Breaking News:MJ Is Dead

[firepoint525]

I think it's embarrassing that the rock stations ignored this.
Flipped around and NOTHING on the rockers.
That's a horrible lack of flexibility.

The rock stations should have been all over this, too. Not just because Thriller had a few crossover hits, but because MJ was an undeniable influence on all popular music. He recorded with artists ranging from Paul McCartney to Heavy D- so any station playing any kind of popular music (including rock) from the best five decades should have taken time to honor his passing.
KROQ played Alien Ant Farm's cover of "Smooth Criminal" incessantly, and last year, KYSR spun the Fall Out Boy/John Mayer cover of "Beat It". If their artists were so influenced by Michael, then don't they owe him some respect upon his death?
Equally important to his contribution to music is perhaps his unintentional bridging of racial divides in this country. If Thriller doesn't become a crossover hit, many black artists don't get played on MTV or on mainstream CHR stations. A generation grows up not influenced by black artists. We lose a key component in the creation of the multiculturalism that is beginning to define 21st century America. Intentional or not, Michael Jackson played a large part in this phenomenom.

So, if we are to believe you, black artists didn't get played on pop radio prior to Thriller? You must be under 25, because I know that statement to be patently false! I heard plenty of black artists, including Jackson himself, on pop radio back in the '70s!

By the way, it took Jackson's death to get videos back on MTV! :

 

[justpassingthough]

I should have phrased what I said about Black artists, starting with MJ, crossing over to mainstream CHR in a better way. What I was trying to point out, was that Michael Jackson's fusions of style, image and music made him "safe" for white America. Sure, plenty of black artists were played on top 40 stations in the 60s and 70s, but the amount and scope of black artists that crossed over was limited. Michael started opening the doors that made hip hop plausible as a mainstream format, that made mainstream CHR into a format that actually incorporates more genres, rather than just bubblegum pop, adult rock and other non-offensive fare.

Not to say that any of Michael's music was in any way offensive, but that his style and his music allowed greater risk-taking in the type of artists and music that were allowed to cross over into mainstream pop. Certainly the incorporation of differing musical styles, fashion, and influence have immensely transformed pop culture in the past 25 years.

 

[jprg]

It's way too bad that Jackson's death was overshadowed by Farrah Faucet's death. Just goes to show you where our society is at. At least Farrah didn't fool around with children

 

[Marv-L.A.]

Numerous AOR PDs in the early eighties, according to various columnists in the trades in existence back then, stated that playing 'Beat It' solely because of the presence of Eddie Van Halen in 1983 was a huge mistake, since MJ was never a core artist at AOR radio.

Mediabase recorded over 15,000 spins of songs by MJ (solo and all collaborations) on Thursday, vs. slightly over 500 on Wednesday.

I know of three LA radio stations which switched to all-or-predmominantly MJ music (KRTH/KBIG/KOST) after his death was confirmed, since I listen to all of them.

Also, the assertion that the crossover success of 'Thriller' was instrumental in 'allowing' music by black artists to be played on top 40 radio is not true; black artists had been routinely played on top 40 radio since (and in the case of Chuck Berry & Johnny Mathis) before MJs birth in 1958, and certainly took off when Motown's hit-making machine took off in the early sixties, alongside enormous smashes from the likes of Ray Charles, Chubby Checker, Bobby Lewis, Dee Dee Sharp, and several of Phil Spector's 'girl groups', including the Shirelles and the Ronettes.

 

[radioresearcher]

Numerous AOR PDs in the early eighties, according to various columnists in the trades in existence back then, stated that playing 'Beat It' solely because of the presence of Eddie Van Halen in 1983 was a huge mistake, since MJ was never a core artist at AOR radio.

Mediabase recorded over 15,000 spins of songs by MJ (solo and all collaborations) on Thursday, vs. slightly over 500 on Wednesday.

I know of three LA radio stations which switched to all-or-predmominantly MJ music (KRTH/KBIG/KOST) after his death was confirmed, since I listen to all of them.

Also, the assertion that the crossover success of 'Thriller' was instrumental in 'allowing' music by black artists to be played on top 40 radio is not true; black artists had been routinely played on top 40 radio since (and in the case of Chuck Berry & Johnny Mathis) before MJs birth in 1958, and certainly took off when Motown's hit-making machine took off in the early sixties, alongside enormous smashes from the likes of Ray Charles, Chubby Checker, Bobby Lewis, Dee Dee Sharp, and several of Phil Spector's 'girl groups', including the Shirelles and the Ronettes.

After disco, it was very hard for anything with a beat or by a Black artist to go to No. 1 ...

Michael absolutely opened the door.

Here are all the #1's by a Black artist from 1979-1983 that were not disco:

1979: MICHAEL JACKSON/Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, COMMODORES/Still, STREISAND & SUMMER/No More Tears

1980: MICHAEL JACKSON/Rock With You, DIANA ROSS/Upside Down,

1981: KOOL & THE GANG/Celebration, DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE/Endless Love

1982: PAUL MCCARTNEY & STEVIE WONDER/Ebony & Ivory, LIONEL RICHIE/Truly

1983: MICHAEL JACKSON/Billie Jean, MICHAEL JACKSON/Beat It, LIONEL RICHIE/All Night Long, PAUL MCCARTNEY & MICHAEL JACKSON/Say Say Say

1984: LIONEL RICHIE/Hello, DENIECE WILLIAMS/Let's Hear It For The Boy, PRINCE/When Doves Cry, RAY PARKER JR./The Other Woman, TINA TURNER/What's Love Got To Do With It, PRINCE/Let's Go Crazy, STEVIE WONDER/I Just Called To Say I Love You, BILLY OCEAN/Caribbean Queen

Look at the jump that we saw after 1983 (when Thriller broke through). 1984 was a huge year for songs by Black artists going to No. 1. Prince started as an R&B and had some pop success with "I Wanna Be Your Lover," "1999" and "Little Red Corvette" - but for the most part, it was relegated to Stevie, Lionel, Diana, and Donna prior to 1983.
.

 

[vonrollskyway1]

he changed radio as well.may he rest in peace!

 

[Dj Woody]

La Nueva 101.9 (Mexican Reginal) & Super Estrella both played MJ on Thursday & Friday. Super Estrella dedicated their whole "LA TOCADA" show on Friday to MJ's music. I know one of my DJ (Mixer) friends at Super Estrella called me Thursday and told me he was redoing all his mixes for Saturday Night because they told him play lots of Michael Jackson during his show.

I went to the Electric Daisy Carnival festival at the LA Coliseum on Saturday (90,000 PEOPLE!!!) and every single DJ/Act I heard dropped at least one Michael Jackson track! I guarantee you that most of those DJ's remixed those tracks as soon as they heard that MJ had passed away just so they could play them on Saturday.

EDC is North America's biggest ELECTRONICA annual festival. It's talent is made up of mostly international DJ's/Producers. This year Paul Van Dyk, David Guetta, Benny Benassi & Groove Armada headlined the main stage. And people say there's no audience for dance music! lol

 

[firepoint525]

I should have phrased what I said about Black artists, starting with MJ, crossing over to mainstream CHR in a better way. What I was trying to point out, was that Michael Jackson's fusions of style, image and music made him "safe" for white America. Sure, plenty of black artists were played on top 40 stations in the 60s and 70s, but the amount and scope of black artists that crossed over was limited. Michael started opening the doors that made hip hop plausible as a mainstream format, that made mainstream CHR into a format that actually incorporates more genres, rather than just bubblegum pop, adult rock and other non-offensive fare.

This is still not true. Diana Ross and the Supremes had 12 #1 hits on the mainstream Billboard pop charts in the '60s! Add to that all the other girl groups, and the early Motown legends, like the Temptations and the Four Tops, not to mention Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles.

Michael Jackson didn't "open doors" (he was simply too young!) as much as he walked (or moonwalked!) through doors that had already been previously opened for him by other artists!

 

[firepoint525]

Numerous AOR PDs in the early eighties, according to various columnists in the trades in existence back then, stated that playing 'Beat It' solely because of the presence of Eddie Van Halen in 1983 was a huge mistake, since MJ was never a core artist at AOR radio.
Mediabase recorded over 15,000 spins of songs by MJ (solo and all collaborations) on Thursday, vs. slightly over 500 on Wednesday.
I know of three LA radio stations which switched to all-or-predmominantly MJ music (KRTH/KBIG/KOST) after his death was confirmed, since I listen to all of them.
Also, the assertion that the crossover success of 'Thriller' was instrumental in 'allowing' music by black artists to be played on top 40 radio is not true; black artists had been routinely played on top 40 radio since (and in the case of Chuck Berry & Johnny Mathis) before MJs birth in 1958, and certainly took off when Motown's hit-making machine took off in the early sixties, alongside enormous smashes from the likes of Ray Charles, Chubby Checker, Bobby Lewis, Dee Dee Sharp, and several of Phil Spector's 'girl groups', including the Shirelles and the Ronettes.

After disco, it was very hard for anything with a beat or by a Black artist to go to No. 1 ...
Michael absolutely opened the door.
Here are all the #1's by a Black artist from 1979-1983 that were not disco:
1979: MICHAEL JACKSON/Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, COMMODORES/Still, STREISAND & SUMMER/No More Tears
1980: MICHAEL JACKSON/Rock With You, DIANA ROSS/Upside Down,
1981: KOOL & THE GANG/Celebration, DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE/Endless Love
1982: PAUL MCCARTNEY & STEVIE WONDER/Ebony & Ivory, LIONEL RICHIE/Truly
1983: MICHAEL JACKSON/Billie Jean, MICHAEL JACKSON/Beat It, LIONEL RICHIE/All Night Long, PAUL MCCARTNEY & MICHAEL JACKSON/Say Say Say
1984: LIONEL RICHIE/Hello, DENIECE WILLIAMS/Let's Hear It For The Boy, PRINCE/When Doves Cry, RAY PARKER JR./The Other Woman, TINA TURNER/What's Love Got To Do With It, PRINCE/Let's Go Crazy, STEVIE WONDER/I Just Called To Say I Love You, BILLY OCEAN/Caribbean Queen
Look at the jump that we saw after 1983 (when Thriller broke through). 1984 was a huge year for songs by Black artists going to No. 1. Prince started as an R&B and had some pop success with "I Wanna Be Your Lover," "1999" and "Little Red Corvette" - but for the most part, it was relegated to Stevie, Lionel, Diana, and Donna prior to 1983.

This is misleading!  Just because artists didn't go to #1 does not mean that their impact was not felt.  Look at Diana Ross!  She staged a minor comeback in the early '80s, having multiple consecutive top 10 hits in the early '80s, something she was never able to do in the '70s.  Kool & the Gang launched a successful second career, beginning with "Ladies Night" in late 1979.  Just because not all of their individual singles reached #1 does not mean that they didn't have an impact.  I recall Stevie Wonder being very busy in the early '80s, again despite not actually having any number 1s during that 1980-1983 time period (other than "Ebony & Ivory," of course).

 

[justpassingthough]

Numerous AOR PDs in the early eighties, according to various columnists in the trades in existence back then, stated that playing 'Beat It' solely because of the presence of Eddie Van Halen in 1983 was a huge mistake, since MJ was never a core artist at AOR radio.
Mediabase recorded over 15,000 spins of songs by MJ (solo and all collaborations) on Thursday, vs. slightly over 500 on Wednesday.
I know of three LA radio stations which switched to all-or-predmominantly MJ music (KRTH/KBIG/KOST) after his death was confirmed, since I listen to all of them.
Also, the assertion that the crossover success of 'Thriller' was instrumental in 'allowing' music by black artists to be played on top 40 radio is not true; black artists had been routinely played on top 40 radio since (and in the case of Chuck Berry & Johnny Mathis) before MJs birth in 1958, and certainly took off when Motown's hit-making machine took off in the early sixties, alongside enormous smashes from the likes of Ray Charles, Chubby Checker, Bobby Lewis, Dee Dee Sharp, and several of Phil Spector's 'girl groups', including the Shirelles and the Ronettes.

After disco, it was very hard for anything with a beat or by a Black artist to go to No. 1 ...
Michael absolutely opened the door.
Here are all the #1's by a Black artist from 1979-1983 that were not disco:
1979: MICHAEL JACKSON/Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, COMMODORES/Still, STREISAND & SUMMER/No More Tears
1980: MICHAEL JACKSON/Rock With You, DIANA ROSS/Upside Down,
1981: KOOL & THE GANG/Celebration, DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE/Endless Love
1982: PAUL MCCARTNEY & STEVIE WONDER/Ebony & Ivory, LIONEL RICHIE/Truly
1983: MICHAEL JACKSON/Billie Jean, MICHAEL JACKSON/Beat It, LIONEL RICHIE/All Night Long, PAUL MCCARTNEY & MICHAEL JACKSON/Say Say Say
1984: LIONEL RICHIE/Hello, DENIECE WILLIAMS/Let's Hear It For The Boy, PRINCE/When Doves Cry, RAY PARKER JR./The Other Woman, TINA TURNER/What's Love Got To Do With It, PRINCE/Let's Go Crazy, STEVIE WONDER/I Just Called To Say I Love You, BILLY OCEAN/Caribbean Queen
Look at the jump that we saw after 1983 (when Thriller broke through). 1984 was a huge year for songs by Black artists going to No. 1. Prince started as an R&B and had some pop success with "I Wanna Be Your Lover," "1999" and "Little Red Corvette" - but for the most part, it was relegated to Stevie, Lionel, Diana, and Donna prior to 1983.

This is misleading! Just because artists didn't go to #1 does not mean that their impact was not felt. Look at Diana Ross! She staged a minor comeback in the early '80s, having multiple consecutive top 10 hits in the early '80s, something she was never able to do in the '70s. Kool & the Gang launched a successful second career, beginning with "Ladies Night" in late 1979. Just because not all of their individual singles reached #1 does not mean that they didn't have an impact. I recall Stevie Wonder being very busy in the early '80s, again despite not actually having any number 1s during that 1980-1983 time period (other than "Ebony & Ivory," of course).

I think you're missing the overall point here, which is that today's pop music is largely music by Black artists (7 of last week's top 10, and 12 of last week's top 20 were Black artists). This wasn't the case before Michael, nor immediately after Michael. He certainly helped in creating a pop music world which was much friendlier towards Black artists, though.

 

[firepoint525]

I think you're missing the overall point here, which is that today's pop music is largely music by Black artists (7 of last week's top 10, and 12 of last week's top 20 were Black artists). This wasn't the case before Michael, nor immediately after Michael. He certainly helped in creating a pop music world which was much friendlier towards Black artists, though.

I believe the current generation of black artists were influenced by Michael, much like Michael himself was apparently heavily influenced by Diana Ross. The current generation of black singers are 20-somethings now, and Michael Jackson, the Thriller album, and the moonwalk are what they grew up with, and apparently all they know. That still doesn't mean that Michael was the first. He wasn't. Far from it!

 

[Marv-L.A.]

If anybody 'opened the door' for African-Americans at top forty radio, it would have to have been Chuck Berry, with the Platters, James Brown, Fats Domino & Little Richard right behind him.

 

[firepoint525]

The Platters' "Only You" was issued by Mercury on their purple label, meaning that it was considered an R&B record. Their producer (Buck Ram) argued that the Platters sang pop music, and got "Only You" reissued on their standard black label.

Michael Jackson wasn't even born yet! :

 

[Robnoxious]

I dunno, maybe I'm just nutty to think that having a lottery to provide tickets to attend a wake is just maybe slightly out of whack? Stevie Ray Vaughn influenced me musically but I never felt the need to travel to his house after his whirlybird crashed. I see this circus as nothing more than squeezing the last bit of blood from a turnip. In other words, it's a cash grab and it has gone far beyond sickening.

For the record, I don't relate to the people that flock to Graceland, Jim Morrison's grave in France or wherever the hell Kirk Cobain's shotgun blasted noggin lies yet I admired what they did in music. Celebrating drug addicts that just so happened to spin gold records from a sow's ear, really? Bully for them for their accomplishment but Christ, is their demise really worth so much pomp and circumstance? I doubt this much attention will be given to Little Richard, Chuck Berry or K.C. from K.C. and the Sunshine Band (they all have gold records too and influenced a change in music) when their time comes.

If Mariah Carry or Beyonce got tragically hit by a bus in a freak accident tomorrow does all this grieving just reset all over again? Stop the ride, I want to get off.

 

[nmoore6676]

I heard a panel on O'Reilly last night going on about how Jackson was the first to break the "color barrier".

Really?

How about Billie Holiday, The Mills Brothers, Nat King Cole, and the great Ray Charles? The color barriers was broken by these greats who had more talent in their little toe than Jackson in his entire body. There were many more as well who were accepted by all like Sammy Davis Junior who had to suffer the outrage of not being able to stay in any of the better hotels, even in Vegas where he had to be sort of hidden out.

Interesting though the Clear Channel's KFI is blowing off a day of commercials for wall to wall Jackson Memorial coverage today with their entire news department in the field. Guess they (the company) aren't as financially challenged as being reported elsewhere to throw that money away. Doesn't make sense for radio though I suppose that KNX and KFWB will be there too. This will be a visual extravaganza and I suspect that there is no one in radio today capable of bringing this to life, audibly, like Edward R. Morrow and the others of his generation.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

I totally agree with Rob and Norman....

I'm boycotting all the coverage..... Thanks to Internet streams !! 8)

 

[ChannelFlipper]

I totally agree with Rob and Norman....

I'm boycotting all the coverage..... Thanks to Internet streams !! 8)

Same here. Thanks to internet and sat radio, and my usual baseball games that I have waiting for me saved on DVR when I get home, it is going to be a Michael-free day. Just because the rest of the world is nuts doesn't mean mine needs to be.

 

[nmoore6676]

If anybody 'opened the door' for African-Americans at top forty radio, it would have to have been Chuck Berry, with the Platters, James Brown, Fats Domino & Little Richard right behind him.

Add them to the artist I've already cited. So while MJ was a major influence most of the groundwork and the really hard road to gaining acceptance was done before him. Most of the MoTown artists preceded the Jacksons as well. I do remember a time when I was very young when to hear the original recordings of people like Chuck Berry you had to stay up for late night skip, back in South Western Ohio. Local radio played covers by white singers many of whom were drawn from the ranks of Country Music and went on to be the roots of Rockabilly but that is another story.

 

[cspotrun]

be honest, the week, the day before MJ died, was he on ANYBODY'S radar screen??? was he played on anything other than KEARTH, and probably the Jackson 5 or MJ wasn't even a "Power" gold there. i agree with previous posts, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino will NOT get the same sendoff when they go, SAD, but they will be overlooked and THEY WERE THE "REAL" groundbreakers for Rock & Roll, and by the way they were Black... but most importantly they were incredibily GOOD.

 

[evalmaster]

MJ broke the color barrier on MTV. Until Thriller MTV was pretty much exclusively white videos. Thriller was a major breakthru for black artists music videos.