Jackson reshaped pop culture on several fronts at once, creating a blueprint every pop star since has followed:

• Music videos as art — the "Thriller" video (1983) was a 14-minute short film that turned MTV into a cultural institution and proved videos could be as important as the music
• The moonwalk, debuted at the 1983 Motown special, became the most famous dance move in history and showed choreography could define an artist's brand
• Cross-genre appeal — he blended pop, rock, R&B, and funk so seamlessly that he topped every chart at once, breaking racial barriers on MTV and radio