Michael Jackson born on 29th, August 1958, an American singer, songwriter, dancer and the king of pop.

Best known for his songs, like ‘Beat it’, ‘Thriller’, ‘Smooth criminal’, ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough’

Rolling Stone referred to him as

“The greatest Pop artist that ever lived”

With a career spanning to approximately 44 years, beginning in the mid 1960s with the Jackson 5 and lasting until his death on 25th June, 2009, he built a career that brought respect to his name.

The rise of the legend

• Jackson five: Michael Jackson was the lead singer and youngest core member of the Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons. They quickly rose to fame in 1969, having  signed under Motown records and the release of their debut single “I Want You Back”. However due to lack of creative control and royalties, they left Motown records when they changed their name from Jackson 5 to The Jacksons soon followed by Michael venturing off to pursue a solo career.

• Solo career: His first solo single was ‘Got To Be There’, released on October 7, 1971 reaching number 4 on the US Billboard hot 100. Followed by his first album, ‘Got To Be There’, released in 1972 with songs such as ‘Rockin Robin’ , ‘I Wanna Be Where You Are’ and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’. His first solo number one single ‘Ben’ was written as a theme song for the horror film of the same name, which is a sequel to ‘Willard (1971)’ , hitting number 1 on billboard hot 100 in 1972. And of course, his best selling album of all time, ‘Thriller’, which was his sixth studio album released on November 29, 1982 through Epic Records. With sales estimated between 70 million and over 100 million copies, it is a landmark cultural and award-winning album. For this album, The king of pop received the Guinness book of world record for the best selling album of all time, a record it still holds to date.

Award – winning highlights

MJ is recognized as one of the most awarded artists in history with hundreds of awards accumulated over his four decade long career. These include:

• 13 Grammy Awards: ranging from album of the year, best RNB song, best music film, Legend award, song of the year, lifetime achievement award, Best music video, best male pop vocal performance record record, record the year etc.
• 26 American music awards: ranging from best pop album, award of merit, best RNB album, favourite male Pop artist, favorite pop/rock single, favorite pop/rock video, etc.
• Others include 40 Billboard music awards, 6 Brit awards and 8 MTV video music awards.

He also had 39 Guinness world records including Most Successful Entertainer Of All Time, Most Grammy Awards In A Year, Highest Paid Entertainer Of All Time, Most Supported Charities and Most Photographs Person In The World.

Michael Jackson films

1. The Wiz (1978) : This film was a remake of the wonderful wizard of oz featuring an all black cast including Diana ross, Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor. It is a film that reflects the social and economical realities of the then era. In this film, Michael Jackson starred as the Scarecrow. It is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video as well as Apple TV.

2. Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983) : A 14 minute short film directed by John Landis that premiered on December 2nd, 1983. It follows a couple on a date where they encounter a gang of zombies in a graveyard which then leads to an iconic dance sequence. It is available for free on their official YouTube channel. 

3. Captain EO (1986): It is a 17 minute short film, shown at several Disney theme parks from 1986 until 1998. It was a 3D science fiction film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola that starred Michael Jackson. It can be watched for free on YouTube.

4. Moonwalker (1988): Running for a duration of 1 hour, 33 minutes. It is a musical fantasy involving live footage of Michael Jackson’s concert and music videos from his best selling ‘Bad’ album. Released on 10th January 1989, it involves a fantasy tale featuring MJ facing off against a drug Lord named Mr. Big, played by Joe Pesci. Available to rent or purchase digitally through Amazon Prime Videos, Google Play Movies and YouTube with occasional availability on Netflix depending on the region.

5. Michael Jackson’s ghost (1996): It is a short film with a duration of 40 minutes starring the king of pop, released on 12th December 1996. Directed by Stan Winston it is a film that features Michael Jackson’s feelings of being haunted by false accusations at the time. Can be watched for free on YouTube.

6. Michael Jackson’s: This Is It (2009): It is a musical documentary with a duration of 1 hour 52 minutes featuring behind the scenes footage of Michael Jackson’s preparation for his well awaited London’s O2 concert. However, this concert could never see light as months later, MJ died suddenly under tragic circumstances. This documentary is available on YouTube Prime Video and Apple TV.

He can also be seen making cameos, appearing in movies such as ‘Men in black II (2002)’ as Agent M and as himself in ‘Castaway and the Island girls (2004)’

A special mention to ‘Michael’ a biopic movie released on 24th, April 2026, featuring Jaafar Jackson, who plays the king of pop himself and who happens to be MJ’s nephew. It is a 2h 7m movie directed by Antoine Fuqua alongside actors like Miles Teller, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Mike Myers, Laura Harrier, Kendrick Sampson, Jessica Sula and more. The movie revolves around the early life of Michael Jackson, from the Jackson 5 to his hit album ‘Thriller’.

Conclusion

Michael Jackson was indeed the king of pop. A legend that redefined music, dance and performance. A king who is remembered to this day as the greatest artist of all time. He created music that is timeless. His memory lives on through his music, his fans and his legacy.