Michael Jackson
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Michael Jackson's mark on 80's music is unmistakable. Growing up in Gary, Indiana, it is well known that Michael was the eighth child out of a family of ten, and that the Jackson family was very musical. Michael's father, Joe Jackson, pushed his children hard. By 8 years old, Michael was sharing vocals with his brother Jermaine in the Jackson 5. By the late 1960's, the Jackson 5 was an up and coming Motown band, with hit songs like "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There".
While at the same time a member of the Jackson 5, Michael released four solo albums (between 1972 and 1975). By 1975, the Jackson 5 had left Motown, signed with Epic Records, and changed their name to The Jacksons. After a number of releases, Jackson went back to a solo career, releasing Off the Wall in 1979, an album which featured the hit songs "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You".
In late 1982, Michael Jackson released his best selling album, Thriller, which not only netted him a number of awards in 1983, but also brought us a number if hit songs, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean", "Wanna Be Startin' Something", and the title track (with its ground breaking music video). Jackson became one of the few musicians that had toys modeled after him. His signature Moonwalk dance move was introduced to the world on a Motown special that aired in 1983 as Jackson performed Billie Jean.
In 1984, Jackson was injured when his hair caught on fire during the taping of a Pepsi commercial, and it is said that this was the start of his downward spiral as he coped with the pain. "We Are the World" also became popular in 1984, a song Jackson co-wrote with Lionel Richie. It was around this time that Jackson's skin began to turn lighter, purportedly due to vitiligo and lupus, and he also began heavy plastic surgery. Rumors began stirring around Jackson's behavior, and his sensitive to light, in addition to creating a Wonderland and hanging around with his pet Chimpanzee (Bubbles).
Jackson returned to the studio with the release of Bad in 1987, which featured a number of hits, such as "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", "Dirty Diana", and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You". Jackson would not release another studio album until 1991, Dangerous, which featured the hit song "Black or White".
Post 80's, things were off and on for Jackson. There were legal problems, marriages to Lisa Marie Presley and Debbie Rowe, a strip search...Jackson was not treated fairly and many people tried to take advantage of his good nature and generosity. That is really all ilovethe80s.com intends to write about it. Michael Jackson died in 2009 at the age of 50 from a doctor-monitored drug overdose while planning a comeback. The Michael Jackson Discography is as follows:
Listen for free or download any Michael Jackson track for just 12 cents per song!
- 1972: Got to Be There
- 1972: Ben
- 1973: Portrait of Michael Jackson / Portrait of Jackson 5
- 1973: Music & Me
- 1979: Off the Wall
- 1980: Motown Superstar Series, Vol. 7
- 1980: Superstar
- 1982: Thriller
- 1983: Michael Jackson & The Jackson 5
- 1984: Ain't No Sunshine
- 1984: The Great Love Songs of Michael Jackson
- 1986: Ben / Got to Be There
- 1986: Looking Back to Yesterday
- 1987: The Original Soul of Michael Jackson
- 1987: Bad Release date: August 31, 1987
- 1975: The Best of Michael Jackson
- 1981: One Day in Your Life
- 1983: 18 Greatest Hits
- 1983: 9 Singles Pack
- 1984: 14 Greatest Hits Type: Unreleased tracks
- 1986: Anthology
- 1986: Their Very Best – Back to Back (with Diana Ross/Gladys Knight/Stevie Wonder)
- 1987: Love Songs (with Diana Ross)
- 1988: Singles Souvenir Pack
- 1991: Dangerous
- 1992: Motown's Greatest Hits
- 1992: Tour Souvenir Pack
- 1993: Rockin' Robin
- 1993: Dangerous – The Remix Collection
- 1995: HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I
- 1996: Michael Jackson Story
- 1997: Master Series
- 1997: Ghosts – Deluxe Collector Box Set
- 1997: Got to Be There / Forever, Michael
- 1997: The Best of Michael Jackson & The Jackson Five
- 1999: The Very Best of Michael Jackson with The Jackson Five
- 2000: 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Michael Jackson
- 2000: Bad / Thriller
- 2000: Forever, Michael / Music & Me / Ben
- 2001: Classic – The Universal Masters Collection
- 2001: Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I
- 2001: Invincible
- 2002: Love Songs
- 2003: Number Ones
- 2004: Off the Wall / Thriller/ Bad / Dangerous Box Set
- 2004: The Ultimate Collection
- 2004: Michael Jackson
- 2005: The Best of Michael Jackson & the Jackson Five
- 2005: The Essential Michael Jackson
- 2006: Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix / Invincible Type Box Set
- 2006: Visionary: The Video Singles
- 2006: Visionary Remixes
- 2007: The Silver Collection
- 2008: Off the Wall / Invincible
- 2008: Thriller – 25th Anniversary Limited Japanese Single Collection
- 2008: King of Pop
- 2008: Gold
- 2009: The Collection
- 2009: The Definitive Collection
- 2009: Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection
- 2009: Mellow Michael Jackson
- 2009: Best Selection
- 2009: Michael Jackson: The Remix Suite I
- 2009: Michael Jackson: The Remix Suite II
- 2009: Michael Jackson: The Remix Suite III
- 2009: Michael Jackson: The Remix Suite IV
- 2009: Pure Michael: Motown a Cappella
- 2009: The Early Years
- 2010: The Very Best of Michael Jackson & the Jackson 5 / Diana Ross & the Supremes
- 2010: Michael
- 2011: Mellow Michael Jackson – Never Can Say Goodbye
- 2011: Dear Michael: The Motown Collection
- 2012: Michael Jackson: Live at Wembley July 16, 1988
- 2012: Icon
- 2013: The Indispensable Collection
- 2013: The Ultimate Fan Extras Collection
- 2014: Xscape