generation of Britain and the W.S. during the 1960s, and later the request of the world. Certainly they were the most successful group, with global sales exceeding 1.3 billion albums. During the sixties, The Beatles using revolutionary ideas in their music inspired a generation of young adults across the globe to look at life from their perspective.

When historians look at history and at reasons why society changed many focus on conflicts like wars, civil rights, and poverty. However, there is so much more that over time changed America. One of the most influential subjects that helped this change was Elvis Presley. Through his music, which was influenced by black artists, he allowed white Americans to view a new group of performers. He tested social boundaries that helped him change American culture. His appearance and singing would end up changing the teenage world by introducing new trends in fashion and music. Presley was the reason why we have Rock-N-Roll. As a business and a singer, he brought America together into a new type of society; therefore he is a

Jackson make a powerful statement with his lyrics, he also made one with his choice of rhythm

Piling into a packed Madison Square Garden, the entire audience seemed to stir with anticipation. The main attraction, Michael Jackson, had not performed in the United States for several years and definitely not with his brothers, the rest of The Jackson Five in over a decade. Sure I've seen Michael Jackson in on television and in interviews, but I had never gotten to see him in live in real person. Being an entertainer for over forty years, and having sold over one-hundred million records, countless number one hits, and having plenty of controversy surrounding him, I always felt that the lead singer of the Jackson Five was somewhat of an enigma, but tonight he was right in front of me doing what he does best, singing dancing, and entertaining. As the lights dimmed, and the curtain began to raise, Michael Jackson came into the light, and the crowd went up in a simultaneous roar. Every movement that he made with his