♫ Song of the Day, They Don't Really Care About Us

They Don't Really Care About Us, Michael Jackson

Not sure why but this song has been stuck in my head all week. I must have heard it while playing iTunes on random recently.

It was a controversial song in the United States when it was released on HIStory, which resulted in many radio stations finding themselves reluctant to play the song on their air waves. I doubt Jackson lost much sleep over it as the album still did well overall. Four Grammy Awards came out of the album.

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Michael Jackson's This is It

Here we go again with the Michael Jackson hoopla, and I can not help but get chills in anticipation for this. I very likely will not see this in the theater in the two weeks that it will be out, but you can bet I will be watching it on video as soon as it comes out.

Michael Jackson's music is some of the best I have ever heard. Love him or hate him as you will, but you can not deny the impact he has had on the music and entertainment business. This Is It will surely show just how terrific a performer Jackson was.

Previous Michael Jackson posts:

• Mario Monday Tribute to Michael Jackson
• Michael Jackson made "Weird Al" Yankovic
• Thriller in LEGO form
• Remembering Michael Jackson
  

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Mario Monday Is On Vacation

No regular Mario Monday today since I am on vacation in North Carolina. To honor the life of Michael Jackson, who passed away last Thursday, and to preview the next installment of the weekly time line of Mario I thought I would share a pair of musical tributes dedicated to the King of Pop.





Next week Mario Monday returns with a look at Mario Paint for the Super Nintendo, one of my personal favorites.

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Michael Jackson Made Weird Al Yankovic

Perhaps nobody in the entertainment business was as big a fan of Michael Jackson as Weird Al Yankovic. Yankovic is a genius in his own right but he really made a name for himself with his outstanding parodies of Jackson's hit songs Beat It and

Jackson's video for Beat It is a classic. For Yankovic it was just a template. What I appreciate about Yankovic is not just ability to cleverly write new lyrics to great songs and give them a humorous twist, but he also pays homage to the original music videos as much as possible. Take one of his greatest videos from earlier in his career, Eat It.

Weird Al Yankovic |MTV Music

If you have seen the original Jackson video for Beat It then you will likely notice a number of similarities in the Eat It video. Yankovic also gives a tribute to the historic Thriller video at the end.

Yankovic has another Jackson parody that made him famous though. Fat is another food inspired parody of Jackson's Bad. Once again, the music video for Bad serves as the guide for the production of Yankovic's video for Fat.

Weird Al Yankovic |MTV Music

I honestly can not listen to a song that receives a Yankovic rendition and sing the original lyrics in my head. To me watching certain music videos receives the same effect. Yankovic probably would have made a name for himself even without Jackson's songs to utilize, but I find it hard to believe Yankovic would have enjoyed as much success without him.

Remember, Nirvana didn't come around until the early 90's and Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise was not around until the mid 90's.

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Thriller in LEGO Form

I do not remember if I posted this video before or not, but in honor of the passing of Michael Jackson I wanted to share this special edition of the monumental Thriller music video.

This version is done entirely in LEGO form!

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Remembering Michael Jackson

With the passing of Michael Jackson yesterday I started to wonder; is this the biggest icon to die in my life? The answer is, without a doubt in my mind, yes.

Michael Jackson, though I did not see him in his Jackson 5 days, has always been the top music icon of my generation. Other musicians have come and gone and rarely have the top names continued to remain prominent through the years. Other than Madonna what other musician could grab headlines at will (or against their will) without so much as blinking an eye?

While his legacy may be tarnished in the recent point of view by scandalous allegations and rumors, down the road when people think about Jackson they will think of his impact on the music industry. Music videos would probably not be where they are today if not for Jackson. Fourteen number one songs in the United States. Nineteen Grammy awards. Thirteen Guinness world records. Twelve world music awards. One memorable episode of The Simpsons.

The impact left by Jackson will be huge for a long time. How many weddings will you go to in your life? Each of them will play at least one classic hit from the King of Pop, whether it be from his solo career or his days with the Jackson 5.

How many musicians had a video game casting him as the main character? Jackson had his on the Sega Genesis. Fittingly it was called Michael Jackson's Moonwalker.

There are many songs that will be etched in our collective memories for the rest of our lives. Jackson provided us with songs we will never forget. What is your favorite Jackson song? What will you remember most about Jackson?

Feel free to share your thoughts and memories in the comment section.

EDIT: Also be sure to read my quick Penn State take on the passing of Jackson over at NittanyWhiteOut.

Michael Joseph Jackson
August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009

Michael Jackson |MTV Music

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