Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (1983) One of the most classic MJ performances and one of the most important moments in the history of television. Motown had a strict rule for the show. It was a celebration of the label's 25th anniversary and nobody was allowed to perform new material. Not Marvin Gaye. Not Stevie Wonder. Not Diana Ross. Everyone had to stick to the Motown catalogue. Michael agreed to appear on one condition. He would reunite with his brothers for the Jackson 5 medley, but then he wanted a solo spot to perform Billie Jean, a song that wasn't a Motown record. Producer Don Mischer pushed back hard. Then he watched the rehearsal. Linda Ronstadt was there, Smokey Robinson was there, Diana Ross was there, and the room was basically empty otherwise. Mischer watched the full performance and turned to the people beside him and said they knew this was incredibly special. He let Michael do it and volunteered to take the angry phone call from Marvin Gaye on Monday himself. The performance was taped on March 25, 1983 and broadcast on NBC on May 16, 1983 to 47 million viewers. Billie Jean had already been sitting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks by that point, the fastest rising number one of his career since his early Jackson 5 days. Then the broadcast happened and everything went to another level. He walked out in the black sequined jacket, the white rhinestone glove, the fedora, the silver socks, and just stood there. The fedora alone had the audience screaming before a single note played. Then the bassline dropped and he started moving. The actual moonwalk lasted two and a half seconds during the bridge. Two and a half seconds that changed the world. He had been practicing it in his kitchen beforehand, learning the backslide technique from street dancers including Jeffrey Daniel of Shalamar. He later said his only regret was that he did not hold the toe stand at the end longer. Absolute Classic Tune #global #legend - @yosif_atanasov00