Michael Jackson    (29 August 1958)
née Michael Joseph Jackson

The King of Pop! ... for very good reason.  Awe-inspiring vocal talent, jaw-dropping performances, almost four decades at the top of the charts, a generous humanitarian with a message of peace and unity, MJ, you are the best!

Michael Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, entertainer, record producer, arranger, actor, choreographer, and "pop icon whose successful career and personal life have been a part of pop culture for almost 40 years."⁽¹⁾

This portion of the description contains excerpts  Steve Huey's article at All Music Guide. ⁽²⁾

"Michael Jackson was unquestionably the biggest pop star of the '80s, and certainly one of the most popular recording artists of all time."

"In his prime, Jackson was an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and loads of sheer star power. His 1982 blockbuster Thriller became the biggest-selling album of all time, ...and he was the first black artist to find stardom on MTV, breaking down innumerable boundaries both for his race and for music video as an art form."

"Whether as a pop icon or a tabloid caricature, Jackson always remained bigger than life."

Michael started performing started at the young age of 11 as the lead singer in the highly acclaimed "Jackson 5". "...the group signed to Motown in 1968 and issued their debut single in October 1969... "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There" all hit number one in 1970, making the Jackson 5 the first group in pop history to have their first four singles top the charts."

In his solo career which began as early as 1971, Michael hit the top five on the charts with  "Got to Be There" (his first single) and "Rockin' Robin." His first #1 song was "Ben" which was nominated for an Oscar.  In the late 70's, "... Jackson recorded his first solo album as an adult, Off the Wall. An immaculately crafted set of funky disco-pop, smooth soul, and lush, sentimental pop ballads, Off the Wall made Jackson a star all over again. It produced four Top Ten singles, including the number one hits "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You," and went platinum (it went on to sell over seven million copies)."

It turned out that "... his next album would become the biggest in history. Released in 1982, the Quincy Jones-produced Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more driving, the pop tunes and ballads softer and more soulful, and all of it was recognizably Michael. Jackson brought in Paul McCartney for a duet, guitarist Eddie Van Halen for a jaw-dropping solo, and Vincent Price for a creepy recitation. It was no surprise that Thriller was a hit; what was a surprise was its staying power. Jackson's duet with McCartney, "The Girl Is Mine," was a natural single choice, and it peaked at number two; then "Billie Jean" and the Van Halen track "Beat It" both hit number one, for seven and three weeks respectively."

"Those latter two songs, as well as the future Top Five title track, had one important feature in common:

Jackson supported them with elaborately conceived video clips that revolutionized the way music videos were made. Jackson treated them as song-length movies with structured narratives." "Having never really accepted black artists in the past, MTV played the clips to death, garnering massive publicity for Jackson and droves of viewers for the fledgling cable network."

"Jackson sealed his own phenomenon by debuting his signature "moonwalk" dance step on May 16, 1983...  though he didn't invent the moonwalk (as he himself was quick to point out), it became as much of a Jackson signature as his vocal hiccups or single white-sequined glove."

"Thriller just kept spinning off singles, including "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," the airy ballad "Human Nature," and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"; in all, seven of its nine tracks wound up in the Top Ten, obliterating conventional ideas of how many singles could be released from an album before it ran its course. Thriller stayed on the charts for over two years, spent 37 nonconsecutive weeks at number one, and became the best-selling album of all time; it went on to sell 25 million copies in the U.S. alone, and around another 20 million overseas."

"Naturally, Jackson won a slew of awards, including a record eight Grammys in one night..."

 - End of Steve Huey excerpts -

Michael Jackson, the humanitarian, has made large contributions to numerous charities.  The profits from several of his major hits were diverted completely to charity.  "All profits from the Dangerous World Tour went to his foundation raising many millions of dollars in relief." ⁽³⁾

"In 1998 Jackson was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize..." and at "... the World Music Awards in 2006 Beyonce announced that Jackson had given $300 million to charity and that Jackson has been actively involved with 39 charity organizations around the world. ⁽⁴⁾

Genre: R&B, Soul, New Jack Swing, Funk, Rock, Dance-Pop, Motown, Disco

Sources:  (1)  (2) (3) (4)