MJ cried after this performance because he didn’t nail the toe stand after the moonwalk. If you watch closely he failed to hold it as long as he usually did. He was a perfectionist
And then the dance legend Fred Astaire called to congratulate him: "You’re a hell of a mover. Man, you really put them on their asses last night. ... You’re an angry dancer. I’m the same way. I used to do the same thing with my cane. ... I watched the special last night; I taped it and I watched it again this morning. You’re a hell of a mover". Michael: "It was the greatest compliment I had ever received in my life, and the only one I have ever wanted to believe. For Fred Astaire to tell me that meant more to me than anything."
Imagine this. Back then you had no streaming, no VCR nothing. When he did the moonwalk we were all like WTH? We couldnt rewatch it, rewind it...nothing. You had to wait till you saw it on the news. The world went crazy the next day. Before someone says it (and they will) YES he never invented the moonwalk, but he perfected it and combined the spin and toe stand (which i think is just as iconic). He DID invent the sidewalk, circle glide etc though. Also no one yet has even reached half his fame.
In my opinion, this is when Michael Jackson became Michael Jackson. From this point on and specifically with the Bad tour he just completely reached mastery in everything. The Victory Tour is amazing but when you get to the Bad tour its like watching a phenom, everything is just mastered and perfected to the tee
Hey everyone in the comments listen: there is a difference between sliding backwards and doing the moonwalk, and Michael's version of the moonwalk. Also Michael never once said he created it or that he was the first. He always said he saw people do it and that he just perfected the dance which he did and it became his own.
Aww I love your enthusiasm about this!! This is exactly how I feel when I watch Michael. I am so filled with joy and so overwhelmed by him that it has quite literally made my entire life better. I love him so much and he will never stop amazing me! I'm so happy you're experiencing this and inviting us along for the ride! Believe it or not, he gets even better :) Also, lots of people point out that MJ wasn't the first person to do the moonwalk and it's true. He never claimed he was. However, he is the first and only person to make it iconic. He learned the moonwalk years before this performance and he held it close and saved it for the exact right moment in his career to debut it. He was methodical and intentional about it and used it to make an impact. Just like he turned the glove into a piece of iconography. People need to remember that Michael wasn't only a genius because of what he could do, he was a genius because of how he chose to do it. The moment we just watched is the moment when, overnight, he went from a superstar to global phenomenon. It is the moment that made him an icon 🤩
@@SephPlays well that makes perfect sense! The truth is, no one knew it before Michael. It wasn't called the moonwalk before him. He's the only reason it has any relevance! So I can only assume the reason people point out that he didn't "invent" it is a way of discrediting Michael in some way, which is silly to me and not something he deserves!
This is the proper reaction to this iconic performance. I never get caught up on whether something is lip-synched or live either especially if the artist is exceptionally talented like Michael and you know that they can sing otherwise. This is a performance I have seen hundreds of times but it never gets old.
Didn't Michael say in an interview that he cried after that performance? Dance legend Fred Astaire called him later to congratulate him on this great performance. Michael: "It was the greatest compliment I had ever received in my life, and the only one I have ever wanted to believe. For Fred Astaire to tell me that meant more to me than anything." In a performance in 1999 in Seoul Michael showed the longest toe stand ever. To this day, it's a mystery to me how anyone can do that in normal shoes.
Michael is a gifted performer. And I can promise you, he's getting better and better. Although Michael said in an interview that he is never satisfied with a performance. That's why I love the BAD tour so much. Everything is live: singing and dancing.
@@SephPlays The Bad Tour 1987 was definitely completely live. The Bad Tour 1988-1989 was sung live. There are different opinions because of "Smooth Criminal", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man In The Mirror". It's said that in the early 1988 concerts Michael sang these songs completely live and by mid-1988 had started to lip-synched part of these songs. I can't judge that. If parts are lip-synched, then it's very very professionally done. But isn't the next tour on your list the Victory tour with his brothers?
I remember it like it was yesterday when I heard Billie Jean for the first time. Many young people in my town gathered on the hilltop, in front of our medieval Castle, and prepared a party with a huge bonfire, that could be seen from miles away to celebrate the 1st of May. The DJ was a young boy who had cassettes with recorded songs from the radio, and there were a lot of songs nobody had heard before. Then, while we were dancing, suddenly Billie Jean came on. It blew me away. I couldn`t believe what I was hearing. The DJ played it at least 5 times for me. Nobody understood my enthusiasm for this song. 14 days later, when it was officially announced as a Hit, everybody was crazy about it. It was so different that it stood out. Michael`s voice, the beat... everything was perfect and new. That`s how we got to know who Michael Jackson was. The rest is history :)))
“Motown 25 Yesterday,Today,Forever” ~ The program was taped in front of a live audience at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena,California on March 25th,1983 and aired on May 16th,1983 This Was The Night MJ Became The Greatest Music Artist To Ever Live The King Of Music Forever If You Ever Had To Pin Point The Night It Was This Night.🙌🏽👑💖🌟(From adolescent to adulthood he was and forever will be The King! One of the things you probably didn’t know was this performance was so legendary & great it was nominated for an Emmy which is incredible this is truly an historical piece not just for history but in life for eternal. MJ was already a superstar cause when he sold 10 Million with his 1979 album “Off The Wall” folks told him that was the most a black artist has ever done and it’s no way he could top that but then BOOM! Thriller happened which was released in 1982 broke boundaries an album will never EVER! Break again MJ’s own albums couldn’t even beat the impact of Thriller so it’s just phenomenal how MJ did that at so young of an age as well btw MJ was the exact age of 24 years old during this performance he was born for this moment and those aren’t just any audience me ever those were his peers and at the exact moment they were like “You know what you’re The Man now” he became Thee Main Attraction even tho he was always Thee Main Attraction he’s just otherworldly his craftsmanship was so sharp on stage even at that young of an age and the fact this isn’t even the best Billie Jean performance in my honest opinion but it’s 1000% Thee Most Legendary Billie Jean performance of them all also this became so legendary in later performances MJ was thinking about switching up certain aspects of his Billie Jean Performance but his fans wanted to see him perform it in the same format as Motown 25 that he just kept the same aspects down the line even tho he’ll switch up certain aspects of it in later performances adding in breakdowns,epic intros leading up to him performing it,outfits etc. but the performance dynamics of it all stayed the same one last thing MJ didn’t even do the Moonwalk during rehearsals cause he wanted to save it for the actual performance so during rehearsals he’ll perform everything else but the Moonwalk talk about keeping a low profile)
Yep the audience were his peers, Motown legends and record company bods. And they're going mental. A superstar before tonight yet became stratospheric after that all the way till his death.
I think you need to know following: 1969 - 1974: At the age of 10 young Michael and his brothers get signed at Motown and had a lot of hits like "I want you back" etc. 1975-1979: MJ and his brother (without Jermaine) left Motown and singed to CBS/Sony records. Randy (the youngest brother) joint the group so they are still 5 together. But they renamed the group "The Jacksons" because Motown saved the name Jackson 5. They released the album "Destiny" and did the Destiny tour. Meanwhile he release Off the wall so in the 2. leg of the tour he performed some of his solo songs. 1979: MJ release as an adult his first solo LP (did it also when he was 13 years) called "Off The Wall" 1980 - 1981: MJ and his brothers release Triumph and did the tour and included J5 Medleys, Solo Songs of MJ and songs from the Triumph album. On this Tour you can spot some of MJ´s signature moves, but not developed yet as later on in his career. 1982-1984: MJ release THRILLER! This was the turning point of everything! He developed at this era some of his typical MJ moves. The brother "incl. Jermaine" get together again. They release "Victory" the album and did the Tour. Most of the audience wanted to see MJ as he was already the biggest star on earth. Also Thriller was the biggest selling album and hold the record ´til today! 1985-1986: The release Captain EO and worked on the album BAD. 1987-1989: MJ release BAD the album and went on tour, this time alone and without his brothers! Also you can see MJ on his peak of his signature MJ moves! All of them are seen in this era and later! In my opinion the best of MJ! 1990: Working on the follow up of Bad 1991-1993: Release of the "Dangerous" Album and did the Dangerous Tour! Did not finished the tour on 1993 as allegations started 1994: Married Lisa Marie Presley 1995 - 1997: Release of the "History" Album and the History Tour ( I saw him at that point live in Bremen /Germany ;) ) 1998: 2 charity concerts "MJ and friends" 1999 - 2000: Working on the album "Invincible" 2001: Release of the album " Invincible" unfortunately without touring as Sony and MJ had som issues and did not support him I think this is the most important you need to know. Hope I could help you :)
0:01 moments before the history was made lol🔥 I loved your reaction Seph! This is probably his most iconic performance and as you said, this is much better than the music video (the billie jean performances are way more famous and iconic than the short film even though it has almost 1,5 billions of views). After that day everyone was mesmerized by the moonwalk and everyone tried to do it because it was not really famous before Michael did it, in fact it was not invented by him, it was taught to him by one of his choreographers called Jeffrey Daniel (it was not invented by him either). Michael really liked it so Jeffrey taught him it. Even though he didn't invent it, he popularized it and called it that (it was simply called backslide but Michael renamed it Moonwalk and everyone in the world now knows it as Moonwalk). Michael was not satisfied at all after this performance in fact he cried a lot (especially because the toe stand didn't come the way he wanted it in fact you can see that he couldn't do it from a standstill but he moved) until, the next day, Fred Astaire called him on the phone telling him that he had seen the performance and that he was an incredible mover. At 4:50 that move is called Rock With You legs (because he did it in the Rock With You video and you saw it in the Triumph Tour too) or more commonly Ankle Breaker.🔥
Wait until you get into his Award Show Performances from his Era’s it’ll really show u why he was a pioneer and just second to none🤷🏽♂️👑(Now let’s get into the “Off The Wall” Documentary & also the Victory Tour then we move along to the BAD album)
Seph, the Moon Walk (this Michael`s backward version) isn`t difficult to learn (provided you`ve got healthy feet). You`ve got to learn it. It`s so much fun :))) The forward version is a bit more demanding but still not very difficult. THANK YOU for your enthusiasm. Nowadays, people watch so many artists, doing so many different things that many of them are spoiled by the abundance and have lost the capability to feel enthusiasm for anything. Most people take so many things for granted and that`s such a pity. Life is all about enthusiasm and admiration. It makes you feel alive. And when you feel alive, you are able to feel love for people and everything that surrounds you.
You have to understand that the moment this aired on tv PEOPLE LOST THEIR MINDS. It's all ANYone was talking about for months. We set our VHS recorders for this show and replayed it over and over, trying to learn the dance moves, to replay it for when friends and family came over, and to just watch in awe. There were NO other artists like Michael at the time. He didn't need a band or a big dance group behind him... it was just him alone on stage and NO ONE could take their eyes off him. It STILL does the same to people who watch it today... whether the 1st time or the millionth. The only thing I can equate it to is when people first saw Elvis on TV and / or the Beatles. But due to cable tv being new at the time of this, this performance went around the entire world and Micheal Jackson instantly became the biggest music star in history from this single amazing performance. -I miss him so much.
Folk love to try to discredit MJ but here’s the thing. MJ didn’t copy anything MJ made the move relevant it wasn’t even called the “Moonwalk” either it was some form of a backslide, so not only did MJ make the move relevant he made it iconic and is the best to ever do the move nobody does it better it’s his move PERIOD! Before this the move was extinct✍🏽👑💯
Absolute truth. Before anyone puts Michael down, they should learn the fact that the backslide/moonwalk wasn't even mentioned until MJ did it 🙆🏿♂️🔥💯💗🎩
I know I'm a year too late to these videos but I absolutely love hearing you say thats the best performance youve ever seen knowing that they just keep getting better. I love your reaction to the moonwalk. I was born the year of this performance so i don't ever remember seeing any of this for the 1st time. You're lucky in that regard
after the moonwalk he was on his tiptoes he wanted to stand still for some seconds but he could not. that's why after this performance he was very disappointed with himself.
and you know what's crazy, this is probably one of the least best Billie Jean performances since it was his first time (Doesn;t mean its bad) Boy you ain't ready for the ones when hes older and more perfected
I agree with you. For me, the best Billie Jean performance is the one in Seoul 1999 ('Michael Jackson & Friends'). The 'toe stand' is phenomenal. In no other performance did Michael stand on his toes longer. It's still a mystery to me how he managed to do that at all.
6:10 The moonwalk is done by shifting weight over both feet. The illusion is that the foot that is on the ground moves backwards, and the other foot stays in place. Your brain sees a foot that is up and automatically thinks it is moving forward, while the other foot is moving backwards over the floor.
Some of the moves you'd asked about how he doesn't break his feet, and for those kinds of things remember at any given time he usually weighed between 120-135 lbs (roughly 55 to 61 kg) so that definitely helped him with some of the toe stands and the way he rolled his feet like that. With the moonwalk, the trick is his weight isn't on the foot you think it is. He's sliding the flat foot backwards while the weight is on his pointed toe which mimics the movement of walking forward while actually sliding backward.
U know seph , Michael was sad and angry after this performance because he wanted to do the moonwalk and 5 spins and stand on his toes and stay fixed and hold it but he missed it if u see the video again u will notice but if it was in a flip of second that the audience didn't give attention but that's how perfectionist Michael was ❤❤❤ and after that he didn't ever in his entire life missed this toe stand but even evolved it . Nice and energetic reaction 😂.
@@archangelrapheal5231 Thank u so much ❤️❤️ i love him so much and knew alot of information and behind the scenes about almost every album ,important event and his life in general and i am super happy when i see someone interested to know more about him even i am not afan for along time but i became obsessed i guess 🌹🌹
@@esraa-elgezawy2001 Don't be ashamed with your obsession with him, I am a huge Michael fan I have him as my PFP, from his Dangerous Era, I'm so glad that most of us share the same love we have for Michael Jackson
Another fun fact : me too I don't have job yet but in college if i do something wrong in my exams and that stuff i become a drama queen ( i will cry and blame myself so much 😂😂😂)
That smile that overtakes your face here. (0:04) Incredible. "Oooooo... here we go! I am not ready for this!" (0:14) Man, I don't know what's more enticing, watching Michael's performance or your reaction to it. Both are constantly competing for my attention. I love how one of your eyebrows raises here when Michael does the moonwalk. (5:42) All these involuntary facial expressions are fantastic. Michael was at his peak here. He was asserting his dominance of pop music with this performance.
IT IS BETTER THAN THE MUSIC VID ( this is the commentor Jay from a different device) the moves, everything, but this is not even his best wait untill you get into history tour your mind will be BLOWN. He knocked everyone out of the park with this the most iconic first breakout performance ever. And no, it was not lip synced orignally, they edited his vocals for live tevelvision for some reason? but, you can look up the unedited play back. Another note, is that during the 70s/80s if you were performing a big song wtc.. they would make you sing off plack back almost always to "apease fans" but, honeslty raw vocals are better. He does raw vocals of this on Bad tour/ Dangerous/ This is it, and other apperances!
Imagine being the instrumentalists in the background. You get the full performance right in front of you not even 20 feet away, you don't have to concentrate on playing anything, AND it's the first performance of billie jean, probably one of the most iconic performances of all time.
Don't mean to be rude but I feel so bad for you. How did you barely see and hear Michael Jackson? It's impossible for a person to live on this earth not knowing this man
Ohh i definitely heard of him growing up, but because of the extremely bad press and media reports that were being thrown around back then it put me off him completely. I literally refused to listen to his music and would change the channel when i saw him on TV. I can honestly say i knew nothing about him other then thriller the song, what he looks like and the horrible things they said about him. It was only by request i reacted to him here on the channel.... And OMG was i wrong about him!! He's was a very misunderstood man who never deserved ANY of the bad press he got!
@SephPlays I'm so happy to hear you're not one of those people. Michael was a misunderstood genius and if the media didn't destroy him we would have decades more of great music. Respect 👍
Im proud to say I lived that moment im 56 and was in school when all my friends were talking about whatching the special in my house It was epic and the best music moment in my life
I remember seeing this live on TV I just got off work and went over to my mother's house to pick up my baby son, and it was coming on TV. Oh my god! We were glued! And remember, 2:41 that time you can't do any forwards and backwards!! Michael was the king after this
Another story about Motown 25. Michael said after he got off stage he actually went to his dressing room and cried. He was very upset with himself because he was unable to hold the toe pose as long as he wanted to. And of course to us, it was pure perfection, but that's Michael the perfectionist, always!
This is not even his best, wait till you watch Wembley tour 1988 and Grammy performance 1988, his 1993 live singing at Bill Clinton Inauguration.. I can keep going
But the medley bit beforehand was!!! He didn't have to sing Billie Jean live, so he didn't. He had no obligations and he wanted the crowd to concentrate on his dancing. If you're not hating then why mention it.
@@ayaanbretmitchell9830 calm down It’s so well performed and rehearsed that it looks like he’s singing live as he generally sounded like the studio recordings on stage at that time
MJ didn’t copy anything MJ made the move relevant it wasn’t even called the “Moonwalk” either it was some form of a backslide, so not only did MJ make the move relevant he made it iconic and is the best to ever do the move nobody does it better it’s his move PERIOD! Before this the move was extinct✍🏽👑🎯💯
Just because someone did it before Michael doesn't mean they are better 😂 BTW that iconic move you just mentioned was done way back in the mid 40's. Yeah it seems like that soul train dude ain't original either then 🤦🏾
He isn't lip syncing the entire performance either get your facts right. The medley before this was live. He had no obligations to sing Billie Jean live. It wasn't a Motown song. And he wanted the fans to concentrate on his new dance moves.
@ayaanbretmitchell9830 I'm not trying to argue. I was specifically talking about this one song! Michael was great, but it is worth mentioning that he wasn't singing! Lots of bands/artist do the same for TV shows. No shame in that.
He didnt copy his moves, mj was not inspried by elvis neither did elvis once do the 'moonwalk" he moved backward what does that have to do with anything. I swear its like people love to disregard michaels talent and infeluence, in a hating manner, Michael got his infuelence from black artsits not Elvis and "even if he did", he PERFECTED the moon walk, and made it his own Elvis did not, nor did anyone else.
People keep ignoring the part where Michael does the Toe-Stand after doing the moonwalk that dance move is so underappreciated
And he wasn't even satisfied with it here. Gives you an idea of the perfectionist he was.
Michael and his siblings used to take tap dance lessons. Michael took ballet lessons. That's where Michael got standing on the tip of his toes.
@@tim3970 Yeah I agree with you, Michael was crying after this performance because he wanted to stay in the Toe-Stand position for a longer time
That toe stand is incredible!
MJ cried after this performance because he didn’t nail the toe stand after the moonwalk. If you watch closely he failed to hold it as long as he usually did. He was a perfectionist
And then the dance legend Fred Astaire called to congratulate him: "You’re a hell of a mover. Man, you really put them on their asses last night. ... You’re an angry dancer. I’m the same way. I used to do the same thing with my cane. ... I watched the special last night; I taped it and I watched it again this morning. You’re a hell of a mover".
Michael: "It was the greatest compliment I had ever received in my life, and the only one I have ever wanted to believe. For Fred Astaire to tell me that meant more to me than anything."
Imagine this. Back then you had no streaming, no VCR nothing. When he did the moonwalk we were all like WTH? We couldnt rewatch it, rewind it...nothing. You had to wait till you saw it on the news. The world went crazy the next day. Before someone says it (and they will) YES he never invented the moonwalk, but he perfected it and combined the spin and toe stand (which i think is just as iconic). He DID invent the sidewalk, circle glide etc though. Also no one yet has even reached half his fame.
In my opinion, this is when Michael Jackson became Michael Jackson. From this point on and specifically with the Bad tour he just completely reached mastery in everything. The Victory Tour is amazing but when you get to the Bad tour its like watching a phenom, everything is just mastered and perfected to the tee
Hey everyone in the comments listen: there is a difference between sliding backwards and doing the moonwalk, and Michael's version of the moonwalk. Also Michael never once said he created it or that he was the first. He always said he saw people do it and that he just perfected the dance which he did and it became his own.
Thank you! People try to discredit MJ in every way they can and it's annoying
I honestly didn't even know this dance move up until like a month ago?
I just assumed michael made it up 😅
It's fine don't worry about it
Still can't imagine what it was like to live that moment live
I've watched this a million times yet still mesmerising to watch.. still get goosebumps 👑😍
Aww I love your enthusiasm about this!! This is exactly how I feel when I watch Michael. I am so filled with joy and so overwhelmed by him that it has quite literally made my entire life better. I love him so much and he will never stop amazing me! I'm so happy you're experiencing this and inviting us along for the ride! Believe it or not, he gets even better :)
Also, lots of people point out that MJ wasn't the first person to do the moonwalk and it's true. He never claimed he was. However, he is the first and only person to make it iconic. He learned the moonwalk years before this performance and he held it close and saved it for the exact right moment in his career to debut it. He was methodical and intentional about it and used it to make an impact. Just like he turned the glove into a piece of iconography. People need to remember that Michael wasn't only a genius because of what he could do, he was a genius because of how he chose to do it. The moment we just watched is the moment when, overnight, he went from a superstar to global phenomenon. It is the moment that made him an icon 🤩
I honestly didn't even know this dance move up until like a month ago?
I just assumed michael made it up 😅
@@SephPlays well that makes perfect sense! The truth is, no one knew it before Michael. It wasn't called the moonwalk before him. He's the only reason it has any relevance! So I can only assume the reason people point out that he didn't "invent" it is a way of discrediting Michael in some way, which is silly to me and not something he deserves!
The kinggggggg👑👑👑👑👑👑👑
This is the proper reaction to this iconic performance. I never get caught up on whether something is lip-synched or live either especially if the artist is exceptionally talented like Michael and you know that they can sing otherwise.
This is a performance I have seen hundreds of times but it never gets old.
In an interview
Michael said he was a little disappointed in his performance because he didn't stay on the tip of his toes for a few more seconds.
Didn't Michael say in an interview that he cried after that performance? Dance legend Fred Astaire called him later to congratulate him on this great performance. Michael: "It was the greatest compliment I had ever received in my life, and the only one I have ever wanted to believe. For Fred Astaire to tell me that meant more to me than anything."
In a performance in 1999 in Seoul Michael showed the longest toe stand ever. To this day, it's a mystery to me how anyone can do that in normal shoes.
any reactor or "content creator" should take notes. I love realistic and authenticity of this mans channel
Aww thanks 😊
Michael is a gifted performer. And I can promise you, he's getting better and better. Although Michael said in an interview that he is never satisfied with a performance.
That's why I love the BAD tour so much. Everything is live: singing and dancing.
😮Everything was sung live on the next tour!?
@@SephPlays The Bad Tour 1987 was definitely completely live. The Bad Tour 1988-1989 was sung live. There are different opinions because of "Smooth Criminal", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man In The Mirror". It's said that in the early 1988 concerts Michael sang these songs completely live and by mid-1988 had started to lip-synched part of these songs. I can't judge that. If parts are lip-synched, then it's very very professionally done.
But isn't the next tour on your list the Victory tour with his brothers?
@@e.s.7272Victory Tour was also completely Sung Live! Which is the next tour he’s reacting to
His videos and live performances will keep getting better.
I remember it like it was yesterday when I heard Billie Jean for the first time.
Many young people in my town gathered on the hilltop, in front of our medieval Castle, and prepared a party with a huge bonfire, that could be seen from miles away to celebrate the 1st of May.
The DJ was a young boy who had cassettes with recorded songs from the radio, and there were a lot of songs nobody had heard before.
Then, while we were dancing, suddenly Billie Jean came on. It blew me away. I couldn`t believe what I was hearing. The DJ played it at least 5 times for me. Nobody understood my enthusiasm for this song. 14 days later, when it was officially announced as a Hit, everybody was crazy about it.
It was so different that it stood out. Michael`s voice, the beat... everything was perfect and new.
That`s how we got to know who Michael Jackson was. The rest is history :)))
This was a HUGE moment. Everyone either watched it or was talking about it the next day.
Yayyyy I was waiting for this 😊😊😊💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽
“Motown 25 Yesterday,Today,Forever” ~ The program was taped in front of a live audience at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena,California on March 25th,1983 and aired on May 16th,1983 This Was The Night MJ Became The Greatest Music Artist To Ever Live The King Of Music Forever If You Ever Had To Pin Point The Night It Was This Night.🙌🏽👑💖🌟(From adolescent to adulthood he was and forever will be The King! One of the things you probably didn’t know was this performance was so legendary & great it was nominated for an Emmy which is incredible this is truly an historical piece not just for history but in life for eternal. MJ was already a superstar cause when he sold 10 Million with his 1979 album “Off The Wall” folks told him that was the most a black artist has ever done and it’s no way he could top that but then BOOM! Thriller happened which was released in 1982 broke boundaries an album will never EVER! Break again MJ’s own albums couldn’t even beat the impact of Thriller so it’s just phenomenal how MJ did that at so young of an age as well btw MJ was the exact age of 24 years old during this performance he was born for this moment and those aren’t just any audience me ever those were his peers and at the exact moment they were like “You know what you’re The Man now” he became Thee Main Attraction even tho he was always Thee Main Attraction he’s just otherworldly his craftsmanship was so sharp on stage even at that young of an age and the fact this isn’t even the best Billie Jean performance in my honest opinion but it’s 1000% Thee Most Legendary Billie Jean performance of them all also this became so legendary in later performances MJ was thinking about switching up certain aspects of his Billie Jean Performance but his fans wanted to see him perform it in the same format as Motown 25 that he just kept the same aspects down the line even tho he’ll switch up certain aspects of it in later performances adding in breakdowns,epic intros leading up to him performing it,outfits etc. but the performance dynamics of it all stayed the same one last thing MJ didn’t even do the Moonwalk during rehearsals cause he wanted to save it for the actual performance so during rehearsals he’ll perform everything else but the Moonwalk talk about keeping a low profile)
Yep the audience were his peers, Motown legends and record company bods. And they're going mental. A superstar before tonight yet became stratospheric after that all the way till his death.
There are celebs then there is MJ in a universe of his own
I just found your channel, and I'm so happy to find someone else who loves Michael Jackson!!
Im seriously enjoying my MJ journey "If you couldn't tell haha"
One of the most iconic performances of all time.
I think you need to know following:
1969 - 1974: At the age of 10 young Michael and his brothers get signed at Motown and had a lot of hits like "I want you back" etc.
1975-1979: MJ and his brother (without Jermaine) left Motown and singed to CBS/Sony records. Randy (the youngest brother) joint the group so they are still 5 together. But they renamed the group "The Jacksons" because Motown saved the name Jackson 5.
They released the album "Destiny" and did the Destiny tour. Meanwhile he release Off the wall so in the 2. leg of the tour he performed some of his solo songs.
1979: MJ release as an adult his first solo LP (did it also when he was 13 years) called "Off The Wall"
1980 - 1981: MJ and his brothers release Triumph and did the tour and included J5 Medleys, Solo Songs of MJ and songs from the Triumph album. On this Tour you can spot some of MJ´s signature moves, but not developed yet as later on in his career.
1982-1984: MJ release THRILLER! This was the turning point of everything! He developed at this era some of his typical MJ moves. The brother "incl. Jermaine" get together again. They release "Victory" the album and did the Tour. Most of the audience wanted to see MJ as he was already the biggest star on earth. Also Thriller was the biggest selling album and hold the record ´til today!
1985-1986: The release Captain EO and worked on the album BAD.
1987-1989: MJ release BAD the album and went on tour, this time alone and without his brothers! Also you can see MJ on his peak of his signature MJ moves! All of them are seen in this era and later! In my opinion the best of MJ!
1990: Working on the follow up of Bad
1991-1993: Release of the "Dangerous" Album and did the Dangerous Tour! Did not finished the tour on 1993 as allegations started
1994: Married Lisa Marie Presley
1995 - 1997: Release of the "History" Album and the History Tour ( I saw him at that point live in Bremen /Germany ;) )
1998: 2 charity concerts "MJ and friends"
1999 - 2000: Working on the album "Invincible"
2001: Release of the album " Invincible" unfortunately without touring as Sony and MJ had som issues and did not support him
I think this is the most important you need to know. Hope I could help you :)
This is a wonderful breakdown of his life thank you! Ill keep this saved 😊
@@SephPlays You are welcome :)
Don't forget (Blood On The Dance floor) the biggest remix album ever!!! 1997'
Michael always breaking records
😊✍️🏽🌟🖤💞🎭🎶🌐
0:01 moments before the history was made lol🔥 I loved your reaction Seph! This is probably his most iconic performance and as you said, this is much better than the music video (the billie jean performances are way more famous and iconic than the short film even though it has almost 1,5 billions of views). After that day everyone was mesmerized by the moonwalk and everyone tried to do it because it was not really famous before Michael did it, in fact it was not invented by him, it was taught to him by one of his choreographers called Jeffrey Daniel (it was not invented by him either). Michael really liked it so Jeffrey taught him it. Even though he didn't invent it, he popularized it and called it that (it was simply called backslide but Michael renamed it Moonwalk and everyone in the world now knows it as Moonwalk). Michael was not satisfied at all after this performance in fact he cried a lot (especially because the toe stand didn't come the way he wanted it in fact you can see that he couldn't do it from a standstill but he moved) until, the next day, Fred Astaire called him on the phone telling him that he had seen the performance and that he was an incredible mover. At 4:50 that move is called Rock With You legs (because he did it in the Rock With You video and you saw it in the Triumph Tour too) or more commonly Ankle Breaker.🔥
Wait until you get into his Award Show Performances from his Era’s it’ll really show u why he was a pioneer and just second to none🤷🏽♂️👑(Now let’s get into the “Off The Wall” Documentary & also the Victory Tour then we move along to the BAD album)
Seph, the Moon Walk (this Michael`s backward version) isn`t difficult to learn (provided you`ve got healthy feet). You`ve got to learn it. It`s so much fun :)))
The forward version is a bit more demanding but still not very difficult.
THANK YOU for your enthusiasm. Nowadays, people watch so many artists, doing so many different things that many of them are spoiled by the abundance and have lost the capability to feel enthusiasm for anything. Most people take so many things for granted and that`s such a pity. Life is all about enthusiasm and admiration. It makes you feel alive. And when you feel alive, you are able to feel love for people and everything that surrounds you.
You have to understand that the moment this aired on tv PEOPLE LOST THEIR MINDS. It's all ANYone was talking about for months. We set our VHS recorders for this show and replayed it over and over, trying to learn the dance moves, to replay it for when friends and family came over, and to just watch in awe. There were NO other artists like Michael at the time. He didn't need a band or a big dance group behind him... it was just him alone on stage and NO ONE could take their eyes off him. It STILL does the same to people who watch it today... whether the 1st time or the millionth. The only thing I can equate it to is when people first saw Elvis on TV and / or the Beatles. But due to cable tv being new at the time of this, this performance went around the entire world and Micheal Jackson instantly became the biggest music star in history from this single amazing performance. -I miss him so much.
Folk love to try to discredit MJ but here’s the thing. MJ didn’t copy anything MJ made the move relevant it wasn’t even called the “Moonwalk” either it was some form of a backslide, so not only did MJ make the move relevant he made it iconic and is the best to ever do the move nobody does it better it’s his move PERIOD! Before this the move was extinct✍🏽👑💯
Absolute truth. Before anyone puts Michael down, they should learn the fact that the backslide/moonwalk wasn't even mentioned until MJ did it 🙆🏿♂️🔥💯💗🎩
I know I'm a year too late to these videos but I absolutely love hearing you say thats the best performance youve ever seen knowing that they just keep getting better. I love your reaction to the moonwalk. I was born the year of this performance so i don't ever remember seeing any of this for the 1st time. You're lucky in that regard
I will never forget this! This is like one of the most amazing things i have ever watched in my life!
Kinggg MJ👑❤ goat of goats😍
after the moonwalk he was on his tiptoes he wanted to stand still for some seconds but he could not. that's why after this performance he was very disappointed with himself.
Love it, Motown 25 was the best performance ever
and you know what's crazy, this is probably one of the least best Billie Jean performances since it was his first time (Doesn;t mean its bad)
Boy you ain't ready for the ones when hes older and more perfected
I agree with you. For me, the best Billie Jean performance is the one in Seoul 1999 ('Michael Jackson & Friends'). The 'toe stand' is phenomenal. In no other performance did Michael stand on his toes longer. It's still a mystery to me how he managed to do that at all.
@@e.s.7272 So true, and Billie Jean performances during the Bad and Dangerous tour are just unreal.
the energy
Michael forever
6:10 The moonwalk is done by shifting weight over both feet. The illusion is that the foot that is on the ground moves backwards, and the other foot stays in place. Your brain sees a foot that is up and automatically thinks it is moving forward, while the other foot is moving backwards over the floor.
Wow this explanation was amazing to read 😲
Some of the moves you'd asked about how he doesn't break his feet, and for those kinds of things remember at any given time he usually weighed between 120-135 lbs (roughly 55 to 61 kg) so that definitely helped him with some of the toe stands and the way he rolled his feet like that.
With the moonwalk, the trick is his weight isn't on the foot you think it is. He's sliding the flat foot backwards while the weight is on his pointed toe which mimics the movement of walking forward while actually sliding backward.
Ahhhh thank you for this explanation!
U know seph , Michael was sad and angry after this performance because he wanted to do the moonwalk and 5 spins and stand on his toes and stay fixed and hold it but he missed it if u see the video again u will notice but if it was in a flip of second that the audience didn't give attention but that's how perfectionist Michael was ❤❤❤ and after that he didn't ever in his entire life missed this toe stand but even evolved it .
Nice and energetic reaction 😂.
I'm glad you brought up the fact about the Toe-Stand
@@archangelrapheal5231 Thank u so much ❤️❤️
i love him so much and knew alot of information and behind the scenes about almost every album ,important event and his life in general and i am super happy when i see someone interested to know more about him even i am not afan for along time but i became obsessed i guess 🌹🌹
@@esraa-elgezawy2001 Don't be ashamed with your obsession with him, I am a huge Michael fan I have him as my PFP, from his Dangerous Era, I'm so glad that most of us share the same love we have for Michael Jackson
Thats very frustrating!
Fun fact: i have OCD, if something is not finished or complete i kinda "Freak out"
So i can relate to him in this situation 😅
Another fun fact : me too I don't have job yet but in college if i do something wrong in my exams and that stuff i become a drama queen ( i will cry and blame myself so much 😂😂😂)
I miss him so much. I really Do. And I always Love him like Brother when I was youngest age I am. 25 years old too. 2018
That smile that overtakes your face here. (0:04) Incredible.
"Oooooo... here we go! I am not ready for this!" (0:14) Man, I don't know what's more enticing, watching Michael's performance or your reaction to it. Both are constantly competing for my attention.
I love how one of your eyebrows raises here when Michael does the moonwalk. (5:42) All these involuntary facial expressions are fantastic.
Michael was at his peak here. He was asserting his dominance of pop music with this performance.
He’s 25 years old.
Michael Jackson wasn't the first to do the Moonwalk.
It was a Tap Dancer called, Bill Bailey who was the first to do the Moonwalk in 1944.
No one said he was the first and MJ never wanted credit. He just made it well known. And popularized it
Even MJ admitted he wasn't the first lol he perfected it and globalised it.. MJ said learn from the greats and become greater
Lol always one person. Always.
@@finderkeeperrrs, I was going on what was on your reaction, it stated, first Moonwalk in Red ?.
@@ayaanbretmitchell9830 to what, get facts right?.
Yes it's here!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaah❤❤❤❤❤
this was the moment when MJ went from a star to superstar! children all over the country were moonwalking through th school hallways the next day.
He was already a superstar before this night. But then he went up into the super echelons
More like a global megastar
Smooth Criminal will blow your mind.
just wait ti'l you watch the bad tour, where it's all sung live and he get's even better performing! :)
More Michael Jackson
Loads more on the way 😍
IT IS BETTER THAN THE MUSIC VID ( this is the commentor Jay from a different device) the moves, everything, but this is not even his best wait untill you get into history tour your mind will be BLOWN. He knocked everyone out of the park with this the most iconic first breakout performance ever. And no, it was not lip synced orignally, they edited his vocals for live tevelvision for some reason? but, you can look up the unedited play back. Another note, is that during the 70s/80s if you were performing a big song wtc.. they would make you sing off plack back almost always to "apease fans" but, honeslty raw vocals are better. He does raw vocals of this on Bad tour/ Dangerous/ This is it, and other apperances!
Imagine being the instrumentalists in the background. You get the full performance right in front of you not even 20 feet away, you don't have to concentrate on playing anything, AND it's the first performance of billie jean, probably one of the most iconic performances of all time.
I remember that when we saw this video in 1983, we knew that was totaly extraordinary and cult.
Don't mean to be rude but I feel so bad for you. How did you barely see and hear Michael Jackson? It's impossible for a person to live on this earth not knowing this man
Ohh i definitely heard of him growing up, but because of the extremely bad press and media reports that were being thrown around back then it put me off him completely. I literally refused to listen to his music and would change the channel when i saw him on TV.
I can honestly say i knew nothing about him other then thriller the song, what he looks like and the horrible things they said about him.
It was only by request i reacted to him here on the channel.... And OMG was i wrong about him!!
He's was a very misunderstood man who never deserved ANY of the bad press he got!
@SephPlays I'm so happy to hear you're not one of those people. Michael was a misunderstood genius and if the media didn't destroy him we would have decades more of great music. Respect 👍
Im proud to say I lived that moment im 56 and was in school when all my friends were talking about whatching the special in my house
It was epic and the best music moment in my life
I remember seeing this live on TV I just got off work and went over to my mother's house to pick up my baby son, and it was coming on TV. Oh my god! We were glued! And remember, 2:41 that time you can't do any forwards and backwards!! Michael was the king after this
Okay no need to hunt you down thank you 😂
Hahahaha i feel safe again 😄
this is what I’ve been waiting for. this is my favourite performance as well💜 will you react to Michael onstage with James brown in 1983?
Because im going in chronological order i will definitely get there 😉
Another story about Motown 25. Michael said after he got off stage he actually went to his dressing room and cried. He was very upset with himself because he was unable to hold the toe pose as long as he wanted to. And of course to us, it was pure perfection, but that's Michael the perfectionist, always!
Michael ain't need no audition for any record labels. He created his own path and absolutely dominated the music industry when he was making music.
Yesssss
I Love your videos 💞💞
We are the world next??
You say it: best performance ever!
This is not even his best, wait till you watch Wembley tour 1988 and Grammy performance 1988, his 1993 live singing at Bill Clinton Inauguration.. I can keep going
The best of the best ❤
came straight here after Thriller album hahahaha
Fun fact about MJ and Motown 25 Michael borrowed the black glitter jacket from his mother's closet at the last minute for this performance
THIS was Michael's coronation!!!
What's next 🙂🙂
This man was Is.... MAGIC....
🤩🥳🕴
Please react to earth song by Michael Jackson it’s very relevant
He's doing everything in chronological order so he will get there
As Alex said. I promise i will get there 😊
Iconic performance, no hate but he’s not singing live
But the medley bit beforehand was!!! He didn't have to sing Billie Jean live, so he didn't. He had no obligations and he wanted the crowd to concentrate on his dancing. If you're not hating then why mention it.
@@ayaanbretmitchell9830 calm down
It’s so well performed and rehearsed that it looks like he’s singing live as he generally sounded like the studio recordings on stage at that time
I'm not 100% sure, so don't quote me, but I think Michael wanted everyone to just pay attention to the dancing and showmanship of the performance
@@ayaanbretmitchell9830he can point out that MJ wasnt singing live if he wants to....grow up
@@christaylor7916 touche. If you didn't like my comment. Tough.
This was NOT the first moonwalk. Michael copied this move from the dancer on Soul Train.
umm duhh many did it before MJ lmaoo he even said that himself .. he just perfected it and globalised it hahaha
MJ didn’t copy anything MJ made the move relevant it wasn’t even called the “Moonwalk” either it was some form of a backslide, so not only did MJ make the move relevant he made it iconic and is the best to ever do the move nobody does it better it’s his move PERIOD! Before this the move was extinct✍🏽👑🎯💯
Shows how much you know. It was called Backslide, Michael said that was a stupid name and re-named it "Moonwalk
Just because someone did it before Michael doesn't mean they are better 😂
BTW that iconic move you just mentioned was done way back in the mid 40's. Yeah it seems like that soul train dude ain't original either then 🤦🏾
Michael was the King of Pop, but he is lip syncing this entire performance. Great dancer and performer but no vocals live here.
He isn't lip syncing the entire performance either get your facts right. The medley before this was live. He had no obligations to sing Billie Jean live. It wasn't a Motown song. And he wanted the fans to concentrate on his new dance moves.
umm so lol he performed the hits before this track with his brothers live.. and performed live whilst dancing in general alot..
@ayaanbretmitchell9830 I'm not trying to argue. I was specifically talking about this one song! Michael was great, but it is worth mentioning that he wasn't singing! Lots of bands/artist do the same for TV shows. No shame in that.
@@ayaanbretmitchell9830he lip synced here. Deal with it
@@christaylor7916 ooooh someone got up on wrong side of bed today didn't they?...marriage problems? 😄😄😄
There's a video comparison of Elvis and Michael dancing he copied some of Elvis dance moves check it out. It's to the Elvis song I got a feeling
And Elvis took his moves and entire style from black artists so...
Oh shut up lol Elvis stole from black artists.. MJs dance inspo was James Brown..
Michael Jackson is inspired by James Brown, Sammy Davis and Fred Astaire. Elvis actually copied from black artist
Exept for the fact that he wasnt inspired by Elvis but from James Brown, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Jackie Wilson and other dancers, not by Elvis
He didnt copy his moves, mj was not inspried by elvis neither did elvis once do the 'moonwalk" he moved backward what does that have to do with anything. I swear its like people love to disregard michaels talent and infeluence, in a hating manner, Michael got his infuelence from black artsits not Elvis and "even if he did", he PERFECTED the moon walk, and made it his own Elvis did not, nor did anyone else.