Within minutes of Michael Jackson’s passing on June 25, Twitter went abuzz with all ten trending topics referencing Michael Jackson, from "RIP Michael Jackson" to "Pop King." Whatever you may have thought of Michael Jackson’s personal life, his contribution to the world of entertainment was unmistakable. He raised the bar beyond the level of Elvis Presley to set a mark that will be hard for any artist to measure up to in the years and generations to come. Watch the Top Ten videos selected to honor the life and times of the King of Pop that were all produced within a few hours of his passing.
1- Queen Latifah’s Memorial Service reading of a Maya Angelou poem to Michael
2- Tribute by Madonna on July 4th!
3- Tribute to MJ at the Apollo
4- BET Awards 2009 – Micheal Jackson Tribute – Jamie Foxx
5 The Game’s New Tribute Song "Better On The Other Side" featuring Chris Brown, P.Diddy, Mario Winans & Usher
6- by New Kids On The Block
7- by the BBC
8- by BeforeAndAfterTV
9- by Slatester- tribute to Moon Walking!
10- by 1500 Filipino Prisoners in Cebu, Philippines
Before ‘viral marketing’ was even a term in our social media vocabulary, Michael Jackson was definitely the first artist to produce a promotional music video that was able to circumnavigate the globe instantaneously on TV in one day (November 30, 1982). Thriller, released by Epic Records cemented Jackson’s status as the predominant pop star of the late 20th century. It enabled him to break down racial barriers via his appearances on MTV and meetings with President Ronald Reagan at the White House. Thriller ranked number 20 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2003, and was listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers at number three in their Definitive 200 Albums of All Time. It has been preserved by the Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry, as it was deemed "culturally significant."
We Are the World was a 1985 song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, produced and conducted by Quincy Jones and recorded by a super-group of popular musicians billed as USA for Africa. It raised over $63 million to fight AIDS globally. Solo performances on the single featured:
* Lionel Richie
* Stevie Wonder
* Paul Simon
* Kenny Rogers
* James Ingram
* Tina Turner
* Billy Joel
* Michael Jackson
* Diana Ross
* Dionne Warwick
* Willie Nelson
* Al Jarreau
* Bruce Springsteen
* Kenny Loggins
* Steve Perry
* Daryl Hall
* Huey Lewis
* Cyndi Lauper
* Kim Carnes
* Bob Dylan
* Ray Charles
Michael Jackson’s legacy will remain a cultural statement for years to come based on the dedicated work and artistry of these two videos…
Thriller
We Are The World
