SoulAlive said:

"Beat It" = video
"Thriller" = video
"Smooth Criminal" = video
"Bad" = video
"Black or White" = video
"Remember the Time" = video
"Scream" = video

True enough, Michael may not have reached the pinnacle without MTV/music video's, but his music, IMO, was definitely strong enough to stand on its own.

Part of Michael's 'magic' was that the whole package was perfect. The music, the vocals, the visuals, everything just struch a perfect chord, time and time again. And he always brought it differently, Thriller was nothing like Remember the Time, or Smooth Criminal. Mike was just an innovater, he was so good, he made it look easy.

Timmy84 said:

Radio jumped on singles and album tracks earlier back then. It was not uncommon for singles to be chosen based on substantial radio play and feedback.

AlexdeParis said:

Is that why most people start with Mj dance MOVES especially lil kids, when u mention Mj? U would not know his dance moves without the video.

Graycap23 said:

The man obviously has signature moves and was the king of music videos. But when I think of MJ, I think of songs like "Billie Jean."

But I'm not a little kid.

Hummm.....I think Mj was a more important video artist than music maker. I listen 2 his catalogue in order. Once I got thru Bad, I started skipping tracks on History and just stopped listening all together.
[Edited 7/20/09 14:22pm]

Graycap23 said:

That's just your personal taste, not an indictment on his musical abilities.

Graycap23 said:

MJ started off as a music maker even before some of us talking on this thread were even a future memory. When I came around, the video era was in full bloom. It was sometimes hard to imagine Michael without a video or anybody else for that matter. Sometimes I would hear George Michael's, Prince's and Janet Jackson's songs before hearing the videos. I would hear more oldies on the radio and I wouldn't know of a Michael Jackson record unless it was a video. Maybe it's a generation gap.

SoulAlive said:

WHO ARE YOU??

paisleypark4 said:

Graycap23 said:

people do James Brown moves, too, and I wouldn't call him a video artist.

I'd say it's the performance aspect for MJ (singing & dancing) that is most important. That performance was captured in videos to a large extent, but I don't think it HAD to be that way.

He did a lot of live performances that would have equally played & replayed.

NDRU said:

Yeah that's definitely true too.

Graycap23 said:

But all that really means is that maybe his later music just wasn't quite as good as the earlier music
[Edited 7/20/09 14:47pm]

His music video's are great, but I would still think he was great and love him just as much without them. Michael came from a time and started in the music business when you HAD TO HAVE TALENT to make it, period! There was no MTV or anything when MJ was starting out. It's because of his talent that he made it in the first place.

His music and performances all the way from the Jackson 5 days when the music video wasn't even around or it wasn't a force like it became in the 80's, to later on, still holds . I love all his albums for the record. I can find brilliance in every album of his. He's never dissapointed me musically. I don't even watch his music video's that much to be honest. I do however watch his performances and listen to his music all the time though. Music video's or not, I still think he's amazing and I would still be a huge fan regardless.
[Edited 7/20/09 14:51pm]

AlexdeParis said:

You'd be amazed how many people I heard slag off MJ songs and then, after they saw the video, they'd suddenly love the song.

whatsgoingon said:

Both songs are 2 different genres of music. One r&b/soul, one pure pop.

A song like Liberian Girl stands on its own. I don't even think about it's video. The song and video have absolutely NOTHING to do with one another.

dreamfactory313 said:

And the video actually reeked to me.

Timmy84 said:

I know. Its not one of my favorites either. Theres only that last scene with Michael in it.

I was thinkin about this before. Love alot of MJ's video's but the song by itself... meh. I mean Thriller great video, ok song. The same with Beat It.

Rinluv said:

"Thriller" is not a favorite of mine, but "Beat It" is a brilliant song.

dreamfactory313 said:

My only favorite part of the video.

That's where he's like "OK, that's enough. " and laughs.

AlexdeParis said:

And "Billie Jean" was even more awesome but my favorite MJ track doesn't have a video.

"If they say why, why?
Tell them that it's human nature
Why, why, does they do me that way..."

Timmy84 said:

Yep, that's my favorite adult MJ track (although I like "I Wanna Be Where You Are" and "Show You the Way to Go" more). No videos for any of them, but the songs are all top-notch.

AlexdeParis said:

It's the songs that don't have videos at all that are underrated. Hell "Butterflies" was one of his finest songs in his final years.

Timmy84 said:

seeingvoices12 said:

What?

Timmy84 said:

Told you to leave the song alone before, didn't I?

Timmy84 said:

I didn't even notice that!

seeingvoices12 said:

Well I'm sorry, you can't divorce me from that song.