Culture Greyhound

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the death of the King of Pop.  Whatever your opinions of the man, his fascinating (and unusual) life, and his music, I haven’t met a single soul who doesn’t recollect where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news.  It’s one of those moments in history, like the murder of John Lennon, the suicide of Kurt Cobain, the 9/11 tragedy, or the JFK assassination, that resonates with a collective majority.  It’s a moment that stands the test of time and forever remains in the memories of many.

While others would deride Michael Jackson’s achievements and focus on his eccentricities, I am a huge fan of the man’s music and the impact it still has on popular culture.  And so, in honor of this anniversary, after the jump are my ten favorite MJ tracks.  Don’t stop til you get enough.

*this list only includes solo Jackson material – Jackson 5 deserve their own list – maybe next year.

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Today I continue my ten-part series showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of last year.

90. IYAZ – Replay

Usually in December of every year, I go home for Christmas.  The indie world is dead at the end of the year, so I usually do research on the pop charts, listening to songs I have missed for most of the year.  Nearly all of the songs I am happy to have avoided, but there are always a few candidates that make the cut.  I’m a sucker for well-crafted pop music, as everyone knows, and IYAZ’s first single had my head bobbing enough for it to make my year-end list.  It’s charming, super-infectious, and it name-drops a common household item that no one owned ten years ago (that would be the iPod).