Whacko Jacko: The "bigger in death" phenomenon

[IdolLiesDroog2]

A good thread Flat_Eric....it doesn't really make sense with someone of this stature because surely no one is having a "oh wow was that by him?" moment...it's michael jackson for god's sakes... Having said this I've been a big fan my whole life and there are bits and pieces I don't have but still for people to suddenly start buying the big singles/albums now seems very odd....

either way RIP....he will be remembered in 30/40 years, theres no question - however if he had lived another 25 years in his current state and things got worse....it would take a looong time for his reputation to be re-established.

[JonnyHungwell]

Never liked his music and not about to start now.

[Guilbert]

>Washed up..Thats funny. The man was far from that

Michael Jackson had well publicised money problems.

He could have easily got round that by releasing an album of new songs.

The fact that he hadn't since 2001 makes him look "washed up" to me.

(in fact the album before that was made in 1995 - HIStory - means only one album of new songs between 1995 and 2009.

Fourteen years and only one new product.

In any entertainment sphere that does not look good and shows a person who has lost their creative spark.

If Ben Dover or Tom Cruise had not released a film snce 2001 we would say they were washed up.

[Sam Slater]

I thought it would have been obvious: publicity.

How many kids of say, 11-15 would have bothered to find out about Jacko's songs and spend their pocket money on his work? I say 'none'. Now he's in the news and being played on every radio station/music channel for the next few weeks then you get the curious kids hearing his old works for the first time (or kids who knew the songs but didn't know who sung them), then you get the old fans who moved on and gave their old tapes/lps away who for nostalgic reasons go out and get the old favourites on cd. All boost sales.

In this age of online mp3s and the like then maybe it will be different to the Lennon/Murcury deaths and the affect on sales.

I'd go out and pay money for the Off the Wall and Thriller albums again (had them on LP when I was a kid). Don't think I'd bother with his other stuff though.

[dynatech]

Not only that.... the 2001 album "Invincible" was an unmitigated disaster, the most expensive album to ever be made and the sales were disappointing, so much so that only 2 singles were lifted from it (which meant that the record company weren't prepared to throw good money after bad promoting it).