Published: June 27, 2009 12:55 am      

COMMENTARY: Jackson’s music a touchstone

SUPERSTAR: A generation overlooks Jackson’s faults to remember the King of Pop.

We still cared. I first heard the news about Michael Jackson while grilling mahi mahi in my driveway. Someone a few houses away exclaimed, “Michael Jackson’s dead!” before exploding in forced laughter.

Clearly, Jackson wasn’t a universally beloved figure. The child sexual abuse charges and his increasingly strange and erratic behavior later in life had a lot to do with that.

But those weren’t the first thoughts that came to mind when Thursday’s news broke. At least, those weren’t the initial reactions from most people in my generation. We grew up with Michael Jackson. His death brought us back to his prime. Back to when Jackson truly was the King of Pop.

The reactions on Facebook and Twitter — our current cultural barometers of choice — were quick, unanimous and overwhelming. There was a lot of sadness and even more shared memories. Very few seemed to focus on Jackson’s troubles. It didn’t seem right, after all.

It’s tough to sum it up any better than Dave Chappelle did during a “Chappelle’s Show” skit. When asked by a prosecutor if he thought Michael Jackson was guilty, he said, “No, man. He made ‘Thriller.’ ‘Thriller.’ ”

Jackson wasn’t a John Lennon or Kurt Cobain. He won’t be remembered as the voice of a generation. But he was the entertainer of multiple generations.

That’s not to discount Jackson’s talent, which was vast. He had an instantly recognizable singing voice, a stacked catalog of hits and arguably, the greatest dance moves we’ve ever seen. Unlike many of today’s pop stars, Jackson wrote a lot of his own songs, including absolute classics like “Billie Jean.”

And unlike a lot of his pop contemporaries of the 1980s, Jackson’s songs don’t sound dated, which is an accomplishment, coming from an era in which popular music was often marred by bland production and synth drums. Jackson’s talent and originality allow his music to stand the test of time.

Keep in mind, Jackson was a big deal before his solo breakthrough, “Off the Wall.” Some people will best remember him as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 — a remarkable 11-year-old leading his brothers on stage.

The Jackson 5 was a powerhouse with a string of funky hits, including “I Want You Back,” a classic song by any standard. We may take it for granted now, but it’s another testimony to his amazing talent that Jackson became even more popular as an adult than he was as a child.

The superstar voices and entertainers are getting harder and harder to come by. It’s not because musicians aren’t as good as they used to be (a common myth picked up by each aging generation). It’s because today’s musicians and bands simply aren’t as popular as they used to be.

A single musician or band has it tough when it comes to capturing the public’s imagination. There are so many ways to hear new music now. The Internet, iTunes, podcasts and satellite radio are so omnipresent — and so superior to the tired, predictable playlists of terrestrial radio — that you don’t have to listen to anything you don’t want to anymore. Nothing is forced upon you.

All of these points are positives, with one exception: We’re losing our superstars. When it comes to music, we’re losing those cultural touchstones, and there aren’t that many left.

Jackson’s influence in the world of pop music is undeniable. Much like Michael Jordan, another icon who hit superstardom in the 1980s, Jackson was a mega-talented original. Both men inspired so many future stars. Some (Usher, Kobe Bryant) were better than others (Chris Brown, Harold “Baby Jordan” Miner). But to borrow the words of two other singing legends who died young, “Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby.”

As details of Jackson’s death started to roll in, so did the memories. “Thriller” was released during the year of my birth, but considering that it’s the best-selling album of all-time, it had some staying power. I remember dancing to the title track with my friends as a neighbor’s mom caught our enthusiasm on videotape.

I remember exhausting my “Bad” cassette. I played that album so many times, the words wore off the tape. But by then, I long had the track order memorized. “Dirty Diana” was going to lead into “Smooth Criminal” every time, and every time, it was going to be awesome.

Speaking of “Smooth Criminal,” I remember waiting for the video’s premiere at my pap’s house. Michael Jackson videos were always a big deal. And “Smooth Criminal” didn’t disappoint. Who could forget “the lean?”

I listened to “Thriller” again last night. I expected it to be bittersweet. And it was, for a minute or so. But it’s hard not to be happy when you hear “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’. ” If you can’t dance to that, you can’t dance to anything. It didn’t take long for me to forget about the sadness and become a smiling fan again, driving in my car and getting into the groove.

I think Jackson would have wanted it that way. Despite all of his faults, that’s why we still cared.

Contact editor Phil Dzikiy at 439-9222 ext. 6242.