musichology

placebo

2010-01-23T09:40:00.000-08:00

2010-01-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

Ray Charles

2010-01-10T11:24:00.002-08:00

Ray Charles, born Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 - June 10, 2004) was an American musician. Charles was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm & blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings for Atlantic Records.[1][2] He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his Modern Sounds albums.[3][4][5] During his tenure with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to receive and practice artistic control bestowed upon by a mainstream record company.[2]
In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Charles number ten on their list of "The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time",[6] and voted him number two on their November 2008 list of "The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time"

ray charles

2010-01-10T11:24:00.001-08:00

michael jackson

2010-01-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson at the White House in 1984.
Background information
Birth name
Michael Joseph Jackson
Born
August 29, 1958(1958-08-29)Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Died
June 25, 2009 (aged 50)Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
R&B, pop, rock, soul, dance
Occupations
Singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, choreographer, actor, businessman, philanthropist
Instruments
Vocals
Years active
1964–2009
Labels
Motown, Epic, Legacy
Associated acts
The Jackson 5
Website
http://www.michaeljackson.com/
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, dancer, and entertainer. Referred to as the King of Pop, he is the most commercially successful and one of the most influential entertainers of all time. His unique contributions to music, dance, and fashion,[1] along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a prominent figure in popular culture for over four decades.
Alongside his brothers, he made his debut in 1964 as lead singer and youngest member of The Jackson 5, and later began a successful solo career in 1971. His 1982 album Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time, with Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995) also among the world's best selling albums. He is widely credited with having transformed the music video from a promotional tool into an art form with videos for his songs such as "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Thriller" making him the first African American artist to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound, vocal style and choreography has inspired numerous pop, rock, R&B and hip hop artists and is credited with breaking down cultural, racial, and generational barriers.
One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements feature multiple Guinness World Records—including the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—15 Grammy Awards (including the "Living Legend Award" and the "Lifetime Achievement Award"), 26 American Music Awards (24 only as a solo artist, including one for "Artist of the Century")—more than any artist—, 17 number one singles in the US (including the four as a member of the Jackson 5), and estimated sales of up to 750 million records worldwide[2] making him the world's best selling artist in history.[3] He was also a notable philanthropist and humanitarian who donated and raised over 300 million dollars through support of 39 charities and his own Heal the World Foundation.[4][5][6]
Jackson's personal relationships and life generated controversy for years. His changing appearance was noticed from the late 1970s onwards, with changes to his nose and to the color of his skin drawing media publicity. He was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993 though no charges were brought, and in 2005 he was tried and acquitted when the jury ruled him not guilty on all charges. He married twice, first in 1994 and again in 1996, and brought up three children, one born to a surrogate mother. While preparing for the This Is It concert tour in 2009, Jackson died at the age of 50 after suffering from cardiac arrest. He reportedly had been administered drugs such as propofol and lorazepam, and his death was ruled a homicide by the Los Angeles County coroner. His death triggered an outpouring of grief from around the world with his globally live broadcast memorial service attracting an audience of up to one billion people;[7] as well as a huge surge in his album sales, resulting in him becoming the best selling artist of 2009 with sales in excess of 8.2 million in the United States[8] and 29 million globally.[9]
Contents[hide]
1 Life and career
1.1 Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)
1.2 Move to Epic and Off the Wall (1975–1981)
1.3 Thriller and Motown 25 (1982–83)
1.4 Pepsi, "We Are the World" and business career (1984–85)
1.5 Appearance, tabloids, Bad, autobiography and films (1986–87)
1.6 Autobiography, changing appearance and Neverland (1988–1990)
1.7 Dangerous, Heal the World Foundation and Super Bowl XXVII (1991–93)
1.8 First child sexual abuse allegations (1993)
1.9 First marriage (1994)
1.10 HIStory (1995–97)
1.11 Second marriage and fatherhood (1996–99)
1.12 Label dispute, Invincible and third child (2000–03)
1.13 Second child sexual abuse allegations (2003–05)
1.14 Final years (2006–09)
2 Death and memorial
3 Artistry
3.1 Influences
3.2 Musical themes and genres
3.3 Vocal style
3.4 Music videos and choreography
3.5 Fashion
4 Legacy and influence
5 Discography
6 Filmography
7 Tours
8 See also
9 References
9.1 Other references
10 Further reading
11 External links
//
Life and career
Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)
Michael Jackson was born August 29, 1958 as the eighth of ten children in Gary, Indiana, an industrial suburb of Chicago, to an African American working-class family. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and six brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Brandon (Marlon's twin brother, who died shortly after birth)[10] and Randy.[11]
Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe Jackson. He stated that he was physically and emotionally abused during incessant rehearsals, with whippings, and name-calling, though he admitted his father's strict discipline played a large role in his success.[12] In one altercation recalled by Marlon, Joseph held Michael upside down by one leg and "pummeled him over and over again with his hand, hitting him on his back and buttocks".[13] Joseph would also grab his sons and push them with great force against the wall. One night while Michael was asleep, Joseph climbed into his room through the bedroom window, wearing a fright mask and screamed, in hopes to scare him. He said he wanted to teach the children not to leave the window open when they went to sleep. For years afterward, Jackson said he suffered nightmares about being kidnapped from his bedroom.[13] Joseph acknowledged in 2003 that he regularly whipped Jackson as a child.[14]
Jackson first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in an interview with Oprah Winfrey broadcast on February 10, 1993 live from around the world. He admitted that he had often cried from loneliness and would sometimes even vomit when he saw his father. In an interview with Martin Bashir, later included in the 2003 broadcast of Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson acknowledged that his father hurt him when he was a child, but was nonetheless a "genius." When Bashir dismissed the positive remark and continued asking about beatings, Jackson put his hand over his face and objected to the questions. He recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, and that "if you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you".[15][16]
He showed talent early in his life, performing in front of classmates during a Christmas recital in kindergarten. In 1964, he and Marlon joined the Jackson 5 - a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing; at the age of eight, he and Jermaine assumed lead vocals, and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5.[11] The band toured the Midwest extensively from 1966 to 1968, frequently performing at a string of black clubs known as the "chitlin' circuit", where they often opened stripteases and other adult acts. In 1966, they won a major local talent show with renditions of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Michael.[17]
The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy", for the local record label Steeltown in 1967, and signed with Motown Records in 1968.[11] Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," writing that he "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer."[18] The group set a chart record when its first four singles ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There") peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[11]
Between 1972 and 1975, Jackson released four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben, released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise, and producing successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben", and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5 disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.[19]
Move to Epic and Off the Wall (1975–1981)
The Jackson 5 signed a new contract with CBS Records in June 1975, joining the Philadelphia International Records division, later Epic Records,[19] and renaming themselves The Jacksons.[20] They continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984, during which Jackson was the lead songwriter, writing hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel," and "Can You Feel It".[17]
In 1978, he starred as the scarecrow in the musical, The Wiz,[21] and it was here that he teamed up with Quincy Jones, who was arranging the film's musical score. Jones agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album, Off the Wall.[22] In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty was not a complete success; he complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and subsequent operations.[23]
Jones and Jackson produced the Off the Wall album together. At the album's pre-release party, Michael, himself, stated that Little Richard had a "huge influence" on him.[24] Songwriters for the album included Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney. Released in 1979, it was the first album to generate four U.S. top 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".[25] It reached number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[26] In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". That year, he also won Billboard Music Awards for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[25] Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.[27] In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.[28]
Thriller and Motown 25 (1982–83)
In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; the record won a Grammy for Best Album for Children.[29] That same year Jackson issued his second Epic album, Thriller, which surprisingly became the most commercially successful album of all time with nearly no promotion. The album remained in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for 80 consecutive weeks and 37 of those weeks at the peak position. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."[30] Thriller was certified for 29 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. It is the best-selling album of all time in the United States.[31] It was, and currently remains, the best-selling album of all time, with 110 million copies worldwide.[32] Jackson's attorney John Branca noted that Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the music industry at that point: approximately $2 for every album sold. He was also making record-breaking profits from sales of CDs and The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller, a documentary produced by Jackson and John Landis. Funded by MTV, the documentary sold over 350,000 copies in a few months. The era saw the arrival of novelties like dolls modeled after Michael Jackson, which appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of $12.[33] Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli writes that, "Thriller stopped selling like a leisure item — like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie — and started selling like a household staple."[34]

Jackson debuts the moonwalk during his performance on Motown 25
Time described Jackson's influence at that point as "Star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too".[33] The New York Times wrote that, "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".[35]
Jackson's popularity would soar further. On March 25, 1983, he performed live on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special, both with The Jackson 5 and on his own singing "Billie Jean". Wearing a distinctive sequined glove, he debuted his signature dance move, the moonwalk, which former Soul Train dancer and Shalamar member, Jeffrey Daniel had taught him 3 years before. His performances during the event were seen by 47 million viewers, and drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and the The Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.[36] Anna Kisselgoff of the The New York Times said, "The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing."[37] Ian Inglis, author of Performance and Popular Music: History, Place and Time (2006) noted Jackson had created a pivotal turning point in the history of popular music "in that [his performance] marked the shift of emphasis from musical performance to visual presentation. In stark contrast to the other, live, performances of Motown 25, Jackson performed to a pre-recorded soundtrack, lip-syncing to his multi-layered pre-recorded voice, thus indicating that the visual reenactment of music video imagery had become an integral, and perhaps dominant, part of live performance."[38] From this performance emerged the origin of music video as the primary source through which artists promote popular music.
Pepsi, "We Are the World" and business career (1984–85)
On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi Cola commercial, overseen by executive Philip Dusenberry,[39] at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. In front of a full house of fans during a simulated concert, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire. He suffered second-degree burns to his scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars on his scalp, and he also had his third rhinoplasty shortly thereafter.[23] Jackson never recovered from this injury. Pepsi settled out of court, and Jackson donated his $1.5 million settlement to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California, which now has a "Michael Jackson Burn Center" in honor of his donation.[40]

Jackson at the White House South Portico with President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan, 1984
On May 14, 1984, Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award from President Ronald Reagan for his support of charities that helped people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.[41] Jackson won eight awards during the Grammys that year.
Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the 1984 Victory Tour, headlined by The Jacksons, showcased much of Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans. He donated all the funds (around $8 million) raised from the Victory Tour to charity.[42] He also co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" in 1985 with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to aid the poor in the U.S. and Africa. It became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly 30 million copies sold and millions of dollars donated to famine relief.[43]
In 1985, ATV Music, a music publishing company owning thousands of music copyrights, including the Northern Songs catalogue that contained the majority of the Lennon/McCartney compositions recorded by The Beatles, was put up for sale.[44][45] Jackson had become interested in owning music catalogs after working with Paul McCartney in the early 1980s: Jackson had learned McCartney made approximately $40 million a year from other people's songs. McCartney's attorney assured Jackson's attorney that McCartney was not interested in bidding on ATV: McCartney reportedly said "It's too pricey". However, McCartney later changed his mind and tried to persuade John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono to join him in a joint bid. Ono declined, and McCartney pulled out. Jackson eventually beat the rest of the competition in negotiations that lasted 10 months, purchasing the catalog for $47.5 million.[44][46]
Appearance, tabloids, Bad, autobiography and films (1986–87)
See also: Michael Jackson's health and appearance
Jackson's skin had been a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in the mid 1980s, it gradually grew paler. The change gained widespread media coverage, including rumors that he was bleaching his skin.[47] According to J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography, in 1986, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus; the vitiligo partially lightened his skin, and the lupus was in remission; both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight. (His long-term dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein confirmed this on Larry King Live, after his death.) The treatments he used for his condition further lightened his skin tone, and, with the application of pancake makeup to even out blotches, he could appear very pale.[48] The structure of his face had also changed: several surgeons speculated that he had undergone multiple nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, thinned lips, and cheekbone surgery.[49]
Jackson lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet and a desire for "a dancer's body".[50] Witnesses reported that he was often dizzy and speculated that he was suffering from anorexia nervosa; periods of weight loss would become a recurring problem later in life.[51] Some medical professionals have further speculated that he was suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, a psychological condition whereby the sufferer dislikes his appearance and has no concept of how he is viewed by others.[48] Jackson claimed that he had only two rhinoplasties and no other surgery on his face, although at one point he mentioned having a dimple created in his chin.[50]

Jackson two years after he was diagnosed with vitiligo, here in the early stages of the disease
He became the subject of increasingly sensational reports. In 1986, the tabloids ran a story claiming that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow the aging process; he was pictured lying down in a glass box. Although the claim was untrue, Jackson had disseminated the fabricated story himself.[52][53] When Jackson bought a chimpanzee called Bubbles from a laboratory, it was reported as an example of increasing detachment from reality.[54] It was reported that Jackson had offered to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick (the "elephant man") and although untrue, Jackson did not deny the story.[52][53] Although initially he saw these stories as publicity, he stopped leaking untruths to the press as they became more sensational, so the media began making up their own stories.[53][55][56]
These reports became embedded in the public consciousness, inspiring the nickname "Wacko Jacko," which Jackson came to despise.[57] Responding to the gossip, Jackson remarked to a reporter:
Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars. Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, "I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight," people would say, "Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He's cracked up. You can't believe a single word that comes out of his mouth."[58]

Jackson wore a gold-plated military style jacket with belt in the Bad era
Jackson starred in the 3-D film Captain EO, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It was the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis at the time, and was later hosted in Disney theme parks. Disneyland featured the film in its Tomorrowland area for nearly 11 years, while Walt Disney World screened the film in its EPCOT theme park from 1986 to 1994.[59] With the industry expecting another major hit, Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated.[60] It had lower sales than Thriller, but was still a substantial commercial success, spawning seven hit singles in the U.S., five of which ("I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana") reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, more than any other album.[61] As of 2008, the album had sold 30 million copies worldwide.[62]
In 1987, Jackson disassociated himself from the Jehovah's Witnesses, in response to their disapproval of the Thriller video.[63] The Bad World Tour began on September 12 that year, finishing on January 14, 1989.[64] In Japan alone, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour.[65] He broke a Guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. He performed a total of 123 concerts to an audience of 4.4 million people, and gained a further Guinness World Record when the tour grossed him $125 million. During the trip he invited underprivileged children to watch for free, and gave donations to hospitals, orphanages, and other charities.[64]
Autobiography, changing appearance and Neverland (1988–1990)

Jackson performing "The Way You Make Me Feel."
In 1988, Jackson released his first autobiography, Moon Walk, which took four years to complete and sold 200,000 copies.[66] Jackson wrote about his childhood, The Jackson 5, and the abuse he had suffered.[67] He also wrote about his facial appearance, saying he had had two rhinoplastic surgeries and dimple created in his chin.[50] He attributed much of the change in the structure of his face to puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hair style, and stage lighting.[50] Moon Walk reached the top position on The New York Times best sellers' list.[68] The musician then released a film called Moonwalker, which featured live footage and music videos that starred Jackson and Joe Pesci. It debuted atop the Billboard Top Music Video Cassette chart, staying there for 22 weeks. It was eventually knocked off the top spot by Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues.[69]
In March 1988, Jackson purchased land near Santa Ynez, California to build Neverland Ranch at a cost of $17 million. He installed Ferris wheels, a menagerie, and a movie theater on the 2,700-acre (11 km2) property. A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds. In 2003, it was valued at approximately $100 million.[18][70] In 1989, his annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts was estimated at $125 million for that year alone.[71] Shortly afterwards, he became the first Westerner to appear in a television ad in the Soviet Union.[69]
His success resulted in him being dubbed the "King of Pop."[72][73][74][75] The nickname was popularized by Elizabeth Taylor when she presented him with the Soul Train Heritage Award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul."[76] President George H. W. Bush presented him with The White House's special "Artist of the Decade."[77] From 1985 to 1990, he donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund, and all of the profits from his single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.[78][79] Jackson's live rendition of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th birthday celebration received an Emmy nomination.[69]
Dangerous, Heal the World Foundation and Super Bowl XXVII (1991–93)
In March 1991, Jackson renewed his contract with Sony for $65 million, a record-breaking deal at the time, displacing Neil Diamond's renewal contract with Columbia Records.[70] He released his eighth album Dangerous in 1991. As of 2008, Dangerous had shipped seven million copies in the U.S. and had sold 32 million copies worldwide; it is the most successful new jack swing album of all time.[80][81][82] In the United States, the album's first single "Black or White" was its biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining there for seven weeks, with similar chart performances worldwide.[83] The album's second single "Remember the Time" spent eight weeks in the top five in the United States, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[84] In 1993, Jackson performed the song at the Soul Train Awards in a chair, saying he had suffered an injury in rehearsals.[85] In the UK and other parts of Europe, "Heal the World" was the biggest hit from the album; it sold 450,000 copies in the UK and spent five weeks at number two in 1992.[84]
Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation" in 1992. The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson's ranch to enjoy theme park rides that Jackson had built on the property. The foundation also sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war, poverty, and disease. The Dangerous World Tour began on June 27, 1992, and finished on November 11, 1993. Jackson performed to 3.5 million people in 67 concerts. All profits from the concerts went to the "Heal the World Foundation", raising millions of dollars in relief.[84][86] He sold the broadcast rights to his Dangerous world tour to HBO for $20 million, a record-breaking deal that still stands.[87] Following the illness and death of Ryan White, Jackson helped draw public attention to HIV/AIDS, something that was still controversial at the time. He publicly pleaded with the Clinton Administration at Bill Clinton's Inaugural Gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research.[88][89]
In a high-profile visit to Africa, Jackson visited several countries, among them Gabon and Egypt.[90] His first stop to Gabon was greeted with a sizable and enthusiastic reception of more than 100,000 people, some of them carrying signs that read, "Welcome Home Michael."[90] In his trip to Côte d'Ivoire, Jackson was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief.[90] He then thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed official documents formalizing his kingship and sat on a golden throne while presiding over ceremonial dances.[90]
One of Jackson's most acclaimed performances came during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. As the performances began, Jackson was catapulted onto the stage as fireworks went off behind him. As he landed on the canvas, he maintained a motionless "clenched fist, standing statue stance", dressed in a gold and black military outfit and sunglasses; he remained completely motionless for several minutes while the crowd cheered. He then slowly removed his sunglasses, threw them away and began to sing and dance. His routine included four songs: "Jam", "Billie Jean", "Black or White" and "Heal the World". It was the first Super Bowl where the audience figures increased during the half-time show, and was viewed by 135 million Americans alone; Jackson's Dangerous album rose 90 places up the album chart.[47]
Jackson was given the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. "Black or White" was Grammy nominated for best vocal performance. "Jam" gained two nominations: Best R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.[84]
First child sexual abuse allegations (1993)
Main article: 1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson
Jackson gave a 90-minute interview to Oprah Winfrey in February 1993, his second television interview since 1979. He grimaced when speaking of his childhood abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood years, admitting that he often cried from loneliness. He denied tabloid rumors that he had bought the bones of the Elephant Man, slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, or bleached his skin, stating for the first time that he had vitiligo. The interview was watched by an American audience of 90 million, becoming the fourth most-viewed non-sport program in U.S. history. It also increased awareness of vitiligo, a relatively unknown condition. Dangerous re-entered the album chart in the top 10, more than a year after its original release.[16][47][84]

Once labeled a "Truth Serum", sodium amytal is now considered a mind-altering sedative.
In the summer of 1993, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler and his father, Evan Chandler, a dentist.[91] A year after Jackson met the boy, Evan administered sodium amytal to Jordan, a controversial sedative. Under influence of the drug, Jordan told his father that Jackson had touched his penis.[92][93] The Chandlers initially wanted a payment, but Jackson refused, however due to deteriorating health he could not endure a long trial 'like O.J.'. Both parties engaged in unsuccessful negotiations to reach a financial settlement. Jordan told a psychiatrist and later police that he and Jackson had engaged in acts of kissing, masturbation and oral sex, as well as giving a detailed description of what he alleged were the singer's genitals.[94]
The father was tape-recorded discussing his intention to pursue charges, where he said, "If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever ... Michael's career will be over". In the same conversation, when asked how this would affect his son, Chandler replied, "That's irrelevant to me...It will be a massacre if I don't get what I want. It's going to be bigger than all us put together...This man [Jackson] is going to be humiliated beyond belief...He will not sell one more record".[93] The recorded conversation was a critical aspect of Jackson's defense against the upcoming allegation made against him. He and his supporters argue that he was the victim of a jealous father whose only goal was to extort money from the singer.[93]
An official investigation began, with Jordan's mother adamant that there was no wrongdoing on Jackson's part. Neverland Ranch was searched; and multiple children and family members denied that Jackson was a pedophile,[94] though his image took a further hit when his older sister, La Toya, accused him of being a pedophile, a statement she later retracted.[95] Jackson agreed to a 25-minute strip search, conducted by police and doctors at his ranch, required to see if a description provided by Jordan of Jackson's genitals was accurate. Doctors concluded there were strong similarities, but it was not a definitive match.[95] Jordan Chandler claimed that Michael Jackson was circumcised, but according to the result of the strip search Michael Jackson was not circumcised. [96] His friends said he never recovered from the humiliation. He described the search in an emotional public statement, and proclaimed his innocence.[91]
The tabloids painted him in an extremely unfavorable light.[97] Complaints about them included bias against Jackson, paying for stories about alleged criminal activity, and buying leaked confidential material from the police investigation.[98] On January 1, 1994, Jackson's insurance company settled with the Chandlers out of court for $22 million, after which Jordan stopped co-operating regarding criminal proceedings.[99] Jackson was never charged, and the state closed its criminal investigation, citing lack of evidence.[100]
First marriage (1994)

Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley (pictured here at Daytona International Speedway in 2005) on May 26, 1994.
In May 1994, Jackson married singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. They had first met in 1975, during one of Jackson's family engagements at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and were reconnected through a mutual friend in early 1993.[97] They stayed in contact every day over the telephone. As the child molestation accusations became public, Jackson became dependent on Presley for emotional support; she was concerned about his faltering health and addiction to drugs.[101] Presley explained, "I believed he didn't do anything wrong and that he was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it."[102] In a phone call he made to her, she described him as high, incoherent and delusional.[101] Shortly afterwards, she persuaded him to settle the allegations out of court and go into rehabilitation to recover.[101] Jackson proposed to Presley over the telephone towards the fall of 1993, saying, "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?"[101] They married in the Dominican Republic in secrecy, denying it for nearly two months afterwards.[103] The marriage was, in her words, "a married couple's life ... that was sexually active".[104] At the time, the tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a ploy to prop up Jackson's public image.[103] Jackson and Presley divorced less than two years later, remaining friendly.[105]
HIStory (1995–97)
In 1995, Jackson merged his ATV Music catalog with Sony's publishing division creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Jackson retained half-ownership of the company, earned $95 million upfront as well as the rights to even more songs.[45][106] He then released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a 15-track greatest hits album, and was later reissued as Greatest Hits – HIStory Vol. I in 2001, while the second disc, HIStory Continues, contained 15 new songs. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for seven million shipments in the US.[107] It is the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, with 20 million copies (40 million units) sold worldwide.[83][108] HIStory received a Grammy nomination for best album.[109]

One of many identical statues, positioned throughout Europe to promote HIStory. The statue illustrates the singer's flamboyant clothing and hair style, influenced by military imagery.
The first single released from the album was the double A-side "Scream/Childhood". "Scream" was a duet, performed with Jackson's youngest sister Janet. The song fights against the media, mainly for what the media made him out to be during his 1993 child abuse allegations. The single had the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number five, and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".[109] "You Are Not Alone" was the second single released from HIStory; it holds the Guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[71] It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success, receiving a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".[109] In late 1995, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance; the incident was caused by a stress related panic attack.[110] "Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, and topped the UK singles chart for six weeks over Christmas 1995; it sold a million copies, making it Jackson's most successful single in the UK.[109] The HIStory World Tour began on September 7, 1996, and finished on October 15, 1997. Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans. The show, which visited five continents and 35 countries, became Jackson's most successful in terms of audience figures.[64]
Second marriage and fatherhood (1996–99)
During the Australian leg of the HIStory World Tour, Jackson married dermatology nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe on November 14, 1996 in an impromptu ceremony close to his Sydney hotel room. She gave birth to Michael's first two children: a son named Michael Joseph Jr (commonly known as Prince), and a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine.[105][111] Rowe and Jackson first met in the mid-1980s, when Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo. She spent many years treating his illness as well as providing emotional support. They built a strong friendship, then became romantically involved.[112] Originally, there were no plans to marry, but following Rowe's first pregnancy, Jackson's mother intervened and persuaded them to do so.[113] The couple divorced in 1999 but remained friends, and Rowe gave full custody of the children to Jackson.[114]
In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies as of 2007, making it the best selling remix album ever released. It reached number one in the UK, as did the title track.[115][116] In the US, the album was certified platinum, but only reached number 24.[80][109] Forbes placed his annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997.[70]
Throughout June 1999, Jackson was involved in a number of charitable events. He joined Luciano Pavarotti for a benefit concert in Modena, Italy. The show was in support of the non-profit organization War Child, and raised a million dollars for the refugees of Kosovo, as well as additional funds for the children of Guatemala.[117] Later that month, Jackson organized a set of "Michael Jackson & Friends" benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. Other artists involved included Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana Chandrakumar, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the "Nelson Mandela Children's Fund", the Red Cross and UNESCO.[118]
Label dispute, Invincible and third child (2000–03)
In October 2001, Jackson released Invincible. This was his first full-length album in six years, and it turned out to be the last album of new material he released while still alive. The release of the album was preceded by a dispute between Jackson and his record label, Sony Music Entertainment.
Jackson had expected the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him sometime in the early 2000s. Once he had the licenses, he would be able to promote the material however he pleased and he would also be able to keep all the profits. However, due to various clauses in the contract, the revert date turned out to be many years away. Jackson discovered that the attorney who represented him in the deal was also representing Sony, creating a conflict of interest.[116] Jackson was also concerned about another conflict of interest. For a number of years, Sony had been pushing to buy all of Jackson's share in their music catalog venture. Jackson feared that Sony might have something to gain from Jackson's career failing, since if his career did fail he would have to sell his share of the catalog.[119]
These conflicts were utilized by the entertainer to leverage an early exit to his contract.[116] Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony.[116] As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled.
In spite of the uproar preceding its release, Invincible came out in October 2001 to much anticipation. Just before the album's release, a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden occurred in September 2001 to mark the singer's 30th year as a solo artist. Jackson appeared onstage alongside his brothers for the first time since 1984.[120] The show also featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, Destiny's Child, Monica, Luther Vandross, and Slash, among other artists.[121] In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The concert was aired on October 21, 2001, and included performances from dozens of major artists, including Jackson, who performed his song "What More Can I Give" as the finale.[119]
Invincible proved to be a hit, debuting atop the charts in 13 countries and going on to sell approximately 13 million copies worldwide. It received double-platinum certification in the US.[80][83][122] However, the sales for Invincible were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute. The album also came out at a bad time for the music industry in general.[119] The album cost $30 million to record, not including promotional expenditures.[123]
Invincible spawned three singles, "You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflies", the latter without a music video.
Jackson alleged in July 2002 that Mottola was a "devil" and a "racist" who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own personal gain.[119] He charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger".[124] Sony refused to renew Jackson's contract, and claimed that a $25 million promotional campaign had failed because Jackson refused to tour in the United States.[123]
Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (nicknamed "Blanket") was born in 2002.[125] The mother's identity is unknown, but Jackson has said the child was the result of artificial insemination from a surrogate mother and his own sperm cells.[114] In November of that year, Jackson brought his newborn son onto the balcony of his room at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin, as fans stood below, holding him in his right arm, with a cloth loosely draped over the baby's face. The baby was briefly extended over a railing, four stories above ground level, causing widespread criticism in the media. Jackson later apologized for the incident, calling it "a terrible mistake".[126] Sony released a compilation of Jackson's hits on CD and DVD. In the US, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA; in the UK it was certified for shipments of at least 1.2 million units.[80][127]
Second child sexual abuse allegations (2003–05)
Further information: Living with Michael Jackson and People v. Jackson
In a series of interviews with Martin Bashir, broadcast in 2003, as Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson was seen holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with Gavin Arvizo, 13, who later accused him of sexual abuse.[128] Shortly after the documentary aired, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in relation to Arvizo.[128] Jackson denied the allegations, saying the sleepovers were not sexual in nature.
During the two years between the charges and the trial, Jackson reportedly became dependent on pethidine (Demerol), and lost a lot of weight. The People v. Jackson began on January 31, 2005, in Santa Maria, California, and lasted five months, until the end of May. On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted on all counts.[129][130][131] After the trial, he relocated to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.[132] A media circus surrounded the event.
Final years (2006–09)

Jackson with his children in Disneyland Paris, 2006
Reports of financial problems for Jackson became frequent in 2006, after the closure of the main house on the Neverland Ranch as a cost-cutting measure.[133] One prominent financial issue concerned a $270 million loan secured against his music publishing holdings. After delayed repayments on the loan, a refinancing package shifted the loans from Bank of America to debt specialists Fortress Investments. A new package proposed by Sony would have had Jackson borrow an additional $300 million and reduce the interest rate payable on the loan, while giving Sony the future option to buy half of Jackson's stake in their jointly owned publishing company (leaving Jackson with a 25% stake).[106] Jackson agreed to a Sony-backed refinancing deal, although details were not made public.[134] Despite these loans, according to Forbes, Jackson was still making as much as $75 million a year from his publishing partnership with Sony alone.[135]
Jackson was awarded the Diamond Award on November 15, 2006, for selling over 100 million albums, at the World Music Awards.[83] Following the death of James Brown, Jackson returned to the U.S. to pay tribute during Brown's public funeral on December 30, 2006.[136] In late 2006, he agreed to share joint custody of his first two children with ex-wife Debbie Rowe.[137] Jackson and Sony bought Famous Music LLC from Viacom in 2007. This deal gave him the rights to songs by Eminem, Shakira and Beck, among others.[138]
I've been in the entertainment industry since I was six-years-old... As Charles Dickens says, "It's been the best of times, the worst of times." But I would not change my career... While some have made deliberate attempts to hurt me, I take it in stride because I have a loving family, a strong faith and wonderful friends and fans who have, and continue, to support me.[139]
—Michael Jackson
The 25th anniversary of Thriller was marked by the release of Thriller 25, recorded in Ireland,[140] it featured the previously unreleased song "For All Time" and re-mixes. Two remixes were released as singles to moderate success: "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008". Thriller 25 sold well as a re-issue, peaking at number one in eight countries and Europe.[141][142][143] In 12 weeks Thriller 25 sold over three million copies worldwide.[144] To celebrate Jackson's 50th birthday, Sony BMG released a series of compilation albums called King of Pop.[145][146] King of Pop did reach the top 10 in most countries where it was issued, and also sold well as an import in other countries.[147][148]
Fortress Investments threatened to foreclose on Neverland Ranch, which Jackson used as collateral for loans running into many tens of millions of dollars. However, Fortress opted to sell Jackson's debts to Colony Capital LLC. In November, Jackson transferred Neverland Ranch's title to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC, which was a joint venture between Jackson and Colony Capital LLC. This deal cleared Jackson's debt, and he reportedly even gained an extra $35 million from the venture. At the time of his death, Jackson still owned a stake in Neverland/Sycamore Valley, but it is unknown how large that stake was.[149][150][151]
In September 2008, financial concerns prompted Jackson to enter negotiations with Julien's Auction House to display and auction a large collection of memorabilia amounting to approximately 1390 lots. The auction was scheduled to take place between April 22 and April 25.[152] Though an exhibition of the lots opened on 9900 Wilshire Blvd between April 14 and 25, the auction was eventually cancelled at Jackson's request.[153]

Jackson at the Cesar's Palace in 2002.
In March 2009, Jackson announced in a press conference at London's O2 arena that he would perform there in major comeback concerts titled This Is It. The shows were to be Jackson's first major series of concerts since the HIStory World Tour finished in 1997, and had been cited as one of the year's most important musical events with over one million people attending in total. Jackson suggested possible retirement after the shows; in his own words it would be his "final curtain call". Although initially a 10 date concert, it was increased to 50 dates after record breaking ticket sales. Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of choreographer/director Kenny Ortega.[154] The concerts would have commenced on July 13, 2009 and finished on March 6, 2010. Less than three weeks before the first show was due to begin in London and with all concerts being sold out, Jackson died of a cardiac arrest.[155]
AEG Live, the concert promoters, released a promotional video that took up an entire commercial break, setting a record for ITV. According to Jackson's website, ticket sales for the concerts broke several records.[156] Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live, stated that the first 10 dates alone would have earned the singer approximately £50 million.[157] Columbia Pictures made a feature documentary concert-film from the rehearsal and pre-recorded footage.[158][159] The contract for the film stipulated that a cut of the film must be screened for Jackson's estate, which stands to receive 90 percent of the profits. A final cut was done on October 28, 2009, for a limited 2 week run in theatres worldwide.[160]
A new single titled "This Is It" was released on October 12, 2009, with a new album of the same name, This Is It which was released worldwide on October 26, 2009, and in North America on October 27, 2009, the day before the Michael Jackson's This Is It documentary film, which became the highest grossing documentary or concert movie ever (more than $252 million worldwide).[161] Two versions of the new song appear on the second "This Is It" album's first disc, which also features original masters of Michael Jackson's hits in the order in which they appear in the movie. The album's second disc features previously unreleased versions of more Jackson hits, as well as a previously unheard spoken word poem entitled "Planet Earth."[162]
As a result of Jackson's death, he became the biggest selling albums artist of 2009 in the United States with over 8.2 million in album sales. [163]
Death and memorial
Main articles: Death of Michael Jackson and Michael Jackson memorial service

Jackson's fans paid tribute to him at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, shortly after the announcement of his death.
On June 25, 2009, Jackson collapsed at his rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills district of Los Angeles. Attempts at resuscitating him by his personal physician were unsuccessful.[164] Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics received a 911 call at 12:22 p.m. (PDT), arriving three minutes later at Jackson's location.[165][166] He was reportedly not breathing and CPR was performed.[167] Resuscitation efforts continued en route to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and for an hour after arriving there at 1:13 p.m. (20:13 UTC).[164] He was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. local time (21:26 UTC).[168][169]
The memorial was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, preceded by a private family service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park's Hall of Liberty. Jackson's casket was present during the memorial but no information was released about the final disposition of the body. While some unofficial reports claimed a worldwide audience as high as one billion people[170] the U.S. audience was estimated by Nielsen to be 31.1 million, an amount comparable to the estimated 35.1 million that watched the 2004 burial of President Ronald Reagan, and the estimated 33.1 million Americans who watched the 1997 funeral for Princess Diana.[171]
Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Jermaine Jackson, and Shaheen Jafargholi performed at the event. Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson gave eulogies, while Queen Latifah read, "We had him," a poem written for the occasion by Maya Angelou.[172] The Reverend Al Sharpton received a standing ovation with cheers when he told Jackson's children, "Wasn't nothing strange about your Daddy. It was strange what your Daddy had to deal with. But he dealt with it anyway."[173] Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris Katherine, cried as she told the crowd, "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine ... I just wanted to say I love him ... so much."[174]
On August 24, multiple news outlets quoted anonymous sources as stating that the Los Angeles coroner had decided to treat Jackson's death as a homicide; this was later confirmed by the coroner on August 28.[175][176] At the time of death, Jackson had been administered propofol, lorazepam and midazolam.[177] Law enforcement officials are currently conducting a manslaughter investigation of his personal physician, Conrad Murray.[178] Jackson was buried on September 3, 2009, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.[179]
Artistry
Influences
Jackson's music genre takes roots in R&B, Motown's music, pop and soul. He had been influenced by the work of contemporary musicians such as Little Richard, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Diana Ross, David Ruffin, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Sammy Davis, Jr., The Isley Brothers, and the Bee Gees.[180] He was also an admirer of performers from the English music hall tradition, such as Benny Hill and Charlie Chaplin.
While Little Richard had a huge influence on Jackson,[24] James Brown was for him, since early childhood, his greatest inspiration: "the master" or "a genius" especially when he was playing with his group, the Famous Flames, describing his performance as "phenomenal". He declared: "Ever since I was a small child, no more than like six years old, my mother would wake me no matter what time it was, if I was sleeping, no matter what I was doing, to watch the television to see the master at work. And when I saw him move, I was mesmerized. I had never seen a performer perform like James Brown, and right then and there I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life because of James Brown."[181]
At first, the young Michael Jackson owed his vocal technique in large part to Diana Ross. In October 1969, it was decided that Michael would live with Diana Ross. Not only a mother figure to him, he often observed her in rehearsal as an accomplished performer. He later confessed: "I got to know her well. She taught me so much. I used to just sit in the corner and watch the way she moved. She was art in motion. I studied the way she moved, the way she sang - just the way she was." He told her: 'I want to be just like you, Diana'. She said: 'You just be yourself.'"[182] But Michael especially owed his oooh's to Diana Ross. At first, Michael almost always punctuated his verses with a sudden interjection of oooh. Diana Ross used this effect on many of the songs recorded with the The Supremes, and young Michael was delighted to take ownership.[183]
Musical themes and genres
Steve Huey of Allmusic said that, throughout his solo career, Jackson's versatility allowed him to experiment with various themes and genres.[184] As a musician, he ranged from Motown's dance fare and ballads to techno and house-edged new jack swing to work that incorporates both funk rhythms and hard rock guitar.[18]
Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write his songs on paper. Instead he would dictate into a sound recorder; when recording he would sing from memory.[23][185] Several critics observed Off the Wall was crafted from funk, disco-pop, soul, soft rock, jazz and pop ballads.[184][186][187] Prominent examples include the ballad "She's Out of My Life", and the two disco tunes "Workin' Day and Night" and "Get on the Floor".[186]
According to Huey, Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads were softer and more soulful.[184] Notable tracks included the ballads "The Lady in My Life", "Human Nature" and "The Girl Is Mine"; the funk pieces "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"; and the disco set "Baby Be Mine" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".[184][188][189][190] With Thriller, Christopher Connelly of Rolling Stone commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery.[190] Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[189] In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers.[184] In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media.[190] The anti-gang violence rock song "Beat It" became a homage to West Side Story, and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey.[18][184] He also observed that the title track "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years.[184] In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona.[184]
"Thriller"
One of Jackson's signature pieces, "Thriller", released as a single in 1984, utilizes cinematic sound effects, horror film motifs and vocal trickery to convey a sense of danger.[22]
"Smooth Criminal"
A single from the album Bad, released 1988, "Smooth Criminal" features digital drum sounds, keyboard-created bass lines and other percussion elements designed to give the impression of a pulsing heart.[191]
Problems listening to these files? See media help.
In Bad, Jackson's concept of the predatory lover can be seen on the rock song "Dirty Diana".[192] The lead single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a traditional love ballad, while "Man in the Mirror" is an anthemic ballad of confession and resolution.[60] "Smooth Criminal" was an evocation of bloody assault, rape and likely murder.[60] Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that Dangerous presents Jackson as a stark paradoxical individual.[193] He comments the album is more diverse than his previous Bad, as it appeals to an urban audience while also attracting the middle class with anthems like "Heal the World".[193] The first half of the record is dedicated to new jack swing, including songs like "Jam" and "Remember the Time".[194] The album is Jackson's first where social ills become a primary theme; "Why You Wanna Trip on Me", for example, protests against world hunger, AIDS, homelessness and drugs.[194] Dangerous contains sexually charged efforts like "In the Closet", a love song about desire and denial, risk and repression, solitude and connection, privacy and revelation.[194] The title track continues the theme of the predatory lover and compulsive desire.[194] The second half includes introspective, pop-gospel anthems such as "Will You Be There", "Heal the World" and "Keep the Faith"; these songs show Jackson finally opening up about various personal struggles and worries.[194] In the ballad "Gone Too Soon", Jackson gives tribute to his friend Ryan White and the plight of those with AIDS.[195]
HIStory creates an atmosphere of paranoia.[196] Its content focuses on the hardships and public struggles Jackson went through just prior to its production. In the new jack swing-funk-rock efforts "Scream" and "Tabloid Junkie", along with the R&B ballad "You Are Not Alone", Jackson retaliates against the injustice and isolation he feels, and directs much of his anger at the media.[197] In the introspective ballad "Stranger in Moscow", Jackson laments over his "fall from grace", while songs like "Earth Song", "Childhood", "Little Susie" and "Smile" are all operatic pop pieces.[196][197] In the track "D.S.", Jackson launched a verbal attack against Tom Sneddon. He describes Sneddon as an antisocial, white supremacist who wanted to "get my ass, dead or alive". Of the song, Sneddon said, "I have not — shall we say — done him the honor of listening to it, but I’ve been told that it ends with the sound of a gunshot".[198] Invincible found Jackson working heavily with producer Rodney Jerkins.[184] It is a record made up of urban soul like "Cry" and "The Lost Children", ballads such as "Speechless", "Break of Dawn" and "Butterflies" and mixes hip hop, pop and rap in "2000 Watts", "Heartbreaker" and "Invincible".[199][200]
Vocal style
Jackson sang from childhood, and over time his voice and vocal style changed noticeably. Between 1971 and 1975, Jackson's voice descended from boy soprano to high tenor.[201] Jackson first used a technique called the "vocal hiccup" in 1973, starting with the song "It's Too Late to Change the Time" from the Jackson 5's G.I.T.: Get It Together album.[202] Jackson did not use the hiccup technique— somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping— fully until the recording of Off the Wall: it can be seen in full force in the "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" promotional video.[19]
With the arrival of Off the Wall in the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded. At the time, Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly".[186][187] 1982 saw the release of Thriller, and Rolling Stone was of the opinion that Jackson was then singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".[190]
"Black or White"
The lead single from Dangerous, the danceable hard rock song "Black or White" was one of Jackson's most successful recordings.[203][204][205] It contains many features of Jackson's vocal style, including the vocal hiccup he is known for.
Gritty lead vocals on the verse were displayed by the release of "Bad" in 1987 and lighter tones employed on the chorus.[22] A distinctive deliberate mispronunciation of "come on", used frequently by Jackson, occasionally spelt "cha'mone" or "shamone", is also a staple in impressions and caricatures of him.[206] The turn of the 1990s saw the release of the introspective album Dangerous. The New York Times noted that on some tracks, "he gulps for breath, his voice quivers with anxiety or drops to a desperate whisper, hissing through clenched teeth" and he had a "wretched tone".[194] When singing of brotherhood or self-esteem the musician would return to "smooth" vocals.[194]
When commenting on Invincible, Rolling Stone were of the opinion that—at the age of 43—Jackson still performed "exquisitely voiced rhythm tracks and vibrating vocal harmonies".[207] Nelson George summed up Jackson's vocals by stating "The grace, the aggression, the growling, the natural boyishness, the falsetto, the smoothness—that combination of elements mark him as a major vocalist".[191]
Music videos and choreography
Referred to as the King of Music Videos,[208] Steve Huey of Allmusic observed how Jackson transformed the music video into an art form and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameo appearances; simultaneously breaking down racial barriers.[184] According to director Vincent Paterson, who collaborated with the singer on several music videos, Jackson conceptualized many of the darker, bleak themes in his filmography.[209]

US patent 5255452, filed by Jackson, described the anti-gravity lean used in the music video for "Smooth Criminal".
Before Thriller, Jackson struggled to receive coverage on MTV, allegedly because he was African American.[210] Pressure from CBS Records persuaded MTV to start showing "Billie Jean" and later "Beat It", leading to a lengthy partnership with Jackson, also helping other black music artists gain recognition.[211] MTV employees deny any racism in their coverage, or pressure to change their stance. MTV maintains that they played rock music, regardless of race.[212] The popularity of his videos on MTV helped to put the relatively young channel "on the map"; MTV's focus shifted in favor of pop and R&B.[211][213] His performance on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever changed the scope of live stage show; "That Jackson lip-synced 'Billie Jean' is, in itself, not extraordinary, but the fact that it did not change the impact of the performance is extraordinary; whether the performance was live or lip-synced made no difference to the audience" thus creating an era in which artists re-create the spectacle of music video imagery on stage.[38] Short films like Thriller largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has frequently been imitated.[214] The choreography in Thriller has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Indian films to prisons in the Philippines.[215] The Thriller short film marked an increase in scale for music videos, and has been named the most successful music video ever by the Guinness World Records.[71]
In the 19-minute music video for "Bad"—directed by Martin Scorsese—Jackson began using sexual imagery and choreography not previously seen in his work. He occasionally grabbed or touched his chest, torso and crotch. While he has described this as "choreography," it garnered a mixed reception from both fans and critics; Time magazine described it as "infamous". The video also featured Wesley Snipes; in the future Jackson's videos would often feature famous cameo roles.[55][216] For "Smooth Criminal", Jackson experimented with an innovative "anti-gravity lean" in his performances, for which he was granted U.S. Patent No. 5,255,452.[217] Although the music video for "Leave Me Alone" was not officially released in the US, in 1989, it was nominated for four Billboard Music Video Awards, winning three; the same year it won a Golden Lion Award for the quality of the special effects used in its production. In 1990, "Leave Me Alone" won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form.[69]
The MTV Video Vanguard Artist of the Decade Award was given to Jackson to celebrate his accomplishments in the art form in the 1980s; the following year the award was renamed in his honor.[84] "Black or White" was accompanied by a controversial music video, which, on November 14, 1991, simultaneously premiered in 27 countries with an estimated audience of 500 million people, the largest viewing ever for a music video.[83] It featured scenes construed as having a sexual nature as well as depictions of violence. The offending scenes in the final half of the 14-minute version were edited out to prevent the video from being banned, and Jackson apologized.[218] Along with Jackson, it featured Macaulay Culkin, Peggy Lipton and George Wendt. It helped usher in morphing as an important technology in music videos.[219]

Jackson and sister Janet angrily retaliate against the media for misrepresenting them to the public. The acclaimed video for "Scream" was shot primarily in black and white, and at a cost of $7 million.[220]
"Remember the Time" was an elaborate production, and became one of his longest videos at over nine minutes. Set in ancient Egypt, it featured groundbreaking visual effects and appearances by Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson, along with a distinct complex dance routine.[221] The video for "In the Closet" was Jackson's most sexually provocative piece. It featured supermodel Naomi Campbell in a courtship dance with Jackson. The video was banned in South Africa because of its imagery.[84]
The music video for "Scream", directed by Mark Romanek and production designer Tom Foden, is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed. In 1995, it gained 11 MTV Video Music Award Nominations—more than any other music video—and won "Best Dance Video", "Best Choreography", and "Best Art Direction".[222] The song and its accompanying video are a response to the backlash Jackson received from the media after being accused of child molestation in 1993.[223] A year later, it won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form; shortly afterwards Guinness World Records listed it as the most expensive music video ever made at a cost of $7 million.[109][224]
"Earth Song" was accompanied by an expensive and well-received music video that gained a Grammy nomination for Best Music Video, Short Form in 1997. The video had an environmental theme, showing images of animal cruelty, deforestation, pollution and war. Using special effects, time is reversed so that life returns, wars ends, and the forests re-grow.[109][225] Released in 1997 and premiering at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, Ghosts was a short film written by Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston. The video for Ghosts is over 38 minutes long and holds the Guinness World Record as the world's longest music video.[109][116][226][227]
Fashion
Phillip Bloch said "Michael Jackson was not influenced by fashion, fashion was influenced by him."[228] From early on Jackson was described as a person with an utterly unique sense of style wearing fringed shirts, platform heels, and wide bell-bottom pants with a “Huggy Bear” inspired hat to top off his look. During Off The Wall, he would update his style wearing tuxedo jackets, pegged pants, thick white socks with black shiny loafers, instantly giving a classic look, new flair, and originality bringing in the start of his iconoclastic style.[229] During the Thriller era Jackson would become a fashion icon and bring about the popularity of items that he wore in his music videos, at award ceremonies, and on stage performances such as his Beat It red jacket, aviator sunglasses, military jackets, jheri curl, high pants with white glittering socks, the Billie Jean black jacket, his black fedora hat, and most famously his glittering white glove that he first wore on the Motown 25 special.[230][231]
Throughout the late 80's and early 90's, Jackson began to wear his iconic military-influenced outfits in silver, with his trademark armbands, during the Bad Tour. He would continue to perform in these outfits this time in gold during the Dangerous Tour, and during the HIStory Tour, where he wore a more futuristic military space outfit.[232] Towards the mid and late 90's Jackson embraced a softer look wearing mostly lightweight flowy shirts and even appearing bare chested; though he occasionally reverted to his military inspired outfits.[233][234] During his trials throughout the later years, Jackson wore a surgical masks and carried an umbrella to protect him from the sun. He was subsequently criticized by the media and legal analysts in the 2005 child abuse trial for not dressing in a manner appropriate for a court appearance. Mary Fulginiti Jenow, a former federal prosecutor who is now a criminal defense lawyer described Jackson as looking ready to "break out into the moonwalk."[235] During his final public appearance at Ed Hardy's designer Christian Audigier birthday party,[236] Jackson and Audigier began talks and later started to work together on a clothing line that would be composed of items such as red jacket with Jackson’s portrait on it, a black leather belt with large buckle reading ‘BAD,’ silver socks, silver gloves, and an umbrella. Audigier is said to be busy putting together the final pieces of the brand.[237]
Jackson's creative sense of style has also made a huge impact on the younger generation.[238] He has been described as having an innovative sense of style that impacted the trendsetters of today who mimmick his fashion like Usher, Chris Brown, Beyonce, Rihanna, Kanye West, and many others. His style has inspired the fashion-forward for two decades and continues to do so. [239]
On November 24, 2009, some of Michael Jackson's memorabilia was auctioned in New York including the Rhinstone Glove used during his first moonwalk performance, which his auctioned off for $350,000, nine times its expected price, to Hoffman Ma of Hong Kong, a Chinese businessman.[240] Among other items were a 1989 "Bad" tour jacket which sold for $225,000 and a fedora hat which sold for $22,000.[241]
Legacy and influence
See also: Records and achievements of Michael Jackson and List of awards received by Michael Jackson

Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, set in 1984
Jackson transformed the art of the music video and paved the way for modern pop music in his own country. Jackson's work, distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced scores of hip hop, rock, pop and R&B artists, including Beyonce,[242] Mariah Carey,[243] Usher,[244] Chris Brown,[245] Britney Spears,[243] Madonna,[246] Justin Timberlake,[119] Ludacris,[247] 50 Cent, The Game,[248] Fall Out Boy,[249] Green Day,[250] Miley Cyrus, John Mayer,[251] Lenny Kravitz,[252] and R. Kelly.[191] For much of his career, he had an "unparalleled" level of worldwide influence over the younger generation through his musical and humanitarian contributions.[253] Jackson's music and videos, such as Thriller, helped break down racial barriers when first shown on MTV, putting the relatively new channel on the map, changing its focus from rock to pop music and R&B, and therefore shaping it to what it is today. Jackson remained a staple on MTV through the '90s. Brazilian journalist Sergio Martins, in his article about the artist and his death in Veja magazine, wrote that after Jackson's work being a versatile dancer became a must for subsequent male stars of pop music. Michael Jackson, along with his musical style and videos, have gone onto become pop culture phenomenons.
Michael Jackson was inducted onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984. Throughout his career he received numerous honors and awards, including the World Music Awards' Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium, the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award and the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award.[121][254] He was a double-inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, once as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and later as a solo artist in 2001. Jackson was also an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.[121] His awards include multiple Guinness World Records (eight in 2006 alone), 15 Grammy Awards (including the "Living Legend Award" and the "Lifetime Achievement Award"), 26 American Music Awards (24 only as a solo artist, including one for "artist of the century")—more than any artist—, 13 number one singles in the US in his solo career and estimated sales of up to 750 million records worldwide, making him the world's best selling male solo pop artist.[29][255][256][71][83][257][258][259][260][261]

Queues for a Michael Jackson concert in West Berlin in June 1988
He was characterized as "an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility and loads of sheer star power".[184] In the mid-1980s, Time noted "Jackson is the biggest thing since The Beatles. He is the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley. He just may be the most popular black singer ever".[33] By 1990, Vanity Fair had already cited Jackson as the most popular artist in the history of show business.[69] Daily Telegraph writer Tom Utley called him an "extremely important figure in the history of popular culture" and a "genius".[262] In late 2007, Jackson said the following of his work and future influence, "Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world. Through it, my music, I know I will live forever."[263]
His total lifetime earnings from royalties on his solo recordings and music videos, revenue from concerts and endorsements have been estimated at $500 million; some analysts have speculated that his music catalog holdings could be worth billions of dollars.[70][264] This speculation however is contradicted by financial documents obtained by the Associated Press, which showed that as of March 31, 2007, Jackson's 50 percent stake in the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalog (his most prized asset) was worth $390.6 million and Michael Jackson’s net worth was $236 million.[265] As one of the world's most famous men, Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, made him a part of popular culture for the last four decades.[83][266]
Shortly after his death on June 25, 2009, MTV briefly returned to its original music video format to celebrate and pay tribute to his work.[267] The channel aired many hours of Jackson's music videos, accompanied by live news specials featuring reactions from MTV personalities and other celebrities. The temporary shift in MTV's programming culminated the following week with the channel's live coverage of Jackson's memorial service.[268] At the memorial service on July 7, 2009, founder of Motown Records Berry Gordy proclaimed Jackson as "the greatest entertainer that ever lived."[269][270][271] On December 29, 2009 the American Film Institute recognized Jackson's passing as a "moment of significance" saying, "Michael Jackson's sudden death in June at age 50 was notable for the worldwide outpouring of grief and the unprecedented global eulogy of his posthumous concert rehearsal movie 'This is It'.[272]
Discography
Main articles: Michael Jackson album discography, Michael Jackson singles discography, and Michael Jackson videography
See also: Jackson 5 discography
Got to Be There (1972)
Ben (1972)
Music & Me (1973)
Forever, Michael (1975)
Off the Wall (1979)
Thriller (1982)
Bad (1987)
Dangerous (1991)
HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995)
Invincible (2001)
Filmography
Main article: Michael Jackson videography
Year
Film
Role
Director
Ref
1978
The Wiz
Scarecrow
Lumet, SidneySidney Lumet
[273]
1986
Captain EO
Captain EO
Coppola, Francis FordFrancis Ford Coppola
[274]
1988
Moonwalker
Himself
Kramer, JerryJerry Kramer
[275]
1997
Ghosts
Maestro/Mayor/Ghoul/Skeleton
Winston, StanStan Winston
[276]
2002
Men in Black II
Agent M (cameo)
Sonnenfeld, BarryBarry Sonnenfeld
[277]
2004
Miss Cast Away and the Island Girls
Agent MJ (cameo)
Stoller, Bryan MichaelBryan Michael Stoller
[278]
2009
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Himself
Kenny Ortega
[279]
Tours
Main article: List of Michael Jackson tours
Bad World Tour (1987–89)
Dangerous World Tour (1992–93)
HIStory World Tour (1996–97)
This Is It (2009)
See also
List of awards received by Michael Jackson
List of best-selling music artists
List of best-selling music artists in the United States
List of unreleased Michael Jackson material
List of honorific titles in popular music
Records and achievements of Michael Jackson
Peter Pan syndrome
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^ a b Taraborrelli, pp. 20–22
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^ a b c Cocks, Jay. The Badder They Come, Time, September 14, 1987.
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^ Press references to Jackson as a music "king" appeared as early as 1984 after he swept the Grammy Awards, and "king of pop" appeared as early as 1987. MTV and Fox used the title in joint press releases and ads for the "Black or White" video at Jackson's request, but MTV denied a report that VJs were required to use it on-camera. Writers described the title as self-proclaimed from then on.
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^ "Michael Jackson sulla sedia a rotelle". Affari Italiani. August 11, 2008. http://www.affaritaliani.it/entertainment/micheal-jackson110708.html. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
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^ a b c Taraborrelli, pp. 477–478
^ a b Taraborrelli, pp. 496–498
^ a b Taraborrelli, pp. 534–540
^ http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1487354.php/Michael_Jacksons_strip_search_upset
^ a b Taraborrelli, pp. 500–507
^ Campbell (1995), pp. 47–50
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^ Taraborrelli, pp. 540–545
^ a b c d Taraborrelli, pp. 518–520
^ Taraborrelli, p. 510
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^ Taraborrelli, pp. 562–564
^ a b Taraborrelli, pp. 580–581
^ a b Leeds, Jeff (April 13, 2006). "Michael Jackson Bailout Said to Be Close". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/13/business/media/13music.html?ex=1302580800&en=45bff2f7a4da68fe&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
^ "Top 100 Albums (Page 2)". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=2&table=tblTop100&action=. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
^ Putti, Laura (August 24, 2001). "Il nuovo Michael Jackson fa un tuffo nel passato". La Repubblica. http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2001/08/24/il-nuovo-michael-jackson-fa-un-tuffo.html. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
^ a b c d e f g h George, pp. 48–50
^ Taraborrelli, pp. 576–577
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^ a b Taraborrelli, pp. 599–600
^ Rojek, Chris (2007). Cultural Studies. Polity. p. 74. ISBN 0745636837.
^ a b c d e Taraborrelli, pp. 610–612
^ "Ricky Martin, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Others To Join Pavarotti For Benefit". VH1. (May 5, 1999). http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1426933/19990505/carey_mariah.jhtml. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
^ "Slash, Scorpions, Others Scheduled For 'Michael Jackson & Friends'"". VH1. (May 27, 1999). http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1429785/19990527/guns_n_roses.jhtml. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
^ a b c d e Taraborrelli, pp. 614–617
^ Branigan, Tania (September 8, 2001). "Jackson spends £20m to be Invincible". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2001/sep/08/taniabranigan. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
^ a b c George, pp. 50–53
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^ a b Burkeman, Oliver (July 8, 2002). "Jacko gets tough: but is he a race crusader or just a falling star?". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/jul/08/oliverburkeman. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
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^ a b Taraborrelli, p. 640
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^ "Jacko gives up Neverland ranch deed". Press Association. (November 16, 2008).
^ Adams, Susan (April 14, 2009). "Ten Most Expensive Michael Jackson Collectibles". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/14/michael-jackson-auction-lifestyle-collecting-michael-jackson.html. Retrieved April 14, 2009.
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^ Kreps, Daniel (March 12, 2009). "Michael Jackson’s “This Is It!” Tour Balloons to 50-Show Run Stretching Into 2010". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/03/12/michael-jacksons-this-is-it-tour-balloons-to-50-show-run-stretching-into-2010/. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
^ Foster, Patrick (March 6, 2009). "Michael Jackson grand finale curtain-raiser". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5854735.ece. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
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^ Scott, A. O. "Defending Earth, With Worms and a Talking Pug". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/03/movies/03BLAC.html?ex=1234155600&en=1e9c4a5a1eafc54f&ei=5070. Retrieved February 7, 2009.
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^ Le, Danny (August 11, 2009). "'Michael Jackson's "This Is It," to be Presented In Theaters Around The World". MichaelJackson.com. http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/news/michael-jacksons-it-be-presented-theaters-around-world. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
Other references
Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). Rolling Stone Album Guide. Fireside. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
Campbell, Lisa (1993). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop. Branden. ISBN 082831957X.
Campbell, Lisa (1995). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop's Darkest Hour. Branden. ISBN 0828320039.
George, Nelson (2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection booklet. Sony BMG.
Guinness World Records (2003). Guinness World Records 2004. Guinness. ISBN 1892051206.
Guinness World Records (2005). Guinness World Records 2006. Guinness. ISBN 1-904994-02-4.
Jackson, Michael (1988). Moon Walk. Doubleday. ISBN 0385247125.
Lewis, Jel (2005). Michael Jackson, the King of Pop: The Big Picture : the Music! the Man! the Legend! the Interviews!. Amber Books Publishing. ISBN 0-974977-90-X.
Ramage, John D.; Bean, John C.; Johnson, June (2001). Writing arguments: a rhetoric with readings. Allyn and Bacon. ISBN 0205317456.
Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2009). Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958-2009. Terra Alta, WV: Grand Central Publishing, 2009. ISBN 0446564745, 9780446564748.
Further reading
Dineen, Catherine (1993). Michael Jackson: In His Own Words. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0711932166.
Grant, Adrian (1994, 1997, 2002 and 2005). Michael Jackson: The Visual Documentary. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-432-2.
Jackson, Michael (1988). Moonwalk. Doubleday. pp. 143–144. ISBN 0-434-37042-8.
Jackson, Michael (1992). Dancing the Dream. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-40368-2.
Jackson, Michael (2006). My World, The Official Photobook, Vol. 1. Triumph International. ISBN 0-9768891-1-0.
Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2009). Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958-2009. Terra Alta, WV: Grand Central Publishing, 2009. ISBN 0446564745, 9780446564748.
Jones, Bob (2005). Michael Jackson: The Man Behind the Mask. Select Books Inc. ISBN 1590790723.
Noonan, Damien (1994) (Audio book). Michael Jackson. Carlton Books. ISBN 1-85797-587-1.

2010-01-10T01:40:00.000-08:00

2010-01-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

Состав группы
Фредди Меркьюри (Freddie Mercury, 1946—1991) Настоящее имя Фаррух Булсара (Farookh Bulsara) — фортепиано, вокал, гитара. Автор песен «Killer Queen», «Bohemian Rhapsody», «Somebody to Love», «We Are the Champions», «Crazy Little Thing Called Love», «Innuendo» и др.
Брайан Мэй (Brian May, 1947) — гитары. Автор песен «We Will Rock You», «Tie Your Mother Down», «Who Wants to Live Forever», «Hammer to Fall», «I Want It All», «The Show Must Go On» и др.
Джон Дикон (John Deacon, 1951) — бас-гитара, ритм-гитара. Автор песен «You're My Best Friend», «Another One Bites the Dust», «I Want to Break Free» «One Year of Love» и др.
Роджер Тэйлор (Roger Taylor, 1949) — ударные. Автор песен «Radio Ga Ga», «Heaven for Everyone», «A Kind of Magic» и др.
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Происхождение

У истоков основания группы стояли творческие эксперименты её участников: студенты Брайан Мэй и Тим Стаффел в Великобритании в 1967 году основали группу «1984» (по одноименному роману Джорджа Оруэлла), позже (в 1968) перевоплотившуюся в «Smile». Брайан повесил объявление в стенах своего «Империал колледж». В нём говорилось, что группе требуется барабанщик для игры в стиле Митча Митчелла и Джинджера Бейкера. На него откликнулся студент-дантист Роджер Тейлор. Он тогда показался Мэю и Стаффелу лучшим вариантом, поразив их точностью настройки барабанов. Главным достижением «Smile» стало выступление на разогреве у «Pink Floyd». Однако из-за напряжённой учёбы и отсутствия какого бы то ни было менеджмента, весной 1970 года трио распалось: Тим Стаффел покинул группу.

Но Мэй и Тейлор не собирались бросать музыкальную карьеру и поделились своими творческими амбициями с другом и соседом по комнате Стаффела Фредди (Фаррухом) Булсарой. Он часто посещал выступления «Smile», но Мэй и Стаффел даже не подозревали, что он вообще умеет петь. Фредди имел весьма четкие планы насчет выступления и сценической работы группы. Он же придумал для новой группы название «Queen», а себе взял псевдоним Фредди Меркьюри. Теперь группа состояла из вокалиста-клавишника, гитариста и ударника.

Первоначально на роль бас-гитариста был приглашен старый знакомый Роджера Тейлора по Корнуольской группе «The Reaction» Майк Гроуз (Mike Growse), который выступил на первых двух концертах группы (27 июня в Городском зале г. Труро (Truro City Hall, Truro) и 12 июля в «Империал колледже»). Впоследствии его заменил весьма одаренный басист Барри Митчелл (Barry Mitchell). Но, уставший от музыкального бизнеса, он покинул группу в начале 1971 г. Лишь два выступления продержался следующий басист группы, Даг Боги (Doug Bogie). Но в феврале 1971 г. на лондонской дискотеке Брайан Мэй и Роджер Тейлор познакомились с опытным уже в те годы бас-гитаристом Джоном Диконом, приехавшим на учебу в Лондон из родного города Лестер. Пройдя прослушивание, Джон занял позицию басиста группы и стал четверым постоянным звеном в составе, который продержался без малого 21 год.
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История творчества

С 1971 по 1979 можно проследить влияние других коллективов. С каждым годом оно становится все менее заметно, но в семидесятые все же присутствует. Меркьюри и сам не раз отмечал, что их группа «выросла» на «Led Zeppelin» и Джими Хендриксе.

1973 — год выхода первого альбома «Queen» с одноименным названием, в который была включена песня трио «Smile» «Doing All Right». Основой диска стала песня «Keep Yourself Alive» — дебютный сингл «Queen» (1972)[1]. Этот альбом записывался в течение двух лет, в те моменты, когда студия звукозаписи была свободна, параллельно учёбе участников группы. «Queen» дает первые самостоятельные концерты в Великобритании, Германии и Люксембурге. До этого они участвовали в турне других групп в качестве разогрева.

1974 — «Queen II» стал прорывом и занял 5 место в британском хит-параде, несмотря на то что отзывы критиков были отрицательными. Альбом обвинялся в недоделанности и несамостоятельности, однако, по свидетельству Брайана Мэя, никто из группы не нашел альбом плохим.[6]

«Sheer Heart Attack» дошёл до второй строчки в Британии. Проблему с альбомом усугубила болезнь Мэя — у него был гепатит. Лучшие композиции альбома («Killer Queen», «Now I'm Here») относятся к лучшим песням группы, а «Stone Cold Crazy» считается классикой хэви-метала (позже вошла в репертуар «Metallica»). Группа участвует в австралийском Sunbury Music Festival и даёт первые концерты в Швеции и Финляндии. Коллектив выпустил свою первую видеозапись на песню — «Killer Queen»

1975 — «A Night At The Opera» называют величайшим произведением «Queen». Разные источники указывают этот альбом в числе наилучших альбомов современной музыки[7][8]. Альбом занял 230 строчку в списке «500 величайших альбомов всех времён по версии журнала Rolling Stone». В Англии альбом стал четырежды платиновым.

Cамой известной песней этого альбома является «Bohemian Rhapsody» — длинная шестиминутная композиция, соединившая в себе черты рок и поп-музыки, оперы и отдельные мотивы фольклора. Стандартной в те годы считалась трёхминутная песня, но «Queen» создали этот шестиминутный шедевр, который через четверть века в Британии назовут песней тысячелетия. В дополнение к этому стоит отметить, что видео к «Bohemian Rhapsody» считается первым в мире клипом. Видео к музыке снимали и до этого, но данный случай — первый пример сознательного соединения специально созданного изображения, эффектов и музыки. В клипе применены кажущиеся теперь примитивными оптические спецэффекты: съёмка через шестигранную призму и дублирование лиц музыкантов. К этому же альбому были сняты «You're My Best Friend» и «Love of My Life», последняя, кстати, в том самом концертном варианте с гитарой. В поддержку альбома «Queen» даёт концерты в США, Канаде, Японии и, конечно же, на родине.

1976 — «A Day at the Races» снова вызвал бурю негодования у критиков. «Queen» обвиняли в бесплодной попытке повторить «A Night At The Opera», и влияние предыдущего альбома действительно заметно. Брайан Мэй говорил, что все песни готовились одновременно, просто одни вышли в 1975, а другие — в 1976 году. «A Day At The Races» занял 1 место в британском хит-параде, а «Somebody to Love» стала любимой песней Меркьюри. Сокращённая версия «Tie Your Mother Down» с тех пор игралась на большинстве концертов. Кроме того, к «Somebody To Love» и «Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy» были сняты клипы . Это все те же «семидесятые» в творчестве группы, которая уже через год резко изменит курс. Кроме того, группа дает грандиозный бесплатный концерт в Гайд-парке, собирая около 170 тыс. человек, устраивает турне по Шотландии, США, Японии и даже Австралии.

1977 — «News of the World», пластинка, в которой у «Queen» начинают просматриваться восьмидесятые. Это уже не «A Day At The Races», новая музыка в целом более агрессивна, ближе к хард-року.[9] Этот диск принёс группе три суперхита «We Will Rock You», «Spread Your Wings» и «We Are the Champions», но в остальном был не столь успешен, дошел до четвертой строчки в Британии и третьей в США. Группа снова дает концерты в Швеции, проводит туры по Северной Америке и Европе.

1978 — «Jazz» — самый скандальный альбом группы. Он обвинялся в некоторой «попсовости», но главным поводом для шквала критики стал клип к песне «Bicycle Race», который был запрещен в Штатах как порнографический. Группа была объявлена бездуховной и потеряла часть своей аудитории. Композиция «Fat Bottomed Girls» отчасти тоже поспособствовала этому.

«Mustapha», шедшая на пластинке под первым номером, тоже оказалась непонятой. На самом деле, сам текст песни написан на арабском языке и идет почти как back-vocal. Существуют противоречивые мнения по поводу этого произведения: одни считают его попсовой танцевальной фонограммой, другие находят в нем тайный глубокий смысл. «Let Me Entertain You» ближе к хэви-металу, но отлично вписывается в этот альбом. Ударный трек диска — «Don't Stop Me Now» — одна из лучших песен «Queen», написанных Фредди Меркьюри. Это заряд энергии, который затем попадет и в сборник «Greatest Hits». На «Fat Bottomed Girls», «Bicycle Race» и «Don’t Stop Me Now» были сняты видеоклипы. Стильная обложка альбома была навеяна рисунком на берлинской стене, который увидели музыканты во время поездки по городу. Несмотря на критику, «Jazz» поднялся до второй строчки в Британии и до шестой в США.

Группа во время тура Jazz Tour

1979 — увидел свет «Live Killers» — концертный сборник «Queen», в который вошли концертные версии самых известных песен группы. Новый альбом не выходит, музыканты посвящают себя концертам. Между тем Меркьюри впервые выходит на сцену с гитарой Fender Telecaster, для того чтобы исполнить «Crazy Little Thing Called Love», примечательно, что это единственная песня, на которой Меркьюри играет на гитаре, которая скоро войдет в альбом «The Game», а пока выпущена в виде сингла. Но уже через год все увидят совсем другую «Queen», группу, которая станет олицетворением рок-музыки 80-х и одним из самых популярных по сей день коллективов в мире.

С 1980 начинается новый период в творчестве «Queen». В течение последующих 6 лет группа будет разрабатывать свой собственный стиль, совершенно отличный от того, что музыканты демонстрировали в предыдущее десятилетие. Группа постепенно отошла от глэм-рока, а Меркьюри расстался со своим прежним сценическим образом: постригся, отрастил усы, перестал выступать в трико.

1980 — вышел альбом «The Game». Он открыл новую эру не только в творчестве группы, но и во всей рок-музыке. Меркьюри считал его лучшим альбомом группы. Группа отказалась от своих предубеждений и записала альбом с использованием синтезатора. До этого синтезаторы принципиально отвергались как не вяжущийся со стилем и звучанием группы инструмент, который с легкостью заменяли многочисленные наложения звука гитары Мэя «Red Special» и усилителя «Deacy» (подарок Джона Дикона) . Композиции с этой пластинки неизменно звучали на каждом концерте, а некоторые из них относятся к лучшим, созданным «Queen».

«Play the Game» — титульная песня диска, сопровождалась несколько необычным клипом. На заднем плане в нем горит огонь, в котором впоследствии растворяются музыканты — одно из первых применений графики. Концертную версию «Play the Game» Меркьюри играл на рояле. Особенным успехом пользовалась песня Дикона «Another One Bites the Dust». Эта вещь относится к несвойственному для «Queen» стилю. Его можно назвать диско-фанк. «Another One Bites the Dust» — определенно одна из самых удачных песен группы, запоминается невероятными басовыми партиями и характерным вокалом. Меркьюри сам очень любил эту песню, и весь альбом разрабатывался с учетом ее характера. Идея себя оправдала — «The Game» был построен тематически, а не являлся просто сборником песен. Тогда же группа записывает музыку к фантастическому фильму «Флэш Гордон». Он был неплохо принят в Великобритании, но провалился в американском прокате. Нужно отметить, что во «Flash Gordon» группа впервые использует синтезатор как доминирующий инструмент и делает это весьма профессионально.

1981 — выпускается сборник «Greatest Hits». Вместе с Дэвидом Боуи записывается песня «Under Pressure», которая пока что выходит в виде сингла, но уже пользуется огромным успехом, достигнув первой позиции как в Англии, так и в ряде других стран.

1982 год ознаменовался грандиозными концертными турне: «Queen» дала около 70 концертов в Великобритании, Западной Европе, США, Канаде и Японии). Вышел новый альбом «Hot Space», главным хитом которого стала та самая «Under Pressure», исполненная с Дэвидом Боуи. Британское телевидение снимает фильм о концерте, который в 2004 году появится под названием «Queen on Fire — Live at the Bowl».

1983 — группа ненадолго приостанавливает работу, все музыканты работают над сольными проектами.

1984 — альбом «The Works» занял второе место в хит-парадах Великобритании. Песня «Radio Ga Ga» возглавила хит-парады в 19 странах мира. Бурю эмоций вызвала песня «I Want to Break Free», точнее, видеоклип, снятый на неё. Основная часть сюжета клипа разворачивается в декорациях популярнейшего британского телесериала «Coronation Street», а музыканты группы облачены в наряды женских персонажей сериала. Скандальность клипа, впрочем, не помешала самой песне стать официальным гимном Африканского Национального Конгресса. Группа выступает на фестивале «Golden Rose» в Монтрё, запись можно увидеть на DVD «Greatest Video Hits II».

1985 — «Queen» участвует в фестивале «Rock in Rio». Позднее это выступление появится на DVD, как и сыгранный 11 мая концерт в Токио. 13 июля 1985 года группа с триумфом выступила на крупномасштабном благотворительном концерте «Live Aid». Спустя 20 лет это выступление признают лучшим из спетых исполнителями «вживую». После этого концерта Брайан Мэй сказал, что именно тогда испытал настоящую гордость за свою работу. «„Queen“ — самая лучшая группа в мире на сегодняшний день!» — заявил гитарист.

1986 — «Queen» написала саундтрек к фантастическому фильму «Горец» и положила его в основу своего нового альбома «A Kind Of Magic». Альбом пользовался огромным успехом. Музыканты организовали «Magic Tour» — серию концертов по всей Европе. Три самых грандиозных концерта в Лондоне, Небуорте и Будапеште собрали 400.000 человек, а концерт в Будапеште стал первым выступлением западной рок-группы в истории Восточной Европы вообще и Венгрии в частности. Сам тур привлек около миллиона человек по всей Европе. Ничего подобного не знала ни одна рок-группа или рок-певец со времен битломании 60-х годов. «Magic Tour» станет последним концертным туром группы. С этого года начались слухи о болезни Меркьюри. Он отрицал это, ссылаясь на свой здоровый внешний вид.

1989 — альбом «The Miracle» очень резко отличается от всех предыдущих работ. У Меркьюри немного изменился голос, он сбрил усы и стал одеваться более строго. Вместе с альбомом выходит сразу пять синглов. Выход клипов подогревает слухи о болезни Меркьюри, которые теперь активно опровергаются как музыкантами группы, так и самим Меркьюри. Обложка «The Miracle» тоже стала поводом для споров, но, скорее всего, именно из-за возможной болезни певца. Титульной песней альбома стала пятиминутная композиция «The Miracle». Изменение голоса, возможно, произошло из-за непосредственного влияния болезни, но доподлинно известно, что в начале 1990 года Меркьюри бросил курить в связи с развивающейся болезнью лёгких.

1990 — не появляется никакой информации о группе, все ее члены сообщают, что «все нормально», однако столь резкая смена стиля жизни и имиджа вызвала закономерное удивление и тревогу фанатов. «Queen» получила музыкальную премию «Brit Awards», и этот выход окажется последним появлением Меркьюри на публике. Он не стал произносить речь, сказав просто: «Thank you, good night» («Спасибо, спокойной ночи»).

1991 — последний год фактического существования «Queen». Незадолго до смерти Меркьюри вышел альбом «Innuendo» («Косвенный намёк»). Многие считают его одним из наиболее выдающихся произведений «Queen». Альбом открывается песней, которая так и называется — «Innuendo». По своей композиции она напоминает «Bohemian Rhapsody» — всё те же шесть минут вместо стандартных трёх, сочетание различных музыкальных направлений. На вторую песню — «I'm Going Slightly Mad» — был снят гротескный чёрно-белый видеоклип с участием пингвинов и актера, одетого в костюм гориллы (поговаривают, что это был Элтон Джон). Однако самой известной песней альбома, вне всякого сомнения, является последняя — «The Show Must Go On», в которой лирический герой задаётся вопросом о смысле существования и выражает надежду на обретение физической и душевной свободы после смерти. В её припеве говорится:
Шоу должно продолжаться.
Моё сердце раскалывается,
Мой грим осыпается,
Но моя улыбка остается .

«The Show Must Go On» — безусловно, одна из лучших песен «Queen». Но не зная историю группы, невозможно понять, каких усилий стоила Меркьюри ее запись. Голос Меркьюри не выдает его болезнь. Трудно представить, каково исполнять такую песню, зная о скорой смерти. Написанная Брайаном Мэем, она, кажется, была создана специально для Меркьюри. В клипе на эту песню, склеенном из кусочков прежних видеоработ, Меркьюри чуть ли не впервые появляется на какие-то пару секунд не в образе мачо или шута, или громовержца — просто очень добродушная улыбка, эдакий удивленный добряк подмигивает: мол, и сам не верит, что все это было именно с ним. Но при этом лишь крохотная часть его жизни смогла уместиться в нескольких минутах его последнего клипа.

Перед самой смертью Меркьюри распорядился передать все доходы от переиздания песни «Bohemian Rhapsody» благотворительному фонду Терренса Хиггинса по борьбе со СПИДом. Был выпущен сингл «Bohemian Rhapsody» /«These Are the Days of Our Lives» с двумя сторонами А. Это был первый в мире музыки случай, когда одна и та же песня занимала 1-ое место хит-парадов дважды, в разных десятилетиях. Незадолго до смерти Фредди заставил Брайана Мэя выпустить сольный сингл «Driven By You», мотивируя тем, что это самый удачный момент. 23 ноября 1991 года Фредди сообщил миру, что он действительно был болен СПИДом, а ровно через день он умер в своем Кенсингтонском особняке.

1992 20 апреля на лондонском стадионе Уэмбли состоялся концерт памяти Фредди Меркьюри, организованный оставшимися музыкантами группы. В тот день на сцену вышли те, кого Меркьюри считал своими друзьями, с кем работал лично: Джо Эллиот, Джордж Майкл, Эксл Роуз, Элтон Джон, «Металлика», Роберт Плант, Дэвид Боуи, Сил, Роджер Долтри, Энни Леннокс, Лиса Стэнсфилд и любимая актриса Меркьюри — Лайза Минелли. Спайк Эдни, отыгравший на клавишных множество концертов с «Queen», назвал этот концерт «Fred Aid», напоминая о феноменальном выступлении «Queen» в 1985 году на «Live Aid».

1995 Вышел последний студийный альбом группы «Queen» под названием «Made in Heaven» («Сделано на небесах»), составленный из сессионных записей группы весны 1991 года, выполненных в студии Mountain, двух заново аранжированных композиций Меркьюри с его сольного альбома «Mr. Bad Guy» («Made in Heaven», «I Was Born to Love You»), одной композиции группы Роджера Тейлора The Cross («Heaven for Everyone») и некоторых композиций, до этого не выходивших в свет. Примечательно, что «A Winter's Tale» — последняя композиция, написанная Меркьюри, а «Mother Love» стала последней записью вокала Меркьюри.
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Группа после смерти Меркьюри

После смерти Меркьюри на отдельных концертах и записях Queen солировали Джордж Майкл, Робби Уильямс и группа «Five». Однако самым успешным оказался союз музыкантов с представителем британского блюз-рока Полом Роджерсом. Проект называется «Queen + Paul Rodgers. Return of the Champions». Музыканты ездят с гастрольными турне, исполняют традиционные песни «Queen» с песнями Пола Роджерса и собирают приличные аудитории.

Джон Дикон отказался от участия в новом составе, заявив: «Нет смысла продолжать. Заменить Фредди невозможно». После 1995 года он прекратил свою музыкальную карьеру, только однажды появившись на сцене в 1997 году на съёмках клипа к песне No-One But You.

В 2002 году в Лондоне был представлен мюзикл "We will Rock You", созданный на основе музыки «Queen». Мюзикл имел успех, был поставлен в разных странах, в частности в Москве с октября 2004 года по февраль 2005-го.

В 2006 году Брайан Мэй объявил, что вместе с Полом Роджерсом будет записан новый студийный альбом[10]. 31 декабря 2007 года вышел новый сингл группы Say it's Not True[11], написанный Тэйлором. Песня уже исполнялась на концертах группы, и это стал первый студийный сингл группы, записанный с Полом Роджерсом. Сингл достиг 90-го места в британском чарте.

В 2008 году организован новый тур группы[12]. Европейское турне открылось благотворительным концертом в Харькове. Концерт под названием «Life must go on!», организованный фондом «АНТИСПИД», прошел вечером 12 сентября на второй по величине в Европе и седьмой в мире городской площади — Площади Свободы, и собрал самую большую, по оценкам международных экспертов, за всю историю группы аудиторию — 350 тыс. человек. Было сыграно 28 композиций. Гитарист Брайан Мэй заявил, что впервые «Queen» собрал столько людей на одном концерте[13] и написал в тот же день в своём блоге: «Это было первое шоу тура… Для 350 тысяч харьковчан.. В это трудно поверить… Это не описка… Более четверти миллиона прекрасных жителей Харькова собрались на площади Свободы и зажгли нас! Они скандировали, смеялись, кричали и плакали… Это была встреча, которую трудно себе представить. Мы были вдохновлены, потрясены и даже порой слишком эмоциональны… Это был концерт с кучей спонтанных и временами безрассудных моментов[14]». Вход на площадь был бесплатным и музыканты не получили гонорар за выступление — принимающая сторона только оплатила расходы на проведение концерта и пребывание.[15][16]

15 и 16 сентября 2008 года прошли концерты «Queen + Paul Rodgers» в России, в Москве, в спортивном комплексе Олимпийский[17].
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Дискография
Основная статья: Дискография Queen

Дискография группы насчитывает 15 студийных альбомов, 5 концертных, множество сборников песен, бокс сетов и синглов.
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Видеография
Основная статья: Видеография Queen

В видеографию группы входят сборники видеоклипов, записи с концертов и т.п. видео.
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Достижения
В 2000 г. в результате опроса, в котором приняло участие свыше 190 тысяч человек, «Bohemian Rhapsody» была названа лучшей песней тысячелетия, опередив даже знаменитую «Imagine» Джона Леннона. Десятое место в этом хит-параде заняла песня «Under Pressure».[18]
2002 год. Книга рекордов Гиннесса: лучший сингл Великобритании за 50 лет («Bohemian Rhapsody»)
В 2005 г. 3,500 любителей музыки поставили Фредди Меркьюри на второе место в списке лучших вокалистов всех времён и народов, Брайан Мэй занял седьмое место в рейтинге лучших гитаристов, Роджер Тейлор стал восьмым среди ударников. [19]
В 2006 г. сборник «Greatest Hits» был признан самой продаваемой пластинкой Великобритании. В общей сложности в стране было продано 5,4 миллиона копий. [20]
В 2006 г. сборник «Greatest Hits» был признан самым часто скачиваемым альбомом в iTunes Store. В целом скачано 2.27 миллиона раз. [20]
В 2007 г. более 20.000 слушателей BBC выбрали «Queen» лучшей британской рок-группой всех времён. [21]
Песня «We Are the Champions» признана самой популярной в мире (опрос проводился компанией Sony Ericsson, в нём приняли участие свыше 700 тысяч человек из разных стран)[1].
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Queen — первая группа

Памятник Фредди Меркьюри в Монтрё
имевшая одновременно сразу четыре своих альбома в двадцатке лучших альбомов Великобритании: «Queen», «Queen II», «Sheer Heart Attack», «A Night at the Opera» — в 1975 году;
выпустившая настоящий сборник своих видеоклипов: «Greatest Flix»;
выпустившая видеосингл в Великобритании;
для которой компания Walt Disney сделала анимацию для видеоклипа («These Are the Days of Our Lives»);
британская группа, получившая американскую награду «Billboard» за песню «Another One Bites the Dust» одновременно в трех категориях — Disco, Rock/Pop и R&B;
10 альбомов которой заняли 10 верхних строчек аргентинского чарта за одну неделю;
каждый участник которой написал хотя бы один хит, попавший в 10-ку синглового чарта Великобритании;
синглы которой занимали первую строчку британского чарта синглов на протяжении четырёх десятилетий подряд (70-е, 80-е, 90-е и 2000-е)[1]
выпустившая первый «настоящий» видеоклип в истории музыки «Bohemian Rhapsody» (1975)
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Логотип

Фредди Меркьюри, который имел специальность дизайнера, создал для группы собственный логотип (см. заголовок статьи) незадолго до выпуска первого альбома. На нём изображены знаки зодиака всех музыкантов группы: два льва с коронами на головах обозначающих знаки Льва Джона Дикона и Роджера Тейлора, краб символизирующий рака Брайана Мэя и две феи, которые обозначают знак Девы самого Меркьюри. Львы стоят по бокам большой красной буквы «Q» внутри которой находится корона и на которой лежит краб. Возле львов находятся феи. Над всеми фигурами возвышается симург, изображенный в стиле британской геральдики с крыльями с шипами, символизирующий власть над небом и землей. Логотип напоминает собой Королевский герб Великобритании.

Логотип часто использовался группой. Практически все обложки альбомов украшены им как с внутренней стороны, так и с внешней. Также он находился на бас-барабане всех концертов группы до тура к альбому «Jazz» и на концерте памяти Фредди Меркьюри «The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert» (также над сценой находился гигантский Грифон с герба).
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Звук и стиль

Группа часто сочиняла свои песни в самых различных жанрах, таких как глэм-рок, диско, поп-рок, прогрессивный рок, психоделический рок, хард-рок и хеви-метал. Реже группа экспериментировала с такими стилями как панк-рок, прогрессив и спид-метал, психоделический и блюз-рок. Иногда группа играла в таких несвойственных для рок-групп стилях, как кантри, регтайм, рокабилли и народная музыка.

Яркой особенностью звучания группы является хор из Меркьюри, Мэя и Тейлора который стал чем-то вроде марки группы. Наиболее удачное звучание этого хора есть в альбомах «A Night at the Opera» и «A Day at the Races». Другой яркой чертой группы являются различные многоголосные партии для одного человека (например, для песни «Bohemian Rhapsody» Меркьюри записывал свой голос 180 раз [22])
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Queen в кино

Песни Queen звучат в следующих кинофильмах:
1978 — FM («We Will Rock You»)
1980 — «Флэш Гордон» / Flash Gordon (весь альбом «Flash Gordon»)
1981 — «Современный роман» / Modern Romance («Another One Bites the Dust»)
1984 — Space Riders («Don't Stop Me Now»)
1984 — «Месть нердов» / Revenge of the Nerds («We Are the Champions»)
1986 — «Горец» / Highlander («Princes of the Universe», «Who Wants to Live Forever», «New York, New York», «Gimme the Prize», «A Kind of Magic», «One Year of Love», «Hammer to Fall»)
1986 — «Железный орёл» / Iron Eagle («One Vision»)
1989 — «Море любви» / Sea of Love («Another One Bites the Dust»)
1990 — «Горец 2» / Highlander 2 («A Kind Of Magic», «Who Wants to Live Forever»)
1992 — «Мир Уэйна» / Wayne’s World («Bohemian Rhapsody»)
1992 — «Друзья Питера» / Peter’s Friends («You're My Best Friend»)
1992 — «Парень из Энсино» / Encino Man ("Keep Yourself Alive, «Stone Cold Crazy»)
1992 — «Могучие утки» / The Mighty Ducks («We Are the Champions», «We Will Rock You»)
1992 — «С нарушением правил» / Breaking the Rules («Crazy Little Thing Called Love»)
1992 — 1997 - Горец (Highlander) (телесериал) («Princes of the Universe» «Who Wants to Live Forever», «Don't Lose Your Head»)
1993 — «Зятёк» / Son in Law («Crazy Little Thing Called Love»)
1993 — «Супербратья Марио» / Super Mario Bros. («Tie Your Mother Down»)
1993 — «Заряженное оружие, часть 1» / National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1 («Bohemian Rhapsody»)
1993 — Ikaw lang («Bohemian Rhapsody»)
1994 — «Могучие утки 2» / D2: The Mighty Ducks («We Are the Champions», «We Will Rock You»)
1996 — «Господин ошибка» / Mr. Wrong («Crazy Little Thing Called Love»)
1997 — «Убийство в Гросс-Пойнте» / Grosse Pointe Blank («Under Pressure»)
1997 — The Big One («We Will Rock You»)
1998 — «Мачеха» / Stepmom («Under Pressure»)
1998 — «Солдатики» / Small Soldiers («Another One Bites the Dust»)
1999 — «Голубоглазый Микки» / Mickey Blue Eyes («We Are the Champions»)
1999 — «Большая стрижка» / The Big Tease («We Are the Champions»)
1999 — «Каждое воскресенье» / Any Given Sunday («We Will Rock You»)
1999 — «Десятое королевство» / The 10'th Kingdom («We will Rock You»)
2000 — «House of Rock» (мультсериал, 1 сезон) («We Will Rock You»)
2000 — «Фанатик» / High Fidelity («We Are the Champions»)
2000 — «Счастливые числа» / Lucky Numbers («We Are the Champions»)
2000 — «Дублёры» / The Replacements («We Will Rock You»)
2000 — The Filth and the Fury («Bohemian Rhapsody»)
2000 — «Чек» / российский фильм («I Want to Break Free»)
2000 — «Близкие друзья» / Queer As Folk («Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy»)
2001 — «История рыцаря» /A Knight’s Tale («We Are the Champions», «We Will Rock You»)
2001 — «Мулен Руж!» / Moulin Rouge! («The Show Must Go On»)
2001 — «Торчки» / How High («Bicycle Race»)
2001 — Natasa («I Want to Break Free»)
2002 — «40 дней и 40 ночей» / 40 Days and 40 Nights («Under Pressure»)
2003 — «Рекрут» / The Recruit («We Will Rock You»)
2004 — «Двойная порция» / Super Size Me («Fat Bottomed Girls»)
2004 — «Соседка» / The Girl Next Door («Under Pressure»)
2004 — «Заколдованная Элла» / Ella Enchanted («Somebody to Love»)
2004 — «Зомби по имени Шон» / Shaun of the Dead («Don't Stop Me Now», «You're My Best Friend»)
2004 — «Вышибалы» / Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story («We Will Rock You»)
2005 — «Бей и кричи» / Kicking & Screaming («We Are the Champions»)
2005 — «Цыплёнок Цыпа» / Chicken Little («We Are the Champions»)
2005 — «Лысый нянька» / The Pacifier («We Will Rock You»)
2005 — «Оптом дешевле 2» / Cheaper by the Dozen 2 («Under Pressure»)
2005 — «20 сантиметров» / 20 centímetros («I Want to Break Free»)
2005 — «Криминальный роман» / Romanzo criminale («Another One Bites the Dust»)
2006 — «Любовь и прочие неприятности» / Failure to Launch («Crazy Little Thing Called Love»)
2006 — «Развод по-американски» / The Break-Up («You're My Best Friend»)
2006 — «Делай ноги» / Happy Feet («Somebody to Love»)
2007 — «Девушка моих кошмаров» / The Heartbreak Kid («Under Pressure»)
2007 — «Чак и Лари пожарная свадьба» / I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry («Under Pressure», «You're My Best Friend»)
2007 — «Лезвия славы: Звездуны на льду» / Blades of Glory («Flash Theme»)
2007 — «Ночь перед экзаменами - Современная версия» / Notte Prima Degli Esami — Oggi («We Are the Champions», «Don't Stop Me Now»)
2009 — «Десантура. Никто, кроме нас» / Русский сериал («We Will Rock You»)
2009 — «Величайший отец в мире/World`s Greatest Dad» / («Under Pressure»)

Песня Queen «Seaside Rendezvous» звучала в одном из выпусков российского детского киножурнала "Ералаш"[источник не указан 53 дня]
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Литература
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Литература о группе Queen
Pryce L. Queen. (1976).
Tremblet J. The Queen Story. (1978).
West M. Queen: The First Ten Years. (1981).
Love J. Queen’s Greatest Prix. (1981).
Davis J. Queen: an Illustrated Biography. (1981).
Queen. (1982).
Freddie Mercury. The Legend Lives on. (1991).
Queen: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. (1991).
Freddie. (1991).
Queen: Live at Wembley 1986. (1992).
Gunn J., Jenkins J. Queen. As it Began. (1992).
Queen are the Champions. (1992).
Clarke R. Freddie Mercury: A Kind of Magic. (1992).
Putland M. Queen Unseen. (1993).
Gray R. Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. (1993).
Jackson L. Brian May Story. (1994).
Hatton J., Warpshott T. Mercury and Me. (1994).
Michael S. M. Queen. (1994).
Hodkinson M. Queen: The Early Years. (1995).
Boyce S. They Died too Young. Freddie Mercury. (1995).
Queen Live. (1995).
Michael S. M. Queen in Their Own Words. (1996).
Jackson L. Mercury — The King of Queen. (1996).
Bret D. The Freddie Mercury Story: Living of the Edge. (1996).
Jones L. A. Freddie Mercury. The definitive biography. (1997).
Evans D., Minns D. Freddie Mercury: The Real Life. The Truth Behind the Legend. (1997).
Goodall N., Lewry P. The Ultimate Queen. (1998).
Jackson L. Queen: The Definitive Biography. (1999).
Richmond M. A Kind of Magic: Queen. The Secret Revealed. (2000).
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Литература о группе Queen на русском языке
Фредди Меркьюри (1992).
Скай Р. Фредди Меркьюри. (1993).
Queen о Куин. (1994).
Климкин Г. Свет погасшей звезды Фредди Меркьюри Журнал ТВ-Парк № 3 и № 29. (1995).
Глебов Ю. Монархи от рока. Журнал ТВ-Парк № 42. (1997).
Квин. История, поведанная самой группой. Журнал — «Звездный журнал» № 2 и № 5. (1997).
Хоуген П. К. Queen (Пер. с англ. А. Малаховского) (1997).
Дин К. Queen: Фотоистория (Пер. с англ. А. Малаховского) (1997).
Волшебство «Queen» (Пер. с англ. и предисловие Т. Шашковой) (1998).
Русская рулетка Фредди Меркьюри. Журнал ТВ-Парк № 16 (1999).
Бакуркин А. Комета по имени «Queen». Журнал ТВ-Парк № 27 (1999).
Фредди Меркьюри (Пер. с англ. Т. Шашковой) (2000).
Сольное творчество Фредди Меркьюри: Я лишь певец, исполнящий песню. (Сост. А. Л. Рассадин). (2000).
Queen: Шоу должно продолжаться (Пер. с англ., сост., вступит. статья А. В. Галина) (2000).
100 страниц: Queen (Текст С. Климовицкого) (2001).
Лебовски Х. Фредди Меркьюри: Бегущий по лезвию бритвы. Журнал Караван историй. (2001).
Фредди Меркьюри (подборка интервью) Журнал Music Box № 4. (2001).
Хоттен Д. Queen Журнал Classic Rock № 9 (2002).
Фристоун П. Фредди Меркьюри: Show must go on. (Пер. с англ. Т. Сахацкого) (2002).
Хоттен Д. Фредди Меркьюри: По повелению Ее Королевского Величества Журнал Classic Rock № 8 (2002).
Ахундова М. "История Фредди Меркьюри" (2005).
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beatles

2010-01-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

Корни ансамбля уходят в середину 1950-х гг., эпоху рок-н-ролла, которая сформировала мировоззрение и музыкальные вкусы будущих участников группы. Весной 1956 года Джон Леннон (1940—1980) впервые услышал песню «Heartbreak Hotel» Элвиса Пресли, которая, по его словам, означала конец всей прежней его жизни (интересно отметить, что услышанный им прежде Билл Хейли — самый популярный исполнитель рок-н-ролла до Пресли — произвёл на него меньшее впечатление). К тому времени Джон играл на губной гармошке и банджо, теперь он стал осваивать гитару. Вскоре вместе с товарищами по школе он основал группу «The Blackjacks», позже переименованную в The Quarrymen, названную так в честь их школы, Quarry Bank. Куорримен играли скиффл — британскую разновидность любительского рок-н-ролла — и старались походить на тедди-боев. Летом 1957 года Леннон во время одного из первых концертов Куорримен познакомился с 15-летним Полом Маккартни, который поразил Джона знанием аккордов и слов последних новинок рок-н-ролла (в частности песни «Twenty Flight Rock» Эдди Кокрана) и тем, что он явно был лучше развит музыкально (Пол также играл на трубе и фортепиано). Весной 1958 года для эпизодических выступлений, а с осени — постоянно к ним присоединился друг Пола, Джордж Харрисон (1943—2001). Именно эти трое стали основным костяком группы, для остальных же участников Куорримен рок-н-ролл был временным увлечением, и вскоре они отпали от коллектива.

Quarrymen эпизодически играли на различных вечеринках, свадьбах, общественных мероприятиях, но до настоящих концертов и записей дело не доходило (правда, в 1958 году за свои деньги они из любопытства записали пластинку с двумя песнями); несколько раз участники расходились (так, у Харрисона некоторое время существовала своя группа). Леннон и Маккартни, вдохновившись примером Бадди Холли и Эдди Кокрана (те не только пели, но и сами играли на гитарах и сами сочиняли песни, что не было повсеместной практикой музыкальной индустрии того времени), стали вместе писать собственные песни, при этом они решили давать им двойное авторство по аналогии с американскими авторскими коллективами вроде Лейбера и Столлера. В конце 1959 года в группу вошёл начинающий художник Стюарт Сатклифф, с которым Леннон познакомился в своём арт-колледже. Игра Сатклиффа не отличалась большим мастерством, что неоднократно вызывало раздражение у требовательного Маккартни. В таком виде состав ансамбля оказался почти завершённым: Джон Леннон (вокал, ритм-гитара), Пол Маккартни (вокал, фортепиано, ритм-гитара), Джордж Харрисон (соло-гитара), Стюарт Сатклифф (бас-гитара). Однако существовала проблема — отсутствие постоянного ударника, что побуждало музыкантов даже устраивать шуточные конкурсы, приглашая на сцену зрителей в качестве барабанщиков.