I watching This Week, which is a news program, and even they were talking about Michael Jackson. You have to admit, if it was Amy Winehouse or Lil Wayne who died nobody would care much. There is a universal love of him that you rarely see with entertainers. People of all ages and colors love his music. Peggy Noonan, a right wing writer in her 50s talked about how she and her parents watched the Motown 25 special. That kind of universal artist is a dying breed. The culture is much more skewed now, cliqued off into ages and cultural rivalries. The days of a universal icon are almost over

Completely agreed

Since MJ's last official album (Invincible, 2001), Lil Wayne has made 4.....I'm no fan of Lil Wayne at all, I just can't see why you're comparing....I am sure that there are fans who will mourne when Lil Wayne or Amy Whinehouse dies!

Abierman, did you read what I said? Well, let's then mention Tupac or Kurt Cobain. Do you think my mother or the stockbroker up the street would care that they died or even know their music? They knew Michael's music. The same with Frank Sinatra. Old folks mourned, but so did younger artists.

That universal superstar no longer exists. Stevie Wonder may be the last one. Prince is not universal or he is in a slight way.

I didn't wanna comment but I'm gonna have to say this:

How many stars really had that universal appeal besides Elvis (yeah he did, not to the level of Mike but come on, lol), Michael and the Beatles?

In some ways, the universality of it is RARE...and kinda unfortunate.