“If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with.” Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009), known as the "King of Pop", was an American musician and one of the most
commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time. His unique contributions to music and dance, along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a prominent figure in
popular culture for four decades.
He started a solo career in 1971, having made his debut in 1964 as a member of
The Jackson 5. His 1982 album
Thriller remains the
best-selling album of all time, with four others—
Off the Wall (1979),
Bad (1987),
Dangerous (1991), and
HIStory (1995)—among the best selling. He popularized several intricate dance moves, such as the
robot and the
moonwalk. He is widely credited with having transformed the
music video from a promotional tool into an art form, with videos for his songs "
Billie Jean", "
Beat It" and "
Thriller" making him the first
African American artist to amass a strong
crossover following on
MTV, allowing him to break down cultural and racial barriers.