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Alexa Bader

Professor Gans- Boriskin

COMM 124

9 December 2015

A Colorful Change in Music

In the last few centuries, cross-racial and interracial musical practices have played an important role in the development of music in the United States. However, in the industry, these practices have been divided into racialized genres due to the perception of racial differences in marketing artists. The conventional marketing strategies of the music industry were based on three products: pop for the mainstream audience, country and western for the regional audience, and for the black audience. The “mainstream” or popular music separated itself from music by artist of color despite its national and international popularity since “the mainstream” was a de facto white genre. However, the late 1970’s saw a change in the music industry when a new “mainstream” pop sound was created that transcended racial divides. Popular music had an unprecedented flare to its sound through the musical talents ​ of Jackson, an African-American pop artist from Gary, Indiana. Prior to that time , ​ swing and rock often sustained alterations in their sonic, racial or cultural makeup. However

Jackson’s musical breakthrough stood prominent in the 1980’s when he released his new album

Thriller. became the world’s best selling album which changed popular music culture ​ forever. was an important figure of race because his music allowed him to rise above racial stereotypes. This essay will examine Michael Jackson’s humanistic qualities, his

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groundbreaking music and his use of the medium of videos to depict and dispel racial stereotypes of African-Americans.

Over the course of Michael Jackson's career, scholars have observed and argued that a majority of his success was due to his emphasis on race. Dawn-Elissa Fischer (2011) argues that

Jackson paved a way for African Americans to break from their racialized stereotypes, “Jackson represented black people in ways that are humanistic and anti racist, therefore “saving” black identification by qualities of identity” (p. 97). Steve Aoun (2009) similarly argues that he shattered unwritten color barriers of music through his videos, “Michael Jackson did not invent the video- it has a lineage that can be traced back to the cinema of the 1930s. Nonetheless,

Jackson continually reinvented himself through music videos, and through them it is possible to chart the course of his image”(p. 168). Another scholar like Tamara Roberts (2011) have noted that Jackson’s difference in lyric and musicianship compared to most black genre was what heightened his fame in popular American music, “A music lover and cultural innovator, it is no surprise that Jackson was acquainted with the musical fads of his time. But he also knew well how to capitalize on them in order to make his music appeal to increasingly greater segments of the populations”(p. 26). For Fischer, Aoun, and Roberts, these were the qualities that were depicted in his videos and music which eventually earned Jackson’s superstardom into

“mainstream” popular American music.

Michael Jackson is greatly credited for his number one selling album Thriller released on ​ ​ November 30, 1982. Thriller remains the best-selling album worldwide selling over 100 million ​ ​ copies internationally, and 54 million in the United States. He claimed his spot on Billboard’s

100 chart for 122 weeks. He had seven top ten singles which includes: ‘Wanna Be Startin’

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Somethin’, ‘Thriller’, ‘’, ‘’, ‘Pretty Young Thing’, ‘Human Nature’ and ‘.’ In addition ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Beat It’ were the album’s two number one singles.

‘Thriller’, ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Beat It’ were released as music videos which were considered the greatest and most influential music videos of it’s time. Jackson’s music videos became a major marketing tool in promoting his album. Sales skyrocketed after the release of his videos.

Thriller made Jackson perhaps the first African-American artist to truly dominate “the ​ mainstream” music industry and turned him into the greatest superstar of his generation.

Michael Jackson faced many trials and tribulations dealing with his racial identity, but also possessed true humanistic qualities that made him a well respected and admired artist.

Jackson donated money and other goods to the poor; he advocated for human rights, health, and protection of children; he encouraged adults to integrate child selves into their adult worlds and represented black people in ways that emphasized individual personhood and intersectional qualities of identity. Along with his characteristics, he also inspired and influenced many music artists of this generation through his choreographed dance steps and unique music style. Around the time that Thriller was released, African-Americans were taking charge to elevate themselves ​ ​ in “mainstream America”: prominent figures such as Jesse Jackson were making bids for presidencies; Oprah Winfrey would begin her legendary talk show; and Bill Cosby would create the highest rated sitcom of the decade. As African-Americans took advantage of their civil rights, Michael Jackson would take this opportunity to let people of all colors know that it was ​ possible to succeed regardless of the color of their skin. The significance of Jackson’s characteristics compared to most African-American stereotypes, was the innocence in his high-pitched voice, the pure spirit in his heart, and ability to portray the goodness that was

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demonstrated in many black communities unrecognized by “the mainstream” society. He paved the way for African- American’s to be accepted and be respected. His larger than life persona is what made his music so widely popular, especially when Thriller was released. Through ​ ​ Jackson’s Thriller album, ‘Thriller’, ‘Beat It’ ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ and ‘Billie Jean’ ​ ​ strongly embodied the three scholarly arguments of his humanistic qualities, video impact, and musicianship in relation to race.

In 1983, Michael Jackson broke an unwritten color barrier on MTV - which denied playing music videos coming from black artists. All four of those hit shared their symbolic images of race through his music videos and messages about the identity of African Americans.

Thriller redefined the concept of a . The thirteen minute short film premiered on

MTV on December 2, 1983. The video was made in the popular Horror movie genre which itself transcends race. Within this production, the video organizes the flow of images by framing it with a powerful storytelling or narrative direction and uses conventional cinematic codes and structures. In the video, Jackson’s humanistic qualities comes through as he comfortably watches a horror movie like any normal person amongst a racially mixed audience. He is both monster and hero, switching identities back and forth and dances amongst zombies who themselves are beyond racial identity. The concept of the video draws people of all colors and races alike towards this new , synthesized, pop sounding . Instrumentally, Jackson incorporates funk blended with African American traditions into the song as well.

Music scholars agree that, ‘Beat It’ and ‘Billie Jean’ were instrumental in making the album Thriller a success. All concepts of identity, video and musicianship are clearly exhibited ​ ​ through these song. ‘Beat It’ takes on a similar Hollywood musical approach in similarity to

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‘West Side Story.’ In the video, Jackson emerges from his bed to resolve a gang violence through the power of dance. In a humanistic approach, the two opposing gangs in ‘Beat It’ aren’t racially divided between whites and blacks, but are racially mixed together. He also addresses the problem of gang violence in youth for people of all colors. The video also integrated breakdance into its choreography which was popular in youth culture. The video was Jackson's ​ first treatment of African American youth and the streets. In the musical sense, the song is said to ​ ​ be a "pioneer" in black in the fact that rock music was a racialized white genre. The electric guitar solo incorporated in the song gave a harder edge to Jackson’ funk, R&B and pop sound and allowed him to cross over to a much larger musical audience.

Billie Jean portrays the false reports and accusations by paparazzi of fathering a child with a woman named ‘Billie Jean’. As an African-American in a white society, this video and song reveals a celebrity’s cry of victimization by paparazzi in mass media. ‘Billie Jean’ was also ​ ​ the first video by Jackson that MTV refused to play, claiming it was not “rock” enough to fit their programming and sounding too black. However, Jackson’s persistence proved them wrong when Thriller sold over 100 millions copies. His music videos were some of the first to be aired ​ ​ regularly on MTV which was a first for African American artists.

Jackson’s lyrics were notably powerful in describing the black experience of the injustice and treatment of their race by the white majority. In the lyrics to, ‘Wanna Be Startin Somethin’

Fischer (2011) claimed that Jackson “ reminded his listeners about the importance of self-esteem and individual respect in communal healing and community uplift in regards to the Black Power

Movement and political plight of the Black Panther Party.” Towards the end of the song the lyrics end with a powerful message,“ Lift your head up high, /And scream out to the world, / “I

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know I am someone,” And let the truth unfurl. / No one can hurt you now/ Because you know what’s true. /I believe in me, / So you believe in you.” It’s the simple message that “I am someone” or “I am somebody” asserts human identity and is important to those who have felt that their humanity was oppressed due to the color of their skin. The song ends in a chant of an

African dialect which further highlights Michael Jackson’s reverence for his heritage.

Michael Jackson was the most influential musician of his time; transcending racial barriers as an African American artist. In later albums, through changes in his facial features and what appeared to be a physical transformation from black to white, his songs continued to address deeper meanings of race such as the songs “”, “They Don’t Really Care

About Us”, “Jam” to name a few. Thriller however, created a significant shift in the music ​ ​ industry in regards to what “white” and “black” music genres were becoming. For years black music found itself confined to certain categories such as jazz, soul and R&B, and not integrated into the popular “mainstream” music. Michael Jackson’s humanistic qualities appealed to fans around the world and showed everyone that times were changing. His success demonstrated that artists don’t have to be a certain color to sound a certain way anymore; they don’t have to be white to write rock music, they don’t have to limit themselves to what “mainstream” society or the music industry dictates. His music videos created new images and broke stereotypes.

Through ‘Thriller’, ‘Billie Jean’, ‘Beat It’ and ‘Wanna be Startin’ Something’ he was able to showcase his choreographic talent and display his visual artistry through a cross-racial and inter-racial lens creating an international appeal. Michael Jackson’s musicianship had a major effect on what it meant to be black or white in the music industry. He was able to incorporate different genres and styles in his song writing so there were no longer limits imposed by the

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music industry as to what the audience listened to. Jackson’s sheer determination to push for equal opportunities in the business world of entertainment got the best selling album in history

Thriller to the top. Race and culture became a strength in Michael Jackson’s success rather than ​ a disadvantage and inspires creative, racially inclusive music for the years to come.

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Work Cited

Anoun, S. (2009, September). Michael Jackson: The . Metro ​ Magazine,166-171 ​ Bennett, J. (2007, December 1). Michael: The Thrill Is Back: Twenty-Five Years after the

Record-Breaking Thriller Album, the King of Pop Shares a Rare Glimpse into His

Creativity, Where He Has Been and Where He Is Headed Next. Ebony, 83-90. ​ ​ Fischer, D. (2011). Wannabe Startin’ Somethin’: Michael Jackson's Critical Race

Representation. Journal of Popular Music Studies, 23(1), 96-107. ​ ​ ​ ​ doi:10.1111/j.1533-1598.2010.01269.x

Roberts, T. (2011). Michael Jackson's Kingdom: Music, Race, and the Sound of the Mainstream.

Journal of Popular Music Studies, 23(1), 19-39. ​ ​ ​

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