WTF - A post about Michael Jackson?

I will go out on a very far limb here and say that I think Michael Jackson peaked, musically (and in terms of hairstyle), while he was still in The Jackson 5. I say that this is a limb because, well, I think I might be the only person who thinks that. Whenever I hear people talk about Jackson, the talk centers on several areas - Thriller, his ensuring weirdness and pedophilia, his status as the King of Pop, or his bizarre death.

This is understandable, but it shouldn't be forgot that he and his brothers created some ridiculously great songs that still hold up today. It is pure, unaltered pop music, which just their soaring vocals backed up by a band.

Apparently, according to Wiki, The Jackson 5's first single was "I Want You Back," so if I wanted to get even more extreme, I could say that Michael Jackson peaked with the release of his first single. He provided the lead vocals for the song, and it's amazing to think that it was released in 19-freakin'-69. It still holds up remarkably well.

In contrast, I find Jackson's solo work to be overproduced. I'm not saying his voice is modified, a la conventional pop singers like Britney Spears. I mean that the background parts of "I Want You Back" are complex and rich without overpowering his ridiculous pipes. In contrast, "Thriller" has a ton of crap going on in the background, and unnecessary filler, like Vincent Price rambling. Unless you want something a bit more R&B, like "Billie Jean", then I think Jackson's first song is still his best.

That being said, my high school buddy and college roommate Shaun did note that I'm a sucker for harmonies, and I must shamefully cop to this. I like a lot of music that is just positively shameful for a 25-year-old man to be into, such as several tracks from Ace of Base, Blondie, Christina Aguliera, older Mandy Moore and Dream. And, I kind of like "Love Story" by Taylor Swift, even if she doesn't have the greatest pipes in the world, and even if she desperately needs to eat a few more sandwiches.

... Uh, oh yeah. Merry Christmas! Football picks will be posted tomorrow night.

The Jackson 5 photo is from this blog. And the Taylor Swift photo is from this entertainment news article.