by Michael Mercadante

Created on: July 03, 2007   Last Updated: July 04, 2007

Back in the 1980's, Michael Jackson was known to the world as the King of Pop, even though he only released two albums that decade. The first of those, 1982's Thriller, is considered the best-selling album of all time. Since Thriller, he has released five albums, all of which have been certified at least platinum.

But his musical legacy, which stems from his work in the Jackson Five as a child of the 1970's, has been largely overshadowed by both his creepy transformation from handsome black kid into skeletal white apparition and those seemingly perpetual allegations and rumors of sex with little white boys.

His last trial, which ended in acquittal late in 2005, left him penniless and, worse, a laughing stock. He ran away from Neverland and bounced around the Middle East for a while, but he is slowly resurfacing. He recently made an appearance in Japan, charging his dedicated fans there 400,000 yen each just to say hi to him. He denied recent rumors that he is looking for work as a regular Vegas performer, and confirmed reports that a brand new album, his first in six years, will be released later in 2007.

The question is, can he actually stage a comeback? Can the Michael Jackson we all loved in the 1980's be resurrected? He hasn't had a number one hit in the United States since 1995, and the chances are remote he'll ever recapture a fraction of the god-power he commanded following the release of Thriller twenty-five years ago. It seems hard to imagine bony white Michael Jackson selling out stadiums in the new millenium, unless he plans to touch little boys on stage. In an interview with CNN near the end of his last trial, Syracuse University professor Robert Thompson said, "Is there something there to be recovered? I'm not sure that there is. It's been close to a decade since people have looked forward to a new Michael Jackson release, rather than the latest scandal or bizarre event. ... What he was doing was manufacturing scandal that we enjoyed consuming."

But his resurrection needn't begin here. He still maintains a fiercely loyal fan base in Japan that seems willing to overlook his scandals (perhaps because, with an age of consent law of 13, they look differently at adult-child sexuality). His last world tour, in support of HIStory, remains the "biggest tour ever in terms of international attendance", according to his Wikipedia entry. Still, he'll need vast support in the United States to maintain his crown as The King of Pop.

Can Americans forgive and forget the calamities of his personal life, and again embrace Michael Jackson's music? Times have changed, Michael. Has your music? The music business of 2007 is radically different from that of 1982. All past honors and achievements aside, the new album would have to be one of the best ever recorded by anyone to put this train wreck back on course.

Learn more about this author, Michael Mercadante.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.