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MJ and Elvis live on: the kings of music who left us queens of the screen

Jackson’s performance talent and musical genius is recognised by the whole world. But besides the decades of legendary music and unforgettable entertainment, many are not aware that the pop superstar was also an incredible inventor, even holding a patent for one of his groundbreaking inventions.

So what creations can be credited as being the brainchild of the King of Pop? We take a closer look at three of his most iconic inventions.

A gravity-defying patent

In 1988, the world was gifted the now-classic music video to Jackson’s mega hit Smooth Criminal. In the video, Jackson is seen performing a number of iconic moves, but one in particular left audiences astonished, wondering how on earth he did it.

With his crew of backup dancers, Jackson executes a gravity-defying move, leaning some 45 degrees forward without falling over, and then reverting back to his original upright position.

While some may have assumed a clever camera or post-editing trick was responsible, in fact the stunt was thanks to an exclusive shoe that had been designed by the King of Pop himself, along with two of his associates, Michael Bush and Dennis Tumpkin, according to reports.

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The three co-founders of the Anti-Gravity Shoe were awarded the patent for their invention in October 1993. The trick behind the gravity-defying illusion? It’s a gadgety combination of rods rising from the stage floor and the specifically designed shoes, with ankle support and cut-out heels, that glide over the stage rods. This enables the wearer to enjoy a stationary position on stage, giving that incredible 45 degree angular effect.

The magical moves

If there’s one thing that can be said about the late great Michael Jackson, it’s that he moved like no other. His dancing and iconic footsteps are the definition of legendary, with the acclaimed moonwalk being the quintessential Jackson move.

However, Jackson did not technically create the dance himself; the backwards slide can be traced as far back as 1930s America, when jazz musician Cab Calloway was performing a similar slide that he termed “the buzz”.

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Even though the move wasn’t the King of Pop’s original brainchild, he does get credit for renaming it “The Moonwalk”. And the dance move has been associated with him ever since – so much so that most people would easily presume it was his invention.

Jackson did the moonwalk for the first time in 1983, performing his hit song Billie Jean on a TV special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. Since that breakthrough performance, Jackson moonwalked on virtually every stage he entertained on.

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The inspiration for an entire industry

Despite Jackson being far from the first musician to release a music video, the artist is often given the honourable distinction of redefining the genre, ultimately legitimising it as more than just a simple promotional tool, but a genuine and lucrative art form in itself. And it all started with what has been described as “the most famous music video of all time”, Thriller.

When the 15-minute music video for Jackson’s hit song came out in 1983, nothing like it had been done before.

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It had a massive budget, and featured an iconic wardrobe, mesmerising special effects, and impressive choreography and make-up. At the time, it almost felt like a mini-movie rather than a video to go alongside a song.

The video is also responsible for inspiring the Making Of genre of documentaries. Moreover, it was played repeatedly on MTV, solidifying the nascent network’s place as the pop culture juggernaut it would become. The video has consequently even been said to have single-handedly helped tear down pre-existing racial barriers in popular culture, music and entertainment.

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