Michael Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest musicians to ever exist. Not only is his cultural impact so significant that he changed the music industry forever, but his music also completely captivated everybody in the music scene throughout his career. Throughout his extensive discography, he created albums that each had a different sound. From 1972 to 2001, Jackson’s sound changed with every single album, and none of them sound remotely similar.
Once Jackson reached adulthood, he decided to go completely solo and cut off not only Motown but also release himself from the restraints of his family. Jackson met the legendary producer Quincy Jones, who is the reason why Jackson became a superstar.
“Off the Wall” is the first album that they created together, and it’s filled with groovy beats and passionate vocals. Off the Wall followed the trend of the 70s with its disco theme, but one award ceremony completely changed Jackson’s career trajectory. “Off the Wall” was largely praised by critics, yet it barely won any awards. Due to the lack of awards Jackson won, he decided it was time to go bigger.
In 1982, Jackson dropped the highest-selling album of all time, and it had nothing but amazing songs on it. Uzziel Johnson, a freshman at PVHS, expressed his love for this album: “It’s a very danceable album.” “Thriller” is much more pop-sounding and upbeat than “Off the Wall,” and it truly encapsulated how great Jackson was. The album won eight Grammys, completely broke everybody’s expectations, and became the best-selling album of all time.
After a five-year break, Jackson dropped his third album with Jones. Bad is significantly grittier and heavier in sound compared to “Thriller.” While Jackson still maintained his family-friendly persona, he was much tougher-looking during the “Bad” era. Jackson also decided to match his outfits with the album during this era; he began to rock a much tougher, punk style to match how his music had begun to sound.
“Bad” isn’t a complete 180 from Thriller, yet it’s so different and sounds significantly more complete. It displayed how Jackson could change his music with the industry. Not only did he begin to change his own sound, but he was also influencing other artists to change their sound too.
By 1991, Jones and Jackson had a falling out, and Jackson had to create his own album. Not only did this deal give him more creative freedom around his music, but it also allowed him to create his own record label, which gave him almost infinite reign over his own music.
Still in 1991, with Jones out of the picture, Jackson finally had complete control over his own music. So he released “Dangerous,” and it completely changed how music sounded for the rest of the decade. Ari Gomez-Moreno, a junior at PVHS, had a remarkable take on this incredible album. ”He also puts a twist to ‘Dangerous’; he made his own genre in a way.” “Dangerous” is a much more experimental album; it has R&B, pop, hip-hop, and new jack swing. “Dangerous” is a completely different sound from his previous albums.
“HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I” is an extremely aggressive album released in 1995, yet it also has soft moments. Songs within HIStory vary from heavy, dark beats like in “They Don’t Care About Us,” to soft, melancholy songs like in “You Are Not Alone.” This album also has incredibly deep songs like “Childhood,” which expresses Jackson’s loss of a normal childhood. “HIStory” is an excellent example of how Jackson can change his sound and influence everybody around that sound.
While Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix is extremely overlooked, it’s an amazing remix album from 1997 with plenty of amazing songs that most people ignore. It mainly has the exact same sound as HIStory due to it being a remix album. Despite that, it’s still an amazingly short remix album that should be acknowledged more.
Invincible is the last album that Jackson created and released before his untimely death in 2009. In 2001, Jackson released yet another perfect album. Invincible is a softer-sounding album, resorting to more R&B and soul compared to his previously aggressive albums. While this album still holds the pop base that Jackson utilizes in all his albums, Invincible is slower-sounding and allows for his vocals to truly shine. Gomez-Moreno truly expressed how much she loves this album: “The production, the beats are amazing.” Gomez-Moreno brings up an amazing point that the production on “Invincible” is astounding.
Not only is Jackson considered one of the best musicians to ever exist, but he also completely changed how the music landscape sounded throughout each decade. Every single album sounded different in a good way, and each album has something different yet is still Michael Jackson. From Off the Wall to Invincible, each album holds a different weight; HIStory is much more emotional, while Dangerous is considerably more energetic. Next time you’re listening to the king of pop, don’t forget how wide his range really was.
