I have always loved Michael Jackson. I just bought his 25th Anniversary Thiriller CD and it brought back great memories. I was thinking, can he make a comeback? I know most think he is a child molester and a freak (cant really argue with that because I believe it also), but this guy had talent.
I think he'll always be able to shift enough records to make it worthwhile releasing them. But his only real chance for a spectacular return to form and fame is the Jackson 5 IMO.
I doubt it. He'd have to have something as hot as Thriller to do it and I'm not sure he has the drive to work that hard anymone. I think he'll have to get by on his stable of work and anniversaries and an occassional guest apperance....and keep his rotting nose clean!
Doesn't help that he hasn't made a truly classic album for 25 years anyhow. This is not a man who went down in his prime, his records had become seemingly little more than collections of bizarre whispering and guttural noises set to really uninspired music. He never came anywhere close to matching the quality of Thriller, not even with Bad. Last even slightly listenable song he made was Black or White.
The man certainly had talent. Loved a lot of his stuff from the 80s, both from Thriller & Bad. I agree with Pingfah that Black & White was the last decent track he put out. I don't think he's anywhere near the right frame of mind to get close to producing that kind of music again sadly.
He almost graduated to adult music with Off the Wall but regressed to kids music which adults also bought with Thriller. He never grew up and now is a middle aged man whose primary producer is a senior citizen. His customer base may actually buy music rather then download it, but then they already bought it all 20 years ago.
I would think Michael Jackson's star has burned out. He may make more music, but his Super Star days are over. Not unlike many stars who have gone away in the past.
As a performer, no, I don't see how he really could make a comeback. He has too much baggage with him and too little face left. He might be able to groom or produce a new artist to stardom.
I am a big Michael Jackson fan and these kind of comments always irks me. Sure he made mistakes in his choices of being friends with younger kids and their questionable parents, but Michael Jackson is truly a legend of our times. No other artist after him has had the longevity that he has. Most artists have been nothing more than a flash in the pan. Michael can make a huge comeback if he wants to, but we all know he doesn't need to. He has done all that could be done, and is content with it.
Oh relax. I'm not saying the guy wasn't a great artist and entertainer. He's the King of Pop afterall. He's just a face-less (literaly) pedophille.
Lets not pretend that his career hiatus is anything to do with having "done all that could be done" or in fact being content with it, because that is a load of nonsense. For an artist that has been recording as long as he has he has produced woefully few records, and even fewer good ones. Come on, he managed 2 records in the entire decade of the 80's. That's lame. He is flat broke and as mentioned before hasn't put out a really good record in decades. He has never needed to put out a good record more than he does right now. He can't just stride back into the public eye, not in the grandiose fashion StarTrek1701 seems to think he can, not without the best record he has ever made under his belt. He was a talented youngster but since Thriller he has just squandered that talent. I doubt he is capable of performing even close to the level he did back then anymore.
Without Quincy Jones, talent or no talent, he wouldn't have been able to get close to producing that kind of music then, and I'd be inclined to question whether "Black or White" was really that decent. Whatever the case, he's accumulated far too much negative baggage since the time of "Bad" and "Smooth Criminal" to ever make any sort of a serious comeback. An interesting point, that (emphasis mine) and one with which I'd agree, generally.
Just to clarify, I never said Black or White was decent, I said it was slightly listenable To be honest the only reason it ever caught my attention is because Slash was on it, for what it's worth at any rate, any idiot could have played that guitar part. Still, it was certainly better than anythng MJ has done since.
When NAMBLA becomes mainstream, they can push MJ like Oprah pushes the politicians, authors, etc. she likes.