“An album that didn’t just have one or two good tracks… all of them were excellent,” judge Paco in his response to our call for testimonials. The album in question is Thriller by Michael Jackson. Released on November 30, 1982, it celebrates its fortieth anniversary this Wednesday. If it propelled the singer’s career even further and changed pop music, the album also marked the memory of our readers.
To describe Thriller, a word comes up: UFO. “A musical revolution as only the Anglo-Saxons are capable of,” says Paco. All the people I knew at that time loved it and still love it, it’s unique. “Guillaume does not lack compliments for Michael Jackson either: “A unique artist, who changed my relationship to dance and music. »
“Each tracklist was millimetered”
For the youngest, it is difficult to imagine the cultural impact that Thriller. Many iconic songs come from this disc. ” Billie John, beat it, Thriller, the moonwalk, that’s Michael Jackson! enthuses Pierre. It is not for nothing that it is considered the best-selling album of all time, with 66 million copies, according to “Guinness World Records”.
It was also this album that propelled the singer to new heights of popularity, making the “King of Pop” an international cultural phenomenon. “Each song was a chiseled jewel, each album tracklist was meticulously measured, each clip an international event, each concert was an excessive show, each public trip seemed worthy of the greatest heads of state”, continues Pierre. “I then had the chance to discover MJ on stage during the “Dangerous” and “History Tours”, it was incredible this energy and the public in a trance, I have never seen that again since”, adds Franck.
The music video for “Thriller” revolutionized the genre
If there is one thing that makes everyone agree, it’s the clip of the song Thriller. Released a year after the album, it revolutionized the genre of music videos. More than a clip, it was a fourteen-minute short that cost $900,000. In France, it was broadcast on the show Champs-Elysees. A first experienced by several readers. “I was 12 years old, and what marked me the most was the clip, revolutionary at the time, and which had been broadcast for the first time in France on Michel Drucker’s show on Saturday evening , says Nicholas. Broadcast in two parts, one at the beginning of the show, the other at the end, because “it could scare children”. »
The output of Thriller and the heyday of Michael Jackson’s career are also a lot of memories for our readers. Generally, the discovery of the artist was one of their first musical discoveries. “It was the first tape I asked my parents for, I listened to it on repeat for years, until the release of Bad “recalls Frank. “At the entrance to college, I made a new friend, a big fan of Michael Jackson. And there, it is a revelation for me, says Anne. My grandfather buys me 33s and 45s at flea markets. I watch his clips, his concerts. As soon as we took the car in family, everyone listened to Michael Jackson. »
A committed and decried artist
Like many celebrities, Michael Jackson has had some involvement with several causes. A commitment that Philippe even considers “precursor, including in favor of the protection of the environment with Earth Song “. “I especially remember the memory of a man of heart who already spoke in his songs about climate problems, world hunger, the ravages of war, recalls Charlotte. He knew how to send strong messages as in Earth Songor We Are the World [interprétée avec d’autres chanteurs pour collecter des fonds en aide à l’Ethiopie]but also Heal the World…” Between his music and his commitment, the King of Pop had “the ability to bring people and cultures together,” says Damien.
Accusations that tarnish his career
When we talk about Michael Jackson, there remains a subject that annoys: the accusations of sexual assault on minors. Michael Jackson was prosecuted for the first time in 1993, but other accusations marred his career. The testimony of two alleged victims, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, was the subject of a documentary in 2019, Leaving Neverland. “I never believed in the accusations of which he was the victim, despite the relentlessness of the investigations, he was moreover cleared [les charges de 1993 ont été abandonnées après un accord à l’amiable avec la famille de la victime présumée, et Michael Jackson a été acquitté d’une autre affaire en 2005] “, defends Franck.
For others, however, these accusations have tarnished the image of the singer. “He is adored, but I do not understand this craze. I do not find his songs particularly exceptional and his character greatly disturbs me, judge Anaïs. He always bothered me, for me he is clearly a pedophile. Even Anne, who earlier wrote that she adored the star as a child, changed her mind: “I saw Leaving Neverland and there, I removed all the images that I could still have of Michael Jackson and I told myself that I should not listen to him anymore. […] His songs play from time to time and I love to listen to them, but it’s always difficult to love the artist and hate the man behind…” Thirteen years after his death, Michael Jackson continues to fuel debate.