When I stepped off the train tonight, the evening was beautiful. It was hazy, yet warm, and I hadn’t felt direct warmth from the sun in some time due to constant rain. I half-listened to the radio in my car, but there was one phrase I picked up on as I waited to depart the parking lot:

“Michael Jackson has died.”

I sat with my mouth hanging open, saying, “What?!” over & over, like maybe they were kidding. I flipped through stations to hear further confirmation. And I received it.

I honestly almost cried. Michael Jackson was an icon spanning generations; he had more talent than most other artists combined. He set the stage for so many others, had an impressive number of #1 singles. Despite your musical preferences, there’s no denying his genius. Everyone bops their head when hearing Beat It, and I’ve seen scores of people jump at dances when the first chords of Thriller are heard.

Now, I present to you my top five favorite singles by the king of pop, in no particular order:
1. Smooth Criminal
2. Man in the Mirror
3. Bad
4. Scream
5. Black or White

I still recall sitting at the foot of my parents’ bed while my mother watched MTV. The music video for Black or White was on, and I just stared in awe. Yes, the transformations at the end were awesome. But the song had a message, something I was too young to fully understand. And it was catchy. And that’s my first memory of listening to good, real music. What an introduction.

Thursday, 25 June 2009   ♦   music