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Project to fix Cultural impact of Michael Jackson Started: December 26, 2024 50% completed Projected completion: January or February 2025 Completed sections: 8 Still "fixing" sections: 6-7

American singer Michael Jackson, referred to as the "King of Pop", is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures in the 20th century. His musical contributions marked historical records, broke race barriers and pioneered global innovation standards for the pop music that followed him. Through integration of dance choreography, fashion and innovation of music videos, he proliferated visual performance; influencing hundreds of musicians and sub-industries of entertainment. His songs are among the most covered and sampled in music history. Beyond music, he impacted race socio-politics and economic matters. Up until his passing, Jackson was received by over 30 different world leaders.

Throughout global media and in popular culture, Jackson's influence is widely covered. Major journalists and publications such as CNN, Forbes, British Council, Google PR, Smithsonian, Time and Guinness World Records, have detailed his monumental contributions in areas such as performance art development, racial desegregation following the civil rights movement, and exponential impact by country. Appearing on the most records in history for Forbes list of the world's highest-paid solo male musicians and Forbes list of the world's highest-paid dead celebrities (7 and 13 times respectively), his name and estate continues to maintain an unsurpassed financial power into the 21st century. With merchandise, dolls, video games, a cult of impersonators in his name as well as Broadway musical and two Cirque du Soleil shows, his brand has generated further accolades and profits. Museum exhibitions, tribute shows, television documentaries and erected monuments of Jackson are also accessible around the world. Jackson impacted a range of academia, with a 2010 study published in The Journal of Pan African Studies observing his wide influence past entertainment continued into subjects such as mass communications, psychology, chemistry, engineering and medicine. The musical based on his life, MJ the Musical, is among the highest-grossing musical theatre productions of all-time. In February 2024, half of his music catalogue sold to Sony for an estimated $600 million, the highest sale for any single musician in history.

Cultural status

Historical records

Jackson is among the world's best-selling music artists. He is the best-selling soloist in music history based on several reporting measurements; his range of sales have been reported as total certified units over 290 million and net sales estimation reported over 500 million. Jackson is one out of fifteen acts in music history to receive the Grammy Legend Award. He is the youngest recipient of the award, having been 34 years old at the time of reception. He holds several records and achievements, such as the most successful entertainer of all time, the best-selling album of all-time (Thriller), the most watched interview ever, the most watched music video of all time, along with being the most awarded English-language artist in history across all entertainment.

Depictions

• List of monuments and memorials to Michael Jackson
• Michael Jackson impersonator
• List of cover versions of Michael Jackson songs
• Thrill the World
• List of places named after Michael Jackson
• Michael Jackson in popular culture

According to the National Portrait Gallery, he is the most depicted cultural figure worldwide of the 20th century in art. Erected monuments and memorials to Michael Jackson are available in over 40 countries, include Hong Kong, Russia, Italy, Malaysia, India, China and Georgia. Several roads, parks, forests and buildings also use his eponym. In 1992, the Kingdom of Sanwi located at the Republic of Ivory Coast in West Africa declared him as the Prince of Sanwi. Additionally, Madame Tussauds Sydney established him as the person with the second most wax figures following Queen of England Elizabeth II across all their museums.

Race and identity

Racial desegregation, child stardom and crossover

As a group, The Jackson 5 greatly aided in racial desegregation following the civil rights movement. Described by various journalists, their four-year rise to fame after being signed to Motown in 1968 was culturally monumental during a time where discrimination was still abundant. Despite the Civil Rights Act of 1968, by 1968 and 1969, extreme frustrations from inequality led to riots in more than a hundred cities:

Jackson (center, wearing hat) with the Jackson 5 in 1969

For African-Americans who lived in the North, the mid 1960’s was a time of urban riots brought on by their frustrations with poverty, poor schools, police brutality, inadequate access to healthcare, chronic high unemployment, and overt employment discrimination. In the South, fifteen years after the US Supreme ruled in Brown v. Board of Education, that segregation in public education should end with all deliberate speed, southern States openly defied the Supreme Court’s ruling.

The Jackson 5’s heralded arrival in American popular culture in 1969 was at a pivotal time in American society. They were the first recording act whose first four releases were number one hits on both the Black (R&B) and White (pop) billboard music charts. [...] No musical group from an underrepresented population in the history of the United States uplifted a population [...] regardless of race, gender, and ethnicity all wanted to imitate Jackson 5 [...] Even White America now believed that Black was beautiful. [They] demonstrated that African Americans could rise to the occasion despite insurmountable odds. —New Pittsburgh Courier

Rivaling the Johnson administration's 1965 Moynihan Report claiming the black family "broken", the group's forefront success symbolized ability and hope regardless of color, from the Black community and also general audiences. America Magazine recounted their appeal "was able to transcend race". By the year 1972, the group received the United States Congress commendation in recognition of the brothers' contribution to American youth culture. Amid this recognition, being the lead singer and youngest member of the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson was the group's focal point for the media. According to the editors of Rolling Stone's Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, Jackson captivated the nation on a level not seen in a child star since Shirley Temple in the 1930s. Entertainment columnists and scholars alike described him as musical prodigy, and his musical abilities recognized by being the youngest artist to top the Billboard Hot 100, as well as one of the youngest Grammy nominees in history by 1971 (age 11 and 12 years old, respectively).

Throughout the 1970s, they became one of the most popular family acts in pop music, with many hit records, a self-titled cartoon series and, from 1976, a self-titled variety show. He and his brothers were widely viewed as role models for contemporary society. The press celebrated them as a family founded on core religious beliefs and a strong work ethic. Overseas, the group were among the first African American performers to attain a crossover following. The brothers set off on the Destiny World Tour, encompassing 12 countries such as West Germany, The Bahamas, Spain and the Netherlands, which ended in January 1980.

Further racial socio-politics and globalization

Jackson in the early 1980s continued to encounter racial barriers in his personal life and the industry. As narrated in his family's biographical texts My Family and Growing Up In The Jacksons, he experienced racial profiling, and was also physically attacked in an Alabama convenience store. He mentioned on several occasions his lack of acknowledgement in magazines and music shows were racially motivated. In particular, Jackson's 1979 solo album Off the Wall was lauded by Jackson as being undervalued despite its critical and commercial success. Grammys director Kenneth Ehrlich in his book At the Grammys!, "[He felt] mistreated [...] by the Grammy voting process". Jackson believed he deserved more, thus protested by not attending in person the 1980 Grammy Awards.

Propelled by a desire to surpass Off the Wall and delude racial perceptions, in the description of author and pop culture critic Joseph Vogel described the motivation to create the follow-up album Thriller, "Jackson's philosophy for overcoming racism was simple: he would make everything he did so good it simply couldn't be denied."

Swedish fan gathering for Jackson

Thriller released in 1982 to universal sales, it's success broke sale records and racial barriers in the United States and worldwide. Within 14 months, it became the best-selling album of all-time. A cultural phenomenon that crossed borders, it also became the best-selling English language album of all time in various countries such as Mexico, Austria, Canada, Argentina, China (non-soundtrack), Netherlands and Israel. Vogel described, "more than just an album; it was a mass-cultural, multimedia phenomenon that hasn’t been matched in scope before or since." It was also described as a "crossover behemoth [...] drew from all genres and made music that moved him without regard to the racial barriers imposed by the music industry." He would also break records during the Grammys, receiving a record 8 wins in a single ceremony. By reaching such feats, the Library of Congress added Thriller to the National Recording Registry for its "stratospheric national and international success".

From Mexico to Moscow, Calgary to Cape Town, New York to New Delhi – Michael belonged to all of us. There were millions of kids like me dancing in their bedrooms to his music. Sure, stars like The Beatles or Elvis also had international reach. But Michael was black, and for little kids of colour, that made him different. It made him more accessible than the others; he was one of us.

—Natasha Fatah, CBC News, 2009

In particular, "Billie Jean" was one of the first music videos by a black artist to be shown on MTV, which hitherto had been a channel directed toward a white, rock-oriented audience. Although the song was already a number one hit on Billboard, MTV initially refused to play the video because of the network's commitment to rock music. Once record executive Walter Yetnikoff threatened to remove all of their products off MTV and expose its discriminatory policies, the network gave in. Jackson became the first African-American on heavy rotation on MTV. According to Edmondson, "The video [for 'Thriller'] is often cited as the musical phenomenon that completed the racial integration of popular music begun in the rock 'n' roll era." The success of Thriller not only broke down racial barriers in music but also in other areas of contemporary society. Critic Greg Tate said, "Black people cherished Thriller's breakthrough as if it were their own battering ram [against] apartheid." To some commentators in the 1980s, however, Jackson had betrayed his African-American roots, especially in his musical collaborations with former Beatle Paul McCartney—a point of criticism that Stanley says Jackson sought to address with his 1987 album Bad by collaborating with Motown-alum and friend Stevie Wonder. Civil rights activist Al Sharpton commented, "Way before Tiger Woods or Barack Obama, Michael made black people go pop-culture global." He also attributed Obama's presidential win to "a process that Michael helped America graduate to" as crossover fans and imitators grew up to become voters.

Economic impact

Economy by numbers

Prior to Thriller, the music industry faced its lowest profits since the Great Depression of the 1930s between 1978 and 1982, hitting the after effects of the 1973–1975 recession. Disco was waning in popularity and punk rock had split into subgenres. With a financial dip reported between 10-11%, music record companies (such as CBS/Columbia in 1981-82 and Warner Bros) were down by 50 million units in sales and held mass layoffs during the four year period while record stores filed for bankruptcy at all-time rates. Historian Kevin Mattson detailed of Michael Jackson, "He saved the music industry in 1983 by reinvigorating record sales and the bottom line". Through Thriller's release in November 1982, it caused a net recovery and income increase of 26% to $187 million world sales (equivalent to $592 million in 2025). Merchandise licensing also benefited from Jackson on an unprecedented scale, from prints, clothing and toys exported to over 20 countries. Jon Pareles of The New York Times called him "a musical phenomenon." Then-president Ronald Reagan Epic’s West Coast marketing VP Larry Stessel described Thriller's sales were a contributing factor to help revive the industry both financially and creatively, “It pulled the music industry out of the doldrums [...] It helped pull us out of the disco days and it became a whole new world.”

Jackson holds the most records atop the Forbes list of the world's highest-paid solo male musicians. He became the first musician to earn over $100 million in a year (in 1989), and has become the highest-paid male soloist a record seven times. Since his death in mid-2009, he has also topped for Forbes list of the world's highest-paid dead celebrities every year except for 2009, 2012, and 2021–22, making the most appearances in the list out of any celebrity in history. Particularly, he earned $825 million in 2016, the highest earnings for a celebrity dead or alive in any year.

Sub-industries of entertainment

Off the Wall and Thriller also helped change music sub-industries. Besides the music video, distinctly the music marketing industry, radio industry, and music programming channels made paradigm shifts because of Jackson, additionally detailed by various executives and journalists in entertainment.

Seeing major returns on Jackson's marketing campaigns, it allowed record companies to revamped their approach. President of BMI, Del Bryant stated, "With Michael, it became apparent that you could have worldwide hits immediately. Hits used to take a while to cross borders. Michael unified the hit world; it was spontaneous and immediate. Also, he let our music industry know what "big" was. He became a mark that everyone wanted to shoot for." Pre- and post-production budgets became higher with longer promotional times, and a preferred marketing demographic was blurred. Manager Ron Weisner recounted, “[Usually] If you were a black artist, you were put in a black music division, and that meant the marketing campaign was an ad in Jet and Ebony. Our attitude was, ‘Let the public decide. Don’t just present it to a black market only.’" Epic Records sent new marketing benchmarks for blockbusters that changed how the music business promoted and marketed superstar releases. The label agreed to make Thriller the first major release to debut worldwide simultaneously, the first album to be worked for close to two years instead of the usual six or eight months and the first album to spin off seven singles to radio; more than double the normal number.

Radio with AM/FM tuning became popular in the 1970s

A cultural dismantle in music occurred in the late 1970s, to early 1980s with the amount of black music on the Hot 100 down by almost 80%. This was due to radio's shift from AM broadcasting Top 40 to FM broadcasting subgenre listening. Because there was an introduction to broader preferred genres through radio, the main Hot 100 chart had greater dissonance between the Urban chart by the end of 1982, "Not one record by a black artist could be found in the Top 20 on the Top 200 album chart or the Hot 100 singles chart for three consecutive weeks that October — a phenomenon unseen since before the creation of Top 40 radio in the mid 1950s [...] A seemingly impenetrable wall had been erected between the black listening audience and its white counterpart." That same year though in 1982, MTV was created, and by 1983, BET. Such regular programming of music channels attempted to revamp the way audiences consumed popular music. Credited in helping financially and culturally altering MTV and BET, chairman Debra L. Lee confirmed Jackson helped their channel ride out of financial doom. Lee spoke at the Congressional Black Caucus, "[BET] didn’t have very much money and videos were cheap programming. That’s why we had so many video shows [in the beginning] We were able to take those little pieces of film, put them together and make highly professional, creative shows. We didn’t make the videos, the labels did, but [Jackson’s label] gave them to us for free [...] And it really turned this network into a business model that worked. And Michael led that charge. He was the one who really turned videos into full-fledged entertainment. And he did it better than anyone else.”

After Jackson became the first African-American on heavy rotation on MTV, writer Rob Tannenbaum of I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution explained, "MTV's playlist was 99 percent White until Michael Jackson forced his way on the air by making the best music videos anyone had ever seen. Compared to Michael, MTV staples like REO Speedwagon and Journey suddenly looked even more boring. And when Michael's videos created higher ratings for MTV, network executives claimed they'd 'learned a lesson' and tentatively embraced the softer side of black pop music, especially Lionel Richie." This helped equalize Top 40 hits to regularly air across music television programming.

Television appearances

Date	Broadcast	Region	Total Viewers	Type	Source
September 11, 1971	The Jackson 5ive - Episode I	United States	25,000,000	TV Show
May 16, 1983	Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever	United States	47,000,000	Concert
February 26, 1984	26th Annual Grammy Awards (Thriller)	United States	51,600,000	Award Show
March 1984	Pepsi: A New Generation	Worldwide	500,000,000	Commercial
May 17–21, 1988	Pepsi TV Special “Pozner in America.”	Soviet Union	150,000,000	Mini-Series
November 14, 1991	Black or White (Music Video)	United States	33,000,000	Music Video
November 14, 1991	Black or White (Music Video)	Worldwide	500,000,000	Music Video
November 20, 1992	The Jacksons: An American Dream	United States	38,000,000	Biopic
January 31, 1993	Super Bowl XXVII halftime show	United States	133,400,000	Concert
January 31, 1993	Super Bowl XXVII halftime show	Worldwide	1,300,000,000	Concert
February 10, 1993	Michael Jackson Talks ... to Oprah	United States	90,000,000	Interview
June 14, 1995	ABC Primetime Live: Michael Jackson / Lisa Marie Presley	Worldwide	500,000,000	Interview
November 5, 1995	Wetten Das: Michael Jackson performs the Earth Song	Germany	18,000,000	TV Show
May 8, 1996	World Music Awards (Performance by Michael Jackson)	Worldwide	900,000,000	Award Show
May 10, 2000	World Music Awards (Artist of the Millennium Ceremony)	Worldwide	900,000,000	Award Show
November 13, 2001	Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration	United States	45,000,000	Concert
February 3–6, 2003	Living with Michael Jackson	USA / UK	53,000,000	Documentary
December 15, 2003	Our Son: Michael Jackson	Worldwide	1,000,000,000	Documentary
December 25, 2003	60 Minutes: Michael Jackson interview w/Ed Bradley	United States	19,700,000	Interview
July 6, 2009	Michael Jackson: Memorial Service	Worldwide	2,500,000,000	Funeral
	Total Viewership	Worldwide	8,527,600,000
	Average Viewership per broadcast	United States	53,200,000

Performance impact

Music recording

Jackson and his production team tested and pioneered innovative techniques for their music, through use of unique instruments, vocal stylings and recording methods. The 1980s saw recently developed synthesizers, which resulted in Jackson and producer Quincy Jones combining taped synth in addition to live jazz instruments as they primarily recorded by analogue. As detailed by Jackson's main sound engineer Bruce Swedien, rather than use machines in the early days of digital reverb effects, cinematic sounds in songs such as "Thriller" and "Rock with You" were made using 24-track tape machines to access a practically limitless multitrack count and natural-sounding "space". To avoid tape-based deleterious side-effects (from the tape being re-played while recording), it would be put away until the final mix. This, as Swedien explained, maintained the audio quality.

Bottles, screwdrivers are items used by Jackson to produce unique sounds in his music

Jackson, as co-producer of his albums, was known to favor unorthodox sounds to add uniqueness to his songs. At certain points, as detailed by some of his engineering team, Swedien, Rodney Jerkins, Tom Bahler, he suggested to implement items such as a glass bottle as percussion in "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", a mix of synclavier gongs and a precise drum case snare (achieved by procuring a six-foot gran cassa bass drum) from a screwdriver in "Beat It". In the beginning of "Smooth Criminal", he used his own heartbeat digitally processed into the synclavier, and requested the tempo to slowly beat faster as the song dissipated. Notably, Jackson also requested a large wooden platform be installed during studio sessions to amplify his real-time movements—such as snaps, dances, and stomps—to enhance the raw emotion created around his mic set-up. Their various recording techniques have been a point of discussion years later by fellow audiophiles, which sparked popularity in documentaries such as Thriller 40 and studio series by Anthony Marinelli, Stories in the Room: Michael Jackson's Thriller Album Podcast.

Stage and tech design

Hero magazine describes Jackson pushed the boundaries of visual art by putting great detail in his work. Jackson's creative risk-taking has been dissected years later from blogs to published books. Through staging, Jackson integrated various mechanisms and tactics. Admiring the likes of David Blaine, Franz Harary, Uri Geller and Siegfried & Roy, he took inspiration from their magic tricks, hiring Harary to help incorporate illusions into his concert stages. Harary particularly became a consultant for HIStory World Tour and together, they developed Jackson's spiker illusion.

Jackson also popularized new stage gear in performances and tours, such as jet packs, outfits with fibre optic lights, tech-filled costumes such as a suit with explosives. His "toaster jump" was introduced in 1992 from using a widened catapult lift lowered from stage ground upwards as an entrance. After being popularized by Jackson, it has been used in other performance staging, from music concerts to wrestling matches. Unique technologies were also incorporated into his music videos to capture a visual experience for his audience. This includes indicative circles on his jumpsuits were use for his ghost's skeletal joints in Ghosts's against a computerized green screen, light-up motion-activated sidewalk in Billie Jean, integration of giant cartoon and live designs in Leave Me Alone, and advanced CGI in Black or White using PDI morphing animation. In Ghosts, Paul Mejias's own skull was also used as the digital reference model for Michael's skeleton dance prior to digital compositing. Leave Me Alone in particular won a 1989 Cannes Gold Lion Award for Best Special Effects.

Creative process

Michael Jackson backed up tapes of his vocal recordings and dance rehearsals as a reference point for decision making. Choreographer Travis Payne said of Jackson, "Repetition and muscle memory [...] He'd say, that's good, let's create another version. And then you pull the best parts of each version. And then you put than into version 1 (of many versions). [...] Michael was very clear that the best idea, it didn't always have to come from him, but it needed to be found." Jackson spoke on his creative ideals in Martin Bashir's Living with Michael Jackson interview, "Don't think. Feel. You become the bass, you become the fanfare, you become the clarinet, the flute and the strings and the drums." He demonstrated climbing his Giving Tree at Neverland Ranch was how he took creative and spiritual asylum; where he would paint, draw and craft songs.

Trees are the great inspiration of my music. When I climb and sit on my ‘giving tree’ music and poems spring from me on their own. I created many of my songs like ‘Heal The World’, ‘Will You Be There?’, ‘Black or White’ and ‘Childhood’ sitting on that tree. I look at trees with great love. Their kindness moves me to tears. I would always like to sit on them like an eternal child.

— Michael Jackson, Living with Michael Jackson (2003)

In the same interview, he also gained inspiration by playing classical music at his carousel. Jackson's tree is considered a pop culture reference, having been cited in Frank Ocean's Pink + White and South Park's episode The Jeffersons, among others.

Dance impact

Dance choreography

Fans rehearsing for Thrill the World in Toronto

Michael Jackson is credited in helping revolutionize dance culture globally, and is regularly compared in dance authority with icons such as Fred Astaire and Sammy Davis Jr. Andy Gill of The Independent explained that with thousands of dancers imitating him, Jackson became "the most significant mainstream dance icon since the mid-century heyday [of Astaire, Kelly and Davis Jr]." Such authority is exemplified through his influence in setting aesthetic standards for pop music choreography and inspiration to the dance community, from the likes of choreographers, dance directors, professional singer/dancers and impersonators. Los Angeles Times narrates, "It was his supreme achievement as a dancer to remain indomitably himself and, in the process of entertaining us, to offer a vision of expanded human potential. What’s more, long before excesses and obsessions claimed him, he helped turn MTV into DTV, making television the place where dance films set to new music inspired a generation with their creative power and originality."

With an aesthetic standard borrowed from the musical film tradition, the Thriller videos specifically created a sub-industry of choreographers as other pop artists deliberately sought to produce sophisticated dance-oriented promotional films and concerts for music on an unprecedented scale. "Beat It" featured unusually sophisticated choreography and, according to The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, also created a "music video sub-industry of dancers and choreographers" such as Paula Abdul and Toni Basil. This popularization of complex, synchronized choreography coupled with a strong visual aesthetic, as UPI documented in 1984, "leads the wave of dance-oriented music". Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer and judge on the TV dance competition So You Think You Can Dance, said that "countless" applicants had begun dancing because of Jackson. Ronni Favors, a director at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, said Jackson was "a trailblazer for his generation", setting the expectation that future pop stars, such as Britney Spears and Beyoncé, integrate dance in their performances. Jackson's choreo-centered mediums also inspired dance-based movie directors such as Step Up's Jon M. Chu who mentions, "I remember watching Michael Jackson when I was a kid. And it made me believe. I didn't even think about the dance, it made me think about the story, and magic, and made me excited about creating." In Japan, as a result of him opening his 1987–89 Bad World Tour there, Jackson is credited with reshaping J-pop's choreography. In South Korea, K-pop's pioneer choreographers such as Lia Kim and Rino Nakasone have cited him as their main influence. He also influenced India's Bollywood film scene, where dance sequences, films and soundtrack music all borrowed heavily from Jackson's work.

Signature moves and patent

Robot moves stem from 1920s mannequin movement, various dancers for the next decades would incorporate such in their sequences, but Jackson 5 for their 1973 Soul Train performance, as Vox narrates, was "the spark that made it mainstream." On his Dangerous record sleeve, Jackson spoke of his intention with dance as perpetration of personal identity, "Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on. [...] I keep on dancing — until there is only ... the dance." His popularization of dances thereforth by incorporating street moves such as popping, locking; as well as his signature move, the moonwalk became commonly used and replicated in current dance culture.

(Left) demonstration of the moonwalk and (right) patent of the anti-gravity lean.

Jackson first performed the moonwalk when miming to "Billie Jean" at the close of the Motown 25 TV special, which aired in May 1983. The performance was viewed by an international audience of around 50 million and, according to Rolling Stone, "energize[d] the music scene once again and set in motion all the forces that would go on to shape the popular culture of the 1980s". Classic ballerino Mikhail Baryshnikov met Jackson in 1987, and observed his stage movement during his Bad tour era, expressing the most memorable were Jackson's "bouncy walk across the stage, that was what was most beautiful and arresting, swinging his hips, kicking his heel forward. That's to me what he is: that superior confidence in his body as a dancer. You wanted to say, 'Wow, this guy, what a cat; he can really move in his own way.'" Pulitzer Prize-winning dance critic Sarah Kaufman also explained, "No pop star brought dance to the stage the way Jackson did. [...] He didn't invent (but) he perfected it. The dance style that Jackson honed into a corporeal autograph is one not of physical or emotional release — it's not flashy or overblown. It's a statement of fierce, obsessive control, and in the way only the best of the best can do it, he made it look supremely easy." Media studies academic Jaap Kooijman noted that, although the moonwalk was an additional element in his routine at Motown 25, Jackson's replication of his dancing from the already popular "Billie Jean" music video presented a new phenomenon whereby a concert performance involved re-creating a video sequence and the music, including live vocals, ceded to visual imagery such as dance movement.

As often dancing imagery was used, such as for the music video version of Smooth Criminal's anti-gravity lean implemented belts attached to wires, Jackson did not use the same method to keep the body at a 45-degree tilt in live concerts. The move became a discussion in several scientific journals and National Archives and Records Administration, as consensus estimated a forward lean of 25 to 30 degrees was the COG maximum. Prior to his 1992 Dangerous Tour, Jackson co-invented and registered the anti-gravity patent under 5,255,452 at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. According to Complex, it required a strong core and the patented shoes, which contained the specially designed heel peg protruding and connected to the stage, allowing Jackson to shift his balance and perform the lean without any wiring.

Music videos

See also: Michael Jackson videography and Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award

Jackson had a lasting influence on the music video medium, starting with the clips for his Thriller singles "Billie Jean" and "Beat It". At the time most music videos had small budgets, low production values and little narrative. Jackson's videos began a transformation, replacing low-budget montage promos with elaborate short films consisting of in-depth narratives and sophisticated visuals, and taking the form of a mini musical. Jackson collaborated with several Hollywood directors on these works, including John Landis, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee and John Singleton.

Storyline locations of Jackson's Thriller

The "Thriller" video—which gained a commercial release as Michael Jackson's Thriller—was unusually long (at 15 minutes) and took the form of a short film presentation. It features Jackson dancing with zombies and cost more than $1 million to produce. This went against the usual budget of $30,000 to 40,000 for music videos, the range record companies invested during that time. The film sealed MTV's position as a cultural force, helped disassemble racial barriers for black artists, revolutionized music video production, popularized the making-of documentaries, and drove rentals and sales of VHS tapes. It has been described as the most influential music video in history; according to Edmondson, the "Thriller" video "is credited with single-handedly revolutionizing the landscape of pop music". Former MTV executive Nina Blackwood said, "[After 'Thriller'] we saw videos get more sophisticated—more story lines, way more intricate choreography. You look at those early videos and they were shockingly bad." Music video director Brian Grant credited "Thriller" as the turning point when music videos became a "proper industry". Gill recognized the Landis-directed film as a work that "altered forever the balance of sound and vision in the entertainment industry", adding: "Prior to Jackson, music alone had been the premier conduit of cultural dissemination among young people; after Jackson, it was merely the accompaniment to a dance routine, one small element in a larger spectacle." In December 2009, the video was inducted into the National Film Registry. "Thriller" has become closely associated with Halloween. The dance is performed in upwards of 95 major cities around the world; the largest zombie dance included 12,937 dancers, in Mexico City. International events such as Thrill the World was also created. A YouTube video of more than 1,500 prisoners performing the dance in the Philippines had attracted 14 million views as of 2010.

Directors such as Guillermo del Toro, Spike Jonze, Vaughan Arnell, Trudy Bellinger cites “Thriller” as an early inspirations for them. Del Toro states “It was only as a teenager, and watching ‘Making of Michael Jackson’s Thriller,’ that I realized that the people actually making these monsters were not the men I saw in the old books in lab coats. It’s young guys with long hair and rock ’n’ roll shirts, who I could relate to.” Jonze detailed, "It had some magic that made it shine. When I started directing videos myself a few years later, it was like a touchpoint."

With MTV's initial broadcast of the film, in December 1983, the debut of a new Jackson video became a major media event. MTV's belated support signaled the end of its rock-only policy and, due to the popularity the film gained for the network, of concerns for its commercial survival. Bob Pittman, MTV's co-founder and CEO, said that "'Thriller' brought people to MTV for the first time, and it made them stay and watch it again and again. Now everybody was into MTV." This development ensured an upswing in the economics of the music industry after its sharp decrease in revenue since the late 1970s and, with the expansion of MTV's reach in 1984, new music stars being created through the video medium as well as established acts such as Bruce Springsteen embracing high-production music videos. The Rolling Stone editors state that Jackson's breakthrough was the "turning point" for MTV, initiating a transformation in which the network "not only revolutionized virtually every aspect of the music business, from promotion to concert tours, but changed the way listeners/viewers related to music and to artists". According to Landis, the "Thriller" video project was the subject of a course at Harvard Business School, although he said this study incorrectly highlighted the role of business and legal professionals rather than Jackson's creative vision.

According to The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, the $160,000 budget for Jackson's "Beat It" video was considered an "exorbitant" amount; the video for his 1995 single "Scream" cost an estimated $4 million, making it the most expensive clip in pop music history at that time. MTV's premiere of Jackson's "Black or White" single was broadcast simultaneously in 27 countries on November 14, 1991, and was watched by an estimated 500 million people. As of 2006, this remained the largest audience to view a music video.

MTV in 2001 renamed their Lifetime Achievement Award into the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, for his contribution to reinventing music videos.

Global media

A PageRank diagram illustrating the process used to determine the most searched terms in the world

Michael Jackson's impact has been well-documented by global media, statistical lists and entertainment outlet op-eds. Google Search using PageRank algorithm includes Michael Jackson among the 100 most Googled terms ever between 2003 to 2022, being one of a few persons to be included on the list along with technology and natural events. Branded titles including but not limited to "The King of Pop", "Biggest Pop Star" factor him as one of the most influential musical artists based on his sales, impact and acclaim. Particular descriptions by economic researchers and cultural journalists have also been detailed in various countries. Such titles, rankings and achievements in both English and non-English languages include:

Historic rankings

Year/Era	Publication	Listed As	Ref
Multiple	Forbes	"The World's Highest-Paid Male Solo Musician"
		"The World's Highest-Paid Dead Celebrity"
2003–2022	Google Search/PR	"The 100 Most Googled Terms Ever"
2016	Wikipedia	"The Most Viewed Wikipedia Page for a Musician"
2014	Smithsonian	"The 100 Most Significant Americans of All Time"

English titles

List of published examples of English-language recognitions and titles granted to Michael Jackson

Year/Era	Publication	Listed As	Ref
2010	Atlantic	"The Most Influential Artist of the 20th Century"
2009	BBC	"The Exciting Figure Who Defined Pop Music"
2009	Billboard	"The King of Pop"
		"The Biggest Pop Star in History"
		"The Global Phenomenon"
2014	CNN	"The World's Top Entertainer"
2016	Complex	"The World's Greatest Pop Star"
2018	E!	"The Pioneer in Every Sense of the World"
2024	Esquire	"The Undisputed King of Pop"
2024	Financial Express	"The World's First Megastar"
2015	GQ	"The Everest of Entertainment"
2021	Guardian	"The Greatest Entertainer of His Generation"
2006	Guinness World Records	"The Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"
2009	Harvard Business Review	"The World's Biggest Pop Star"
2009	NBC	"The One Global Superstar"
2009	New York Times	"The Biggest Star in the World"
2009	NPR	"The Pop Legend"
2014	OK!	"The Most Influential Entertainer of the 20th Century"
2023	People	"The Icon Beloved by the World"
2020	Pitchfork	"The Biggest Pop Star on the Planet"
2002	Rolling Stone	"The Biggest Star in the World"
2010		"The World's Greatest Entertainer"
2014		"The Greatest Pop Artist That Ever Lived"
2016	Smithsonian	"The Throne in Pop Royalty History"
2012	Time	"The Consummate Performer"
2009		"The Supernova"
2009		"The Vanishing-Point Talent"
2009		"The Far Right of the Bell Curve"
2009	Vanity Fair	"The Pop King"
		"The Boy Who Would Be King"
2017	VH1	"The One and Only King of Pop"
2021	Vogue	"The Late, Great, King of Pop"
2009	Wall Street Journal	"The Most Gifted Pop Entertainer of His Era"
2016	Wired	"The Biggest Pop Star in the World"
2000	World Music Awards	"The Artist of the Millennium"

Non-English titles

List of published examples of non-English language recognitions and titles granted to Michael Jackson

Year/Era	Publication	Listed As / (Translation)	Ref
2019	The Asahi Shimbun (Japan)	キング・オブ・ポップの名にふさわしい/ ("Worthy of The Name of King of Pop")
2024	Folha (Brazil)	A maior estrela pop de todos os tempos/ ("The Biggest Pop Star of All Time")
2010	Der Spiegel (Germany)	Ein Wunderknabe, der zum König des Pop wird/ ("A Boy Wonder Who Becomes the King of Pop")
2009	Le Monde (France)	Le chanteur le plus connu au monde/ ("The Most Famous Singer in the World")
2019	Corriere della Sera (Italy)	Una progressiva scalata di vette mai neppure concepite dalla storia della musica leggera/ ("A progressive climb to heights never even conceived in the history of pop music")
2009	La Jornada (Mexico)	Pionero al comunicar un lenguaje que todos entendieron/ ("The Pioneer in Communicating A Language Everyone Understood")
2009	Guangming (China)	歌壇天王/ ("The King of Music")
2013	The Dong-A Ilbo (South Korea)	‘대체 불가능 아티스트’ 영원한 팝의 황제 / 미국 팝 역사상 가장 큰 영향력을 발휘했던/ ("The Irreplaceable Artist, Eternal King of Pop / The Most Influential in American Pop History")
2016	Het Laatste Nieuws (Belgium)	Zijn muzikaliteit en dansmoves veranderden de muziekgeschiedenis voor altijd/ ("His musicianship and dance moves changed music history forever")
2021	Amar Ujala (India)	दुनिया में बहुत सारे पॉप स्टार हुए हैं और आज भी हैं, लेकिन माइकल जैक्सन जैसा कोई नहीं है।/ ("There have been and still are many pop stars in the world, but there is no one like Michael Jackson")
2018	Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland)	Najpopularniejszy piosenkarz poprockowy świata/ ("Most popular pop-rock singer in the world")
2021	Thairath (Thailand)	เป็นศิลปินขวัญใจคนทั่วโลก สำหรับ/ ("An artist loved by people all over the world")
2009	El Mundo (Spain)	Antes de Michael Jackson, la música era blanca o negra. Con él, se vuelve incolora/ ("Before Michael Jackson, music was black or white. With him, it became colorless")

Public poll or listicle

See also: List of awards and nominations received by Michael Jackson § Listicle

Impact by country

See also: Philanthropy of Michael Jackson and Death of Michael Jackson § International

Regarded as one of the most famous figures in recent history, Jackson had a major impact, both culturally and politically in various areas after globalization. Ben Beaumont-Thomas, music editor for The Guardian, said Jackson "ushered in a global culture" and that his impact extended into "areas previously untouched by Western pop culture". In an ethnographic portrait collection on the subculture of his tribute fans, writer Lorena Turner states his "ability to transcend race, gender and a wide range of cultural stigmas". His moniker "King of Pop" is accepted and used in media by other countries. Particularly during tours, Jackson additionally held a foreign affairs role, holding meetings with prime ministers, royalty and presidents as well as part of his concert proceeds funneling to orphanages of the country visited. The Sydney Morning Herald's political editor Peter Hartcher compared his 2009 death a "remarkable moment of worldwide political and popular unity is a reminder of the immensity of American soft power". Over the years, journalists have detailed his unifying ability as a cultural figure:

The reason Michael mattered — continues to matter — is because he was one of the first truly international stars. Not just transatlantic, not just big in Japan: He was global. The obvious effect was economic. Michael opened markets around the world. It is Michael Jackson selling records — but it is also a stall in Malaysia selling bootlegged Michael Jackson tapes and T-shirts [...] It is a flea market in South Africa where they sell framed illustrations of Michael Jackson and Jesus. [...] Last night, impersonators massed in Mexico City. In London, plans for a mob moonwalk this evening. In my neighborhood in New York, Michael wafts out of every car, from every window. In Taiwan, an inordinate number of kids are named "Michael" or "Jackson." Packets of information, traveling the globe.

— Pulitzer Prize-winning Cultural writer Hua Hsu, Michael Jackson: He Was The World

Furthermore, the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs during the 111th Congress was proposed a resolution to honor Michael Jackson's global humanitarian contributions. The resolution detailed over 40 spearhead efforts of Jackson in the country and abroad which include cancer research, terminally-ill funding, education, immunization grants, anti-racism campaigns and global hunger charities.

United Kingdom

In United Kingdom history, Thriller and Bad are the two highest-selling albums by a male solo artist. Only Jackson and rock band Queen have multiple entries in the top ten. His Bad tour once held London's Wembley Stadium record of 504,000 attendees over seven nights until Taylor Swift was reported to beat the record 36 years later for her eight nights at Wembley for The Eras tour. Reports stated Wembley's ticket demand for Jackson's dates exceeded 1.5 million, enough to fill the 72,000-capacity venue 20 times, though the number of nights were strictly kept as the venue reached their quota length for security maintenance. Comparably in Liverpool at Aintree Racecourse, reported amongst most-attended concerts in history with 125,000 fans, of which 1,550 fans were reported having minor injuries due to uncontrollable crowd, with an estimated 31 to 40 people requiring hospitalization. This was despite Merseyside Police drafting in 500 extra officers and a first aid team for the event, though no deaths were reported. His 2009 This is It concert residency was to be held exclusively at The O2 Arena in London sold out of 750,000 tickets within 4 hours, to which organizers described to be "a cultural phenomenon".

Germany

German fans lining up for the Bad tour in 1988

During the last four years of the Cold War, Jackson's popularity in Germany was notable in that Jackson's visit to Berlin for his 1988 Bad tour held immense protocols. As the city was physically divided, fans attempted to watch or hear the June 19 concert over the wall, either from behind the Brandenburg Gate area or the nearby Charite hospital. An infamous Stasi file was kept of Jackson, detailing the secret police deemed the visit a possible perceived threat, as an outlet described the police had fear of his potential to inspire and mobilize. Fearing the concert could cause rebellion if Jackson were to make any politically sensitive comments, they methodized censorship. A look-alike during his SAT 1 conference was hired, and a two-minute broadcast delay would be put in place in which they could transfer to a pre-recording. At one point, Jackson famously pointed towards the Wall and declared, “This is for all the fans over there in East Berlin!” to which a PMA journalist expressed, "In the end, Jackson’s Berlin Wall concert stands as a testament to the transformative power of art and the enduring human spirit. It’s a vivid reminder that even in the darkest of times, a song can light up the night, and a performance can inspire change." German newspaper Der Spiegel called Jackson "Deutschland's King of Pop" for his unique impact on the country's culture.

Africa

Jackson had cultural impact in various African countries, as he played a cultural, philanthropic role throughout his visits there. He first visited Africa in 1974 with the Jackson 5, a visit that inspired his Bad single "Liberian Girl". Along with Jackson compositions such as "Heal the World" and "We Are the World", fans from Liberia found the song uplifting and his message resonated there in a climate of civil war and human atrocities. By 1992, Jackson carried out a multi-nation African cultural tour to Tunisia, Gabon, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, Tanzania, Egypt and South Africa, intent on visiting "orphanages, children's hospitals, churches, schools and playgrounds". Jackson's trip was a huge success as his visit drew more spectators in Gabon than Nelson Mandela and more in the Ivory Coast than the Pope, "From his sunset arrival in Gabon, where more than 100,000 people greeted him with spiritual bedlam". While in Ivory Coast, he was crowned king of the Agni people in the Kingdom of Sanwi. Later that year, he established the Heal the World Foundation to raise awareness of social issues related to children.

Until 1994, with the fall of apartheid in South Africa, Jackson was the only artist whose songs were played on white pop stations and black R&B stations there. According to Metro FM presenter Lupi Ngcayisa, his lyrics "forced black families to debate issues surrounding individualism and race". South African R&B artist Loyiso Bala, of the Bala Brothers, likened Jackson's impact to Mandela and said that as a black boy growing up in a township, "you either wanted to be Michael Jackson or a freedom fighter. NPR's Africa correspondent, Ofeibea Quist-Arcton said that "Africans all across the continent are mourning the loss. [...] A Kenyan woman, with a tremor in her voice, asked how a legend dared die, because they were not supposed to die. [...] Across the continent in West Africa, a Nigerian radio host reportedly broke down live on air. [...] But, mostly, Africans are mourning the man whose dazzling dance steps and musical genius are likely to be Jackson's lasting legacy." Michael is said to remain a consistently popular figure in Africa with stories of his fame spread across the continent. In 2016 John Mahama, then President of Ghana, referred to "Heal the World" in a speech at the UN General Assembly to encourage globalization and acceptance of refugees, and to denounce xenophobia.

South America

Note to Jackson from a Venezuelan fan

Jackson had a notable impact in countries such as Brazil. Before the country's existence of music certification in 1990, Jackson is among Brazil's best selling albums by international artists with only Jackson and singer Julio Iglesias holding claimed sales over 2 million. In 1996, Jackson visited Santa Marta in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to film with director Spike Lee one of the videos for "They Don't Care About Us". It was intended to bringing global attention to the social issues faced by residents of these impoverished communities. Initially, Rio's local government was concerned that Jackson would show the world an unflattering picture of poverty, which might affect tourism, and accused Jackson of exploiting the poor. Others supported Jackson's wish to bring public awareness to problems of the region, arguing that the government was embarrassed by its own failings. A judge banned all filming but this ruling was overturned by an injunction. Lee's team negotiated with drug lord Márcio Amaro de Oliveira, who was a fan of Jackson, to guarantee Michael’s security, as Brazilian police refused to climb the hills of the slum due to gang control. Jackson performed with the Olodum, which runs an inner-city school for Salvador's underprivileged children centered to build self-esteem and encourage economic ascension. Speaking of the music video in The New Brazilian Cinema, Lúcia Nagib commented: "He used the favela people as extras in a visual super-spectacle [...]. The interesting aspect of Michael Jackson's strategy is the efficiency with which it gives visibility to poverty and social problems in countries like Brazil without resorting to traditional political discourse. The problematic aspect is that it does not entail a real intervention in that poverty." In 2009, Billboard described the area as "now a model for social development" and claimed that Jackson's influence was partially responsible for this improvement. Because of his immense popularity, he has received both governmental and fan tributes in Spanish-speaking countries such as Chile, who gave him virtual presidential honors on his 1993 visit to the country Argentina, and Peru. For Spanish fans, he then released the single Todo mi amor eres tú' (You are all my love)." In 2015, a Latin project was released for Michael Jackson, Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson.

India

Rock may have smashed the iron curtain, but it was just the moonwalk that did it for India [...] Michael Jackson was not just a pop star for us; he represented the world beyond India we had only heard about as well as the possibility of catching up with it. Michael Jackson was the first symbol of aspiration for a generation that went from denial to obsession about it almost overnight. In the 1980s, bootleg VHS copies of Thriller went from home to home, even as we sought to work hard and study and buy into the first signs of consumerism that had started to appear. By the 1990s, with economic liberalization and the rise of satellite television channels like MTV India and Channel V, Michael Jackson, his music, image, and charisma all became a part of India, like globalization itself.

— Vamsee Juluri, Professor at University of San Francisco, The Dawn of Global India, Huffington Post

By 1983, Jackson became the representative global music star of India. Culture journalists such as Vamsee Juluri, and Kamla Bhatt have agreed he was a "huge influence on Bollywood and Indian film industry." Billboard noted, "For many people in India — a market where international repertoire accounts for just 5% of physical music sales — Michael Jackson is Western pop. Alone among Western artists, his popularity isn’t confined to English-speaking urban Indians. Among the country’s rural youth his celebrity competes with Bollywood stars for one reason: his trademark dance moves." A country drawing influence from Jackson, several movies have been inspired directly by him or have him as a central theme such as Munna Michael, ABCD: Any Body Can Dance and Donga.

India's entertainment tax was waived by the ruling Shiv Sena just for Jackson to perform in the country. Jackson first visited India in 1996 during his History World Tour where he was greeted by thousands of fans with the media noting that his security force larger than that of the Prime Minister. A journalist told Condé Nast Traveler, "These were the days when noise control norms were still lax, and one could hear his music for miles. People were going nuts - they were singing and dancing in the streets." His show in Mumbai was performed in front of a sold out audience of 35,000, later he returned to India to perform in front of a sold out audience of 70,000 in an effort to raise funds to provide jobs for young people in the state of Maharashtra. Upon his arrival, a unprecedented frenzy as 15 km of Bombay's streets were filled with fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Michael Jackson who was escorted to his hotel by a 30-car police motorcade. BBC reported this brew tensions and separations within the Shiv Sena party, as oppositions asked how a Hindu right-wing party could back a pop concert which "represented Western values". Suketu Mehta summed it up, "And well, what is culture? He represents certain values in America which India should not have any qualms in accepting. We should like to accept that part of America that is represented by Jackson." Sony Music Entertainment India stated that millions of Jackson's records had been distributed in the country with Jackson accounting for 26% of all music downloads in India following his death. British-born hip-hop star Hard Kaur explained, "Actors, established choreographers, aspiring composers, kids in dance shows [...] Go to any village, any corner in India and you'll find everyone is familiar with the name Michael Jackson." Top Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan stated that he was a huge fan of Jackson and cried upon hearing news about Jackson's death, stating that the singer was "a wonderful creation of God." Khan later brought Bollywood together two months later in order to pay tribute to Michael Jackson which was televised to Indian audiences.

In 2011, the Bombay High Court opened a case against the 1996 tax waive, which named Raj Thackeray, President of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Wizcraft International and Shiv Sena's employment wing, Shiv Udyog Sena as brainchilds for the event. For ten years, it was transferred to multiple courts including the Supreme Court of India, until 2021 when the Cabinet granted its approval.

Romania

Jackson had both a cultural ties and political encounters in Romania. Upon arrival in 1992 during the Dangerous World Tour, Jackson was greeted by thousands of fans in what was described at the time as "the biggest-ever performance by a Western pop star in the country that until 1989 was isolated by Ceausescu's Stalinist regime". Likened to that of a head of state official visit, he meet with then President Ion Iliescu at the Royal Palace and proceeded to stop by orphanages prior to his concert in front of 70,000 people at Bucharest. The Seattle Times confirmed all concert proceeds are to benefit 100,000 orphans housed in squalid state-run institutions. Over 22,000 security officers were assigned to protect Jackson during the proceedings. Mass hysteria exploded after the concert, as approximately a thousand young fans of Jackson protest over Jackson's deserving of "the Nobel Peace Prize because he did more to help children than any politician". Newspaper Romania Libera's controversially claimed President Iliescu staged their meeting with Jackson during a financial loss to help him get re-elected, to which his foreign minister Adrian Năstase denied. A live special broadcast special of the event was released years later Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour garnering the highest ratings for HBO in the history of the channel up until that point. Years later, a continuous cultural figure in their country, Romanian fans erected a statue for him in Bucharest after his death.

China

According to the list of best-selling physical albums in China, Jackson is the best-selling English musician after The Lion King and Titanic soundtracks in China. MinnPost cited his appeal largely comes from his association with China’s Open Door Policy and economic reform, which kicked into gear in the 1980s, after American established diplomatic relations with China the previous year (1979 hegemony versus previously state-controlled radio). Due to his popularity, China currently is the country with the largest number of statues dedicated to Jackson, with 10 statues in cities such as Guangzhou, Chengdu, Nanning, Xi'an, Zhengzhou and Wuhan. Global Times noted, "Jackson holds an incomparable position and reputation [...] His music and move were incredibly popular in Chinese discos and nightclubs at the time." He has been referenced or had songs used in many Chinese-language films such as Detective Chinatown 3, Gong Shou Dao, Art College 1994, Old Boys, Police Story, City Hunter and Shaolin Soccer. According to Adam Tsuei, President of Sony Music Entertainment Greater China division, Jackson's sales in Asia have continued to be strong despite rampant piracy. Until today, there are various impersonators scattered across China.

Mexico

13,000 people dancing to Thriller in Mexico City

Jackson's Thriller holds the all-time record for best-selling album in Mexico, based on Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. During his 1993 Dangerous World Tour, he gave five concerts at the largest stadium in Latin America, Estadio Azteca in Mexico for 550,000 people, breaking an attendance record for greatest number of fans across a run of shows at the stadium. Through his concert run, he met with former president, Carlos Salinas de Gortari. There is an active fan community in Mexico. On his birth date following his death, 13,000 fans gathered at the Monumento a la Revolución for a Thriller flash mob, which at one point held a Guinness World Record. Mexico's Tourism Secretary Alejandro Rojas released a statement, "We are very happy because the initiative came from the people."

Czech Republic

Overlooking the city, to celebrate Jackson's History World Tour, a large statue of the singer was erected in Letná Park, the place once occupied by Joseph Stalin. Jackson's airport arrival in Prague, Czech Republic was described by a merchant civilian as equivalent to "Yuri Gagarin returning home after landing on the Moon". Other people climbed on trees and upon the roofs of buildings in effort to get a glimpse of Jackson, whose security force and associates caused multiple traffic jams and took up 5 floors of the InterContinental hotel with a crowd of over 5,000 people blocking the streets waiting to see Jackson from his Hotel suite. Jackson's concert at Prague is one of the largest in history with a estimated 125,000 in attendance and thousands more outside the fences. Before his performance, Jackson was welcomed to Prague Castle for a meeting with President Václav Havel, and toured the capital city as well as children’s home in Zbraslav and the traumatology centre in Prague’s Motol University Hospital. After his concert, the statue was moved to Eindhoven.

Pakistan

Following his 2009 death, many local television channels in Pakistan shifted their focus to cover the news, temporarily setting aside the ongoing military campaign against Taliban militants. This change in programming highlights the global impact of Jackson whom at the time was regarded "internationally acclaimed" by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Salim Qureshi Khokhar who asked the House to observe a minute of silence "as he was an Islam". Minister for Local Government Shazia Marri interjected the claims, "Jackson’s brother may have been a Muslim but there’s no confirmation about Jackson having converted to Islam". Professor of International Relations at Boston University Adil Najam recalled Jackson's cultural relevance in the country, which inspired vast television and music in Pakistan, "There was a time when - irrespective of your economic and social class - the way to be ‘tich’ was to be like Michael Jackson [...] And no stage show from Peshawar to Karachi would ever be complete without the ‘performance’ of a Michael Jackson clone."

Saudi Arabia

Even inside the most conservative families' households. There was just something about him and his songs that rang true. When we were teenagers, we would often smuggle music by MJ into our school in Saudi Arabia and share it among us by putting the cassettes into generic plastic covers to hide the fact that we were listening to his music. There were fears among the religious police about his "influence" on the young mind, particularly as songs such as Bad and Beat It were copied and sung, and even dubbed into Arabic, by the young and the rebellious. We didn't care about his personal life, it didn't matter. What was important were the songs. We identified with the themes of loneliness and rejection in his lyrics. After the first Gulf War, the young in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait listened to his songs for strength and inspiration. I know I did - even if I didn't understand all of the words back then. In many ways - and despite reservations about Washington's recent foreign policy - he was a symbol of America as a land of opportunity, especially for a generation of Arabs that had grown up in conflict.

— Journalist Rym Ghazal, He meant so much to Arabs, The National (Abu Dhabi)

Michael Jackson's influence in Saudi Arabia went beyond just being a pop icon; he became a symbol of cultural transcendence and inspiration for large population of Saudis. In the 1980s, public displays of music and dance were traditionally limited and mostly banned and debunked by the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, Michael Jackson's music and dance moves provided a unique outlet for self-expression. Despite his music not being openly distributed, fans listened to Jackson's music through illegal pirated copies and bootlegs made on the black market. Notably, Jackson's unique connection with Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud saw potential in Jackson, and was instrumental in Jackson's continued success and influence in the Middle East. The two formed a short-lived joint venture called Kingdom Entertainment. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has continued to honor Michael Jackson's legacy through various tribute shows and events. For instance, during the Riyadh Season, a major cultural festival in the capital, Jackson's montages were shown on giant screens every hour from 4:30 PM to midnight, a notable testament to his impact on Saudi people.

Other Arabian countries

Jackson had a similar cultural influence on Arabian-conservative countries such as Egypt, Lebanon, and United Arab Emirates. Egyptians refer to him as a common cultural icon, with camels being after him, and often part of a longer list of films depicting his relevance in the country. Sheikh Jackson in particular is based on the country's emotions stirred by the pop star's death, sparking a series of existential questions within the Sheikh community. In Lebanon, he also caused major mourning tributes, to which Lebanese Minister of Information, Walid al-Daouk, remarked, "I'm attending this just to confirm that Beirut is not just tears in the middle of the streets. Lebanon is culture. It is what we see. It’s the joy of living." Years later, They Don't Care About Us single in 2017 was used to protest against the Lebanese government regarding the waste issue which had turned to a health crisis. In the United Arab Emirates, Jackson's visit included several surprise public appearances, which thrilled fans and locals alike, prior to Jackson's visit he was the honored guest of Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Bahrain.

Japan

Japanese fan leaves a wreath at his memorial site with the message, "Your songs are the best joy of my life"

Indicative of Japan's devotion to Jackson was the hysteria that his visits caused. Japan's music market is second in the world with Jackson being the country's highest certified Western male soloist, even though the majority of the country's sales are not traceable before Japan's music certification RIAJ established in 1989. Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada has credited him with building a generation with his music. Because of his immense popularity starting in the 1970s, he had several advertising deals with Suzuki's Love Scooter. For the initial leg of his first solo tour 1987's Bad, he told the Associated Press he chose Japan as his first leg of his tour, "I love Japan [...] It is one of my favorite places in the entire world." Editor Sam Jameson of LA Times released sale measurements, "No singer, foreign or Japanese, has matched that record (at that point). Nearly 400,000 tickets were sold in advance." The 9-show tour expanded to 14 performances in Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama. His infamous note left at Capitol Hotel Tokyu was reprinted on People magazine's October 1987 release showed his handwriting, "I love every race on planet earth". MTV Video Music Awards Japan anointed him their Legend Award. While visiting for the awards ceremony, he held a Japanese banquet and invited 100 orphans and handicapped children for free.

His passing had a major cultural effect on Japan, with multi-day coverage of various television tributes and news updates. Health Minister Yōichi Masuzoe added, "He was a superstar. It is an extremely tragic loss. But it is fantastic he was able to give so many dreams and so much hope to the people of the world.” A part of Japanese culture is doppelganger industry, related to impersonators, with Jackson being a popular choice to emulate.

South Korea

Jackson had a notable cultural impact in South Korea, particularly in music. Founders of the first largest K-pop record companies Lee Soo-man (SM Entertainment) and Park Jin-young (JYP Entertainment) have named Michael Jackson's influence in their venture into music, with Park stating his journey in music began particularly when he first heard Jackson’s Off the Wall album and Lee's business desire began seeing the "meteoric rise" of Jackson while studying in the states. Jackson has been honored in several shows, thematically reference in songs, and cited as a major influence to the biggest K-pop solo acts in the country such as BoA, Rain, Jay Park, Hyuna, Chung Ha, Yunho, Kim Junsu, Taemin, as well as several idol members from Exo, BTS, Super Junior, NCT, Seventeen, among others. In Seoul, fashion wholesaler Shin Ji-hyun said Jackson was the most popular foreign superstar in the country. Additionally, choreographers such as Lia Kim, Rino Nakasone and Rie Hata have cited him as their main influence.

In late 1996, Jackson performed two nights at Seoul Olympic Stadium to an audience of 100,000. He had spoke positively of the culture in Korea, and had taken a particular liking to Bibimbap. The following year, he began a friendship with President-elect Kim Dae-jung. Jackson, who rarely gets involved with politics, took part in an international video conference supporting Kim's candidacy for the 1997 South Korean presidential election, stating "Korea is a country of warmth, love, sincerity and complete innocence." He attended Kim's inaugural ceremony. Around the same time, Jackson had met a Korean adviser named Myung Ho Lee. Lee would eventually emerged as a central figure in the performer’s debt binge. Another former financial adviser Alvin Malnik estimates that some of Jackson’s advisers squandered $50 million to $100 million on deals that never panned out. It was eventually settled out of court. In 1999, he held MJ & Friends in Seoul. In the year of his death, tributes formed on television and memorials, with Kim Dae-jung releasing a statement, "Today, we lost a hero and a dear friend of Korea who supported our country's cause for reunification and peace."

Poland

In front of a crowd of over 120,000 people, Michael Jackson performed his concert at the Bemowo airport, which makes it one of the largest concerts of all time and, to date, the biggest concert in Poland's history. Jackson arrived in Poland on September 18, 1996 at Okęcie International Airport and a mini ceremony welcomed by children dressed in traditional Polish attire presented him with bouquets of flowers. As he traveled to his hotel, a police motorcade escorted him, and thousands of fans lined the streets, cheering and waving with excitement. In return, Jackson frequently interacted with them and engaging in playful conversations. Before the concert, Jackson was welcomed to the Presidential Palace where he had a scheduled meeting with then President Aleksander Kwasniewski who welcomed him with his wife Jolanta Kwaśniewska. After a meeting with Warsaw mayor Marcin Święcicki, he visited an orphanage on No. 4 Rakowiecka Street in the north of Mokotów to where chorus children gathered to sing Heal the World. Jackson had a positive experience in Poland, stating he considered to "buy a castle in the beautiful country”. By 1997 he met with business partners with plans to open an amusement park; learning at the time there were no major theme parks in the Warsaw area. Kwasniewski released a statement on Jackson, "He was a king, an extraordinary talent but at the same time a very sensitive person”. His theme park plan was still in talks years later, though had never came to fruition after the years-long proposal.

Soviet Union/Russia

Less than a decade before the 1991 cessation of the Soviet Union, Western music was particularly banned in the country. In 1984, New York Times confirmed Sovetskaya Kultura's denouncing stance of Thriller, proliferating the news ''The great show-biz swindle [...] given rise to a kind of euphoria.'' The article also accused Jackson of mesmerizing Americans and keeping them from thinking about political topics, such as violence in Miami or Lebanon, that would make the White House uncomfortable. After Soviet Union became Russia, publications described Michael Jackson was "perhaps, the focus of all those contradictions between Soviet and later Russian society and the world of Western show business."

A documentary Michael Jackson - Moscow Case 1993: When The King Of Pop Met The Soviets detail events after the 1993 Michael Jackson sexual abuse allegations, leading up to his controversial 1993 Dangerous World Tour Moscow, Russia concert, six days before the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis arose. Jackson had been escorted by the Russian police, and met with Moscow's first-standing mayor Yuri Luzhkov. The early morning of the concert, several confusing events were reported: ticket sales stagnated at 50,000 of total 70,000 seats, though the booths had a "sold out" sign and office was closed for further sale. It had been raining and following reports of a bomb threat as well as news Michael's team brought drugs, had police officers stop activities to search the premises, such that intelligence agents dragged a police officer who was found under the stage stairs. No drugs or bomb were found. Some ticketless audience that had gathered around the stadium were allowed entry despite organizers having lost money. As it was an open-air concert, spectators were drenched, and also reportedly drunk.

Indeed, Jackson's ascent to the heights of fame occurred during an era of critical change in the Soviet Union (and all those governments that arose in its place). This era was also life-changing on the question of how Soviet popular culture related to global trends and developments. One can speak of “progress” in this case without any irony. [...] Indeed, six days later, Boris Yeltsin would issue Decree No. 1400 on the Dissolution of the Supreme Soviet, thus laying the foundation for the bloody events of October 3-4. It was precisely this time that most clearly separated the Soviet period from the history of post-Soviet Russia. And in the fact that the last days of Soviet history culminated in a carnival involving Michael Jackson, one can see some kind of sad irony, not to mention in the fact that the concert actually ended in failure: the stage at Luzhniki Stadium failed to operate at full capacity under the heavy rain, and the public was drenched under the old and still unequipped roof. As a parenthetical note, this concert was one of the last non-sports events that took place before the arena was closed for reconstruction. It was from this point that the “Era of Luzhkov” began.

— Michael Jackson and Contemporary Russian History, Russkiy Mir Foundation

The events in the past months up to September 1993 and the concert greatly impacted Jackson's health and led to the cancellation of the rest of his tour by November. It would also inspire his song Stranger in Moscow.

Critical scope

See also: Health and appearance of Michael Jackson

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Tabloid coverage

One of a few "King of Propofol" graffitis of Jackson in Porto

The Michael Jackson cacophony is fascinating in that it is not about Jackson at all. I hope he has the good sense to know it and the good fortune to snatch his life out of the jaws of a carnivorous success. He will not swiftly be forgiven for having turned so many tables, for he damn sure grabbed the brass ring, and the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo has nothing on Michael. All that noise is about America, as the dishonest custodian of black life and wealth; the blacks, especially males, in America; and the burning, buried American guilt; and sex and sexual roles and sexual panic; money, success, and despair—to all of which may now be added the bitter need to find a head on which to place the crown of Miss America.

— James Baldwin, "Freaks and the American Ideal of Manhood" (1985)

Tabloid media around Jackson has been widely printed, with cultural scholars have called his coverage a postmodern spectacle, narrowing on several polarizing opinions; on whether his image portrayed a good or bad man. as well as many other journalists exposing the sensationalism inside stories printed of him as being mismanaged due to its much of his demoralization generated interest than any position story of its equivalent. worst journalistic history

At the height of his fame, during the 1980s, Jackson began to embrace and perpetuate the public perception of his strangeness. Jackson (and his publicity team) and the media worked in tandem to cultivate this image. Early tabloid stories of his being obsessed with the Elephant Man's bones and sleeping in an "oxygen chamber" were possibly publicity stunts. Around this time, the tabloid newspaper The Sun began nicknaming Jackson "Wacko Jacko", a name he came to despise. Other tabloids and media outlets soon followed. The nickname stayed with Jackson for the rest of his career. Stories about him gradually turned negative. In Vogel's description: "Critics maligned him for buying the Beatles catalog [in 1985], mocked his changing appearance, called him a sissy, questioned whether he actually wrote his songs, reduced his art to commercial ephemera."

Newspapers circulation reached its peak in 1987, at a time when Jackson's appearance began to change. In an article for Popular Music & Society, Brian Rossiter commented on the cause of how the "real Michael Jackson" remained elusive during times when the public wanted clarification: "The media, aware of the marketable potential of Jackson's ambiguities, consistently used them to manufacture the notion of an authentic or private self behind his public persona. […] Audiences were always given liberty to select which Michael Jackson they deemed to be the real or authentic one […]." The video for "Black or White" showed Jackson dancing with dancers of various ethnic groups and traditions, and the lyrics plead for racial tolerance and understanding. In early 1993, he launched a $1.25 million program to assist children affected by the 1992 Los Angeles riots and, in a TV interview conducted by Oprah Winfrey, discussed issues related to his African-American heritage and the abuse he suffered under his father. The viewer ratings for the show were among the highest in the history of US television.

He didn't use his real voice in public.

clearly exploited him and exaggerated headlines for profit

In 1988 E Casanova was invited in a popular tv show, was presented as Michael Jackson and asked with idiotic questions (hyperbaric chamber, "he wants to live up to 120 years, ecc..").

The Conversation wrote an op-ed which stated, "Yet Jackson’s entire career was defined by his rejection of normal boundaries."

His marriage to Lisa Marie Presley and rumours of him undergoing skin-whitening and other cosmetic surgery furthered the controversy surrounding Jackson's image and made him the subject of sensationalist biographies.

Positive news were rarely covered

mythical creature

lethel level of fame never to be seen again as the decentralized of media allows subcommunity and avoidance of commonality culture. Stories such as woman accusing Jackson for bearing one of her twins, to a fan parachuting onto his property,

Tabloids, harassed, paparazzi, law

warned of terrorist attacks uri geller

The pattern that emerged with people who got close to him from Jackson's point of view, to have "betrayed" him. The tabloids offered thousands in cash to people who would tell a story about him. And if they would embellish the story, the price would go up. During his 2005 trial, he begged Tom Mesereau, his attorney, to not betray him because he fully expected someone to attempt to buy Tom’s loyalty. His attorneys also fielded about 50 frivolous lawsuits per year from people trying to make a quick fortune off him. During his friend Uri Geller's 2001 wedding, he was warned of a terroist attack All this is said to have made him a skeptic, increasingly cynical about those around him.

Fanaticism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLaThXCCDV8

fan’s gifts are displayed in Michael’s hotel suites.

Read more: https://www.truemichaeljackson.com/true-stories/uri-geller-about-mj/

after his leave from neverland fan items were found displayed in his rooms.

Public commentaries

Responses through art. In 1995 "They Don't Care About Us" was released as one of the singles from HIStory. In the mid-2010s, the track was used as an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement. The song, originally recorded as part of the Dangerous sessions, was inspired by the Rodney King beating, which had led to the 1992 LA riots. The lyrics became more personal after Jackson felt dehumanized by the Santa Barbara County police's behavior during the investigation into the child sexual abuse accusations brought against him in 1993.

"They Don't Care About Us" attracted controversy over its supposedly antisemitic lyrics. Bernard Weinraub of The New York Times cited the lines "Jew me, sue me / Everybody do me / Kick me, kike me / Don’t you black or white me" as "pointedly critical of Jews". Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center described the lyrics as "deeply disturbing" and potentially harmful to young people. Jackson issued statements saying that his lyrics were about "the pain of prejudice and hate" and that the song was "a way to draw attention to social and political problems". He described himself as "the voice of the accused and the attacked". The lyrics were eventually edited out with muffles.

Writing in British Vogue in 1987, Barney Hoskyns said that Jackson occupied a "superstar stratosphere of his own" and part of the public's misunderstanding of the star was "because we so want to know him – as we want to know anyone that famous". Hoskyns described the tabloid image of Jackson as "despicable ... distortions", but nevertheless opined: "Michael Jackson represents a terrible, pitiful corruption of what a twenty-nine-year-old human being really should be ... His neurotic obsession with perfecting his physical appearance apparently knows no bounds. And his inability to enjoy meaningful relations with anyone except animals, small children and cartoon characters has become ridiculous. This is, in short, a singularly maladjusted young man." The Rolling Stone editors also attribute the media speculation partly to the singer's elusiveness and obsession with privacy, and add: "the massive public soul-searching the [1993] allegations against Jackson inspired were but one indication of the almost inestimable role he has played in shaping not only pop music but pop culture."

Susan Fast, writing for the same publication, gives a more sympathetic view of Jackson: "While some of [his] difference was demonstrated through what was viewed in the mass media as 'eccentric' behavior […] it was really his more substantive(sic), underlying differences that were most troubling—racial, gendered, able-bodied/disabled, child/teenager/adult, adult man who loved children, father/mother." She writes that Jackson's persona was "so unsettling to the hegemonic order that it had to be contained through ridicule, misinterpretation, sensationalism, and finally criminal indictment". It is generally regarded as unusual for a man to want to be a single parent, Fast continues, to adore children like a mother; the thought of a man obsessed with cosmetics and appearance agitated the public to disbelieve the idea of him being an object of heterosexual desire. Fast argues that such perceptions, which stemmed from anxieties of masculinity, despite the fact that he created highly heterosexual art like "Black or White" and "In the Closet"; and that this idea extended to the public perception of Jackson's alleged child molestation.

In popular culture

Natural and social sciences

• Crater on the moon on Lacus Somniorum: A 22-km crater on Earth's moon Lake of Dreams area, named Michael Joseph Jackson.
• Mesoparapylocheles michaeljacksoni: Type of fossil hermit crab named after Michael Jackson because it was discovered the day he died.
• Sarsamphiascus michaeli, a copepod species in the family Miraciidae named after Michael Jackson.

Theater

Depictions of Jackson include large scale (top: MJ The Musical at Neil Simon Theatre) to smaller scale productions (bottom: Tops in Pops singers at Grand Canyon University Arena)

• (2009–2012, 2015–2020) Thriller – Live
  • A revue production celebrating the music of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, originally based in United Kingdom.
  • Due to success, world tours continued in over 14 countries in areas such as Central Europe, Western Asia and Scandinavia.

• (2011–2014) Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil, Various countries
  • A contemporary circus-production showed in North America for one year.
  • It is the highest grossing Cirque du Soleil show of all time, as well as the highest grossing tribute show in history.
  • Immortal continued through Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.

• (2013–present) Michael Jackson: One by Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas
  • A contemporary circus-production with exclusive residency at the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada.

• (2021–present) MJ the Musical jukebox musical, Broadway; West End; Hamburg
  • Premiering on Broadway, additional national showings around the United States, London and Germany.
  • It won a Tony Award for Best Actor (Myles Frost as Michael Jackson), Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design and Best Sound Design.

• Other Michael Jackson tribute shows are available Off-Broadway, as well as at universities, orchestras and event centers worldwide.
  • A few examples being American productions such as MJ Evolution, Rock with You: The Michael Jackson Experience (various states); American universities such as Stamford Center for the Arts (Who's Bad), Berklee Performance Center (Michael Jackson Tribute), Centre College (Invincible), Louisiana State University (Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience); World productions such as Michael Jackson Tribute China by Scarlett Entertainment (China), The Ultimate Thriller (Bucharest), and MJ History Show (Australia).

Literature

See also: Category:Works about Michael Jackson

Comics and animation

References to Michael Jackson in comics and animation is heavily prevalent. Some examples are,

• One Piece
  • Creator Eiichiro Oda confirms there are major references to Michael Jackson who he is a fan of.
  • The character Jango is a homage to Jackson; a hypnotist with a habit of moonwalking.
  • Brook, known as Soul King, is the musician of the group and can do the 45-degree lean.
  • An island named Thriller Bark is where they "Zombie Night" (Thriller reference) before attacking the Straw Hats.
• Sailor Moon S, an ongoing skit of yelling "Michael" to distract Rei (Sailor Mars) who is a fan of him.
• Nerima Daikon Brothers, Yukel Hakushon.
• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, Avdol's chicken is named after Michael.
• Gu Gu Ganmo, character Ayumi Ichigaya is a Michael Jackson fanatic and kisses his poster on her wall.
• Pink Panther and Sons, Pink Panther finds a sequin glove then encounters a Michael Jackson dancer.
• Monsters, Inc., Mike sings on a stool a parody of "She's Out of My Life" as "She's Out Of Your Hair" for end-credits.
• Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, a shot-for-shot scene of Thriller with Aki Ross as Michael.
• Shrek's Thriller Night, a shot-for-shot short film of Thriller with Shrek characters.
• Rockin' Through the Decades, a full story half-live action/half-cartoon featuring Michael with Alvin and the Chipmunks.
• Alvin and the Chipmunks dance Beat It on Songs from Our TV Shows.
• The Flintstones, In two episodes, Michael appears as the character "Michael Jackstone".
• Sing: Thriller, a shot-for-shot special short of Thriller with Sing characters.
• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, Illuso's spirit has the namesake "Man in the Mirror".
• The Simpsons, various references including an episode arc about Bart meeting Michael Jackson.
• Family Guy, various references including Michael Jackson dangling Stewie from a balcony.
• Rick and Morty, in "Rixty Minutes", Thriller appears in one of the channels Rick flips through.
• South Park, various references and an arc on "Michael Jefferson" moving to South Park to escape his popularity.
• Teen Titans Go!, in an episode they meet Thriller-era Michael Jackson and dance his moves.
• Idol Angel Yokoso Yoko, in an episode, the singers meet Michael Jackson and he asks for their autograph.
• Carole & Tuesday, in an episode, they try to recreate Thriller.
• The Powerpuff Girls, in episode The Secret Life of Blossom Powerpuff, Blossom wears the Thriller outfit.
• The Amazing World of Gumball, Darwin references Michael Jackson by moonwalking and doing the "Hee-hee" yell.
• Fanboy & Chum Chum, the character "Michael Johnson" is parody of Michael Jackson.
• Suicide Squad Isekai, Clayface's white suit depiction on SSI is based on Michael Jackson in Smooth Criminal.
• Uncle Grandpa, several references including during RV Checkup, Belly Bag turning around with the yellow werewolf eyes.
• SoniAni: Super Sonico The Animation, a shot-for-shot ending sequence to Thriller.
• The Looney Tunes Show, Daffy Duck asks Porky Pig why he's wearing one glove and talks about Michael Jackson.
• Despicable Me 3, "Bad" was the central song used for Balthazar Bratt's heist sequence.
• Steven Universe, in "Mirror Gem", Steven does the moonwalk and yells "Hee-hee!" after.
• Jelly Jamm, the zombies dance to thriller.
• The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, various references.
• Regular Show, in "Pop's Favorite Planet", Pop dresses like Michael Jackson and Mordecai does the moonwalk twice.
• A Goofy Movie, the rock/pop star character Powerline is loosely based on Michael Jackson.
• Michael Jackson's Halloween
• Bob's Burgers, in "The Silence of the Louise", Linda mentions Michael Jackson.
• The Princess and the Frog, animator Bruce W. Smith confirmed Dr. Facilier's movement is inspired by Michael Jackson.
• The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, in an episode, Mario goes toe-to-toe with King Koopa while Bad plays.
• The Angry Birds Movie, Bad is used as the trailer's main theme song.
• The Fairly OddParents, in "One Man Banned", Timmy parodies Thriller after being rejected from the school band.
• Jackson 5ive, a cartoon based on Michael Jackson and his brothers.
• The Lego Batman Movie, "Man in the Mirror" is lyrically referenced various times by Batman.
• Robot Chicken, in "Where's Michael?" Alien MJ returns from space to confront his alter ego.

Live-action film and television

See also: Michael Jackson videography

• Biographical acting films inspired by Michael Jackson include The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992) and Michael (2025).
• Jackson himself has appearances as an actor in films and television such as the The Wiz, Captain EO, Moonwalker, and This Is It. Various music videos of his are also short films, which have a live acting element incorporated into the storyline. He also has compilation video albums such as Dangerous: The Short Films, Video Greatest Hits – HIStory, HIStory on Film, Volume II, Number Ones, The One, Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour, Michael Jackson's Vision, and Live at Wembley July 16, 1988.

• Television or short film inspired by Michael Jackson is the dance competition series Move Like Michael Jackson. Live episodes that use Michael Jackson as a central theme or sequence include Glee, America's Best Dance Crew, The X Factor, Lip Sync Battle, Dancing with the Stars/Strictly Come Dancing, So You Think You Can Dance, Top of the Pops and American Idol.
• Gathered using IMDb, Jackson is also heavily referenced in scenes in film and television. From 1974 to present, this includes either directly in dialogue, inspired from him, using his music and other relations, such as allusions to Thriller itself which has over 100 references. Some examples:

Examples of live film references

Examples of live television references

Men in Black Beverly Hills Cop Rush Hour (1 and 2) City Hunter Back to the Future (1 and 2) M3GAN Birdman Aftermath Shaolin Soccer 13 Going on 30 Get Him to the Greek Police Story Everything Is Illuminated Persepolis Casper Meets Wendy The Longest Yard Borat Click Ready Player One Dear White People Superwho? Anchorman 2 Treasure of the Moon Goddess Anita and Me Once Were Warriors Phil Spector Addams Family Values Live Free or Die Hard Taipei Story Shaun of the Dead Christmas Cupid Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye It Final Destination Us Son of the Bride About a Boy Coming to America Valley Girl Alien Uprising Runaway Train They Cloned Tyrone Revenge of the Nerds The Wedding Singer Crazy Hong Kong Mahalkaal Ferris Bueller's Day Off Zoolander

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air My Wife and Kids Euphoria NCIS Orange is the New Black Different Strokes Whose Line is it Anyway? Sabrina the Teenage Witch The Office Saturday Night Live 30 Rock True Blood Jeopardy! RuPaul’s Drag Race The Simple Life The Middle Saved by the Bell New Girl That '80s Show Key & Peele Fresh Off the Boat Chapelle's Show Flight of the Conchords Workaholics Pam & Tommy Empire Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Rutherford Falls Lucifer Shameless Angie Tribeca Superstore Parks and Recreation Black Mirror How I Met Your Mother The Goldbergs Pretty Little Liars Bedlam The X-Files It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Bones Community The Big Bang Theory Scrubs Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Castle Mystery Science Theater 3000 Veep

Film and television sources:

Toys and collectibles

Toys, dolls and memorabilia of Jackson have been available for sale over the years through resellers and on fan collector websites. Range of items sold vary from an arcade machine, cassette player, light-up glove, costumes and stationary. Some of Michael Jackson's own possessions have been sold through auction with many items for over $100,000, upwards to his moonwalk socks which historically sold for $2 million. Notably, his mass art collection had a total presale estimation of $12 million to $30 million, until an entity halted the court sale auction by declaring bankruptcy. Authorized manufacturing companies that produce Michael Jackson figurines include:

• Bandai
• Disney (Captain EO)
• LJN
• Funko Pop
• TUD TOY
• Lego
• Hot Toys

Video games

Michael Jackson has games both fully depicting him and featuring him on consoles such as Atari ST, Sega Genesis, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita and Wii.

(The Wii console) Michael Jackson: The Experience is one of the best-selling Wii video games of all-time

• Space Channel 5
• Space Channel 5: Part 2
• ANNO: Mutationem
• Battle Arena Toshinden 3
• Devil May Cry 5
• Guitar Hero World Tour
• Kiratto Pri☆Chan
• Michael Jackson: The Experience
• Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
• Plants vs. Zombies (original release only)
• Pokémon Colosseum
• Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
• Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2
• Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (soundtrack)
• Where's My Water?
• Yakuza 0

Further information: Michael Jackson in video games

Clothing

• Supreme, graphic t-shirts
• Hugo Boss, suits
• Aéropostale, graphic t-shirts
• Hot Topic, graphic t-shirts
• Actively Black
• Chilli Beans, sunglasses
• BAPE, varsity jacket

This article contains dynamic lists that may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Fashion impact

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Other art impact

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Influence on musicians

Accessions

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"the next Michael Jackson"

Academia

In academia, there are several courses available on Michael Jackson in universities. Librarians from Texas Tech University gathered a list of scholarly papers and peer-reviewed articles which found him referenced in psychology, medical, chemistry, mass communications and engineering journals. They gathered 100 databases information for a special issue of The Journal of Pan African Studies on Jackson, calling the breadth of his influence "truly astounding".

Academic programs

Examples of academic courses and programs

Academic institution	Type and description	Ref
American University	Seminar, Reading Michael Jackson
Arizona State University	Course, MUS 354 Popular Music: Michael Jackson
Berklee College of Music	Course, ENDS-405 Pop Icons: the Music of Michael Jackson, Prince, and Whitney Houston
Clark Atlanta University	MBA Course, Michael Jackson: The Business of Music
Duke University	Course, MUSIC 336 The Black Performance Tradition: Michael Jackson and Prince
Harvard Business School	Case, Negotiating in a Hurricane: John Branca and the Michael Jackson Estate
Rockefeller University	Seminar, The Role of Clinical Pharmacology in the Michael Jackson Trial
Sonoma State University	Program, Michael Jackson's Impact in the 1980s
Temple University	Course, DANC 1821: Michael Jackson - Entertainer, Artist, Celebrity
University of Washington Tacoma	Course, TCORE 104 C: The King of Pop, Reading Michael Jackson
Yale University	Conference, Regarding Michael Jackson: Performing Racial, Gender, and Sexual Difference Center Stage

Research works

Examples of research journals and lab publications

Discipline and topic	Publishing institution, article and publication year
Economics, Post-industrial society	Oxford University Press, Unfinished business: Michael Jackson, Detroit, and the figural economy of American Deindustrialization (2017)
Zoology, Entomology	American Association for the Advancement of Science, The Michael Jackson Fly (2014)
Dermatology, Vitiligo studies	Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, The Michael Jackson and Winnie Harlow Effect: Impact on Vitiligo Awareness on the Internet (2019)
Music, Human–computer interaction	Zhejiang University, Hearing with the eyes: modulating lyrics typography for music visualization (2024)
Kinesiology, Biomechanics	Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, Kinesiology of Michael Jackson's Gravitational Tilt (2023)
Semiotics, Social semiotics	Routledge, The Face of Ruin: Evidentiary Spectacle and the Trial of Michael Jackson (2007)
Ethics, Advertising management	Journal of Business Ethics, An Ethical Perspective on Necro-Advertising: The Moderating Effect of Brand Equity (2017)
Anthropology, Mythicism	University of Warsaw, Michael Jackson as a mythical hero. An anthropological perspective (2021)
Medicine, Anesthesiology	Science Translational Medicine, Awakenings; The untimely death of pop icon Michael Jackson highlighted the potentially lethal effects of the intravenous anesthetic propofol (2012)
Philosophy, Imagination	Springer Science+Business Media, Ruach Hakodesh: The Epiphanic and Cosmic Nature of Imagination in the Art of Michael Jackson and His Influence on My Image-Making (2016)
Cultural studies, Chinese hip-hop	Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, Moonwalking in Beijing: Michael Jackson, piliwu , and the origins of Chinese hip-hop (2022)
Cultural studies, Gabon postcolonialism	Journal of African Cultural Studies, ‘They don’t care about us’: representing the black postcolonial subject through the appropriation of Michael Jackson in Gabonese urban dance (2017)
Sociology, Sociotechnology	Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, Tweeting Prayers and Communicating Grief Over Michael Jackson Online (2010)
Law, Medical malpractice	Springer Publishing, Criminal Homicide Versus Medical Malpractice: Lessons from the Michael Jackson Case and Others (2021)
Audiometry, Vocality	International Association for the Study of Popular Music, ‘The Voice in the Mirror’.Michael Jackson: From a Vocal Identity to its Double in Sound (2011)
Cultural psychology, Archetypes	Taylor & Francis, Androgyny and Stardom: Cultural Meanings of Michael Jackson (2013)
Media, Sensationalism	Duke University Press, News, Celebrity, and Vortextuality: A Study of the Media Coverage of the Michael Jackson Verdict (2010)
Accounting, Intellectual property valuation	University of New Hampshire, Pop & Perjury: The IRS Valuation War with the Estate of Michael Jackson (2023)
Language, Lexical semantics	Indonesian Journal of English Language Studies at Sanata Dharma University, Types of Idiom and Their Meaning in Michael Jackson “Thriller” Album (2021)
Neuropsychology, Precocious development	Journal for the Education of the Gifted, From Mozart to Michael Jackson: Giftedness and frailty (2012)