New releases, music videos and album news — indie, rap, rock and pop. Always covering Ren, Chris Webby, Sam Tompkins, bbno$, CHINCHILLA, Muse, Yungblud and more.
The Motown show that Michael Jackson said was just shy of perfect: “It didn’t work”
The article discusses a 1983 Motown television special that, despite its acclaim, left Michael Jackson feeling it fell just short of perfection, with the singer reportedly saying "it didn't work." The piece frames this as a rare moment of self-criticism from a performer usually associated with the show's most celebrated moment, underlining how exacting Jackson was about his own performances.
Beyond the headline and framing, the supplied text contains only the publication's navigation menus and mailing-list prompts rather than the substance of the story, so the specific details, quotes and context of Jackson's disappointment are not available here. The referenced event is understood to be the "Motown 25" anniversary special, best remembered for Jackson's debut of the moonwalk during "Billie Jean", though the full article content was not provided for summary.
Explained simply
"Motown 25" was a television special broadcast in 1983 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Motown Records, the legendary American record label. The show featured many artists who had recorded for the label over two decades, including a young Michael Jackson, who was then prominent as a member of The Jackson 5 and an emerging solo artist.
The special became best remembered for Jackson's performance, during which he debuted the moonwalk, a dance move that would become iconic and define his career. The show was widely praised and is considered a landmark moment in pop culture history.
To understand why Jackson's reported dissatisfaction with the special is notable, it helps to know that he is renowned for his perfectionism and exacting standards as a performer. Even performances celebrated by audiences and critics often do not meet his own vision, reflecting his meticulous approach to his art.