Suburban record store owners remember Jackson

At the height of his popularity in the 1980s, no entertainer was as big as Michael Jackson.

People danced to his songs at weddings, graduation parties and bar mitzvahs.

Kids wore white socks, dark shoes and sparkly gloves.

And just about everyone owned the "Thriller" album.

Although he may ultimately be remembered for odd behavior and unseemly accusations, there's no question Jackson's impact on the music world - and culture in general - was tremendous.

"He was an icon," said Dan Malapanes, owner of Algonquin Records in Des Plaines.

Musically, Jackson's ability to cross over from his Motown roots to popular music was particularly remarkable.

"He really was the first to transcend genres, as far as bringing R&B and pop music together," said Mike Messerschmidt, co-owner of Geneva's Kiss the Sky record store.

And cross over he did. Jackson's 1982 smash-hit "Thriller" remains the best-selling record of all time, with some estimates exceeding 100 million copies worldwide.

As the music industry continues to decline because of digital distribution systems and other factors, that accomplishment may never be topped.

"The mega-seller blockbuster is a thing of the past," Messerschmidt said. "I don't think there's anybody out there these days that is capable of doing those kinds of numbers, sales-wise."

Malapanes said Jackson's death hasn't translated into record sales at his shop the way Elvis Presley or John Lennon's did.

That's likely because Jackson's most recent albums weren't as popular as his earlier works, Malapanes said. Jackson hadn't had a really strong creative period in a while, although he was planning to tour, the shop owner said.

Someone did call Kiss the Sky to ask how much Messerschmidt would pay for a copy of "Thriller." With 100 million copies already out in the world, however, he wasn't interested.