Way, way back in 1985, the supposed year that the Back to the Future movies took place in, a magazine called Ebony decided to find out what pop sensation Michael Jackson — whose “We Are the World” single had just been released — was going to look like 15 years later in the Year 2000.  Now, in 2009, following the singer’s tragic death, Buzzfeed has dug up the article, and the result is above.

Here is middle-aged Michael in all his glory.  Note the silky hair, the delicate mustache, the slight lines of years of world tours and backstage groupies which have etched their way onto Michael’s delicate face.  And sure, if this photo is to be believed, the fashions of the 80s managed to stay relevant for the next 15 YEARS, but we guess it’s a bit more subtle than, say, putting him in a spacesuit.

The description reads like so:

At 40, [Michael] will have aged gracefully and will have a handsome, more mature look. In number, his fans will have grown tenfold by the year 2000.

Gracefully is one way to put it. Of course, we now know that this is not the suave, ladies man creature Michael eventually became. For reference of what the guy actually looked like in the year 2000, click here.

Also, as far as the title goes, it took every ounce of good taste in our body to not bring up this genius song. Oh… well sh*t.