Elvis v Michael Jackson. Who was THE King?

[drew]

Good question for the pop-pickers here, though Elvis suffers for being further from memory/previous generation.
Elvis endured through several decades, made it alone outside of a group, and was at the start of a completely uncharted style of music that only Little Richard was exploring ahead of him.
He lost a grip on his self-image and what it was to be a regular human being because of his fame and fortune, and he lost a grip on his health situation - to die early.


MJ had more of a hand in the writing and creating of his solo persona. For the times and the technology with video taking a big part in musical entertainment, he was a leading light. In a burgeoning style he forged a strong course for soul music, and took disco-soul to a new high.
His grip on reality and personal and social responsibility was another thing, and he too died young from the psychological dereliction of his health.

To a slight tangent - The Beatles knew when to quit as a band force, and they managed to place their fame and import into something understandable, that they could get over and not allow to consume them. For John Lennon, it was a member of the public that couldn't handle his accessibility and his fame.

In my opinion; The Beatles eclipse both Elvis and Jacko by far, in the pop field.
Vocally Roy Orbison was better than Elvis but lacked the youthful good looks and charisma.
Stevie Wonder, Isley Brothers, and actually, several others are better than MJ in the soul music genre but not as visually glamorous to take it to another level of entertainment.

Wouldn't disagree with that. Of the three, the Beatles are top for me. They wrote their own stuff, performed and played it. Their music also has more depth than the other two especially the later years of the group and individually for Lennon and Harrison.

 

[The Spanish]

can we change this thread to

Which Unproved Although Strongly Suspect Nonce's Music You Like Best?

 

[Garage_Doors]

I'm opting for the Beatles.

 

[DJ Leon]

Elvis changed the world as we know it. Michael Jackson did not. My vote can only go one way.

 

[The Spanish]

Elvis changed the world as we know it. Michael Jackson did not. My vote can only go one way.

I take it you are not Chuck D or the Reverend Al Sharpton in real life then Leon?

 

[DJ Leon]

I take it you are not Chuck D or the Reverend Al Sharpton in real life then Leon?

Chuck D I guess would probably admit the influence of Elvis even if he never meant shit to him.

As for Al Sharpton, who can really take anyone seriously who thinks that MJ brought down racial barriers? Has he heard of Little Richard? Chuck Berry? Bo Diddley? They started doing that about 5 years before MJ was even born.

 

[Trufflehound]

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Elvis!

 

[blue'n'white]

Chuck D I guess would probably admit the influence of Elvis even if he never meant shit to him.

As for Al Sharpton, who can really take anyone seriously who thinks that MJ brought down racial barriers? Has he heard of Little Richard? Chuck Berry? Bo Diddley? They started doing that about 5 years before MJ was even born.

As did Elvis who was singing "race" music !

 

[auschr]

Michael Jackson for originately, Elvis just took black music and made it popular for whites.

 

[Bhafcman]

Elvis will obviously win as most people here are from the elvis era

 

[Icy Gull]

I haven't read the thread but this is a one horse race and Elvis is the winner by a country mile.

To suggest that Jackson was the King is like suggesting that Robbie Williams is the King of Swing over Sinatra...laughable

Both Elvis and Jackson had a fetish for under age kids though..allegedly

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Elvis , no contest.

 

[BensGrandad]

I find Elvis' stuff tedious, boring, overplayed, similar, and basic.

.

There is us extolling the virtues of Elvis and you describing Take That.

Incidentally I went to a wedding recently and a girl singer sang the Take That song 'You' It was agreed by all present that it was far better than the Take That version.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

Take That? Take What?? The piss, if you ask me..

 

[DJ Leon]

Elvis will obviously win as most people here are from the elvis era

Really? I reckon it'd be a minority that can actually remember him being alive.

 

[GT49er]

Neither. Both where overhyped.

Quite. Elvis was just a good looking boy (once) who did as he was told, and Michael Jackson was....well, just weird...............

The pioneers of rock were Buddy Holly (a truly creative genius) and the likes of Eddie Cochran and Chuck Berry, who also created things themselves. The Beatles then took it on to a different level (by which time Elvis was just living on his earlier reputation).

 

[NMH]

Michael Jackson for originately, Elvis just took black music and made it popular for whites.

He did NOT do "just" that at all!
He DID sing mostly songs written by other people, so that bit is true.

Carl Perkins 'Blue Suede Shoes' was one of his first hits. Carl was not black.

That Elvis DID have an open mind and good regard for music in general, regardless of skin pigment, is much truer a statement.
His first ever recording was 'That's All Right Mama' written by Arthur 'Big-Boy' Crudup, an obscure blues crooner whose own 45 of it sold few and in a limited area.
'Hound Dog' was once 'Street Cat' by Big Mama Thornton - a clever choice and change of lyric.
His version of 'Tutti Frutti' brought white cred to Little Richard's song that he cut a year earlier, but then he was re-presenting a good song.

There are many white guys who credited black musicians, but you have to look at why, too. There was money it it for most of them, too.
Bob Dylan recorded with black 'folk-blues' players before his leap to world fame.

Sam Charters, Alan Lomax and John Hammond Snr (who 're-discovered' the music of Robert Johnson, first recorded by John Law) can all be seen as archivists and enthusiasts who brought 'coloured musicians' to a wide and white audience.
The Chess brothers too, presented the negro blues for all audiences.

Yes, Jacko joined in a soul music movement, but he didn't start it and he's not going to be the defining voice for it either - no more than Elvis being the only rock and roll singer. BOTH commercialized their chosen genres, BOTH appealed to a wide audience.

 

[NMH]

Thinking about credit for original black music - it brings to mind the confusions surrounding blues and jazz last century.
Many black musicians crooning on street corners, were taking concepts and phrases off each other, learning each others' tunes and putting their own names on the credits on issued 78s.
Much later, Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin stole credit for songs, too.

We can laud over Elvis or other apparently open-minded singers for giving a new outlet to black composers, but what can you say about Jimmy Page? Was he a racist for not crediting Willie, Muddy, or The Wolf?
He also took Jake Holmes' tune 'I'm Confused' to make 'Dazed and Confused' without crediting Jake (a white singer), so he was an equal opportunity thief, at least!

 

[NMH]

Elvis will obviously win as most people here are from the elvis era

More drivel, and everyone knows that's "obviously" untrue.
This is the computer age - younger people grow up using them, and MANY people who remember Elvis with any semblance of first-hand knowledge of his performance art don't post on here - PLUS and more importantly, the older gen. can more objectively compare both by having been around for both!

So - many votes FOR your precious MJ, are from people who cannot have had the opportunity to even compare the two.
Rather more "OBVIOUSLY" Jacko should be at an advantage!