Artist artifact
Michael Jackson
Singer, dancer, and songwriter whose solo career—especially Thriller-era videos and choreography—redefined global pop as multimedia spectacle and made him a primary reference point for modern performance.
Biography
Singer, dancer, and songwriter whose solo career—especially Thriller-era videos and choreography—redefined global pop as multimedia spectacle and made him a primary reference point for modern performance.
Influence
Set the template for pop stardom after Motown: short-form music video as art form, precision dance vocabulary (moonwalk and beyond), and cross-racial MTV breakthrough that later artists from Britney to Beyoncé still inherit.
Historical context
Singer, dancer, and songwriter whose solo career—especially Thriller-era videos and choreography—redefined global pop as multimedia spectacle and made him a primary reference point for modern performance. Set the template for pop stardom after Motown: short-form music video as art form, precision dance vocabulary (moonwalk and beyond), and cross-racial MTV breakthrough that later artists from Britney to Beyoncé still inherit. Thriller (1982) remains the best-selling album in history by most industry tallies, and its title short film helped lock music video into primetime culture.
Associated instruments
- Vocals
- Dance
Specimen note
Thriller (1982) remains the best-selling album in history by most industry tallies, and its title short film helped lock music video into primetime culture.