Outpouring over Michael Jackson unlike anything since Princess Di

Since news of Michael Jackson’s passing, there has been an emotional outpouring not seen perhaps since Princess Diana’s death in 1997.

The 24-hour news cycle and social media are probably amplifying the reaction. But the response seems genuinely broad and intense – which may be surprising given the pop star’s transformation into something of a bizarre and controversial recluse in his last 20 years.

If the death of a pop star was to be measured by tweets alone, Michael Jackson’s would seem to be of monumental importance. About 15 percent of Twitter posts mentioned Jackson when the news broke Thursday evening, noted Harvard researcher Ethan Zuckerman in one tweet, comparing that with hot topics such as Iran and swine flu that never crossed 5 percent.

By Friday afternoon, 9 of the top 10 albums selling on iTunes were Michael Jackson’s, Amazon.com had sold out all his CDs, and major retailers coast to coast were running out of his music. Online, Facebook and news websites were swamped with tributes. And Fans gathered across the world, from a mass moonwalk in London to tributes on the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles to vigils in Paris and Tokyo.

The overriding reason is his extraordinary musical influence. Read Article

By Daniel B. Wood