Michael Jackson: most overrated act in pop history?

[Dominic]

I mean, really - does anyone ever listen to "Thriller" anymore?

Discuss.

[NotMitch]

Off the Wall still rules.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
Michael Jackson: most overrated act in pop history?

[/ QUOTE ] No.

[Boris]

I agree. I actually was forced to listen to Thriller in its entirety just recently. Trust me it still sucks. I don't know how Quincy Jones could be considered a genius for his work on that album. The true geniuses were the marketing gurus who made Jackson a superstar.

I do kind of like the Jackson 5 though.

[Dominic]

Sure, he had a few good good songs - mostly from Off the Wall - but the dude hasn't learned a new dance move in 25 years, and his music has mostly been treacly, over-emotional and sappy crap. Just a very mediocre song-writer.

Hell, I'd choose someone "uncool" like Neil Diamond over Michael Jackson any day.

[BusterStacks]

Wow this is sure a stupid topic. I mean Thriller only sold 25 million copies. He only has enough #1 songs to make an entire CD out of. Top 5 record sales EVER clearly means nothing. He's got to be overrated.

[Dominic]

sales does not equal genuis. In fact, the point of my post is that he's overrated. If he hadn't sold any albums, how could he be overrated?

repeat this three times and breathe slowly.

[BusterStacks]

Not overrated. In fact given his current legal woes, I'd say he currently stands at underrated overall.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
I mean, really - does anyone ever listen to "Thriller" anymore?

Discuss.

[/ QUOTE ]
Or did they ever? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[Boris]

Yea well McDonalds has sold 50 gazillion hamburgers. Does that make them a friggin gourmet restaurant?

[BusterStacks]

This is obviously opinion so what's the point. I think he has made lots of tight stuff and I bet you do too.

[NotMitch]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I mean, really - does anyone ever listen to "Thriller" anymore?

Discuss.

[/ QUOTE ]
Or did they ever? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

It sold 26 million copies so I'll go out on a limb and say yes people did listen to it.

[Slacker13]

[ QUOTE ]
does anyone ever listen to "Thriller" anymore?

[/ QUOTE ]

NO! It sucked then and it sucks now.

[drudman]

Mike Jackson set new standards for the industry with his stage shows and music videos. I don't think either of these statements can be refuted. They alone are enough to clear him of being the "most overrated in pop history". Surely there is someone else that you can think of more overrated.

I would say that he isn't overrated at all, but that's a different argument altogether. First of all, "pop music" =df music that is popular. If this is true (certainly seems to be, by definition), the argument holds no water. The most popular act in history could only be considered, according to this definition the act deserving of the highest rating as a "pop" act, and therefore cannot be considered overrated.

If you are using a different definition of "pop" music (I think this is the case), I will assume that you mean to ask whether or not he is the most overrated performer of music (regardless of that musics relative popularity) in history. If this is not correct, please let me know.

According to this definition, I still think that he is not. MJ has the following credits on "Thriller":

Guitar, Arranger, Drums, SFX, Vox, Background Vox, Handclapping, Producer, Vox Arrangement, Horn Arrangement, Rhythm Arrangement, Synth Arrangement, Stomp Board Guitar

He has the sole writing credits on "Wanna Be Starting Something", "The Girl Is Mine", "Beat It", and most notably, "Billie Jean".

I won't mention the chart positions of the album and its singles for reasons of redundancy.

"Thriller" was awarded by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences the GRAMMY award for Best Male Rock Vocal, Best R&B Male Vocal, Best Engineered Non-Classical, Best Male Pop Vocal, Record of The Year, Best R&B Song, and of course Album of The Year.

In the face of this evidence, I think that MJ cannot be called the most overrated.

I propose that Janis Joplin and Elvis Presley are more overrated. I'd love to hear the backlash on those two.

[BusterStacks]

Good call, Janis Joplin is god-awful.

[daryn]

janis joplin for sure, but not my man elvis

[Bukem_]

You are delusional if you don't think thriller influenced every pop act of there today.

Pop sound, dance moves, flashy pop image, videos, all have ties to mj and thriller.

[Dominic]

[ QUOTE ]

"Thriller" was awarded by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences the GRAMMY award for Best Male Rock Vocal, Best R&B Male Vocal, Best Engineered Non-Classical, Best Male Pop Vocal, Record of The Year, Best R&B Song, and of course Album of The Year.[ QUOTE ]




You're making my case for me..."Thriller" was a cultural phenomenon, no doubt...but is it even a listenable record?

I think the awards given above is indicative of being "over-rated."

You mention Elvis Presley as someone who is overrated...his performing style, dance moves, and music was ten times more influential than anything Jackson has done.

Jackson's appeal can be attributed to fantastic marketing and the fact he was the first popular artist to moonwalk. Period.

His music - almost without exception - is boring, redundant, lite-weight crap.

[Dominic]

[ QUOTE ]
You are delusional if you don't think thriller influenced every pop act of there today.

Pop sound, dance moves, flashy pop image, videos, all have ties to mj and thriller.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? What was revolutionary about the music or the dancing?

Take a look at Blondie, Devo, Earth Wind & Fire, The Cars, The Commodores...what did MJ do that was any different than what these artists had been doing before "Off the Wall" and "Thriller" came out?

He sold tons of records. That's it. I mean, you could even argue he wasn't that revolutionary when it came to music videos. Yes, he spent the money on making a "Thriller" with a film director - John Landis. But Duran Duran was the first act who used film and expensive locations for their videos...when it comes to music video history - Duran Duran was the first to leap into expensive production.

To imagine that "Wanna Be Starting Something" or "Billie Jean" was something new in music is delusional. Nice pop ditties. That's all they are, and - more importantly - that's all they were back then, too.

[BusterStacks]

Alright well who do YOU think was revolutionary in Pop music?

[Bukem_]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You are delusional if you don't think thriller influenced every pop act of there today.



[/ QUOTE ]

Really? What was revolutionary about the music or the dancing?



[/ QUOTE ]

It didn't have to be revolutionary(Even though it was). The music, dancing, and videos were all done better than any artist before mj. And arguably since then.

[Dominic]

[ QUOTE ]
Alright well who do YOU think was revolutionary in Pop music?

[/ QUOTE ]

fair enough...

The Beatles
Elvis
Johnny Cash
Loretta Lynn
Prince
James Brown
Phil Spector
Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Nirvana
Pink Floyd

Now, I don't necessarily love all of the acts above, but I do recognize they either did something first, or changed their genre of music in some way...

[Bukem_]

Justin Timberlake, Usher. Probably the two most popular male pop artists out today.

Both wish they were mj in every way possible.

[drudman]

I think we disagree over what a good pop record is. MJ's songs are all very well-crafted pieces of music with excellent arranging. They won't expand your mind per se, but they did influence large numbers of artists. His songs are among the best pop songs ever written. I think we shall have to agree to disagree. I listen to Thriller fairly regularly, and there isn't a song on it that I skip over.

I will also point out (though I'm sure the point will be dismissed by someone) that he advanced the plight of the Black recording artist significantly at the time and should be duly noted for that accomplishment.

[Senor Choppy]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow this is sure a stupid topic. I mean Thriller only sold 25 million copies. He only has enough #1 songs to make an entire CD out of. Top 5 record sales EVER clearly means nothing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Commercial success is more or less a requirement of being overrated. It's nonsensical to talk about someone that's unpopular being overrated.

[Dominic]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Wow this is sure a stupid topic. I mean Thriller only sold 25 million copies. He only has enough #1 songs to make an entire CD out of. Top 5 record sales EVER clearly means nothing.

[/ QUOTE ]


Commercial success is more or less a requirement of being overrated. It's nonsensical to talk about someone that's unpopular being overrated.

[/ QUOTE ]


thank you.

/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Kenrick]

[ QUOTE ]
Sure, he had a few good good songs - mostly from Off the Wall - but the dude hasn't learned a new dance move in 25 years,

[/ QUOTE ]

He didn't have to. I saw him on a TV special a year or two ago, and even at age 40 or whatever he can still hang with the current crop of dancing artists who basically copied him anyway.

I also don't know how Usher could be included in the list of overrated. I don't care for his music much either way, but the times I've seen him perform he's certainly entertaining.

Does Fred Durst count as pop? Probably not.