Who Should Be The Next King of Pop? (Hint: Nobody!)

Sifting through the entertainment history left behind by Michael Jackson, we are faced with a question that had, until Thursday, been almost pointless to think about. But now, in the aftermath of Jackson’s death, we must deal with a subject that no doubt will be discussed in the months to come.

Who will be the next King of Pop?

Let’s throw out some contemporary, (mostly) pop names: Justin Timberlake. Beyonce. Taylor Swift. Rihanna. John Mayer. Madonna. I’m sure we could come up with a few more.

All great artists, with big hits and a solid fan base, but do any of them strike you as the next King (or Queen) of Pop?

Simply put: no.

The only artist who could even begin to argue on his behalf as a new King of Pop is Prince. A singer, showman and amazing musician, Prince is one of the best talents we have ever witnessed.  There was a time in the ‘80s when he and Jackson ruled the music world. Let’s throw in Madonna for what was then a remarkable trio of pop success and influence. And while Prince remains a big star and continues to release music, he is on the back nine of an iconic career.

He might not even want to be the King of Pop, happier to explore his own eclectic style.

I thought of Stevie Wonder, but he is more of a contemporary of Jackson’s and firmly rooted in soul and R&B. Wonder, too, is happy playing the old songs and basking in the celebration of his one-of-a-kind talent and career.

Perhaps if James Brown, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, swooped down and took the title it would be understandable, but Brown was a precursor to Michael Jackson – a superstar talent who could sing, dance and whip the crowds into a mad frenzy. No denying Jackson is a direct descendant of James Brown – especially in the dance department. And even though Brown was more soul and blues, rather than pop, no doubt in the mid-‘70s Jackson slowly began to build on his Brown influence, preparing for two decades of artistic greatness.

The one thing that really separates Jackson from anyone nowadays who might be considered for his King of Pop title is the music.

The music.

The music.

The music.

It might be out of sudden shock, but there’s a reason his album sales have shot through the roof just a day since his passing.

The man recorded some classics. Not classics for the ‘80s – but for all-time. It’s his music that drives the legacy; the gossip magazine madness is just window dressing.

Jackson was also blessed with parallel events in his ascendancy that only benefited his jump into stardom: examples include his childhood popularity, working with Quincy Jones, ‘We Are the World’ and MTV.

If MTV debuts in 1975 perhaps Jackson isn’t as mega-successful. But as is stands, the two iconic brands are linked forever.

Even with the long-running hullabaloo over the wacky surgeries, wackier marriages and the downright unusual behavior, plus a bloodthirsty media circus waiting to pounce, we  generally didn’t care, really. It has always been about the music. One listen to “I want you back” and all is forgiven.

We all wanted Jackson to be more accessible and more ‘normal’, less resigned to life in a fantasy world. We hoped he would one day outrun his demons, though we secretly knew that might be impossible. Perhaps, in the end, he was done with the race.

We now can only imagine what else Jackson might have achieved professionally. Maybe there was another “Billie Jean” waiting to happen, or maybe it was going to be twenty-five more years of media madness.

Jackson joins music greats like Charlie Parker, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Buddy Holly – among others – who left too soon, leaving a void for fans to only imagine what might have been.

But this idea of a new King of Pop is a non-starter. I’d say try to emulate Jackson, maybe rip some of his moves or musical aptitude, but no one wants to be elevated to a level where there can only be one rightful King.

Think Sinatra. Elvis. Perhaps James Dean and Marilyn Monroe, or The Beatles, Miles Davis, James Brown and Louis Armstrong. Michael Jackson is indeed on the list of the most important pop culture figures of the 20th century; those timeless icons that mystify and delight.

There is no one right now ready to join that list. In time, perhaps, but for now Michael Jackson stands alone as the King of Pop.

The king is dead. Long live the king.

Quick postscript: I remember about eight years ago standing with my mother in the lobby of the Regent Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles. We had heard Michael Jackson was upstairs in a suite looking at jewelry. Outside by the valet stand we could see a large, black van waiting for Jackson. It was pitch black and looked to be bulletproof.  A few minutes later Michael Jackson hit the lobby. There he was, surrounded by at least 10 guards.

He walked right by us, I’d say 8 feet away; but we saw him. As we watched Jackson jump into the van and speed off into the night I looked at my mom and said, “No matter what I do with the rest of my life, I will most likely never be that close to Michael Jackson again.”

I just wish I had more time to prove myself wrong.