Will Smith for sure. Dude was on top of the world.

derpyninja:

I’m a 90s kid. Will Smith was everywhere. Fresh Prince and his blockbuster movies were part of so many people’s childhood. Thought he was a chill guy.
That punch and outburst ruined him forever. There’s no going back.
.
w_a_w:

He was already wrecked way before that in my eyes due to being a scientologist.

Without a doubt, Michael Jackson.

**The King of Pop**

People may look back on him favorably now, but many don't remember exactly how big he was.

This guy had a *life long* career in music, from a child to his [funeral]. He appeared in movies, he had his own movie, he had his own video games. His music spanned multiple genres, and shattered records.

This man, was the biggest thing since the Beatles. He met world leaders like they were his posse, shook the hands of multiple presidents. Michael Jackson stepping off a plane in your country was as big a deal as the Pope, and he handled it with the same humility of a single sequined glove wave.

And the man *loved* charity. Where humanitarian causes went, he followed, and the world followed with him. Celebrities lined up to be a part of the Michael Jackson freight train. Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Slash, and more.

They were going to build a giant, mechanized statue of Michael Jackson in the Nevada desert. Not ironically, not for a festival, just because he was the singular most amazing performer of the generation.

And what did he do in his spare time? He visited sick kids in hospitals. He lent his voice, his time, and his money to numerous charities and was unafraid to take a stance on racial tension; he was a champion of equality.

Need more proof that this man was easily as big as Elvis? Here's an excerpt from his Wiki page:

> Jackson's 1982 album Thriller is the best selling album of all time. His other albums, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995), also rank among the world's best selling albums. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Dance Hall of Fame as the first and only dancer from pop and rock music. His other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; 26 American Music Awards, more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century" and "Artist of the 1980s"; 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career, more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era; and the estimated sale of over 400 million records worldwide.[Note 1] Jackson has won hundreds of awards, making him the most awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.[6] Jackson became the first artist in history to have a top ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades when "Love Never Felt So Good" reached number nine on May 21, 2014.[7] Jackson traveled the world attending events honoring his humanitarianism and in 2000, the Guinness World Records recognized him for supporting 39 charities, more than any other entertainer.[8]

... but in the 90s, accusations soured the public on Jackson. His visibility plummeted, and as his apparent medical issues regarding his appearance spiraled out of control, questionable relationship choices and further accusations seemed to make everyone take a big step away from associating with Michael.

He [passed] effectively alone, as a result of a heart attack caused by the mishandling of medications by his personal doctor.

It's incredible. I can't think of anyone else who was as famous, *internationally*, and then faded into obscurity and hazy memories of better times.

He fell so hard, ~~people in this thread~~ *some people* barely remember him. But I always will.

PresidentDonnyTrump:

Michael Jackson. King of pop to the ultimate crash and burn.