Eight YouTube Tributes To Michael Jackson

Today would have been the King of Pop’s 54th birthday.

1. 1500 Prisoners Do a Music Video Remake of Michael Jackson’s Thriller

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o.

1500 Prisoners from Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Cebu, Philippines, perform a dance routine to Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

2. A Capella Cover of P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=QNZXx_O1sWE.

Mike Tompkins of Alberta, Canada has been punctuated by memorable events, the most recent of which includes being rocketed to notoriety mixing his talents to create music using only his voice and mouth. He created this a cappella cover of P.Y.T. last year to commemorate the King of Pop’s death.

3. We Are The World Remake For Haiti

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Glny4jSciVI.

“We Are the World” originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985 and written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie was remade in 2010 to benefit the Haitian earthquake relief efforts and the rebuilding of Haiti.

4. Cover Song of “Beat It” By Alex Goot

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=V5btkf9QB3g.

Alex Goot produced this cover song of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” using electric guitar, drums, and a piano.

5. Weird Al’s Remake of “I’m Bad” - The Fat Parody

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=t2mU6USTBRE.

Al Yankovic parodied Michael Jackson’s “I’m Bad,” creating original lyrics and producing a video of “I’m Fat.”

6. X Factor Contestant Woos Female Judges With Jackson’s “Who’s Loving You”

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=zc23uRHoRUM.

This X Factor contestant blew the judges away with his soulful rendition of Jackson’s “Who’s Loving You.”

7. Coldplay Pay Tribute to King of Pop With A Cover of Smash Hit, Billie Jean

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=7kBNIL_CPcw.

We love this “Billie Jean” cover by Coldplay, performed live in Nijimegen, Holland.

8. Akon’s Remake Of Wanna Be Startin’ Something, Featuring MJ

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=jd2qGORs8io.

Stripping it down to the bare minimum, Akon brought something new to Wanna Be Startin’ Something that had never been heard before — the lyrics. Akon proves the man’s more than a hip-hop star on his Michael Jackson cover. By slowing the song down and illustrating the lyrics in the song’s infancy, Akon has done something for himself as well in the process — shown that he has fantastic vocal prowess while simultaneously paying tribute to Michael Jackson.