Hi friends, welcome to Peanut Gallery. Every Wednesday here at MusicOlogy, we'll be presenting two classic albums from the same iconic band or artist and asking you... the smart, savvy, blindingly attractive Ology readers... to debate amongst yourselves over which record reigns supreme. Individual songs, concepts, music videos, lyrics, album artwork—everything's on the table here, folks. Give us your best argument in the comments section below. We'll announce the winner at the beginning of next week's Peanut Gallery face-off.
Last Week's Winner:
We pitted two of Jay-Z's biggest albums, The Blueprint and The Black Album, up against each other in a battle to the... well, not death, but something definitely painful. In a surprising upset, Jay's 2003 "retirement" announcement knocked out the first Blueprint in a 4 to 1 vote upset. Could be that The Blueprint's legacy has been tarnished by two disappointing sequels. Could be that The Black Album's diverse squad of producers actually kicked out a superior album. Do I like a mind reader, sir? I don't know.
This Week's Match-Up:
Michael Jackson's Off The Wall (1979) vs. Bad (1987).
Famously produced by Quincy Jones, Michael's fifth solo album is rightly remembered as his massive creative, critical and commercial breakthrough. Boasting four Top 10 Billboard hit singles, Off The Wall was a drastic departure from Jackson's Motown roots—under Quincy's tutelage, he layered his infinitely improved vocals amidst a shimmering whirlwind of disco synths, funk beats, rhythmic electric guitars and (most importantly) crack songwriting from the likes of Rod Temperton, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and even Jackson himself. Perhaps unfairly overshadowed by Thriller, Off The Wall remains one of the most vital, vibrant and influential R&B records ever recorded.
Classic Songs: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," ""Rock With You," "Off The Wall," "She's Out Of My Life" and "Girlfriend."
So how do you follow up the biggest album of all time? With another massive commercial blockbuster, of course. Working once again with Quincy Jones, Michael exercised even more creative muscle on Bad, delving into thick hard rock, relentless dance pop and dramatic adult contemporary territory. The album spawned an unbelievable 9 hit singles, 5 of which hit No. 1 on the charts… a record he would hold for nearly a quarter century. Sure, it was no Thriller, but Bad cemented Michael Jackson's hard-earned status as the King of Pop and ensured his rightful place amidst the most popular, important musical artists of his or any other generation.
Classic Songs: "Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man In The Mirror," "Dirty Diana" and "Smooth Criminal."
Okay, ladies and gentlemen... it's in your hands now. Hit up the comments section below and let us know why Off The Wall or Bad deserves to be declared the greatest non-Thriller Michael Jackson album of all time. See you again next week!
Debanjan Mitra:
Of course Bad.The track & the music video I like most is 'The Way You Make Me Feel',which also happens to be my most favorite MJ single & music video/short film.
July 29, 2012
Natalie Duran:
It's a difficult decision, because both of the albums are completely different :P Off the Wall catches MJ's light funky soul, but Bad projects some of the troubles that he faced in the 80's as well as being a chart busting synth filled album that no one will ever forget :P Off the Wall is for Discos and Bad is for anywhere and everything, so I have to say Bad :P
July 1, 2012
Brandt Hardin :
It’s unfortunate that we live in a society which tears apart an artist’s life while they’re alive and makes a martyr of them after their death. Hopefully Michael is resting more peacefully than he lived, under the intense heat of the media. Who was the man in the mirror and behind the television screens? I addressed MJ’s legacy with a portrait on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/06/in-memoriam-king-of-pop.html Drop by and let me know how his music affected you. While you’re there, we’ve posted the Top 10 music videos of All Time from the King of Pop!
June 27, 2012
Tyrae Buxton:
Being a biased superfan of Michael Jackson's, I'll keep this as objective as possible. When Michael went on to release Off the Wall, he didn't want it to sound like a rehash of the Jacksons (who still made great music anyway). He certainly accomplished that with his OTW, which was an amalgmation of progressive disco, R&B, funk, pop and AOR. It was unprecedented at the time it came out, but it didn't receive its proper due, or at least what Michael had hoped it would receive. Hence, this perceived failure sent him back into the studio to release what went onto be one of the best albums ever recorded, Thriller. When Bad was released, it was pretty much Thriller turned up on 10; the funk was funkier, the ballads were more sentimental, and the rock was more hard-edged. Subjectively speaking, Bad with its short film videos and its advent of "artist-as-superhero" short film Moonwalker would be enough alone to edge out OTW as a better album. Objectively speaking, I place it as a better album for 3 reasons: 1) It showcased an unfettered Michael (sans Quincy Jones) as a force to be reckoned with as he wrote, composed, arranged and produced the album almost entirely by himself with the exception of "Just Good Friends", 2) It showcased Michael as an idiosyncratic artist with unprecendented likeability, versatility and recognizability, and 3) It was just darn good music.
June 27, 2012
victoria sebring:
ok - to try to offset the bad vote and make it interesting I go for off the wall!
June 27, 2012
Vivian Moran:
Off the Wall for sure. I just love it. Even though I would like to vote for both as well. Michael was the master.
Chris Exantus:
I'm more of a Thriller man myself. but if I had to choose, I'd go with Bad.
June 27, 2012
emberley neidhardt:
bad! of course these are both amazing albums (of course), i think the fact that bad had such success after an album as great as off the wall really says something. plus, bad is the album that gives us all of the amazing super-long mini-movie music videos leading up to the epitome of pop music forever and ever, amen (thriller). plus, since these albums are both so great, i think it's easier for me to cop out and look to to personal preference and i prefer the 80s aesthetic and musical trends/styles over those from the 70s. i think the "bad pants" answer this question perfectly :p
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