Motown 25 Vs Grammy Awards 1988

Themidwestcowboy

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You know, i hear people acknowledging Motown 25 alot! Whenever they are talking about historical TV performances, Motown 25 is mentioned. Don't get me wrong, the 25th Anniversary was a beautiful show, all 6 of them and the first moonwalk and what not, but IMO the performance for The Grammy Awards in 1988 was so much more. I've recently realised that my favourite MITM performance from the Bad era is from the Grammy Award. Dare i say it even triumphs over Wembley.

Who else agrees with me?
 
I think there are lot better performances of Billie Jean than Motown 25. Both because of the fact that he sang live in those other performances AND also because the dance was better. But because it was the first time he performed that routine, it's Motown 25 that became iconic.

And yeah, I agree that the 1988 Grammy was an even better performance than Motown 25.
 
I think Grammy 88 is better than Motown 25 peformances. TWYMMF and MITM were mostly playback too but they were still amazing
 
I think that the Motown 25 performance of Billie Jean is really overrated. Grammy Awards 1988 performance of The Way You Make Me Feel and Man In The Mirror was much better.

It just makes me laugh when i hear people say that Billie Jean at Motown 25 was MJ's best performance ever when infact it was one of his weakest, but i will cut MJ some slack because it was the first time he ever performed Billie Jean and he probably hadn't perfected the performance of it then. Iconic perfomance? Yes. Best performance ever? No
 
I think that the Motown 25 performance of Billie Jean is really overrated. Grammy Awards 1988 performance of The Way You Make Me Feel and Man In The Mirror was much better.

It just makes me laugh when i hear people say that Billie Jean at Motown 25 was MJ's best performance ever when infact it was one of his weakest, but i will cut MJ some slack because it was the first time he ever performed Billie Jean and he probably hadn't perfected the performance of it then. Iconic perfomance? Yes. Best performance ever? No

I totally agree about that Billie Jean performance. Which is why I have to agree with the Grammy performance being a much better performance. Even though I have seen very little of that performance.
 
Grammy '88 is a way better than Motown 25, even though Motown 25 is more iconic, but the '88 performance has perfected moves. Motown 25 is just a successful try of performing Billie Jean, for first time.
 
sure i like the grammy performance more too ... but 25 motown is legendary :)
i am always waiting till mj jumps on his knees and sings on the floor ... noone gives this power in a performance like michael did.
 
Oh yes, 1988 Grammys brought down the house :) Motown 25 brought down the house as well, but only because it was the first time people saw Michael do the moonwalk. And of course it wasn't his best Billie Jean performance. He still had years ahead to perfect it.
 
I kind of like the Grammy 1988 performance better but I'm kind of bias because TWYMMF & MITM are two of my favorite songs.
 
the thing is, it doesn't really matter if Motown 25 was overrated or a "weak" performance. Indeed it was, but Michael never performed Billie Jean live before. The fact he introduced it as "the new songs" started an entire new era, regardless of performance quality. Without a doubt, it was Motown 25 that had a greater influence than any other MJ performance.

For the casual audience, Grammys 88 and VMA 95 were just "other" performances of Michael... Nothing can beat the original influence of Motown 25.
 
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Grammy's way better performance-wise. Motown 25 is more iconic and influental, as in the show itself it is weaker.
 
the thing is, it doesn't really matter if Motown 25 was overrated or a "weak" performance. Indeed it was, but Michael never performed Billie Jean live before. The fact he introduced it as "the new songs" started an entire new era, regardless of performance quality. Without a doubt, it was Motown 25 that had a greater influence than any other MJ performance.

For the casual audience, Grammys 88 and VMA 95 were just "other" performances of Michael... Nothing can beat the original influence of Motown 25.

Yeah, but to me it's just another proof how close-minded the general public can be. They go on and on and on about Motown 25, while they totally ignore other, much better performances from the 90s. Simply because it's not cool to like the MJ of the 90s. It's the same with Michael's music.
 
I don't know, I liked the Grammy's 88 perf but maybe it's just me..I felt it was a bit awkward since the vocals weren't live..up until the end of MITM..he was great though, but that's my opinion. I love Motown 25 too, plus it was one of his first performances I got to watch as a child, so I'm choosing M25...:heart:
 
I don't know, I liked the Grammy's 88 perf but maybe it's just me..I felt it was a bit awkward since the vocals weren't live..up until the end of MITM..he was great though, but that's my opinion. I love Motown 25 too, plus it was one of his first performances I got to watch as a child, so I'm choosing M25...:heart:

Well Billie Jean was lipsynched aswell, but i understand what you mean :)
 
Yeah, but to me it's just another proof how close-minded the general public can be. They go on and on and on about Motown 25, while they totally ignore other, much better performances from the 90s. Simply because it's not cool to like the MJ of the 90s. It's the same with Michael's music.

Thats exactly how i feel
 
The Grammy's '88 performance is my favorite of his. By then he had perfected his moves and could convey the emotions of the songs well. Also I think he was much more confident by the time he did the Grammy's. He no longer had to prove himself to anyone.
 
Well Billie Jean was lipsynched aswell, but i understand what you mean :)

Yeah exactly, but IMO Billie Jean didn't feel awkward because of the excitement in the audience, with the Grammys I didn't feel that same energy from the public, except for Michael's obviously ;)
 
I think it gets mentioned more because of the significance of the event. It was the first time he did the moonwalk. In a way too it was like he was saying goodbye to being part of the Jackson 5. Yes he did the Victory tour with them but once Thriller came out and the Motown show it was the beginning of Michael on his own. By the time the 88 Grammys Michael was the biggest star ever.

I think this is when people and the general public didn't see Michael as part of group anymore. They saw him as Michael Jackson.
 
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Both performances are iconic for different reasons, one because he set himself apart from his brothers and whatever was happening in the music industry at the time and the latter because he was already the biggest name out there and gave a fantastic performance. But to me M25 was really the first I saw as a little girl, had it been MITM the first performance I recalled my answer would be different.
 
Motown 25 is definitely not overrated at all. It remains as electrifying as can be.

But Grammys 88 was pretty monumental as well, and it really is a tour de force from beginning to end. The whole ensemble is great, and as an evolution, from Motown, it really just embodies how he only got even better than before.
 
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