He did, all the guys got to meet him. Back when MTV was music they told the whole story. MJ was never shy about sharing his song especially something this fun.
@@paulshaw9953no it doesn't... Copyright exists and Michael Jackson's one of the biggest commercial artists on the planet... If he didn't want it to exist it doesn't. Same with Kasey Chambers cover of Eminem. Entitled people seem to think you can't protect intellectual property. Must be Chinese
It’s actually not cords. It’s in the shoes. MJ actually created and patented the tech. It’s pretty cool. And they were the only rock artist to play MJs tribute after his death. MJ actually personally approved this cover and loved it.
Yep. There is a "post" on the floor, and a small "hook" on the bottom of the shoe's heel that attaches to the post. Step up to the post, lock your heel on it, lean forward. Slide your heel back to pop your shoe off of the post and dance away.
@@VinzClorthokeymasterofGozer exactly, I couldn’t remember where I read it but there is an NPR article on it called “Michael Jackson's Gravity-Defying Lean Continues To Fascinate” that explains it and has diagrams. MJ was a weirdo BUT he mad some great music and was an amazing performer.
It's more or less a securely anchored nail with a flat wide head and a V shape cut into the shoe that catches the nail like a claw hammer to make a sorta tongue and groove joint. That doesn't make it less impressive but more as the unbelievable shin and calve strength needed to pull off that move is absurd. Edit: If I remember correctly. I could be mistaken
@rowanmayfair9249 Their legs are straight. So unless there is a brace that is incorporated to the heel where it locks in extending up to at least the knee, which there could be but I would think pro dancers wouldn't want that as it would have to be worn for the entire performance, then the center of gravity would be lower. Don't get me wrong, strong core would certainly help in that and all the other acrobatics they do, but the calve and tibialis (shin) muscles would be what allows them to lean and return upright in such a controlled way. Try to stick your toes under the edge of the sofa and lean backwards without bending the knee. It takes a hell of a core as well and I think we can agree... it's friggin nuts. I can't speak for you but if I tried that every muscle from my traps down would violently explode almost instamtly...
I heard that Michael originally didn't like the kid wearing the mask, so they reshot the whole bit without the mask, and when MJ saw it, he decided the mask was the right way to go. So thats what we got
Kid was only wearing the mask because his parents wouldn't clear his face to be in the video... He was actually down the street from where they shot the video, and just started dancing!! Lol
Reminds me of that Twilight Zone episode "Stopover in a Quiet Town," where a couple finds themselves inside a giant toy model of a town so a giant alien child can watch them.
Mj loved this version and video. The kid dancing is in front of MJs childhood home..MJs family also invited them to play this song at the tribute concert. The mask is in reference when MJ was constantly getting plastic surgery and wore them all the time. Everything is in reference to MJ and his videos.
I opened up for Alien Ant Farm back in 2011. Those dude were humble and fun to be around. Never forget the small guy they kept saying! I guess they felt the need to pay it forward
Hey, I did too, same year! It didn't happen to be Dirt Fest 2011 did it? My favorite memory was getting to stand behind main stage about 7 feet away from the drummer, just marveling at how good he is!
Michael Jackson loved hard rock and that is what he was going for when he made his song "BAD". He told Eddie Van Halen when he did the guitar solo in the song and he said that he thought that Eddie's fast playing was like nothing that he had ever heard before and he could not get enough.
Old, so terrifying. I watch the clip and it still has that 'new' look for me from the early 20's, I grew up through the 80's and 90's so I was adulting in a soul crushing job by the 2000's, life kind of freezes at that point.
Ok, here we go. All references if you're watching original video with time stamps. 0:12 Kid dancing like Michael Jackson, using a mask that he usually wore. 0:30 The lean he did in Smooth Criminal with Gravity Boots. 0:34 Japanese girls. In Asia, girls lost their collective shit over him. 0:52 The wolf in video of Thriller. 1:20 One of the more iconic moves from MJ, also hard left turn but King Of The Hill? 1:38 Silver glove chair, and Bubbles, his pet chimpanzee. 1:48 Sidewalks glowing a la Billy Jean video. 2:12 Car windows blowing out with lead singer doing the iconic crotch grab and scream "Ohhhhh! while on top of the car. In the background, there's a flag of MJ. 2:19 The thriller iconic zombie move. Two guys are wearing a silver glove. 2:23 Another thing that MJ usually did in his shows. Smoke and wind coming from under him. 2:37 Sidewalk glowing again, and the screen splitting like in Billy Jean clip. (My personal fave is the mailbox) 3:12 Pulling up pants to look like MJ's iconic socks, they were white because your eye naturally go to light and away from dark. He wanted his feet to be highlighted. 3:16 Jesus F'ing Christ, this kid can dance... 3:28 Elizabeth Taylor tattoo, someone that was very close to him. 3:30 The end of Thriller video. Misc: Drummers sticks, one is silver. Also, white glove. If I missed any, let me know?
You might want to add the part where he jumps on the car, screams, and dances on the roof... Most will remember it as the poor decision made by Jackson to dance on a car hood in front of the courthouse at his trial, but it actually mimics the scene from a video he did to fight racism. Here's the scene. czcams.com/video/FiADkjpyqFI/video.html&ab_channel=cheetahtree
I read only this week that MJ even had his people help with the props needed for the leaning forward part in the video, and that this was filmed in front of his childhood home. They were even invited to his funeral by his family.
MJ loved it & gave his approval. Even had Bubbles the Chimp ( I think that was name of MJ's Chimp) don't quote me. MJ always wore a mask & had his kids wear mask too 💜
You didn't mention how everyone there was having a great time. Young, old, different hairdos and colors. Just pure fun. This is what we are missing today. Just pure fun. I do wish the people today could have this.
Yep, fun was made illegal in the new millennium. In Australia it was the mid 90's they started the real crackdown on activities other than watching TV. In my 42 years on this planet, life has not gotten better or more interesting, just more restricted, sterile and boring. People refused to acknowledge it was happening until about now, because it was the less socially acceptable activities that got the axe first, but then the authorities only had the acceptable activates left to crush, so they did.
Movies is their only other "big" song, it was recorded and released before their smooth criminal cover and the studio thought it was their strongest song and pushed really hard for it with a music video and a re-release. It probably deserved to be their second hit. Features a really cool Cameo from an '80s film icon and tons of references to '80s and '90s Cinema.
Michael Jackson was alive when this was made and gave his consent with a few changes. For one he didn't want the kid to wear a mask but when he saw the boy without the mask he changed his mind and had them put the mask back on the him.
I do love Movies...I love the whole album but for originals Movies moves me most. I was going to mention this myself but am instead approving of your mentioning it.
0:51 "That Kid Is Dancing With A Mask On, Did He Know About 2020?" Actually, Pegasus, Micheal Jackson, was known for going out in public wearing a mask. It was one of his more eccentric traits
Thing is - while MJ started as a disco era artist and many of his songs are well to be danced to (well, you know - he did, and how) - so many of his compositions are rock in their nature. To me "Thriller" has always been a rock album, and songs like "dirty diana" "give in to me" "who is it" are rock ballads. Drop into this "the way you make me feel" "earth song" "black or white" and you've got a dancing rock composer. Cooporation with best rock/metal guitarists was no fluke but a conscious choice of an artist who understands where his appeals lie but knows what sounds he likes. Lots of his songs just beg for instrumentation with less electronics and more electrics; "Smooth criminal" is just one of them. Check out how The Baits did "Billy Jean". With one of my bands we would play "Beat it" and "Bad" with another.
Alien Ant Farm, to me at least, is referring to aliens seeing Earth/humans the same way we do an ant farm. Check out Movies from them (their other big hit) and they just had a new song come out recently that is really good. If you want another excellent MJ cover check out Dirty Loops doing their version of Thriller.
If I remember correctly, they always played a few covers at concerts. People would go so nuts over Smooth Criminal, that they asked MJ if they could record a cover. He loved it and gave it his blessing.
Ooh, ooh, you just showed the thumbnail of Justin from The Darkness, A Thing called Love. Funny as heck British band in the same vain as Spinal Tap. Good music too.
I remember when this came out, MJ was working on a career comeback with the album Invincible. My brother just bought this album and had the hardcore MJ fan listen to the song, not long after I saw the video on MTV. I've always seen this as a tribute to the artist and his career.
The white house behind the boy in yellow shirt that is dancing is MJ's childhood home in gary indiana. Ive lived 20 min away from there most of my life. I have seen it many times. It has a large white metal fence surrounding the house now. There is also a statue/monument there too.
Love this, since I’m actually named after MJ in tribute to my oldest sister who died 3 months before I was born, which is an event that shaped my whole life because of the trauma that I went through and my mom because the last 3 months in womb my mom was having nightmares every night as my brain was being formed which affected me and knowing that lost since I was born made different than other people , and so Michael Jackson always held a special place in my heart and this cover came out when I was a freshman in high school
8:35 Yes, the writer gets paid a "mecanical royalty" by the covering artist for the song in a tangible form (disc, records, tapes, mp3 file). It's usually done on the backend and handled by the lable. There are also "performance royalties" for performing it live or if a recording is played (cover bands at a bar, radio broadcast). There are also "synch royalties" (when a song is used in a commercial, TV show, or a movie) and Print music royalties (sheet music, guitar tab, etc). Many live venues pay a flat licensing rate to ASCAP, BMI etc for cover bands and live or recorded music (as the venue is on the hook for the royalties, not the performers).
That alien ant farm album was my first album I ever bought when I was 13. One of the other more well-known songs was called 'Movies' and the music video for that song had. Pat Morita (Mr. Miyagi) in it.
Alien Ant Farm has also done a music video called movies (as i recall) but this is their ultimate hit. Story is that they tried to play a few riffs at a party, and people went bananas (in a good way) when they heard the metal version, so they realised that they were on to something and made this with the approval of MJ :)
Sounds right, 2021 my son was 10, this video was playing all the time. So the night before school picture day my son gave himself an inverted Mohawk. He is a very blonde blue eyed kid, his pictures came back hilariously perfect.
This was their biggest song. They had a few others like movies but this was pretty much the only song that broke through and not many in the world could name too many of their songs.
The way they do the lean isn't with ropes. It's done with a nail in the floor that fits into a groove in their shoe and then you can do the lean. That was reveiled by one of MJ's back up dancers after he passed away. I like how the drummer was wearing one glove.
The song was recorded with no intention of being released due to copyright, by chance it was leaked to Jacksons management that played him the song, Michael loved it and agreed they could release it and then they filmed the video
They were about to be the next big thing in punk/rock when the band was in a major vehicle accident and the lead singer was almost killed. Put the band back but I’ve seen them live and they were amazing
AAF seems to have (ironically) released a "Greatest Hits" album in 1999, when they were still unknowns. "Movies" got some airplay on MTV as I recall, and then they went with this cover. Never tremendously active, they haven't charted since 2003; the wiki article implies a hiatus from 2007-2014. They're actually still active, released new material this year!
I saw them live on Van's Warped tour in 2001. I wanted to ask the bassist what kind of bass he was playing and he told me he built it. They are really down to earth guys. Their whole first album was fire!
The way that they do the leaning trick isn't with cords. They actually have a piece of metal sticking up from the floor and a catch built into their shoes. They hook the metal into the catch of their shoes to anchor them to the ground, letting them lean like that.
Bro, I know you say that the things you react to are videos and songs you've never seen/heard before, but I can't believe that you have never heard this one. This is easily my favorite cover ever made. Good reaction!
Yea when I was in S. Korea from 2013-2015 I noticed a lot of the older generations there wore the masks. Also, highly recommend South Korea. Great place. Great people. Amazing ramen. Very respectful culture.
Even when Weird Al did Eat It and Fat, he talked with MJ about his idea before hand, for both he basically did a "shot by shot" parody of the original music videos with his own twists here and there thus giving his personal flair. AAF not only discussed this idea with MJ before hand, he even offered tips here and there and gave his complete seal of approval on the end result!
I was sixteen when this came out. I was a huge MJ fan and saw him twice in concert and Smooth Criminal was my favourite song. This cover blew us all away, it was THE vibe of 2001 when the alternative scene was really kicking off in the mainstream. This song will always be close to my heart. Loved seeing you react to it, and generally just love to hear it! Thanks dude!
I graduated High school in 2001 and i remember buying Alien Ant Farm's first album which im pretty sure this was on. I liked a lot of it but i went to college and really moved more onto hip hop and Rap Metal. This video is really good and that kid IIRC was like a competition winner for best MJ impersonation (possibly specifically his dancing).
AAF chose their name because Dryden (the lead singer) had a though that maybe all humans are just being bred to serve aliens, making us kind of like an Alien Ant Farm. This is by far the bands most successful song, even though they recorded it as a gag and didn't really want to make the music video. It was loved by MJ regardless. Their second most successful song was "Movies", followed by "These Days" In Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3, their song "Wish" was featured on the sound track. If I remember correctly, Dryden is a classically trained vocalist, and they just try to have fun with their songs. They've been making a strong comeback this year, albeit without their badass ex-bass player, Ty Zamora.
the band gets its name, Alien Ant Farm, from one of the band members thinking about how Aliens came to Earth and seeded it with life...the Earth is an alien ant farm.
for alien ant farm i would suggest movies, attitude and glow...Also Alien Ant Farm derived their name from a combination of various influences and ideas. The band's name is said to have originated from a daydream the band's guitarist, Terry Corso, had in high school. According to Corso, he envisioned aliens traveling to Earth and studying human behavior, particularly observing ants as a representation of humanity. The concept fascinated him, and he combined the words "alien" and "ant farm" to create the band's name.
The lights on the sidewalk is from Billie Jean, which is why a goth punk metalhead outcast who grew up loving Michael Jackson loved this when it came out
I've tried to get tons of people to react to the song "These Days" from Alien Ant Farm for years. They set up on top of a roof accross from the BET awards and filmed it. They do a song called Movies as well. This and those 2 songs are the only ones i think had radio time. damnnn. i feel old saying radio time!!!!!
Alien Ant Farm got arrested for renting the building across the street from the BET Music Awards. They set up on the roof and started playing during the red carpet filming. 😮
This is the version of smooth criminal that i knew as a kid. For the longest time i didnt know it was a cover because MJ wasnt the type of music as a kid. But somehow this is my first time seeing the video
This is the best cover of a Michael Jackson song. Come at me, I was in high school when this released and I actually really liked this band. Movies is a good song too
I beleave they did this as a goof. But one of there team send it to mj's team and mj got to listen to it and loved. Gave his seal of approval and they worked out the version we got now.
This is the only cover of MJ that I love. And I believe MJ was ok with this. Loved the MV too with all the Easter eggs regarding MJ in it. Like the mask, the light up sidewalk, the glove, etc
If I remember correctly Movies was supposed to be their first single but nobody liked it. So they released this cover and became popular. Then they released Movies and everyone loved it Humans are an alien's ant farm.
So they recorded this song with no intention of it coming out. The manager or someone sent it to MJs people, he heard it and LOVED it so much that he contacted them and told them to release it
Top-5 all-time cover, no question. Paid a beautiful homage to the artist, a fantastic re-imagining of the song as a rock track, crazy fun video, just tremendous. This is exactly what a cover should be.
BTW, MJ and this Band do the "LEAN" by having Hidden, Metal Panels, on the Stage, that they Slip the Bottoms of their Shoes Into, which gives them just enough Leg-Support, to LEAN Forward, without losing Balance!
My understanding is that MJ gave the track his seal of approval. The whole video is packed with references to MJ and his career.
He did, and I love that!! RIP MJ
He was also at the shoot the first day
it also got his monkey of approval
He did, all the guys got to meet him. Back when MTV was music they told the whole story. MJ was never shy about sharing his song especially something this fun.
Of course MJ had to approve this. Obviously. U can’t just use other artists songs without their consent first
This isn't just a cover. It's a celebration of MJs music. THAT is why it was so successful.
It's so fantastic how MJ influenced so many different genres.
yes to which no other band & artist can dare come close to covering a MJ song as this cover tops the list
@@Kristian179 Weird Al Yankovic "Eat It" and "Fat" parodies of MJ's "Beat It" and "Bad" were very good fun to watch too.
The band paid tribute to MJ by incorporating things that MJ did like wearing a mask 😊
there was a ton of MJ references in the video
MJ loved this cover. That's why it's allowed to exist.
MJ was a rock star ! He always had guitars and a leather jacket. :) Not Bon Jovi type of rock but a lot of rock elements in his music !!
Kinda like DEVO’s version of Satisfaction by the Stones. The story of it, when Jagger heard it and started dancing around is epic 😂
I mean... it exists regardless but its nice that MJ was a fan
Same with the Weird Al covers.
@@paulshaw9953no it doesn't... Copyright exists and Michael Jackson's one of the biggest commercial artists on the planet...
If he didn't want it to exist it doesn't.
Same with Kasey Chambers cover of Eminem.
Entitled people seem to think you can't protect intellectual property.
Must be Chinese
It’s actually not cords. It’s in the shoes. MJ actually created and patented the tech. It’s pretty cool. And they were the only rock artist to play MJs tribute after his death. MJ actually personally approved this cover and loved it.
Yep. There is a "post" on the floor, and a small "hook" on the bottom of the shoe's heel that attaches to the post. Step up to the post, lock your heel on it, lean forward. Slide your heel back to pop your shoe off of the post and dance away.
@@VinzClorthokeymasterofGozer exactly, I couldn’t remember where I read it but there is an NPR article on it called “Michael Jackson's Gravity-Defying Lean Continues To Fascinate” that explains it and has diagrams. MJ was a weirdo BUT he mad some great music and was an amazing performer.
It's more or less a securely anchored nail with a flat wide head and a V shape cut into the shoe that catches the nail like a claw hammer to make a sorta tongue and groove joint. That doesn't make it less impressive but more as the unbelievable shin and calve strength needed to pull off that move is absurd.
Edit: If I remember correctly. I could be mistaken
@@BrettShadow All I think is damn good core strength.
@rowanmayfair9249 Their legs are straight. So unless there is a brace that is incorporated to the heel where it locks in extending up to at least the knee, which there could be but I would think pro dancers wouldn't want that as it would have to be worn for the entire performance, then the center of gravity would be lower. Don't get me wrong, strong core would certainly help in that and all the other acrobatics they do, but the calve and tibialis (shin) muscles would be what allows them to lean and return upright in such a controlled way. Try to stick your toes under the edge of the sofa and lean backwards without bending the knee. It takes a hell of a core as well and I think we can agree... it's friggin nuts. I can't speak for you but if I tried that every muscle from my traps down would violently explode almost instamtly...
The kid is wearing a mask I always assumed because at the time, Michael Jackson wore masks all the time. That kid gots some moves, though
This. Michael wore masks in public. I remember all the tabloid rumors about whatever reasons he might have had for wearing one.
I heard that Michael originally didn't like the kid wearing the mask, so they reshot the whole bit without the mask, and when MJ saw it, he decided the mask was the right way to go. So thats what we got
Kid was only wearing the mask because his parents wouldn't clear his face to be in the video... He was actually down the street from where they shot the video, and just started dancing!! Lol
@@jamesgreer9366 there are 2 versions of the video. One with the mask, one without. They are both on CZcams.
@@jamesgreer9366 the older the cover becomes, the more rumors starting about it.
As about everything, i guess.
This is what you call an “homage”. Nothing but love & respect.
Thanks for my 50 cent word of the day !
I assume humans on Earth are the “Ant Farm” for the amusement of the Aliens.
Pretty much. It's the whole theory that aliens put humans on Earth to observe the same way kids put ants in an ant farm.
Reminds me of that Twilight Zone episode "Stopover in a Quiet Town," where a couple finds themselves inside a giant toy model of a town so a giant alien child can watch them.
Mj loved this version and video. The kid dancing is in front of MJs childhood home..MJs family also invited them to play this song at the tribute concert. The mask is in reference when MJ was constantly getting plastic surgery and wore them all the time. Everything is in reference to MJ and his videos.
I opened up for Alien Ant Farm back in 2011. Those dude were humble and fun to be around. Never forget the small guy they kept saying! I guess they felt the need to pay it forward
Well shit who are you??!!
Hey, I did too, same year! It didn't happen to be Dirt Fest 2011 did it? My favorite memory was getting to stand behind main stage about 7 feet away from the drummer, just marveling at how good he is!
The drummer is wearing One Glitter Glove. The chair is Also his Single Glove
Man, I still remember when this came out. I was a Sophmore in high-school, and this cover was lit! It even recieved MJ's seal of approval.
Michael Jackson loved hard rock and that is what he was going for when he made his song "BAD". He told Eddie Van Halen when he did the guitar solo in the song and he said that he thought that Eddie's fast playing was like nothing that he had ever heard before and he could not get enough.
Eddie's solo was in the song "Beat It" not in the song "Bad".
Slash played in one of his songs and even showed up on stage during a tour, but I can't for the life of me remember which song that was.
@@PrincessBunhead The song with Slash was "Give Into Me". Theres also a live video of Billy Idol's guitarist Steve Stevens doing "Dirty Diana"
MJ loved this, gave approval and had say in the video. They were asked to play at his funeral. This is old lol.
Old, so terrifying. I watch the clip and it still has that 'new' look for me from the early 20's, I grew up through the 80's and 90's so I was adulting in a soul crushing job by the 2000's, life kind of freezes at that point.
Ok, here we go. All references if you're watching original video with time stamps.
0:12 Kid dancing like Michael Jackson, using a mask that he usually wore.
0:30 The lean he did in Smooth Criminal with Gravity Boots.
0:34 Japanese girls. In Asia, girls lost their collective shit over him.
0:52 The wolf in video of Thriller.
1:20 One of the more iconic moves from MJ, also hard left turn but King Of The Hill?
1:38 Silver glove chair, and Bubbles, his pet chimpanzee.
1:48 Sidewalks glowing a la Billy Jean video.
2:12 Car windows blowing out with lead singer doing the iconic crotch grab and scream "Ohhhhh! while on top of the car. In the background, there's a flag of MJ.
2:19 The thriller iconic zombie move. Two guys are wearing a silver glove.
2:23 Another thing that MJ usually did in his shows. Smoke and wind coming from under him.
2:37 Sidewalk glowing again, and the screen splitting like in Billy Jean clip. (My personal fave is the mailbox)
3:12 Pulling up pants to look like MJ's iconic socks, they were white because your eye naturally go to light and away from dark. He wanted his feet to be highlighted.
3:16 Jesus F'ing Christ, this kid can dance...
3:28 Elizabeth Taylor tattoo, someone that was very close to him.
3:30 The end of Thriller video.
Misc: Drummers sticks, one is silver. Also, white glove.
If I missed any, let me know?
You might want to add the part where he jumps on the car, screams, and dances on the roof... Most will remember it as the poor decision made by Jackson to dance on a car hood in front of the courthouse at his trial, but it actually mimics the scene from a video he did to fight racism. Here's the scene.
czcams.com/video/FiADkjpyqFI/video.html&ab_channel=cheetahtree
@_Common_Logic_ It's at 2:12. I need to use my words. I skipped a few.
2:12 is a scene from the longer version video of Black or White.
I read only this week that MJ even had his people help with the props needed for the leaning forward part in the video, and that this was filmed in front of his childhood home. They were even invited to his funeral by his family.
MJ loved it & gave his approval. Even had Bubbles the Chimp ( I think that was name of MJ's Chimp) don't quote me. MJ always wore a mask & had his kids wear mask too 💜
He got rid of Bubbles quite a long time before this video.
Nobody ever talks about how the drummer KILLED it in thos track
This is in the Top 10 cover/tribute songs of all time. Even MJ loved this version.
You didn't mention how everyone there was having a great time. Young, old, different hairdos and colors. Just pure fun. This is what we are missing today. Just pure fun. I do wish the people today could have this.
Yep, fun was made illegal in the new millennium. In Australia it was the mid 90's they started the real crackdown on activities other than watching TV. In my 42 years on this planet, life has not gotten better or more interesting, just more restricted, sterile and boring. People refused to acknowledge it was happening until about now, because it was the less socially acceptable activities that got the axe first, but then the authorities only had the acceptable activates left to crush, so they did.
Movies is their only other "big" song, it was recorded and released before their smooth criminal cover and the studio thought it was their strongest song and pushed really hard for it with a music video and a re-release.
It probably deserved to be their second hit.
Features a really cool Cameo from an '80s film icon and tons of references to '80s and '90s Cinema.
I think they had some songs featured on Tony Hawk Pro Skater too that were pretty good. Not sure how successful those were.
Michael Jackson was alive when this was made and gave his consent with a few changes. For one he didn't want the kid to wear a mask but when he saw the boy without the mask he changed his mind and had them put the mask back on the him.
I'm 41 and I remember when this hit radio.Fallout Boy covers 'Beat It'.both have the same vibe.
Bomfunk MC's - Freestyler was an amazing song back in the day im glad its on the recommended nostalgia overload.
Bomfunk MC's - Freestyler is A MUST!!!
Rock the microphone
@@andrewt836 in stereo
I second this!
Came out in the early 2000's I believe, think American Pie movies era. MJ even had his input in on the video.
‘Smooth Criminal’ is their biggest hit. ‘Movies’ is their second.
Movies was definitely their other big song but that whole album is a banger.
Love calico also.
I do love Movies...I love the whole album but for originals Movies moves me most. I was going to mention this myself but am instead approving of your mentioning it.
0:51
"That Kid Is Dancing With A Mask On, Did He Know About 2020?"
Actually, Pegasus, Micheal Jackson, was known for going out in public wearing a mask. It was one of his more eccentric traits
I really dig this!! The fact that they respect Michael enough to do this and even reference the video is awesome. Love it!! ❤️
Absolutely fantastic!!! A tribute to a genius Michael Jackson.
Thing is - while MJ started as a disco era artist and many of his songs are well to be danced to (well, you know - he did, and how) - so many of his compositions are rock in their nature. To me "Thriller" has always been a rock album, and songs like "dirty diana" "give in to me" "who is it" are rock ballads. Drop into this "the way you make me feel" "earth song" "black or white" and you've got a dancing rock composer. Cooporation with best rock/metal guitarists was no fluke but a conscious choice of an artist who understands where his appeals lie but knows what sounds he likes. Lots of his songs just beg for instrumentation with less electronics and more electrics; "Smooth criminal" is just one of them. Check out how The Baits did "Billy Jean".
With one of my bands we would play "Beat it" and "Bad" with another.
You got to hear (bread) now it's time for some cake❤😂 short skirt long jacket
Alien Ant Farm, to me at least, is referring to aliens seeing Earth/humans the same way we do an ant farm. Check out Movies from them (their other big hit) and they just had a new song come out recently that is really good. If you want another excellent MJ cover check out Dirty Loops doing their version of Thriller.
If I remember correctly, they always played a few covers at concerts. People would go so nuts over Smooth Criminal, that they asked MJ if they could record a cover. He loved it and gave it his blessing.
Ooh, ooh, you just showed the thumbnail of Justin from The Darkness, A Thing called Love. Funny as heck British band in the same vain as Spinal Tap. Good music too.
Also does reactions on his channel Justin Hawkins Rides Again
I remember when this came out, MJ was working on a career comeback with the album Invincible. My brother just bought this album and had the hardcore MJ fan listen to the song, not long after I saw the video on MTV. I've always seen this as a tribute to the artist and his career.
MJ used to wear a mask back in the day, so it was a throw back to him
This is the master class in covering a song - and I can think of none who have done it better.
MJ loved and gave permission for this... Great reaction!
The white house behind the boy in yellow shirt that is dancing is MJ's childhood home in gary indiana. Ive lived 20 min away from there most of my life. I have seen it many times. It has a large white metal fence surrounding the house now. There is also a statue/monument there too.
Love this, since I’m actually named after MJ in tribute to my oldest sister who died 3 months before I was born, which is an event that shaped my whole life because of the trauma that I went through and my mom because the last 3 months in womb my mom was having nightmares every night as my brain was being formed which affected me and knowing that lost since I was born made different than other people , and so Michael Jackson always held a special place in my heart and this cover came out when I was a freshman in high school
8:35 Yes, the writer gets paid a "mecanical royalty" by the covering artist for the song in a tangible form (disc, records, tapes, mp3 file). It's usually done on the backend and handled by the lable. There are also "performance royalties" for performing it live or if a recording is played (cover bands at a bar, radio broadcast). There are also "synch royalties" (when a song is used in a commercial, TV show, or a movie) and Print music royalties (sheet music, guitar tab, etc). Many live venues pay a flat licensing rate to ASCAP, BMI etc for cover bands and live or recorded music (as the venue is on the hook for the royalties, not the performers).
'Movies' is an iconic song by them. Fit in perfectly with that era
I cant believe it took you this long to hear this. Saw them preform it live and it was crazy energy from the band and crowd.
That alien ant farm album was my first album I ever bought when I was 13. One of the other more well-known songs was called 'Movies' and the music video for that song had. Pat Morita (Mr. Miyagi) in it.
I saw where Michael Jackson saw this cover and he absolutely loved the hard rock fee that they did.
This is the cover of all covers and can never be covered again XD Loved this so much when it came out.
Alien Ant Farm has also done a music video called movies (as i recall) but this is their ultimate hit. Story is that they tried to play a few riffs at a party, and people went bananas (in a good way) when they heard the metal version, so they realised that they were on to something and made this with the approval of MJ :)
Sounds right, 2021 my son was 10, this video was playing all the time. So the night before school picture day my son gave himself an inverted Mohawk. He is a very blonde blue eyed kid, his pictures came back hilariously perfect.
Looking at the suggested videos at the end of the video was my entire High School right there!! 💥 Dope videos man
This was their biggest song. They had a few others like movies but this was pretty much the only song that broke through and not many in the world could name too many of their songs.
It was around 2001. It was around my senior year of high school. Check out movies by alien ant farm. It was pretty catchy too.
The way they do the lean isn't with ropes. It's done with a nail in the floor that fits into a groove in their shoe and then you can do the lean. That was reveiled by one of MJ's back up dancers after he passed away. I like how the drummer was wearing one glove.
One of the greatest covers EVER done IMO. And trust me man, GO DOWN THAT RABBIT HOLE....you wont be disappointed....lol
The song was recorded with no intention of being released due to copyright, by chance it was leaked to Jacksons management that played him the song, Michael loved it and agreed they could release it and then they filmed the video
They were about to be the next big thing in punk/rock when the band was in a major vehicle accident and the lead singer was almost killed. Put the band back but I’ve seen them live and they were amazing
AAF seems to have (ironically) released a "Greatest Hits" album in 1999, when they were still unknowns. "Movies" got some airplay on MTV as I recall, and then they went with this cover. Never tremendously active, they haven't charted since 2003; the wiki article implies a hiatus from 2007-2014. They're actually still active, released new material this year!
They actually recently just started putting out new music too :D I recommend Fade or Last dAntz, great new stuff and his voice hasn't changed at all
I saw them live on Van's Warped tour in 2001. I wanted to ask the bassist what kind of bass he was playing and he told me he built it. They are really down to earth guys. Their whole first album was fire!
I miss this goofy type of humor that is also respectful. This came out when I was senior in high school. Amazing.
The way that they do the leaning trick isn't with cords. They actually have a piece of metal sticking up from the floor and a catch built into their shoes. They hook the metal into the catch of their shoes to anchor them to the ground, letting them lean like that.
I've loved this version of the song since it came out. I wanted Alien Ant Farm to cover all of MJ's songs.
You forget that Michael used to go around in public with a mask on. (Something he learned from touring in Asia.)
Bro, I know you say that the things you react to are videos and songs you've never seen/heard before, but I can't believe that you have never heard this one. This is easily my favorite cover ever made. Good reaction!
Yea when I was in S. Korea from 2013-2015 I noticed a lot of the older generations there wore the masks. Also, highly recommend South Korea. Great place. Great people. Amazing ramen. Very respectful culture.
Even when Weird Al did Eat It and Fat, he talked with MJ about his idea before hand, for both he basically did a "shot by shot" parody of the original music videos with his own twists here and there thus giving his personal flair.
AAF not only discussed this idea with MJ before hand, he even offered tips here and there and gave his complete seal of approval on the end result!
I was sixteen when this came out. I was a huge MJ fan and saw him twice in concert and Smooth Criminal was my favourite song. This cover blew us all away, it was THE vibe of 2001 when the alternative scene was really kicking off in the mainstream. This song will always be close to my heart. Loved seeing you react to it, and generally just love to hear it! Thanks dude!
I graduated High school in 2001 and i remember buying Alien Ant Farm's first album which im pretty sure this was on. I liked a lot of it but i went to college and really moved more onto hip hop and Rap Metal. This video is really good and that kid IIRC was like a competition winner for best MJ impersonation (possibly specifically his dancing).
AAF chose their name because Dryden (the lead singer) had a though that maybe all humans are just being bred to serve aliens, making us kind of like an Alien Ant Farm.
This is by far the bands most successful song, even though they recorded it as a gag and didn't really want to make the music video. It was loved by MJ regardless. Their second most successful song was "Movies", followed by "These Days"
In Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3, their song "Wish" was featured on the sound track. If I remember correctly, Dryden is a classically trained vocalist, and they just try to have fun with their songs.
They've been making a strong comeback this year, albeit without their badass ex-bass player, Ty Zamora.
Mike Cosgrove, the drummer is wearing the single white glove, everyone always misses that MJ nod.
the band gets its name, Alien Ant Farm, from one of the band members thinking about how Aliens came to Earth and seeded it with life...the Earth is an alien ant farm.
for alien ant farm i would suggest movies, attitude and glow...Also Alien Ant Farm derived their name from a combination of various influences and ideas. The band's name is said to have originated from a daydream the band's guitarist, Terry Corso, had in high school. According to Corso, he envisioned aliens traveling to Earth and studying human behavior, particularly observing ants as a representation of humanity. The concept fascinated him, and he combined the words "alien" and "ant farm" to create the band's name.
The lights on the sidewalk is from Billie Jean, which is why a goth punk metalhead outcast who grew up loving Michael Jackson loved this when it came out
This song was also featured in American Pie. When Jim super glues himself to his junk!
I've tried to get tons of people to react to the song "These Days" from Alien Ant Farm for years. They set up on top of a roof accross from the BET awards and filmed it. They do a song called Movies as well. This and those 2 songs are the only ones i think had radio time. damnnn. i feel old saying radio time!!!!!
Bomfunk mc's freestyler was a HUGE hit here in Europe back in the day, dunno about the US though. But check it out for sure, you'll love it
We're the ants in the ant farm. So it's the alien's and farm. Also, every cutaway from the band is a reference to other songs and music videos from MJ
“Movies” was always my favorite song by them 💯
Alien Ant Farm got arrested for renting the building across the street from the BET Music Awards. They set up on the roof and started playing during the red carpet filming. 😮
In case ya didnt know, the dude with the metal mohawk was Flea, the bassist fro Red Hot Chili Peppers.
No. That wasn't Flea.
@@rowanmayfair9249 yeah, my bad. I went back and watched it again in slow mo and got a better look at him. 😂
@@randywissler9923 A LOT of people think it's Flea, you're not alone. 🤪
This is the version of smooth criminal that i knew as a kid. For the longest time i didnt know it was a cover because MJ wasnt the type of music as a kid. But somehow this is my first time seeing the video
Love It! Homage to MJ! There are so many tributes to other MJ songs and his personal life!
This is the best cover of a Michael Jackson song. Come at me, I was in high school when this released and I actually really liked this band. Movies is a good song too
I beleave they did this as a goof. But one of there team send it to mj's team and mj got to listen to it and loved. Gave his seal of approval and they worked out the version we got now.
This is the only cover of MJ that I love. And I believe MJ was ok with this. Loved the MV too with all the Easter eggs regarding MJ in it. Like the mask, the light up sidewalk, the glove, etc
Was so excited when I found out they are putting out a new album.
First time you showed a band I didn't know Thanks! The video was perfect for the performance
If I remember correctly Movies was supposed to be their first single but nobody liked it. So they released this cover and became popular. Then they released Movies and everyone loved it
Humans are an alien's ant farm.
Saw them play it live at the Big Day Out in Melbourne in like 2001 or '02, great gig on one of the best days of my life!🤣👍
Great cover, great band! Also huge in Europe at the Time. So was MJ and Jackon five before!!
Just a superb cover and a homage to MJ. I agree, they killed it.
This might be the be cover/tribute song ever made. I have watch their video a million times.
It wasn't their biggest song, but "These Days" when they crashed the BET awards is a good one.
5th grade watching this on MTV was a trip. Really got me into rock and then metal.
Your reactions are just awesome. The spontaneity is wonderful! Thank you!
"Movies" would be the other music video from them to check out. It has a surprise cameo you won't expect!
So they recorded this song with no intention of it coming out. The manager or someone sent it to MJs people, he heard it and LOVED it so much that he contacted them and told them to release it
Top-5 all-time cover, no question. Paid a beautiful homage to the artist, a fantastic re-imagining of the song as a rock track, crazy fun video, just tremendous. This is exactly what a cover should be.
BTW, MJ and this Band do the "LEAN" by having Hidden, Metal Panels, on the Stage, that they Slip the Bottoms of their Shoes Into, which gives them just enough Leg-Support, to LEAN Forward, without losing Balance!
Nostalgiaaaaaaaaa 😊 so much nostalgia here for me 😂💜 2001 was the year i graduated high school so this type of music is my jam 😂