Michael Jackson is dead.

[eppie]

Ok, superstar. And, a pop icon, and he used to be entertaining back in the day. I'm not sure of lately, because he seemed like kind of a freak show at the end.

I was one of the few American's who didn't buy Thriller, or actually any MJ album. :) I think I was listening to Bach: The Goldberg Variations. Actually, seriously, in 1982 I would have been more into Fleetwood Mac, Vangelis, Who, and The Clash. Anything not remotely like disco, or country western. I was also in college, discovering bands I had been clueless about like Jefferson Airplane, Talking Heads, B52's, Violent Femmes, and there was a very talented reggae band in Minneapolis named Ipso Facto, which had me into Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley as well.

You discovered Jefferson Airplane only when you went to college???!! You should be arrested. :D

I think (but that is taste) that the bands you mention are musically more interesting than MJ, but MJ lead an era, not the best period in music, but het lead it.