accessAtlanta

City & State or ZIP Tonight, this weekend, May 5th...
City & State or ZIP
City & State or ZIP Tonight, this weekend, May 5th...
City & State or ZIP
Home > Music

MICHAEL JACKSON TURNS 50

‘Thriller’ still thrilling after all these years

Our expert names five albums that have best stood the test of time

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Yes, Michael Jackson turns 50 this Friday, and it’s been more than 25 years since he released his finest album.

The years that surround Jackson’s 1982 magnum opus, “Thriller,” marked major shifts in pop music, from the underground to the top of the charts. The mellow California-centric rock of the mid- to late ’70s gave way to the new wave that bubbled up from punk, which, though a massive influence, proved too harsh for mainstream consumption.

Enlarge this image

BRANT SANDERLIN / bsanderlin@ajc.com

By any measure, Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ is arguably one of the most successful albums of all time. It earned him six Grammys in 1984.

Enlarge this image

AP

Prince enjoyed the height of his commercial success in the mid-1980s, riding high on the popularity of ‘Purple Rain’.

Enlarge this image

AJC ARCHIVE

Few performers dominated the music scene the way Paul Simon did in the mid-1980s, thanks in large part to his collaborations with the African vocal troupe Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

RELATED LINKS:

PHOTOS: Michael Jackson through the years

PHOTOS: Other celebs turning 50 in '08

Catch up on all the latest music news

B.B. King releases masterful new CD

Britney Spears, VMA rumors still swirl

Paul McCartney gets long-awaited Israeli embrace

Another force rising from the underground was rap. It would be the final years of the ’80s before rap gave us genre-defining statements such as Public Enemy’s “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” De La Soul’s “3 Feet High and Rising” and N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton,” but it was making its way onto the charts by 1980. That’s the year Sugarhill Gang climbed just inside the Top 40 with “Rapper’s Delight.”

Much of the music clogging the pop charts in the five years on either side of the still thrilling “Thriller” was fleeting in its appeal, but many albums of the era have stood the test of time, remaining influential and enjoyable to this day. Here are some of our favorites. (Keep in mind that these are all albums that made some impact on the mainstream pop charts. Dig a little deeper into the underground, and you’ll find many more gems that still shine.)

1. Prince“Purple Rain” (1984) The man had an incredible run of brilliant music during the ’80s and this was his commercial pinnacle. It’s a monster artistic achievement, too, but so are “Sign O’ the Times” and “1999.”

2. Talking Heads“Remain in Light” (1980) Who knew a bunch of artsy white kids from New England could be this funky? This innovative, album sounded like nothing else at the time and it’s still a stunner.

3. Paul Simon “Graceland” (1986) Take one of our greatest songwriters, add some South African musical textures (especially the gorgeous voices of Ladysmith Black Mambazo) and you get an album that earned a well-deserved Grammy for album of the year.

4. The Police“Synchronicity” (1983) It seemed overplayed back in 1984, but time has been kind to this thoughtful and tuneful album.

5. Blondie “Parallel Lines” (1978) Perfect, polished pop from start to finish, with Deborah Harry at her sultry-sweet best.

Others worthy of consideration

Van Halen — “Van Halen” (1978)

Duran Duran — “Rio” (1982) (yes, really, go give it a listen)

Kate Bush — “Hounds of Love” (1985)

U2 — “The Joshua Tree” (1987)

Run-DMC — “Raising Hell” (1986)

Comments

By Tom W.

Sep 3, 2008 1:56 AM | Link to this

As these "top ten" lists go, I've seen worse.

Hounds of Love is one of the greatest works of all time. Side 2 of that album is a masterpiece, composed, arranged, played and sung by a true genius.

But, yeah, where is Peppers? Or Dylan, Zappa, Tull, SteelyDan, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, GratefulDead, Hendrix,........

By lee

Aug 30, 2008 1:18 AM | Link to this

He's an expert? At what? Cleaning bathrooms?
He forgot about the number 1 rated album of all time, The Beatles Sgt. Peppers, and he missed Dark Side of the Moon, on the pop chart top 100 for like, 14 years.

By EAVDad

Aug 29, 2008 10:38 PM | Link to this

I like these picks. I couldn't agree more with Synchronicity and Graceland. And I've been telling people for many years that Rio is a very strong album. Good picks. (Regarding U2, I'd choose "Achtung Baby," but that's just me.

By a$$play

Aug 29, 2008 12:29 PM | Link to this

What about Led Zeppelin 4.. Pink Floyd the Wall...Darkside of the Moon....

Who the H3ll is your "expert"?

Commenting is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F, except on Tuesday when it's open until 9 p.m.

Post a comment



Remember me?

You may use the following formatting:
Bold: **this text will be bolded** = this text will be bolded
Italic: *this text will be italic* = this text will be italic
Link: [text to be linked](http://www.accessatlanta.com) = text to be linked



There will be a delay of up to 5 minutes before your comment appears.


*HTML not allowed in comments. Your e-mail address is required.

Request a comment be removed

 

Inside AJC.COM

Atlanta's best shoe store

Atlanta's best shoe store

Is it therapy to buy a pair of shoes? Discuss ... or nominate your favorite place to find those shoes!

More meat, please

More meat, please

McDonald's has unveiled a line of bigger burgers that will satisfy large appetites and scare cardiologists.

BET Awards

BET Awards

Photos: Janet Jackson, Monica, Maxwell, Jamie Foxx, New Edition, Keri Hilson, Ciara and more!

Private Quarters Splurge

Private Quarters Splurge

Husband and wife architects created a modern house that's still warm and inviting.

She lost 60 pounds!

She lost 60 pounds!

"My confidence is through the roof ... I can do anything," says Sonya Moste of Fayetteville.

Ultimate Braves fans

Ultimate Braves fans

Francoeur's Franks? Shef's Chefs? Just some of the passionate fans who have cheered the team.

Sign up for AJC's Weekend events newsletter

Kudzu.com services Find the right people for the job

Keyword     Business Name