Music Videos/Short Films

Michael Jackson


Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and philanthropist. Referred to as the King of Pop, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time. His contribution to music, dance and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene alongside his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in the mid-1960s, and began his solo career in 1971.

From his very first music video as an adult artist with "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" Michael led the way in music video entertainment. He was the first music artist to really use the music video as a sales tool for both singles and albums.

However, Michael Jackson is more famous for his innovative music videos or 'short films' as he called them.

Jackson's biggest music video achievements were:

- Beat It

- Bad

- Smooth Criminal

- Thriller

Michael Jackson's Thriller a 14-minute music video for the song of the same name released on December 2, 1983 and directed by John Landis, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jackson.

Often referred to as the greatest music video ever and has also been voted the most influential pop music video of all time, Thriller proved to have a profound effect on popular culture, and was named "a watershed moment for the [music] industry" for its unprecedented merging of filmmaking and music. Guinness World Records listed it in 2006 as the "most successful music video", selling over 9 million units. In 2009, the video was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, the first music video to ever receive this honor, for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant.