Blake Snow

writer-for-hire, content guy, bestselling author

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Tagged michael jackson

What I learned after re-listening to The Beatles entire catalog this weekend

Courtesy Shutterstock

Because I have a lot of extra free time in a partially paused world, I decided to re-listen to the entire Beatles catalog this weekend (well over 10 hours worth!) to determine my favorite albums.

Although I regularly feasted on The Fab Four in high school, college, and into my late twenties, I haven’t listened to their music much in the last decade. Not that I no longer like or respect it. Only that I probably overplayed it to the point of boredom.

After my weekend binge, however, I reconfirmed my belief that The Beatles are the greatest pop band ever—ahead of only Elvis and Michael Jackson in terms of the shear number of songs I enjoy. Either way, this is what I learned from my quarantine experiment: Continue reading…

The most studly photo of Michael Jackson ever (or Why he was bigger than the Beatles)

Michael Jackson with President Reagan and First Lady in 1984

Look at this photo taken in 1984. Who is visiting who here??!! It’s as if the Reagans are Michael’s guests—not the other way around. And I love how Jackson coolly waves to his fans, while the most powerful man in the world and the First Lady appear to radiate in Jackson’s company. It was reported that an aid called the starstruck White House “really king of embarrassing.”

The term “global icon” is overused. Few people or things ever really become global phenomena. (Even the Beatles popularity was limited to America and Britain.) But Michael was one of them, because he was the greatest performer that ever lived (despite his being unthinkably bizarre), and he’s right up there with Bach, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Kraftwerk as one of the most influential artists of all time.

Top 10 best Michael Jackson songs

mj.jpgMichael Jackson was undoubtedly the most disturbed musician of all time. He’s also the greatest R&B performer ever—both as a singer and a dancer—and a top 10 all-time artist, right next to Mozart, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin. If you’ve forgotten how talented he was in the recording studio or on stage, I encourage you to listen to Thriller, the best-selling album of all time.

With the King of Pop’s new summer tour announcement recent death, I can’t think of a better time to list his best hits. There are 20 other songs equally worthy of the honor, but in terms of what gets me moving the most, these are the top 10 Michael Jackson songs of awesome: Continue reading…

Jacko’s Thriller turns 25 this week


Michael Jackson is a freak — and I’m not talking about his exorbitant lifestyle or questionable relationship with children. I’m talking about his superlative ability to sing, dance, and entertain.

His seminal album, Thriller, was released 25 years ago this week. Selling an unthinkable 104 million copies worldwide, it’s still the second most widely purchased album of all time after the Eagle’s Greatest Hits.

It is impossible to listen to this album and not bounce your head, rock your hips, or move your feet. Although difficult in picking just one, I’ll say Human Nature is my favorite song from this well-aged record. It’s a shame Jackson wasn’t as talented offstage.