Michael Jackson's Thriller

One more day until Halloween, and things will go back to normal around here. But not yet! Michael Jackson's Thriller was an event akin to the Super Bowl when it premiered on MTV. Jackson went from being that androgynous guy who sang disco in Off the Wall to a force of nature with Thriller. By the time his "long-form video" (which he also invented) debuted, the album had already been a hit for over a year, with a string of hit songs before it. With the release of the Thriller movie, Jackson's career peaked, and he never really came close to topping it. And he was only 25 years old.
 

Blast from the Past: Cyndi Lauper

Since Cyndi Lauper has a new reality show debuting this week, it seems like the perfect time to remind people who she is. I say this with a measure of  sadness: though Cyndi Lauper is an outrageously talented woman, and people still know who she is, her pop culture identity is tragically stalled in the 80s. I don't know why this is. I don't know if she has a bad agent. Maybe she ticked someone in the industry off? She should by all rights have had two or three "comebacks" by now, and be sharing the "diva" status of Cher or Tina Turner. Cyndi is one of my favorite artists, and I'm glad to see that Cyndi Lauper: Still So Unusual debuts on Saturday, January 12 at 9 pm on WE (whatever that is, check your local listings.

So, to refresh your memory, here are some of her biggest hits, and best songs.

Of course, Cyndi has more hits than that, and also some more recent music. I included a couple of non-hits that are nonetheless some of my favorites. But I'd really love it if she could use this show as a springboard to a comeback!

Meanwhile, have a great first full work week of the year. Happy Monday!

Happy 51st Birthday, Madonna!

It's something of a shock when you realize that most of your favorite music artists seem to be over 50. Last year, Prince turned 50, Michael Jackson did too (RIP, Michael), and Madonna--one of my long-time favorites--turned 50 as well. Amazingly, she's stayed relevant, and continues to churn out hit albums and singles. Already another year has gone by, and though the press is constantly making fun of her for her arms or her outfits, and declaring her "over," they still keep writing about her, don't they?

My favorite Madonna tunes and videos will always be those she produced between 1983 and around 1990 or so. There are exceptions, like Deeper and Deeper, Don't Tell Me, Hung Up and a few others. But for me, anything from her first greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, or almost any track from True Blue, Like a Prayer and I'm Breathless still make me just as happy as they did when they came out.

Last year I posted several of my favorite videos, all of which have been removed from YouTube. But, aha! There are some new ones up (for now), so here they are. Watch 'em before they disappear.

New Obama Music Video

The Barack Obama tidal wave keeps gaining strength, and shows now sign of ebbing. This is the latest in a series of Barack Obama music videos, and though it might be a trifle overly optimistic, there's no denying the message. Obama inspires people. I didn't want to like it, but I kinda did. See what you think.

McCain Music Video Parody

Several days ago, a video setting Barack Obama's speeches to music was released (watch it here). It was really quite amazing, and shows why Obama has captured the voters' attention.

And now, as often happens these days, a parody is already out, setting John McCain's words to music, to much different effect. Check it out.