Nowadays, who can be compared with MJ?

[Fillmoe]

Jennifer Lopez about 5 years ago probably comes closest to MJ.

wtf?

[whottt]

Whottt do you remember the media hoopla with Britney Spears just last year? If that girl would get her straight she could be on Jackson's level. People love/loved that girl.

They also hate her.


Britney is a good choice too...but I think musically Jennifer Lopez probably comes the cloest as far as star power. And Madonna...


Really the three people that come the closest to him in terms of just phenomenal s om and media frenzy are not musicians...

I'd say the 3 that truly come closest in recent memory are Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Tom Cruise. Maybe Alex Rodriguez.

With LeBron James on his way.


The bottom line is that once these guys reach a certain point, stories start appearing about how weird they are...they become every bit as hated, or envied as they are loved, ripped for not being as perfect as their image would indicate.

People start looking for the flaws to prove these people don't really deserve their success.

Jackson probably got the worst of it because his face was legitimately ed up for whatever reason...maybe he did really want to look white to an extent, maybe he felt it would him crossover to other audiences and have a greater success.

I don't know that he got it worse than Presley did though, Presley got shrededd for being fat.



But with these guys, when they are successful people they beat the critics and people love them and if they flop people rip them to shreds, it's a war and the star seldom comes out on top...but none of them seem to be particularly enjoying their lives at that level of fame, even when they do win...and the only one ones that level that seem to go out on top, are the ones that die.

[TheMACHINE]

Britney Spears is the closet since Michael Jackson.

Heck even Justin Timberlake maybe

[Obstructed_View]

Britney Spears is the closet since Michael Jackson.

Heck even Justin Timberlake maybe

This explains so much.

[v2freak]

I can tell Justin Timberlake is really trying. The high voice (with NSync it was just nasal, but now it's high and nasal), the longass videos ("What Goes Around" or whatever) and the flamboyant dance moves tip me off.

Still, there is only one Michael Jackson. I can't stand Timberlake's songs, his style of singing or that he is incapable of singing about anything other than sex or loss (common, I know but still).

[greywheel]

I'd say the 3 that truly come closest in recent memory are Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Tom Cruise. Maybe Alex Rodriguez.

Jordan is usually the first person I think of when someone says "MJ". It probably will be again in a few months.

[PM5K]

Nobody really compares, that's why they still call him The King Of Pop.

I'm sure there's a writer out there somewhere that's itching to write an article about some artist out there en led: The New King Of Pop, but he hasn't been able to.

(Ok I lied someone has actually written an article with that le, but that writer was wrong)

[1Parker1]

Justin Timberlake could be considered the "White" MJ...but I guess if you considered MJ white then....

[jman3000]

Most of them are flashes in the pan.

Maybe JT if he lasts another 20 years... but he hasn't had an album that's gotten even 1/5 the sales of Thriller.

[MannyIsGod]

Just because Justin Timberlake was heavily influenced by MJ doesn't mean he's the next MJ. You see it in his videos and hear it in his music, but that doesn't mean he's halfway as good as MJ was when he started.

Don't get me wrong, I actually like Timberlake's albumns as solid pop albums, but to even compare him to MJ other than the obvious influence is a ing joke.

MJ was ing huge - I guess he still was huge when he died across the world. Didn't his final tour sell out in record time? Madonna is probably the only act I would rank up with him at this time.

[cherylsteele]

What about Prince?

I know he is a country artist but maybe Garth Brooks?

[TDMVPDPOY]

how about whitney or mariah?

[ballhog]

If Mick Jagger kicked off, or Keith Richards, er....he might be dead already??? Maybe Paul McCartney would be a big deal.

[Thunder Dan]

Mick Jagger and the Stones.

Mick Jagger's death will be a huge deal like MJ's is, same with McCartney. If Ringo dies before McCartney, McCartney's death coverage will be unprecedented. The last Beatle to die. If it's Ringo I don't think it will be all that big

[cherylsteele]

Mick Jagger and the Stones.

Mick Jagger's death will be a huge deal like MJ's is, same with McCartney. If Ringo dies before McCartney, McCartney's death coverage will be unprecedented. The last Beatle to die. If it's Ringo I don't think it will be all that big

I am assuming that the thread starter was implying artists that started no earlier than the late 80's/early 90's.

I do agree that when those people pass away it will be huge though.

I am postive that when my favorite artist passes there won't be much of a ripple though.