Michael Jackson
The King of Pop Who Transformed Music Forever
Michael Jackson was a global pop icon whose music dance and visual storytelling transformed popular culture. Known as the King of Pop he broke racial barriers set new industry standards and fused innovation with mass appeal leaving a complex legacy of artistic brilliance and intense public scrutiny.
- 14 min listen
- King of Pop
- Thriller
- 13 Grammy Awards
Michael Jackson’s full 14 min audio biography, The King of Pop Who Transformed Music Forever, is available on Lyfestori for iOS. Listen to a free preview below.
A life in brief
The shape of a life.
He was the eighth of ten children in a two-bedroom house in Gary, Indiana, and the lead singer of his brothers' group at about six. Michael Jackson's first four singles with the Jackson 5 all reached number one — no group had done that. 'Thriller' became the best-selling album ever, its 14-minute video turned music video into short film, and the moonwalk arrived on a Motown anniversary special in 1983. He sold more than 500 million records, and died at fifty, in rehearsals for a comeback.
- 1958
Born in Gary, Indiana
Eighth of ten children of Katherine and Joseph Jackson, in a two-bedroom house in a working-class neighbourhood. His father, a crane operator at a steel mill and a former boxer, rehearses his sons rigorously at home.
- 1968
The Motown audition
The Jackson 5 audition for Berry Gordy in Detroit. Motown signs them, the family moves to California, and the label begins grooming the boys for stardom.
- 1969
'I Want You Back'
Released in October, it reaches number one. 'ABC', 'The Love You Save' and 'I'll Be There' follow — the first group in history whose first four singles all topped the charts.
- 1971
First solo single
'Got to Be There' at thirteen, while still with the Jackson 5. The album 'Ben' follows in 1972 and its title track becomes his first solo number one.
- 1979
'Off the Wall'
Produced by Quincy Jones, blending pop, rock, funk and disco. Over 20 million copies sold, and the end of his career as a child star.
- 1982
'Thriller'
Released in November. It becomes the best-selling album of all time — 37 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 and seven top-ten singles.
- 1983
The video and the moonwalk
John Landis directs a 14-minute 'Thriller' video with dialogue, special effects and elaborate choreography — closer to a short film. The same year, the moonwalk debuts on the television special 'Motown 25'.
- 1984
Eight Grammys
'Thriller' wins a record eight Grammy Awards. The sequinned glove, military jackets and fedora become global symbols.
- 1985
'We Are the World'
Written with Lionel Richie for African famine relief and recorded by 46 of the biggest names in music. It tops charts globally and has raised more than $75 million.
- 1987
'Bad'
Five number-one singles from one album — the first ever to do it. The world tour plays to over 4 million people across 15 countries.
- 1993
The allegations
Accused of child abuse. He denies it, no criminal charges are filed, and he settles the civil case out of court maintaining his innocence. He faces trial on similar charges in 2005 and is acquitted on all counts.
- 2009
Death in Los Angeles
Dies 25 June at fifty, of acute propofol intoxication, while rehearsing for 50 farewell concerts at London's O2. His physician, Conrad Murray, is later convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
Major achievements
What Michael Jackson gave the world.
- 01
'Thriller'
The best-selling album of all time — 37 weeks at number one, seven top-ten singles, eight Grammy Awards in 1984, and certified 34x Platinum in the United States.
- 02
Turning the music video into film
The 14-minute 'Thriller' video had dialogue, special effects and elaborate choreography. It helped establish MTV as a major force and proved videos could be artistic statements in their own right.
- 03
Breaking MTV's colour barrier
His success with 'Billie Jean' and the videos that followed pushed the network to programme more Black artists.
- 04
The moonwalk
Debuted on 'Motown 25' in 1983 and became synonymous with him. His combination of precision and apparent effortlessness made him one of the greatest dancers in entertainment history.
- 05
Five number ones from one album
'Bad' (1987) was the first album ever to put five singles at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
- 06
Humanitarian giving
An estimated $300 million donated over his life, plus the Heal the World Foundation, founded in 1992, which distributed food, medicine and supplies to children affected by war, poverty and disease.
Turning points
The moments that decided it.
- Mid-1960s
Lead singer at six
Joseph Jackson, a former boxer and guitarist who believed discipline and hard work were the keys to success, organised his sons into a group and rehearsed them rigorously in a small house in Gary. Michael, one of the youngest, took the lead — drawing comparisons to entertainers decades older.
- 1979
Surviving the child star
'Off the Wall', produced by Quincy Jones, was the transition most child performers never manage. A more mature sound blending pop, rock, funk and disco sold over 20 million copies and established him as a serious adult artist rather than a grown-up novelty.
- 1982–1984
'Thriller' changes the scale
The best-selling album ever, a video that was really a short film, the moonwalk on 'Motown 25', eight Grammys. He appeared on magazine covers worldwide and became a global ambassador for American popular culture. The terms of his fame changed permanently.
- 1993–2005
The allegations
Accused of child abuse in 1993, he denied it; no criminal charges were filed and he settled the civil case while maintaining his innocence. A 2005 trial on similar charges ended in acquittal on all counts. The stress and years of media scrutiny took a toll on his health and finances, and he became increasingly reclusive.
- 2009
'This Is It'
Fifty concerts at London's O2, sold out within hours, meant as his farewell — and, he promised, his greatest show. He was rehearsing in Los Angeles when he died on 25 June of acute propofol intoxication. Millions gathered in cities worldwide to mourn.
What you’ll take away
Lessons that outlast the headlines.
- 01
The medium is worth inventing
Music videos were performance clips until 'Thriller' spent 14 minutes on dialogue, effects and choreography. He treated a throwaway format as a place to make something.
- 02
Precision reads as ease
The moonwalk and the 'Smooth Criminal' lean looked effortless because of the obsessive detail underneath. His perfectionism was visible in every part of the work.
- 03
Fame is a poor shelter
The bigger the platform, the less protection it gave. Allegations, scrutiny and the people he surrounded himself with cost him his health long before they cost him his life.
Did you know
Fun facts.
- 01
Did you know that Michael Jackson purchased the publishing rights to the Beatles' catalog in 1985 for $47.5 million, a business move that caused a rift with his friend Paul McCartney?
- 02
Did you know that Jackson held the patent for a special pair of anti-gravity shoes that allowed him to perform the famous 45-degree lean in the 'Smooth Criminal' music video?
- 03
Did you know that 'Thriller' remains the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 70 million copies sold worldwide?
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Questions
Good to know.
It is the best-selling album ever, with global sales commonly estimated above 70 million and certified 34x Platinum in the United States. It spent 37 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, produced seven top-ten singles, and won a record eight Grammy Awards in 1984.
Publicly, on the television special 'Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever' in 1983. The audience reaction was electric, and the move became synonymous with him.
Of acute propofol intoxication combined with other medications, on 25 June 2009, at his home in Los Angeles. He was fifty, and rehearsing for a run of 50 comeback concerts in London. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
He was accused in 1993, strongly denied it, and settled the civil case out of court while maintaining his innocence; no criminal charges were filed. He was tried on similar charges in 2005 and acquitted on all counts.
He had vitiligo, a skin condition that causes patches to lose pigmentation, and used makeup and treatments to even out his skin tone. He also had multiple plastic surgeries. The combination drew constant speculation and controversy.
14 min · one sitting