Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson (1958–2009) was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer whose music, choreography, and videos helped shape global pop culture.
Thriller (album): Michael Jackson’s 1982 album, featuring songs including “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Thriller.” Its record-breaking success established the scale of his worldwide commercial reach.
The Jackson 5: An American family vocal group whose members included Michael Jackson and his brothers. Jackson began performing professionally as the group’s lead singer.
Gary, Indiana: An industrial city in Indiana where Michael Jackson was born and raised. Jackson’s childhood and the Jackson family’s early musical work began there.
Music video: A short audiovisual work that combines a song with images, performance, or narrative. Jackson’s elaborate videos helped establish the form as a major pop-art platform.
Prince (musician): An American singer, songwriter, musician, and producer known for genre-spanning music and virtuosic performance. Prince’s contrasting approach to musicianship, sexuality, and artistic control offers a useful pop-era comparison.
Thriller (music video): A 1983 short film and music video directed by John Landis, featuring choreography, horror imagery, and spoken narration. Its cinematic form and dance sequence expanded expectations for pop music videos.
Motown: An American record label founded in Detroit in 1959, known for soul and pop music. The label trained the Jackson 5 in recording, choreography, and crossover performance.
Katherine Jackson: Michael Jackson’s mother and a central figure in the Jackson family. She encouraged music in the household where her children developed as performers.
MTV: An American cable television channel launched in 1981, initially focused on music videos. The success of Jackson’s videos helped broaden the channel’s programming and audience.
Madonna: An American singer and performer whose provocative reinventions helped define pop stardom from the 1980s onward. Her parallel rise shows a different route to controlling image and spectacle in pop.