Desert Island Michael Jackson

I was thinking about the point in the 80's, when I was a kid, and Michael Jackson was beloved. I mean really, Michael Jackson could do no wrong. Guys loved him, girls wanted to marry him, and he was kinda adorable. And he had this cute little sister that was Willis' girlfriend on Different Strokes. We were loving the moonwalk, and upset that he nearly fried his 'fro doing that dang Pepsi commercial.

I was thinking of that very specific era in time... our family had cable, the kind with the box attached to the TV by a long cord. In fact we had two TVs with cable, we were sort of a big deal.

MTV was announcing that Friday was gonna be huge, the debut of the "Thriller" video. My parents were having a party, and all the kids gathered in the family room. Maybe twenty kids, every age, even some of the adults, hovering over this top of the line 19" screen, in the dark, just blown away. And then we waited, because supposedly said amazing video was to be played every fifteen minutes.

By Monday, there were attempts at some of the signature dance moves, but we were all in awe for months. At the annual Halloween parade, no more "Monster Mash" on repeat; it was replaced by "Thriller", and you can imagine how many white gloves, white socks, and moonwalk-accidents went down that season.

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I had to go Newark airport last night to pick up my cousin. I was thinking about all the people coming off the plane who were hearing for the first time that he had passed away. Shock, disbelief. No more joking about the yucky. Just shock & disbelief.

Anyhow, it got me thinking of my favorite MJ songs... and the more I thought, the more I could think of.... and as I sat at the terminal waiting (the wrong terminal, as I came to find out two hours later), I listed my Top 5 Favorite Michael Jackson Songs If I Were Ever Trapped On a Desert Island and Could Only hear Those Five MJ Songs Ever Again. (I'm still working on that title)

Here's what I came up with last night:

1. You Are Not Alone
2. Man In the Mirror
3. I Just Can't Stop Lovin' You
4. Rock With You
5. The Way You Make Me Feel

Of course... between last night and this morning, all the retrospectives, the tributes, and just plain old thinking about it, I think I already want to change My Five.

So by this morning, I already had a new Five:

1. She's Out My Life
2. The Girl Is Mine
3. Dirty Diana
4. Off The Wall
5. Billie Jean

So give me another couple hours, days, weeks, whatever, I'm sure I'll keep coming up with a new five. Feel free to add your own.