Double Platinum, 2-Disc Tribute: MJ's Top 10 & The Big 80s

With his departure, Michael Jackson leaves behind an enormously vast legacy to be remembered and dissected in countless future interviews on Music history and his life. He falls into the esteemed category alongside Elvis, Dylan, Hendrix, Cash, Lennon and McCartney, as people you can never leave out when talking about Rock & Roll's growth and dissemination to us, the masses.

MJ brought the seismic change in video design and creativity. All of his videos were the gold standard of the 1980's - where many, many others tried to dethrone the King of Pop on a weekly basis on MTV. His was a personality fit for the Big 80s: big hair, fashion (glove, parachute pants), big money (Wall Street obscene) and eccentricity to an art form (the monkey comes to mind.)

So what are MJ greatest hits, with video expertise included, or as an additional weight on the greatness of the track? (An opinion, not a musical verity.)

1. Billy Jean
2. Thriller
3. Beat It (Youtube)
4. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (Youtube)
5. Bad
6. Dirty Diana
7. PYT
8. Smooth Criminal (Youtube)
9. Wanna To Be Startin' Something
10. Rock With You

Here's His entire catalog


The best of the rest in the 80's musical game that put out the best music and/or videos are:


Madonna - Vogue (technically, 1990, but we know it was made in 1989.)
Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer from SO (guy was so freaky, Genesis cut him loose after he dressed up as a grape and couldn't get a mike next to his mouth.)
Genesis - Land of Confusion (Reagan at his best.)
Pink Floyd - The Wall - the groundbreakers for the weird. Amongst the All-time in sales next to Thriller.
Metallica - One - a hellish existence on video. Really the best heavy metal band.
Bon Jovi - Dead or Alive - a karokee favorite.
The Police - Wrapped Around Your Finger. You were expecting Every Breath You Take?
Prince - Little Red Corvette. With Madonna, amongst the next legends to be mourned.
Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf. They could put out vids.
Aerosmith (featuring Run DMC) - Walk This Way. (Collaboration classic.)

SO, that's the double platinum album. That MJ passed does not mean we should not treasure all the good he produced. There will be plenty of bad revisited by those prone to dwell on the worst.

FROM SO -Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer

WANT TO TOUCH THE HINEY!!!

More 'Chicago' Music: Rachael Yamagata & David Gray

Electronica got big in the mid-1990's, IMO. Songs 3-5 are a reflection of that.

Worn Me Down - Rachael Yamagata played in Chi-town for 6 years. I can dig it. 'Alias' video with her beautiful, driving song supporting the action. I never watched Alias.


David Gray's Babylon (Live in Chicago): Has had quite a successful career. 3 or 4 solid hits.



Born Slippy -Underworld (Live in 1999) - Trainspotting...


Treat Infamy - Rest Assured - Is a favorite of mine. (Bittersweet Symphony sampled and enhanced...)


Madonna doing Bittersweet Symphony with The Verve

The Big 80's: Music, Money & Women from that time

Tne Band of the 80's: U2 performing live 'With or Without You' from Rattle and Hum with an additional verse...



The Dance/Pop Star of the 80's: Michael Jackson's "Bad" another Thriller in a parking garage. I guess Michael is pretty bad -- even compared to others.



Another aptly themed song and very long version of 'Smooth Criminal' by Jackson. Hey, the man can cut a rug without a doubt... If you blink, you'll miss Lauren Holly's appearance (4:08), a favorite female actress of mine.

The Material Girl of the 80's: Madonna's "Material Girl" for the Decade of Greed on Wall Street. Or as Michael Milken put it, then, "Greed is Good."

The two-hit wonder of the decade (biased): The Romantics "Talking in Your Sleep". A Video shoot inside a garbage sack. Plenty of lingerie clad women and bad video!!! But the music is interesting. Very good Bass line, typical drum fills, ok lyrics and a repetitive keyboard.


The Bad Boy of the 80's: Billy Idol's "Cradle of Love". Ok, what guy didn't want a lass like this one barging into his house, drinking his wine and rocking his stuffy little world.

More Driving Music: Just remembering the 80's

A few great bands/artists that for some reason get me going:

The Cult, "She Sells Sanctuary" - for movie buffs, in "With Honors" starring Dr. McDreamy



Madonna's "Into the Groove" from Barcelona...yeah, I like fucking Madonna, wanna fight about it???



Echo & the Bunnymen, "Lips Like Sugar" Great vocals...



Tears for Fears, "Break it Down Again" (It's from 1993, but hey, Everyone wants to rule the world...)



No Mas! No Mas! (Roberto Duran reference....)

Tears for Fears lyrics:

It's in the way you're always hiding from the light
See for yourself you have been sitting on a time bomb
No revolution maybe someone somewhere else
Could show you something new about you and your inner song
And all the love and all the love in the world
Won't stop the rain from falling
Waste seeping underground
I want to break it down

" No sleep for dreaming" say the architects of life
Big bouncing babies, bread and butter can I have a slice
They make no mention of the beauty of decay
Blue, yellow, pink umbrella save it for a rainy day
And all the love and all the love in the world
Won't stop the rain from falling
Waste seeping underground
I want to break it down

It's in the way you're always hiding from the light
Fast off to heaven just like Moses on a motorbike
No revolution maybe someone somewhere else
Could show you something new to help you
With the ups and downs
I want to break it down
Break it down again