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It's no surprise that Michael Jackson's album and song download sales have had incredible spikes in the days since his death. But despite the legacy of hits that Jackson has had, the top-selling track on iTunes has been "Man in the Mirror." While "Man in the Mirror" is not a bad song by any stretch of the imagination (and was a chart-topping single in 1988), why would people gravitate towards it and not "Thriller" or "Beat It" or "Rock With You"?

There are a number of valid theories, but pop musicology professor Stephen Pennington thinks the root is in the unresolved questions about Jackson's life. "The thing about 'Man in the Mirror' is that it isn't completely uplifting. It's got an uplifting sound to it, and it talks about making the world a better place, but we never get that better place," he explains. "It's incomplete and unresolved, just like his life."

Pennington is excited about the current conversation about Jackson's legacy. "If you look at the controlling forces about what is important in pop music, it's a lot of stuff from the '60s — the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Beach Boys. There are very few people of color, almost no women and not many contemporary artists. So people want to place him as important, but he's such a complicated person that you can't go with 'Thriller' or 'Heal the World,' because those are too far in either direction. So right now, 'Man in the Mirror' is the most logical song to sum up his legacy."

Tags Michael Jackson

By Haley Murphy

This afternoon, I joined the hundreds of people on the trip to Harlem to visit the legendary Apollo Theater, where Michael Jackson fans gathered to pay tribute to his life as a musician, a friend and an icon.

When I arrived, I walked into what seemed like a small church, only to find Reverend Al Sharpton pacing the room while on the phone. He was set to speak at the theater later in the afternoon, and I had the opportunity to sit in on his interview with MTV News. I looked around and saw so many pictures of influential moments in history, and it made me realize just how huge Michael Jackson's influence was. I felt honored to be at the center of what will be musical history. 

Outside of the theater, fans stood chanting Michael's name, moonwalking and sharing their favorite memories. One woman shared told me just how important Michael was in her family's lives. She told me that her entire family would wait up until midnight when Michael's new music videos would debut, and would sit for hours trying to replicate each dance move Michael. When asked why she came to the Apollo, she said she came to pay her respects to an artist that brought her family together.

While walking along the street, I ran across a Michael Jackson doll that was being sold for $1,000, which some spectators were actually considering buying!

In the midst of all the commotion, there was an overwhelming sense of gratitude and respect for a man who will forever be remembered as a musical genius. After all was said and done, I walked away with an amazing experience, a greater respect for Michael and a nice T-shirt to forever remember the day.

Tags Michael Jackson