Michael Jackson – Paul’s Top 1

Before I worked for TRI 102.5, I never worked on a station that played any Michael Jackson. Even then, I used to say if I could only listen to one person sing for the rest of my life, it would be Michael. In other words, if I had to choose 1 voice over all others, or if I were stranded on a desert island and could have only the music of one singer, who would it be? I say Michael without missing a beat. So you can imagine how happy I was to join the TRI 102.5 family and be able to play his music during my 'work' shift.

Years ago, I remember hearing him sing 'You Are Not Alone' and marveling at the simple quality of his voice. The natural sound of it is just the best I have ever heard. There are a few female singers whose natural tone have the beauty, but there are very few other men that I have ever heard whose voices sound so naturally beautiful. Perhaps Sam Cooke or Freddie Mercury can be mentioned in the same sentence concerning quality of tone, but for me, it's all Michael Jackson. Were I from an earlier generation, I could easily see leaning toward another singer, because really, music is like food...we like it because we like it. The fact that I was coming of age when the album Thriller was released probably has a major factor in my feelings toward him, but upon joining the TRI 102.5 staff, I truly realized that if I have to list my top favorite artists, Michael Jackson and the Beatles would be battling for the #1 and #2 spots.

So, if you had to pick the greatest singer of all time, who would it be?