Today marks the 40th anniversary of the release of the best-selling album of all time: Thriller.
And I was there.
I remember the build up with the release of the lead off single, ‘The Girl is Mine,’ a duet between Michael Jackson and former Beatle Paul McCartney. A couple of months later saw the release of ‘Billie Jean.’ Everything changed for me after that. As if the bass line and synthesizer chord changes weren’t hypnotizing enough, when I checked out the lyrics, I was done.
Or so I thought.
Then came the video that signaled the beginning of a new day for the still fledgling MTV network as it kicked opened doors for other Black artists to have their videos played as well.
THEN came the iconic performance in May 1983 on Motown 25 that sent him into the stratosphere. While his legacy has been tainted by noticeable physical changes, sensational accusations regarding his personal behavior, and odd decisions in general, let’s briefly go back to a time when Michael Jackson could do no wrong.
