2. Michael Jackson This Is It
Everyone knows exactly where they were when they found out that Michael Jackson had died and it's no surprise. When he unexpectedly left us on the 25th June 2009, it was breaking news on every television channel and his songs were played for days on end on every radio station. Just before his death, The King Of Pop had been rehearsing for his retirement tour: This Is It. He had been in the spotlight since the age of six when he had joined his brother's band and by eight years old he the lead singer on their tour. He soon started releasing solo albums and shortly became a household name. Although his private life was heavily criticised over the years, Jackson's music ensured that his fans still loved him. So, when he announced his retirement tour in March 2009, fans were so excited that the tickets sold out within a matter of hours. However, just three weeks before the tour was set to begin, Jackson suffered a cardiac arrest and died of intoxication shortly after. A few months after his death, his first posthumous song was released. It was an unheard recording entitled 'This Is It', found on an old demo tape. Despite the name of the tour, it was not on any of the set lists. According to Paul Anka, who co-wrote the song, it was written in 1983 and set to be a duet between him and Michael. Unfortunately, this never occurred, remaining an unreleased demo until his death, when his brothers recorded backing vocals and released the song on the 2009 album of the same name.