Michael Jackson Records That Changed Music Television Forever

Regarding cultural revolutions in music, there are not many names that elicit respect and legacy like Michael Jackson's. Besides being a pop star, Jackson can be described as a visionary who transformed the music industry and how people consume music. Some of his greatest defining contributions were in a medium that gained popularity in the early 1980s: the music video.

The transformation of MTV and popular culture through Michael Jackson's music videos broke the racial chain. Whether it was "Billie Jean," "Thriller," or "Beat It," Jackson did not simply dance. Instead, he visualized, dramatized, and democratized it to a worldwide audience.

MTV opened on Aug. 1, 1981, with the historic debut of the now legendary video, "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles. It was a radical experiment, a cable channel solely dedicated to round-the-clock broadcast of music videos. The network developed quickly, with an exponential increase in the number of subscribers.

MTV programming was initially dominated by white rock, almost excluding other audiences, and featuring no rotation of Black artists. The network used the excuse of rock and roll orientation and demographic preference, or rather, narrowcasting, to leave out Black artists. This was met with considerable opposition. Grandmixer DXT, a pioneer in the world of music, complained in 1983 that MTV was shunning Black musicians in favor of mainstream artists.

In one notorious interview, David Bowie admonished MTV for overlooking the quality and popularity of Black artists, such as Rick James and Earth, Wind & Fire. This environment of systematic marginal defiance turned what was about to take place with Michael Jackson from monumental to revolutionary.

The paradigm started changing on March 10, 1983, with MTV's broadcast of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." Behind the scenes, CBS Records president Walter Yetnikoff was livid over the fact that MTV refused to play the video, which was already wreathed with success in other avenues. He threatened to remove CBS artists from the network unless the song "Billie Jean" was included in the rotation. MTV relented in the face of the possible loss of Bruce Springsteen and other big artists.

The result was historic. When Michael Jackson entered MTV's heavy rotation, he became the first Black artist to be placed in such a category. This broke the racial barrier and paved the way for a plethora of Black artists. Under the guidance of director Steve Barron, who had already stirred up a lot of reactions with the Human League song "Don't You Want Me," the "Billie Jean" video turned into a visual narration. The premise was that everything that Jackson touched tended to shine because of his presence.

The crew had a small budget of only $50,000. So, they used 16 mm film instead of the industry standard 35 mm. The illuminated floor tiles were not motion-activated, as many thought, but via manual lighting. The magical element of the video was Jackson himself. His dancing, personality, and commanding presence in front of the camera made an otherwise commonplace idea visually memorable. His graceful moonwalking style became one of the most recognizable dance moves ever. It represented a physical and metaphorical representation of his ability to literally change the world.

"Thriller" further highlighted the defining power of music videos. Released on Nov. 21, 1983, "Thriller" was a 14-minute video directed by John Landis, the famous director of An American Werewolf in London. The production budget was between $500,000 and $900,000, which was rare for music videos at the time.

Jackson couldn't fund it and sold the on-air broadcast rights to MTV for $250,000 and to Showtime for $300,000. The video debuted at a Los Angeles movie theater to be considered for the Oscars. It turned into a commercial juggernaut, with Epic Records shipping 1 million albums weekly after the video's release.

The red jacket that Jackson wore in the video turned into a fashion phenomenon. It sold at auction for 1.8 million in 2011. In 2009, "Thriller" became the first music video to be included in the National Film Registry. The Library of Congress also referred to it as the most famous music video of all time. It exceeded 1 billion YouTube views in 2024, and its popularity continues to this day, especially at Halloween.

Michael Jackson's music videos were not only captivating but also expensive. "Billie Jean" cost $50,000. "Beat It," a cross between a street gang and West Side Story, had a budget of $160,000, while "Thriller" cost over $500,000.

Jackson began filming with 11 of the most well-known directors in Hollywood, infusing his music videos with a kind of cinematic relevance. Spike Lee captured "They Don't Care About Us" in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, while David Fincher directed the chilling "Who Is It?." George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola directed the short film Captain EO, and Martin Scorsese brought a young Wesley Snipes into the limelight in the 1987 movie Bad.

"Beat It" also spawned a whole music genre of choreographers and dancers, such as future hitmakers Paula Abdul and Toni Basil. The music video was transformed into an art form, incorporating narrative storytelling, clear-cut choreography, and state-of-the-art effects. Michael Jackson's iteration would become the template for hundreds of artists across genres, from Madonna to Kanye West.

Michael Jackson's breakthrough not only helped his career, but it also rescued MTV. His content was so much at the core of the television station that many referred to the channel as MJTV. His videos turned into cultural landmarks, causing a surge in MTV's ratings and cementing its status in pop culture and commercial advertising.

The international reach of Jackson's influence was evident on Nov. 14, 1991, with the debut of "Black or White." It was televised in 27 countries and had an audience of more than 500 million viewers. Its lineup featured new effects, such as morphing, and included guest appearances by Macaulay Culkin, George Wendt, and Tess Harper. The video caused FOX to receive its highest Nielsen ratings. The song peaked at the top of the charts in at least 20 countries and subsequently became VEVO Certified with over 100 million views worldwide.

Jackson was the first African American performer to generate a vast MTV crossover fan base. His videos transformed how artists were marketed, produced, toured, and engaged with audiences. Most importantly, he desegregated popular music in the United States and introduced a new era of multiculturalism, from hip hop in Harlem to pop in Tokyo.

Michael Jackson's music videos broke the color barrier on one of the biggest platforms and opened the doors for generations of Black artists. He revolutionized the way the world experienced music by investing in storytelling, innovation, and world spectacle.

His contribution reverberates through the lyrics of Beyoncé, who recognized Jackson as her biggest influence, and Justin Timberlake, whose "Cry Me a River" follows Jackson's visual narrative approach, as do the visually surreal and story-based video clips by The Weeknd. Michael Jackson's dancing has crucially influenced street dancing. It has become popular all around the world, evident in trends such as K-pop and Bollywood.

Jackson didn't simply raise the bar; he created a new bar. He's still the best-selling solo music artist of all time with more than 500 million records. He has cemented his position in history not only as a performer but also as an explorer, treating music as cinema, dance, fashion, and a means of social change.

Michael Jackson's revolutionary music videos not only transformed MTV but also the entire culture. He broke down the doors that were previously sealed, completely redefined an entire medium, and encouraged a whole generation to think, act, and dream bigger. He transformed the way in which we listen to and use music forever. He not only lives on in the form of awards or chart-topping success but, more importantly, in his ability to inspire creativity.