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24 hours ago most of us were settled on the couch watching telly, listening to music or just chilling out when the texts started to arrive. " Put the news on, Michael Jackson's dead" said the first one. "unconfirmed" added the more cautious friends.
His sudden death and the reaction to it is being compared to Presley, Kennedy and Diana, but this is the first global celebrity whose death has been Tweeted and Facebooked in tandem with more conventional news reporting. I'm sure I wasn't the only one simultaneously watching TV, swamping the already overloaded celebrity websites,logging onto Facebook, and texting.
There are acres of coverage talking about his music, his impact on the entertainment world and how his bizarre private life helped redefine celebrity culture. Every detail of his life is out there an pored over in microscopic detail. No point in links, it's everywhere. Go read it and join in the debate. However if you do want a link see what you think of excellent Gary Younge talking about how Jackson died a "transracial experiment" .Whilst we could argue for hours about his private life and effect it had on how we perceived him, there can be no debate about his status as one of the greatest, if not the greatest pop star ever. He came up with the name King of Pop but there is no dispute about his claim to be pop royalty.
His cultural contribution cannot be underestimated - the way he brought black music to the mainstream, his work as a pop video innovator and the huge influence he had on others - not just with his music but more for his remarkable dancing. Tonight he's being compared with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. You can see it every week on shows like Britain's Got Talent - a generation of street dancers still sampling his songs and snaffling his moves.
The world's greatest pop star sold 750 million records in his lifetime. No one will ever do that again. At least two of his albums would be on most top tens of the greatest albums ever made.
Obviously clips of Michael Jackson have become Youtube's most watched. Take your pick from the footage of the ten year old with the heavenly voice moving like he's James Brown's mini me, to the Motown 25th anniversary concert where his dizzying performance of Billie Jean set the standard for great entertainers. When you watch it now it still takes your breath away and of course leaves you a little bit sad.
This programme is all about great pop music and sharing our love of the genre, so on Saturday's show I am keen to get your stories of how his songs made you feel. Leave your comments here, take a look at our Facebook page or why not email them in.