Last fall, when Michael Jackson moonwalked to the great beyond, people far and wide immediately said Michael may be gone, but his music would live on forever. Little did they know just how true those words will turn out to be.
Just this week, it was announced that Michael’s estate (read: Mama and Papa Jackson) had reached an agreement to publish previously un-released music. And I know what you’re thinking – “I’m sure MJ’s got a few tracks lying around the studio. They’ll put together and album and it’ll be a nice tribute.” Not quite. This is more than just a few odd-and-end singles. Allegedly there is enough for at LEAST 10 albums. That’s not counting tributes, re-releases, box-sets, remixes, anniversary celebrations, and so-on.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Tupac of this decade!
That’s right – apparently the thing to do is hoard music and have it “hidden” away, only to be found after you pass on and your family can use it to print their own money. MJ’s “lost” music? Said to be worth about $250 million minimum.
I blame Tupac. He started this. The man has released more albums dead than alive. Oh, and don’t forget his movie and book of poems. All post drive-by. Dead Tupac has outsold Living Tupac by a wide margin. It’s not close (so has Dead Elvis by the way).
And in case you’re wondering, this isn’t a fad that will just fade away. Just this week, I was riding along and heard this come across the radio:
Radio DJ – “And now let’s play some new music. Comin’ at ‘cha is a new one by the great Jimi Hendrix.”
Me – “Cool, Jimi’s got a new song out.”
Me (5 seconds later) – “Do what? Jimi Hendrix has a new song out?”
Apparently, someone in the Hendrix camp needs a new pair of shoes. Or an island.
Personally, I can’t wait for Ozzy, Dylan and the Stones to put out some afterlife jams. Wait?!? They aren’t dead yet? My mistake.
And remember the next time you see Elvis at the Dairy Queen – remind him that Dead Tupac, Dead Jimi, and now Dead Jacko are leaving him in the dust. So put down that M&M Blizzard and get crackin’!
This article appears in Mar 23-29, 2010.
It’s possible Jimi is the king of this – though I’m not complaining. Was reading in this week’s Rolling Stone that Hendrix only released three albums before he died… how many have been released since then?
Agree – I saw him on the cover of Rolling Stone the same day i heard his “new” song. Good gig if you can get it – and by that i mean being in charge of a legend’s estate.
Would you stop with the ‘Jacko,’ already? You might disrespect him, but the whole world doesn’t. Just sayin’.
I read your ”Different Perspecstive on Michael Jackson” post; the link to Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez’ blog didn’t work. Also read your 6/25 posts. I’m curious if you saw the “This Is It” documentary; if you did, what did you think of Michael Jackson the man/performer (not the film)?
You & Alisa are partially right about artists before Michael Jackson who enjoyed the popularity of a widespread audience — Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, and so on. What you ignore – aside the recognition given by his peer artists like Stevie, Smokey & others who eulogized him – is that the comparison is between apples & oranges. You can’t say that MJ enjoyed staggering sales/popularity just because of new media like tv, because you can’t say with 100% certainty that Cab Calloway, Louis & Ray would achieve what Michael did if they had had the same media. *I* think they would, but would I guarantee & bet on it ? No.
The artists you mentioned were popular mainly in North America & Europe and cities in other continents where they toured. Michael Jackson’s music penetrated everywhere in the world, India, Iraq, Iran, cross-generations, cross-cultures, cross-nationalities, cross-religions, cross-lingual, cities, rural area, remote jungles. Headlines said he almost took down the internet with him. Didn’t you see the images of spontaneous & tributes all across the globe in the 2 weeks following his death? James Brown’s and Ray Charles’ deaths didn’t trigger those kinds of reactions even though they deserved them too.
In 1991, I returned to my birthplace in the Philippines, deep in the jungle, no roads, no electricity, one-room palm tree huts miles apart & came upon a teenager wearing a tattered Michael Jackson t-shirt. That’s how far his influence reached.