Michael Jackson - But was his music any good?

Listening to all of the commentary on Michael Jackson in the wake of his death, there is one aspect of his artistry that has not been honestly or thoroughly critiqued. Though his success, his dancing, and his showmanship are rightfully being hailed - aren't we giving his actual music a bit of an easy pass? At best, his songs are pleasant, well crafted, catchy, light-weight pop tunes - as good as any radio-friendly confection the music marketing machine has pumped out over the last thirty or so years. At his worst however, Jackson subjected his fans to some unbearably saccharine, self-indulgent, forgettable dreck - with the bulk of his output, as far as I can tell, falling into the latter category. This is why I feel that Jackson's appeal is ten thousand miles wide, but only about an inch deep.

Essentially, Michael Jackson is the phenomena being mourned around the world this month because of one recording - Thriller. And even that one album can be boiled down to three really good pop songs - Billy Jean, Beat It, and to a lesser extent, the title track Thriller (honestly, how many people are walking around this week humming the tune of "The Lady In My Life"?). Surely we judge the artistic merit of any artist based on the totality of his output - not merely the commercial success of a single recording - regardless of how impressive that commercial success may be.

Since his death, commentators and fans have been quick to associate Jackson with the timeless luminaries of popular music, such as Sinatra, Presley, and the Beatles. In terms of fame and success, Michael Jackson undoubtedly ranks with the best of them. As a performer, entertainer and for his contribution to dance, he's probably in a category all of his own.

But if we look solely at his music - how does his legacy really stack up?

In only eight years between 1962 and 1970, The Beatles released 12 full length studio albums as well as dozens of two sided "single" recordings that did not appear on albums. The Beatles are known equally for the irresistibly catchy pop tunes of their early career as they are for the depth and artistic sophistication of their mid and late career. They accomplished the almost impossible feat of near universal commercial appeal and sustained critical acclaim. Their relatively short recording career illustrates not only a prodigious output, but a progressive and continuous expansion of artistic development and validity. For all of the well deserved praise being heaped on Michael Jackson for his immense talent as a performer, a dancer, and his impact on popular culture, the merits of his music don't even come close to the towering accomplishment of the Beatles.

That being said, nobody ever paid to watch a Beatle dance.