With Michael Jackson’s death anniversary reaching the four year mark earlier in the week, we think it’s fitting to run through 10 interesting facts about the legendary king of pop.
FACT #1: In order to be eligible for an Oscar, "Thriller" was screened in Westwood, California for a week so it would qualify as a short film entry. Although it didn't make the nomination cut – it was given the label of the “Greatest Music Video Ever Made” by MTV
. FACT #2: John Landis directed “Thriller.” He also directed “An American Werewolf in London”. Apparently that was one of the reasons why Michael’s team decided to rope him in for the project.
FACT #3: When Jackson initially proposed for the video concept, he asked for a $900,000 budget, which was unsurprisingly rejected by Sony. They negotiated to bring the budget down to $500,000 (bearing in mind, an expensive video in the 80s would cost around $100,000.)
FACT #4: The behind the scenes documentary for “Thriller” made its mark as the best-selling musical VHS of all time (although, it was sold below the standard price point for VHS sales, which played a role in boosting sales.)
FACT #5: Jackson invented and patented a special boot that allowed wearers to lean forward at a marginal and steep angle. He used this “anti-gravity” shoe in his “Smooth Criminal” music video
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FACT #6: His “Billie Jean” video was the first video by an African-American artist to be aired on MTV. This was in 1983.
FACT #7: In order for “Thriller” to get the same heavy rotation as “Billie Jean,” MTV CBS owner Walter Yetnikoff had to threaten to pull off his entire CBS music from the station if they refused to play it. Of course, in the end, they did. Many years on, Jackson would pave the way for African-American music artists to have its rightful place in mainstream television.
For the three other facts, check out the video below.
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