10 Most Iconic Live Music Performances Of All Time

Michael Jackson was known for a great number of things throughout his incredible career, from the controversial to the downright unexplainable, but behind the plastic surgery, the romances and that time he changed a baby’s nappy out of a window, there lies quite simply one of the greatest stage entertainers pop music has ever seen.

Fans knew he was a great singer and dancer and were no stranger to his outlandish attire, but combining that all together, with one of (if not the) most iconic dance moves of all time and you truly do have a performance for the ages. On the 16th of May 1983, Michael Jackson appeared on TV special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever and set in motion his eventual claim to the throne as the king of pop.

Jackson took to the stage donned in a silver shirt, black jacket in sequins, white socks, loafers and a white glove on his left hand, giving a hi-energy performance which included his typical twists, kicks and pelvic thrusts whilst pouring his soul into the lyrics of Billie Jean. What nobody could have predicted however was that halfway through the performance he would start sliding his feet amongst the ground, giving birth to his trademark Moonwalk, which would become a staple of his career from this moment forward.

Although it was well documented that Jackson did not invent the move himself, in one moment on stage during this performance, he had made it his own.