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Forums > Music: Non-Prince > Let's say "Thriller" never happened....
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Thread started 06/05/18 9:53am

Cinnamon234

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Let's say "Thriller" never happened....

Sometimes I wonder what if MJ only released "Off The Wall" and that was it for his solo output.

How do you think MJ would have been remembered in the history books? Would he have been thought of like his brother Jermaine. Meaning a talented r&b singer and child singer but obviously would not have been viewed as someone who revolutionized pop music.


Would he have been revered much at all without his albums in the 80's, particularly "Thriller"? Can you even imagine MJ without "Thriller"?
"And When The Groove Is Dead And Gone, You Know That Love Survives, So We Can Rock Forever" RIP MJ heart

"Baby, that was much too fast"...Goodnight dear sweet Prince. I'll love you always heart
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Reply #1 posted 06/05/18 10:22am

NorthC

While I'm not a fan of Mr. Jackson at all, without Thriller on MTV, there would have been no Prince on MTV either... Jackson was ground-breaking, not so much musically, but be paved the way for other black artists to make it big.
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Reply #2 posted 06/05/18 12:54pm

Cinny

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Welp, you'd still have every black crossover act mentioned on that MTV thread. I'm of the opinion that it had to be done and there was some very popular music being made after disco that would have had to break through by label pressure. I don't know who but it would have happened.

Probably Prince? Hello? This is his fan site.

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Reply #3 posted 06/05/18 3:19pm

Cinnamon234

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Cinny said:

Welp, you'd still have every black crossover act mentioned on that MTV thread. I'm of the opinion that it had to be done and there was some very popular music being made after disco that would have had to break through by label pressure. I don't know who but it would have happened.

Probably Prince? Hello? This is his fan site.




I think so too.

However, my question is not so much about pop culture but more about what would MJ's musical legacy be like without "Thriller" or any of his solo albums that followed.

If his career ended after "Off The Wall", I wonder what his music legacy would be like? Would he pretty much be forgotten?
[Edited 6/5/18 15:20pm]
"And When The Groove Is Dead And Gone, You Know That Love Survives, So We Can Rock Forever" RIP MJ heart

"Baby, that was much too fast"...Goodnight dear sweet Prince. I'll love you always heart
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Reply #4 posted 06/05/18 3:42pm

Mintchip

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I worship Off the Wall. It’s sexy, alive, joyous, and I can’t find anything that comes close. So...I think he’d be a recluse, and we’d have a strange Lauryn Hill like fascination of the artist who has everything going him, such talent and charisma we can’t stop thinking about them...and they’re choosing not to do anything with it...are there others like that? Andre, D’Angelo comes to mind. Who knows what these people do all day? Grandma would say something about idleness. At least Andre 3000 seems healthy...michael would probably have some combination petting zoo / children’s hospital somewhere. Probably in calabasas.
[Edited 6/5/18 16:02pm]
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Reply #5 posted 06/05/18 5:14pm

MotownSubdivis
ion

^Yeah, I see it as more of a what could've been situation with Michael. He would've stopped while on an upward trajectory; what more could he have done?
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Reply #6 posted 06/05/18 6:29pm

woogiebear

Although "Thriller" sold a BAJILLION copies, I'd be alright w/just "Off The Wall"!! I go to it more than any other MJJ Solo Project after it!! But He wouldn't be "King Of Pop" WITHOUT IT (Thriller)!!

cool

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Reply #7 posted 06/05/18 10:01pm

purplethunder3
121

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Yeah, I can. I've thought about it many times since MJ died and I think he would have had a successful music career although less famous and iconic. I also think he would have had a much happier and healthier life. That's just my opinion, but there it is.

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #8 posted 06/06/18 6:34am

LouieLestate

purplethunder3121 said:

Yeah, I can. I've thought about it many times since MJ died and I think he would have had a successful music career although less famous and iconic. I also think he would have had a much happier and healthier life. That's just my opinion, but there it is.

That makes me wonder. If one made a poll like this:

If given the power to choose what will happen to Michael Jackson, what would you choose?

A: Michael lives a happy, lowkey life.

B: Michael makes Thriller.

I wonder how many people would doom him in order to get the number one album of all time.

"We're not hitchhiking anymore!....we're riding!!"
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Reply #9 posted 06/06/18 6:51am

LightOfArt

LouieLestate said:

purplethunder3121 said:

Yeah, I can. I've thought about it many times since MJ died and I think he would have had a successful music career although less famous and iconic. I also think he would have had a much happier and healthier life. That's just my opinion, but there it is.

That makes me wonder. If one made a poll like this:

If given the power to choose what will happen to Michael Jackson, what would you choose?

A: Michael lives a happy, lowkey life.

B: Michael makes Thriller.

I wonder how many people would doom him in order to get the number one album of all time.

I can manage just fine without Thriller. But I do need Bad, Dangerous and HIStory in my life. Then again those albums would not have happened without Thriller. Very tricky question lol

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Reply #10 posted 06/06/18 7:13am

Derek1984

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What would the legacy of MJ had been if he died doing the Pepsi commerical in 1984.

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Reply #11 posted 06/06/18 7:40am

MotownSubdivis
ion

Derek1984 said:

What would the legacy of MJ had been if he died doing the Pepsi commerical in 1984.

Would've died at the absolute zenith of his career. The "what could've been" would been a lot broader and unanimously optimistic had that happened.
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