King of Pop Still Reigns on Charts

Response to 'This Is It' tepid from critics, all over the place from fans

(NEWSER) - Michael Jackson’s posthumous single was released to much hype, but the critical response is lukewarm and fan reactions are mixed. A sampling:

• In a roundup of fan comments on Michael Jackson’s website, the Times reports that while some are pleased—“This single is great, even better than I thought it was gonna be”—many others are calling it “garbage.”

Photog, friend reveals Jackson's excitement at performing again

(NEWSER) - The photographer who captured Michael Jackson’s image at his last rehearsal reveals the singer was upbeat and energetic on his final night. “He was totally there—100% there in fact,” Kevin Mazur tells the Mirror. “You would never suspect this would have ever happened—especially after his performance.” He says Michael told him, “I feel so alive—can you feel it? This is where I belong.” More»

Singer kept demos extremely private

(NEWSER) - Michael Jackson plotted his comeback album with Will.i.am, and the Black Eyed Peas frontman now tells the Mirror it was going to be “something Michael has never done before—a dance music album.” The King of Pop kept the demos “under lock and key,” but Will.i.am heard them. “It was going to be out of this world," he said. More»

(NEWSER) - It’s no exaggeration to say that Michael Jackson “made a more profound impact in the arenas of soul, R&B and dance-pop than any other singer or songwriter in history,” writes Jim DeRogatis in the Chicago Sun-Times. But while many fans reach for Thriller, “widely considered the best-selling disc of all time,” DeRogatis and other “hardcore fans” cast their lot with 1979’s Off the Wall. More»

Plus: Michael Jackson's last words

(NEWSER) - In a Today interview airing tomorrow and Friday, Dr. Conrad Murray finally explains why he didn’t call 911 as soon as Michael Jackson stopped breathing—although his explanation may still leave you with a few questions. Emergency responders wouldn’t have been able to come through the gate, the doctor claimed: "No one is allowed to come upstairs except for Mr. Jackson." When Savannah Guthrie pointed out that Murray could have called Jackson’s bodyguard and asked him to meet them at the gate, Murray said he didn’t want to "leave a full explanation on the phone" and started CPR instead. More»