Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson — the King of Pop — was the most successful entertainer in the history of the world. Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time with over 70 million copies sold. He won 13 Grammy Awards in a single night. He invented the modern music video as an art form. And he could dance in ways that seemed to defy the laws of physics — the moonwalk, first performed on Motown 25 in 1983, is arguably the single most famous dance move in human history.

Born in Gary, Indiana, in 1958, Jackson began performing with his brothers in the Jackson 5 at age five. By eleven, he was a number-one recording artist. His transition from child star to adult superstar — achieved with Off the Wall in 1979 and cemented with Thriller in 1982 — remains the most successful evolution in pop music history. His short films for "Thriller," "Billie Jean," and "Beat It" broke MTV's color barrier and transformed music videos from promotional tools into cinematic events.

Jackson's influence on music, dance, fashion, and popular culture is immeasurable. He popularized complex choreography in live performance, pioneered the concept of the global album release, and demonstrated that a Black artist could dominate every market on earth simultaneously. His philanthropy included support for 39 charities, and his music continues to generate over $100 million annually.