Almost Worth Knowing: Moonwalker

A few days ago, in A Life Not Quite Black or White, I challenged all my readers (probably just Brett) to name 5 Michael Jackson songs, not including the 7 or 8 that I previously mentioned. Bad Ass Yates was the only person to respond, listing "Jam," Ben," "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough," "The Way You Make Me Feel," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" amongst his responses. Not only did Brett answer correctly, but he also mocked me for making the challenge too easy. Too easy, Brett? Well, I don't see you answering my OTHER challenge!

My second challenge was for any reader to name the Michael Jackson video game that was often found in arcades in the 90's. This game was none other than Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, the video game based on the movie comprised of a number of music videos featuring songs from the Michael Jackson album, Bad.

I remember the game pretty well actually. It came out in 1990, following the movie's release in 1989, and was a staple at one of the theaters I often went to as a kid. My recollection of the gameplay is even quite accurate; the game is played from a 3/4 perspective, and follows Michael Jackson, wearing his suit from Smooth Criminal, as he tries to rescue children and fight off gangsters or other bad guys using dance moves and dance magic attacks. At certain points in the game, Jackson can activate his super-powered Dance Magic attack and cause all the enemies on-screen to dance with him until they can no longer keep up and die. Curiously, and I do remember this, at certain points in each stage, Jackson can find his real-life pet chimpanzee, Bubbles, activating a power-up that turns him into a robot that can shoot missiles and lasers. Furthermore, the game can be played with up to three players at once, with each player controlling Jackson in a different colored suit.

Interestingly, and I did not know this, the game also came out for Sega Master System and Sega Genesis with different gameplay. For more information on both games, check out the Wikipedia Article and gameplay footage below.

Worth Knowing: At Age 50, Michael Jackson has Passed Away

If you haven't heard the news yet, Michael Jackson, 50, died yesterday from cardiac arrest. Rumors and media speculation have focused on his deteriorating health for some time now. You can read more about it and watch a pseudo-tribute to the artist in Time Magazine's article - Michael Jackson Dead at 50: A Life of Talent and Tragedy.

Jackson's latter years were certainly filled with weirdness; his once spectacular media persona fell to the wayside as the life-long hit artist became the focus of much negative media attention and the butt many jokes. Still, his legacy cannot be denied, and, as a public figure, he affected much positive change through his music and philanthropy. In remembrance of the artist, here is a list of my favorite songs by Michael Jackson:

5) Dirty Diana - Many people don't count this song among MJ's greatest hits, but if you listen to the way MJ sings it, you can tell that he's singing with everything he's got. His intonation, more than the lyrics, really conveys how much he wants to resist her, but just can't. This song is a perfect example of what makes him the King of Pop and one of the great voices in music. Man, Diana was so dirty - noo.

4) Black or White - I remember watching the music video for this on MTV, back when MTV had music videos, and thinking how cool it was the way one person was warped into the next. Jackson's songs were as much about presentation as they were about the music. In re-watching the video just now, I'm reminded of how truly epic and globally unifying Michael Jackson was. "I'm not gonna spend my life being a color."

3) Man in the Mirror - For some reason, I used to sing this song ALL THE TIME when I was younger. I would just leave this song, from the Bad album, on repeat and let the words inspire me. Don't be too hard on me: I was still young and fat then, and I needed some motivation.

2) Thriller - If not Michael Jackson's most famous song, it is certainly his most famous music video. I would argue that it is the most famous music video of all time (and I wouldn't be alone).

1) Billie Jean - At the end of the day, Billie Jean is still, undeniably, my favorite MJ hit. Many people might not agree, but I like the song for it's awesome dance beats, and the way the emotion comes through in his voice (like in Dirty Diana). It's also one of his earliest hits and the one I like singing along to most.

The songs are linked to their YouTube videos, so you can just click the links to hear the songs. I also just want to make honorable mentions of Heal the World (which may have been a little sappy, but I have fond memories of when it premiered) and Smooth Criminal (which inspired the awesome cover by Alien Ant Farm and was, possibly, their only hit).