Was Michael Jackson really that famous?

[My Spot]

The Sultan of Brunei paid him $17 million for a concert so yeah, he was pretty famous.

 

[tank666]

I grew up in the 80s and he was huge. He and Madonna were the elite in those days. I didn't know anyone who hadn't heard of him or didn't own a copy of Thriller. Still love Thriller and Bad. I just really hope the stories are false.

 

[My Spot]

I grew up in the 80s and he was huge. He and Madonna were the elite in those days. I didn't know anyone who hadn't heard of him or didn't own a copy of Thriller. Still love Thriller and Bad. I just really hope the stories are false.

He was still huge in the 90s too. I remember the joke about how him marrying Lisa Marie Presley was proof that Elvis really was dead because otherwise he would've stopped his daughter from marrying MJ.

 

[RollSonnenRoll]

He owned the 80s. MTV Videos, Album Sales, Commercials, Tours. He was GLOBAL in a way that most are not. He was a God in Europe and Japan. The debuts of his videos were like a movie release. His fashion and dancing style was all over the world. He did We Are The World, The Superbowl, Victory Tour, and was page 1 news no matter what he did. From having an amusement park, to living with a chimp named bubbles, to being weird with little boys, he was always in the news. Thriller is the biggest album ever....and every album had crazy amounts of number 1's.

His impact on the music video and the super bowl half time show can't be understated. He didnt invent these things but he did them so well that it changed how they were viewed and raised the bar for everyone else. He essentially made the super bowl half time show a thing

 

[mozfonky]

absolutely he was. But all things change, I remember when Muhammad Ali was "the best known face on Earth" and now younger Generations might not even know who he is. Elvis isn't as huge as he once was either, it's a consequence of how rapidly our culture runs through it's myths and heroes.

 

[MicroBrew]

I grew up in the 80s and he was huge. He and Madonna were the elite in those days. I didn't know anyone who hadn't heard of him or didn't own a copy of Thriller. Still love Thriller and Bad. I just really hope the stories are false.

My favorite MJ song is Beat-It, and a big reason why is Eddie Van Halen's guitar riff. That riff is soo iconic and one of the GOAT riffs.

 

[tank666]

He was still huge in the 90s too. I remember the joke about how him marrying Lisa Marie Presley was proof that Elvis really was dead because otherwise he would've stopped his daughter from marrying MJ.

I heard that joke but slightly different.
When MJ married Lisa - If Elvis was dead he would be spinning in his grave.

 

[mozfonky]

My favorite MJ song is Beat-It, and a big reason why is Eddie Van Halen's guitar riff. That riff is soo iconic and one of the GOAT riffs.

Eddie only played the solo which of course he did brilliantly. the rest was studio musicians.

 

[tank666]

Prob hard for kids these days to understand how massive some older artists were in music. Remember telling my own kids sometimes how many millions of albums an artist sold in the 80s/90s.
They say yeah but ***** has 1 billion streams on YouTube though.
Have to explain this was when people actually paid for their damn music!

 

[Protectandserve]

Dude was unbelievably famous. Like not even funny, especially when you consider this was pre internet days.

 

[Chesten_Hesten]

He sold scooters and fucked midgets, doesn't get anymore famous than that.

 

[IDGETKTFO]

He wasn't till he fought CM Punk.

 

[Phlog]

He was as famous as coca cola, easily the most famous person alive. Indigenous tribespeople in the Amazon rainforest knew who he was.

 

[Phlog]

I get the opinion that MJ is more famous today than when he was alive. Great dance entertainer, some decent songs, but when alive he was a strange guy, having sleep overs with young boys, all the plastic surgery, bleaching his skin,... I just remember when growing up my friends and I thought he was weird.

You must have been born a bit later than me. He was the closest thing on earth to Jesus Christ, the pope had nothing on him.

I still believe dammit, gone too soon.

 

[HomeCheese]

He was huge, no one compare in todays society that I can think of.

 

[nonoob]

Yes, for giving decades of entertainment.
It don't matter if you're black or white.

 

[TheMadThinker]

Say what you want about his weirdo lifestyle, but the guy was insanely popular. I mean nobody was even close when he was at his apex.

There was a hole generation who only saw his decline into what he was before he died, so I can see how some people would want to look back and try to make a correction.

 

[Sweater of AV]

I get the opinion that MJ is more famous today than when he was alive. Great dance entertainer, some decent songs, but when alive he was a strange guy, having sleep overs with young boys, all the plastic surgery, bleaching his skin,... I just remember when growing up my friends and I thought he was weird.

In no way, shape or form is he more popular today.

From your description, it sounds like you missed pretty much all of his relevant career.

 

[Kardashians]

Man, to this day I love MJ. Got his records on vinyl, cassette, and CD. I like to sit and watch videos on YouTube of his dancing. Dude is amazing. Wish I had seen it in real time.

 

[Thawing Mammoth]

To be fair to OP, his obsessive fans do have a weird view of him. Total cult vibes. He was that famous though. EVERYBODY knew exactly who he was, his songs, his life story and what he'd been accused of. Think of like if Game of Thrones and Trump and Kanye West was one person

Stars just aren't as big now, more TV channels less monoculture etc etc