WatchMojo.world is a leading producer of reference online video content, covering the People, Places, and Trends you care about. We update DAILY with 4-5 Top 10 lists, Origins, Biographies, Versus clips on movies, video games, music, pop culture, and more!
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00He held his entire life in the public eye, and remains one of the most talked about celebrities
00:15ever to have lived.
00:20Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we'll be counting down our picks for the Top 10
00:24Michael Jackson Moments.
00:30For this list, we've ranked the most significant, memorable, and iconic moments in Michael Jackson's
00:35life.
00:36The King of Pop was both exceptionally talented and extremely controversial, and today's
00:41countdown will provide a balanced look at his highs and his lows.
01:03It's where it all began for MJ.
01:05His road to pop royalty started here.
01:07The Jackson 5 formed in 1964 in Gary, Indiana.
01:11Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine Jackson were the band's founding members, with Marlon and Michael
01:16joining later.
01:23The Fivesome found worldwide fame after singing for Motown Records in 69 and releasing I Want
01:28You Back in the same year.
01:30That song soared to number one, as did the three that followed, and the Jackson brothers
01:34became household names, especially fresh-faced vocalist, Michael.
01:53An early example of Jackson's habit for troubling 21st century headlines, in November 2002,
01:58he impulsively, recklessly, and hugely irresponsibly dangled his infant son from a third-story
02:04window and made front-page news the world over.
02:12The stunt, which took place at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin, involved Michael's third child,
02:17Prince Michael II.
02:19Before the baby was haphazardly held over Michael Jackson's balcony, there'd been mounting
02:23speculation that the singer was father to a third child.
02:26After these controversial actions, the fact was no longer in doubt.
02:42From the hair-raising to the hair-roasting, while filming a 1984 commercial for Pepsi,
02:48a freak firework accident resulted in Jackson's hair being set on fire.
02:55The incident occurred when Michael, then 25, was performing Billie Jean and left MJ
03:00with second-degree burns to his scalp.
03:08Jackson somehow remained remarkably calm throughout the commotion, which had occurred when he
03:12was at the pinnacle of his career.
03:14With eight Grammys that year, he was already on fire.
03:17He didn't need this.
03:26Lisa Marie Presley and that kiss
03:33Michael Jackson's marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis, was short, sweet, and shrouded
03:39in controversy.
03:47The couple tied the knot in secret in the Dominican Republic in 1994.
03:52Their first major public appearance together came at the MTV VMAs of the same year, where
03:56they made kiss history by awkwardly smooching in front of millions.
04:07The couple lived out their union under intense public glare until Presley filed for divorce
04:11in early 1996.
04:13Hard to think, no one thought this would last.
04:26Plastic surgery and changing skin color
04:32If there's ever been a poster boy for the overuse of plastic surgery, then it's probably
04:36Michael Jackson.
04:38Michael frequently insisted that he'd only ever gone under the knife twice for his nose
04:42on both occasions.
04:43But even to the untrained eye, the physical evidence clearly contradicts that.
04:55The change in Jackson's skin color perhaps raised most eyebrows, including his own.
05:00The singer suffered from vitiligo, a disease affecting skin pigmentation, and is thought
05:04to have purposely bleached himself beyond his natural color in order to escape the symptoms.
05:28In February of 2003, the Living with Michael Jackson interview was watched by over 50 million
05:33people in the U.S. and the U.K. alone.
05:36Bashir built the show around Jackson's changing appearance, the Neverland Ranch, and the singer's
05:41apparent obsession with children.
05:43Revelations that Jackson shared his bed with young boys served as firm foundations for
05:47the legal troubles which followed.
05:56But Bashir didn't escape unscathed either, as critics accused him of yellow journalism,
06:02of doctoring the truth, and of intentionally portraying Jackson in a negative light.
06:06Easily the most controversial moment in Michael Jackson's history, in 2005, the dance floor
06:32filler landed in court, accused of a string of child molestation offenses.
06:42Dubbed the trial of the century, Jackson was eventually found not guilty on all charges,
06:47but his reputation would never recover.
06:49In 1993, Jackson was subject to similar allegations concerning a 13-year-old boy.
07:01That matter was settled out of court, but a massive media frenzy proved unavoidable
07:05the second time around.
07:06For many, it was Jackson's final step in a fantastic fall from grace.
07:29From the lowest perceivable point in Jackson's life to probably the highest, Thriller was
07:46released on November 30, 1982.
07:48It was MJ's sixth solo album, but probably the most significant record he ever produced.
07:54It's still ranked as the best-selling album of all time, and is praised for its pioneering
07:58post-disco blend of R&B, pop, rock, and funk music, as well as for its music video as a
08:04promotional tool.
08:08If Jackson wasn't already the biggest act on earth before Thriller, he definitely was
08:18after it.
08:28Number 2.
08:29The King of Pop is Dead
08:41On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson died at 50 years of age.
08:46As news of his death filtered online, many major websites crashed under unprecedented
08:51internet traffic, and Jackson's memorial service remains one of the most watched events in
08:55online streaming history.
08:57Despite his consistently questionable character, the outpouring of grief was massive.
09:02The drama didn't stop with his death either.
09:05Jackson's personal physician, Conrad Murray, served two years in prison for involuntary
09:09manslaughter, for his part in a lethal overdose of prescription drugs found to have caused
09:13MJ's death.
09:25Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:43Also still featured is that Neverland flower clock.
09:48Michael bought the estate back in 1987 for $19.5 million.
10:16Number 1.
10:22The First Moonwalk
10:23An indisputable icon, Michael Jackson was a man of many trademarks.
10:36Although he was known for his ultra-racy yet iconic crotch grabs, the singer's most sensational
10:41dancing moment came on March 25th, 1983.
10:53Jackson first executed the moonwalk during a performance of Billie Jean on the TV special
10:57Motown 25, Yesterday, Today, Forever.
11:01As he glided across the stage, seemingly defying gravity, he danced his way into pop culture
11:06legend status.
11:12We've all tried to copy him, some of us even got close, but nobody moonwalks better than
11:17Michael.
11:26So do you agree with our list?
11:28Which Michael Jackson moments have we missed?
11:36For more celeb-inspired top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.