Debate: Elvis or Jackson , who's a better singer?
Side: jackson

First of all, Michael Jackson transformed POP music into what it would later become known as-- "popular music"-- by cutting and cross-cutting element after element after element of different styles, not confining himself to one particular genre. Man in The Mirror can go up against ANY Christian song and give it stiff competition, because it harps on that which God has told us to do time and again...help EACH OTHER. The gospel elements in songs like that, Earth Song, and Will You Be There, technically outstrip any of Elvis' rather weak additions to the religious music genre. Michael Jackson has sung jazz songs (Theme from Lady Sings the Blues, With a Child's Heart, and Happy), hard driving soul ballads (Who's Loving You) disco, (Dancing Machine, half the Off the Wall album) heavy metal rock songs to critical acclaim (Dirty Diana, Morphine), pop rock to critical acclaim (Beat It), modern R&B(Billie Jean, Remember the Time, Break of Dawn...countless others), classic R&B(Rock With You, The Lady In My Life, countless others), ballads (She's Out of My Life, Stranger In Moscow, Human Nature, You Are Not Alone), neo-soul (Butterflies), hard core pop (Smooth Criminal, Bad, Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'), even Spanish language versions of his own classics like I Just Can't Stop Loving You...and the genre bending songs like Whatever Happens, Black or White, Thriller, Scream, and They Don't Care About Us make fools out of anyone who dares try to classify them. I like Elvis. A lot. I have a lot of respect for him as a performer--his artistic merit leaves much to be desired. But he made hell of a bunch of entertaining songs. His albums lacked the quality of Jackson's, but even the Beatles couldn't manage more than one #1 track per album. Jackson's Off the Wall (LP) did this with relative ease. Some of Presley's tracks make me just break out into song. Elvis had more range than people give him credit for on here, but he is still light years away from spewing out the quality vocals Michael Jackson delivers on his cover of Come Together (1986), which defied all previously-known vocal signatures he had. Presley's voice is not nearly as flexible, and even in breakaway songs like A Little Less Conversation, he sounds like ELVIS. I've played people Michael Jackson songs that they vehemently denied belonged to him. Michael Jackson could disappear in a song (if not entirely, then at least for a couple of bars--like in Fall Again or 2000 Watts)...Elvis never had such a talent. Closest thing he comes is Jailhouse Rock, a classic. By the 70's, Elvis' voice no longer stood out among his peers (like is evident in songs like In The Ghetto--anybody could have sung that the way he did). Jackson's vocal style has been imitated (and has helped CARRY songs) by Justin Timberlake, Usher, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Bruno Mars, Fall Out Boy, and Alien Ant Farm. And nobody, no matter how hard they try, can get it right. Some, admittedly, aren't trying. Others are trying as hard as they can. Regardless, his voice remains UNIQUE, and not because people aren't putting in the effort. Jackson's voice has scores of imitators, to be honest. Nearly every popular singer that has emerged since the 80's will cop to being influenced by his style. And almost all of the MEGA-STARS. If anyone tried to sing like Elvis Presley TODAY...their career would be over before it started. Meanwhile, look at next generation artists like Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae. They've already got Grammy nods, if not awards, and sold millions. And By the way, how could you not know that Michael Jackson sang nearly every kind of popular music there was? Even songs like Remember the Time and They Don't Care About Us had tinges of reggae in them...lol 'cause Mike was that n-word! Hate to be slightly vulgar there for a second, but where've you been?? Anyway...Michael Jackson wins a singing contest with Elvis any day of the week. And dancing...well, I'm just glad you didn't try to make that argument.