In no particular order for me:

I'd undo Nipplegate and have Janet release All Night from Damita Jo and she never would've been blacklisted and defied the seemingly inevitable "fall off" for "aging" pop stars

MJ's hair wouldn't have have caught fire leading to his addiction to pain killers and untimely death

Donny Hathaway (and Phyllis Hyman) would've gotten the meds (and treatment) they needed

Tupac never fools with Death Row and ceased being double-minded to become the "community activist" he said he wanted to become

Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye die of old age having amassed album catalogues second to none

Jimi hendrix and Tupac live longer

SuperSoulFighter said:

I'd make sure the drum machine was never invented. [Edited 1/10/15 5:38am]

I like the drum machine. I would say that I'd make sure Autotune was never invented

Really? ...

SuperSoulFighter said:

I'd make sure the drum machine was never invented.

oh, and FUNK survives as a genre!

SuperSoulFighter said:

I'd make sure the drum machine was never invented. [Edited 1/10/15 5:38am]

What??? No drum machine means no Linndrum, means no When Doves Cry. Just to mention one of many topnotch songs that Prince did using (very cool) drum machine patterns.

If any technology has to disappear then preferably autotune.

Ego101 said:

Surely Jimi would still be alive if I could change music history. RIP Jimi, you were the best!

funkaholic1972 said:

the Pop Ascension itself which has ripped the heart out of genuine musical expression, rooted out authenticity, and taken all the virtue out of culture

no mj accusations

no nipplegate

would smack madonna upside the head for a few things

no mariah breakdown/tommy motolla scheming

no mj, whitney houston, aaliyah, left eye, tupac, biggie deaths along with countless others

and I agree about the pop ascension.

Bruce Lee had lived and finished Game Of Death instead of the version that was released that had nothing to do with Bruce's idea.

.

It didn't take so long for Jackie Chan to become successful in the US.

.

That women rock acts were taken more seriously.

.

CDs and MP3s weren't invented

.

The Beatles had made the movie Up Against It in which they would have played criminals. They didn't and Yellow Submarine was made instead in which they had little to do with in order to fufill the movie contract.

.

The idea that only rednecks, hillbillies, & "white trailer trash" listen to country.

.

Kraftwerk and Duran Duran had accepted to work with Michael Jackson in the mid 1980s. Kraftwerk turns down all requests and there was scheduling conflicts with Duran.

.

Minnie Riperton, Sam Cooke, John Lennon, George Harrison, Michael Jackson, John Ritter, Selena, MCA, Dorothy Dandridge, & Marilyn Monroe had lived.

.

Mike Nesmith hadn't quit in the middle of The Monkees 1995 tour leaving some bad blood for awhile. Also that Mike recieved more recognition for creating the idea of MTV with Pop Clips that he sold to Warner Brothers, and his country rock efforts in the 1960s in the same way Gram Parsons is.

.

The Monkees movie Head didn't have that weird promotional campaign.

.

The labels and some managers/accountants/promoters were fair to their acts instead of ripping them off and leaving them broke, especially in the pay with a Cadillac, drugs, & fur coat days. Same with the Hollywood movie studios

.

Cybill Shepherd & Bruce Willis got along.

.

Chante Moore, Shanice Wilson, Jermaine Jackson, Digable Planets, & El DeBarge had been more successful and Little Richard, Chubby Checker, & TTD had success past their initial popularity.

.

Swing Out Sister isn't considered a one hit wonder.

.

The Disco Demolition and John Lennon's Jesus quote taken out of context.

.

That blues, country, easy listening, bossa nova, jazz, and soul were considered mainstream and not niche genres. There would be no need for crossing over to Top 40. They would be played automatically.

.

The rock press making self-writing important when it wasn't before.

.

Elvis Presley had made the movies he wanted instead of the ones Colonel Parker had him do just to make money. He should have just fired Parker in the first place, he might still be alive.

.

The term "blue-eyed soul" didn't exist.

.

Teddy Pendergrass, Randy Jackson, & Gloria Estefan vehicle accidents.

Charles Manson and Adolf Hitler become moderately successful artists and give up their dreams of leadership. Neither is remembered very well today.

MickyDolenz said:

Bruce Lee had lived and finished Game Of Death instead of the version that was released that had nothing to do with Bruce's idea.

.

It didn't take so long for Jackie Chan to become successful in the US.

.

That women rock acts were taken more seriously.

.

CDs and MP3s weren't invented

.

The Beatles had made the movie Up Against It in which they would have played criminals. They didn't and Yellow Submarine was made instead in which they had little to do with in order to fufill the movie contract.

.

The idea that only rednecks, hillbillies, & "white trailer trash" listen to country.

.

Kraftwerk and Duran Duran had accepted to work with Michael Jackson in the mid 1980s. Kraftwerk turns down all requests and there was scheduling conflicts with Duran.

.

Minnie Riperton, Sam Cooke, John Lennon, George Harrison, Michael Jackson, John Ritter, Selena, MCA, Dorothy Dandridge, & Marilyn Monroe had lived.

.

Mike Nesmith hadn't quit in the middle of The Monkees 1995 tour leaving some bad blood for awhile. Also that Mike recieved more recognition for creating the idea of MTV with Pop Clips that he sold to Warner Brothers, and his country rock efforts in the 1960s in the same way Gram Parsons is.

.

The Monkees movie Head didn't have that weird promotional campaign.

.

The labels and some managers/accountants/promoters were fair to their acts instead of ripping them off and leaving them broke, especially in the pay with a Cadillac, drugs, & fur coat days. Same with the Hollywood movie studios

.

Cybill Shepherd & Bruce Willis got along.

.

Chante Moore, Shanice Wilson, Jermaine Jackson, Digable Planets, & El DeBarge had been more successful and Little Richard, Chubby Checker, & TTD had success past their initial popularity.

.

Swing Out Sister isn't considered a one hit wonder.

.

The Disco Demolition and John Lennon's Jesus quote taken out of context.

.

That blues, country, easy listening, bossa nova, jazz, and soul were considered mainstream and not niche genres. There would be no need for crossing over to Top 40. They would be played automatically.

.

The rock press making self-writing important when it wasn't before.

.

Elvis Presley had made the movies he wanted instead of the ones Colonel Parker had him do just to make money. He should have just fired Parker in the first place, he might still be alive.

.

The term "blue-eyed soul" didn't exist.

.

Teddy Pendergrass, Randy Jackson, & Gloria Estefan vehicle accidents.

I approve this post

Klaatu actually turned out to be The Beatles

- Stop Michael Jackson from ever talking to Jordan Chandler

- Stop Prince from changing his name to a symbol, try to re-arrange his career from 1993-2003 (post-Musicology was great)

- Convince George Michael to release the best of Listen w/o Prejudice, Vol. 1 and 2

bobzilla77 said:

Give the deserving Cyndi Lauper Madonna's career.

Keep Larry Graham far far far from Prince.

Kept Sire records in business.

Made Britney Spears stay in school in whatever backwater town she's from.

[Edited 1/12/15 16:00pm]

Figure out some way to keep Nirvana, Pearl Jam and every other grunge band that ruined rock and roll from forming.

HELL YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

datdude said:

oh, and FUNK survives as a genre!

MickyDolenz said:

Klaatu actually turned out to be The Beatles

My favorite yet!

Motown had released Jermaine Jackson's Philadelphia album instead of shelving it.

.

The Time was allowed to do outside work. I wonder what a Evelyn "Champagne" King & Morris Day record would have sounded like.

.

Jose Feliciano & Stevie Wonder made an album together

.

All of the Temptations would get a lead on the 1982 Reunion album instead of Dennis Edwards doing 95% of the songs. The way the record is, here wasn't much of a point in Eddie & David returning.

.

Chaka Khan vocals was left on Addicted To Love by Robert Palmer.

.

The Executive (George & Andrew pre-Wham! ska band) demo was released

datdude said:

In no particular order for me:

"I'd undo Nipplegate and have Janet release All Night from Damita Jo and she never would've been blacklisted and defied the seemingly inevitable "fall off" for "aging" pop stars"

I'd have Janet release Could This Be Love from Damita Jo.

SuperSoulFighter said:

I'd make sure the drum machine was never invented. [Edited 1/10/15 5:38am]

Why?

nuttynutmeg-

You sound cool!

nuttynutmeg said:

SuperSoulFighter said:

I'd make sure the drum machine was never invented. [Edited 1/10/15 5:38am]

Why?

I'd replace the most disappointing sequel in movie history, Graffiti Bridge, with one that was worthy of being associated with Purple Rain.