THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF MUSIC: THE THRILLING 80'S

The 80's decade was very important because there were a lot of changes in music. The characteristic genre was the disco music. This type of music is just for dancing, quite opposite from classical music.

There were a lot of discos; friends and couples went dancing at night, having a lot of fun. The 80's are commonly remembered for an increase in the use of digital recording and also electronic genre with non-traditional instruments, like techno, electro and house, among others. Besides, the most outstanding musicians were Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Axl Rose, Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Whitney Houston, Queen, Depeche Mode, Billie Joe, Oasis, Pink Floyd and Bonnie Tyler, just to name a few.

Pop music also generated a great shaking in the world of music in that time. Pop it's a genre of popular music that originated in the late 1950's as an outgrowth of "Rock & Roll", in combination with other musical genres that were in vogue at the time.

In the 60's, the introduction of radios and portable receivers meant that teenagers could listen to music outside home. In the early 80's, the promotion of pop music nurtured the rise of programs and musical TV channels like MTV, which favored artists such as Michael Jackson and Madonna who had a strong visual appeal.

Speaking of controversial artists, we will talk about one of the most recognized over time: Michael Jackson.

The King of Pop

Michael Joseph Jackson (Gary, Indiana August 29, 1958 - Los Angeles, California, June 25, 2009) better known as Michael Jackson, was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actor, producer and entrepreneur. Known as the ‘King of Pop’, his contributions to music and dance, as well as his publicized personal life, made him an international figure in popular culture for over four decades, being recognized as the star of the most successful pop music worldwide.

He began his artistic career in the mid 1960's in the musical group "The Jackson 5" with which he published with some of his siblings, ten albums until 1975. In 1971 he started his career as a soloist although he continued belonging to the group. Due to the success of his album "Thriller" (1982), the best-selling disco in history, he became the biggest star in pop music at the time.

Among his greatest hits are:

Billie Jean/Thriller · 1982

Beat It/Thriller · 1982 

Smooth Criminal/Bad · 1987 

The Way You Make Me Feel/Bad · 1987 

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough/Off the Wall · 1979 

Thriller/Thriller · 1982 

You Are Not Alone/ History: Past, Present and Future, Book I · 1995 

Black or White/Dangerous · 1991 

On the morning of June 25, 2009, Michael suffered from a cardiac arrest at his rented mansion in Holmby Hills. The public funeral was held on July 7, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, before a memorial service for family and friends was held. The public ceremony was followed live by about 2,500 million people worldwide.

His death was very controversial. On February 8, 2010, the court charged Murray, his personal doctor with ‘involuntary manslaughter’. The accused, who pleaded ‘not guilty’ of all charges, paid a bail of $ 75,000 for not entering prison. In 2011, Murray was sentenced to serve four years in prison for the manslaughter of Jackson. The doctor only served half the time in prison and was released in 2013 as part of a state plan to reduce overcrowding in detention centers.

After his death, Michael Jackson became the biggest selling artist in 2009 in the US, where more than 8.2 million albums were sold, while in the rest of the world it sold more than 35 million albums during the twelve months after his death.

Although he may not be physically among us anymore, his legacy continues to grow and, -as many people commonly say- 'he sings better every day'. 

Stendler, Pensotti, Palaziol and Estaras - 4th Year