Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958, Gary, Indiana – June 25, 2009, Los Angeles) is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century and is known as the "King of Pop." Growing up in a musical working-class family, he made his debut at age six as lead singer of the Jackson 5, who achieved international success on Motown Records with hits such as "I Want You Back" and "ABC." Jackson launched his solo career in parallel in 1971 – his debut album *Got to Be There* and the number-one single "Ben" (1972) were early milestones. His global solo breakthrough came in 1979 with *Off the Wall* (produced by Quincy Jones), followed by *Thriller* (1982), featuring "Billie Jean," "Beat It," and the title track, which became the best-selling album of all time. Its music videos revolutionised the medium and brought MTV to mainstream prominence. His Epic Records discography includes further landmark works such as *Bad* (1987), *Dangerous* (1991), and *HIStory* (1995), the latter featuring a collaboration with The Notorious B.I.G. His world tours – including the Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory World Tours – redefined live performance. Jackson blended pop, R&B, soul, and disco into an unmistakable style and popularised dance moves such as the moonwalk.