Michael Jackson: The Immortal Artist

Rolling Stone magazine has published a list of immortal artists who have appeared in the music world so far. The list, consisting of fifty women, men, and music groups, has given its thirty-fifth spot to Michael Jackson. The magazine’s editor, in an article, explained the reason for choosing Michael Jackson: "Michael Jackson is the greatest showman in the world. I saw one of the most explosive performances of my life when Michael was sliding across the stage at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the founding of Motown. Seeing such a scene made all of us understand what greatness truly means. And anything that doesn’t match it is below greatness. Before him, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and Frank Sinatra had appeared. And Michael Jackson immediately took his place among them. I’m almost the same age as Michael. The first time I saw him was at an amusement park in the state of Ohio. The Jackson Five were performing on stage. Michael’s voice could be heard throughout the entire amusement park grounds. From the very beginning, I was impressed by his voice. The song «Billie Jean» is his most important work. Not only in terms of its commercial success, but also because its music is so deeply meaningful. This song was more captivating than every other song I have heard so far. All the rhythms of this song stay in your mind, and each one has its own special catchiness. You can divide this song into twelve different songs. And I think that each of these songs could have been very successful. I still haven’t heard anything like it. Michael has influenced many artists. You can see his influence in his sister Janet, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and Mariah Carey. You can also see his influence in the dance moves that many young artists perform. If you pay attention to Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Usher, you will truly see that they are performing a page from Michael Jackson’s playbook. There are many people who view Michael as an astonishing landscape, and that is sad. It keeps us from seeing the artistic side of him. A world without Michael Jackson would be a very, very different world. And I think all of us should feel fortunate because an artist with this level of talent and ability has entered our lives—because he has expanded our lives."