Adieu, moonwalker!

In India, the earlier generation either accepted or despised "western" music. Mostly out of ignorance and the peculiar characteristic of that generation not to accept anything new (can't blame them, liberalisation has a lot to do with it). However, one "western" guy's music that gained acceptance breaking barriers was that of Michael Jackson. The biggest plus of his music was that it pervaded age barriers and was real "peppy". Something like the music of Boney M. U could listen to it without being someone who knows anything abt it - the language, the nuances etc. That actually is the triumph of music and MJ can rightly take credit for being a huge part of this triumph. He is one guy who has influenced a lot of people in the music sphere and deserves a place at the top. And, oh yes, he was a lot original! His dance moves were a rage and he perfected the moonwalk (it was not invented by him, BTW). A lot of dances in Indian films have been influenced by MJ.  Despite a personal life ridden with holes and a lot of "if-only-he-had" statements, it is undeniable that MJ is indeed an icon.

As regards "western music", as all music other than Indian music was called years back, there was only a section of Indians who would appreciate it or worse, listen to it. It was mostly classified as noise - more out of ignorance and refusal to accept something new. Thankfully, today's generation has changed and is able to appreciate not just "western music" but the different aspects of it and classifications like rock, pop, country and also, music from other parts of the world.