I think everyone was shocked and astonished by the sudden passing of arguably the most famous man on the planet. While Micheal Jackson may not have always represented the best about American pop culture, back in the day when I was growing up, he certainly seemed to… for a little while. I saw him perform with the Jacksons during 1984's Victory Tour (my brother, then a baby, slept through the whole thing) and it was exciting beyond belief.

From the iconic red jacket to the single white glove, from the pop perfection of Off the Wall to the thrill of seeing the Thriller music video for the first time, whatever one might think of the later years, it's hard not get sentimental about a man who could bring the world to its knees in joy with two seconds of dancing across the stage.