by William Falcone

Created on: July 12, 2009   Last Updated: September 17, 2009

Elvis had more influence over popular music. First and foremost, he was the first "cross-over" star-meaning he was able to bring a black style of musical genre to a white audience. What Elvis did was bring a newly created art form(Rock 'N Roll) to the masses,via television. Sadly the Blacks of that era were not going to be able to do that until a white guy gave it a kick start. And no one was able to do that but one man, Elvis Presley.

I was born in 1959. I bring a special perspective to this debate since I actually remember the 1968 live TV special with Elvis looking fit in that black leather get up. I also grew up with Michael and his brothers." ABC" and "I Want You Back "were not only the top hits on the radio while I was in elementary school but were sang in music class (along with "One Bad Apple" by the Osmond Brothers-OUCH!)

Elvis did not create Rock N Roll. Those honors undoubtedly belong to the likes of Chuck Berry , Little Richard,-or even go further back to the blues artists who predated them all. And can anyone tell me who was as charismatic as Elvis ? There were individuals in history who were able to transcend race, gender, and specific genre.In the sports world think of Jackie Robinson, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods. These stars all "cross overed" into popular culture and were (and are) historical figures. Elvis is also a cultural icon who is historical as well. Michael Jackson was a cultural icon of the 1980's, however, it is unlikely history will treat him as kindly as Elvis Presley.

It can be said that Elvis fit the mold of the original musical icon in American society. The generation before me will mention names like Frank Sinatra and Big Crosby as musical icons. But lets get serious..they didn't shake their booties and get the joints jumpin'. Music in other formats was technically more complex than the simplistic sound of Rock. But music in the past never spoke to a generation. Elvis was the first to make the music talk to a youthful generation. He truly was the innovator, not the imitator.

Michael Jackson,in all likelihood , was the third most influential artist in popular music. Realistically, he was a distant third ( let's not forget the Beatles who are arguably more influential than Elvis. But that is a different debate.) Michael was the creator of danceable canned music. The Quincy Jones produced studio music of "Thriller" was groundbreaking in its widespread appeal. But besides the original Jackson Five songs and the "Thriller" album,what will the average popular music fan remember about Michael Jackson ? We all know of the sad life of the self-titled " King of Pop ". Elvis's final years were arguably nearly as tragic, however, he is not completely remembered as the bloated pill-popping caricature of himself that he became. He will always be remembered as the creator and innovator of a new musical genre that is still running strong. LONG LIVE THE KING!

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