Michael Jackson (1958–2009), the King of Pop, grew up fronting the Jackson 5 in Gary, Indiana before the Quincy Jones-produced run of Off the Wall (1979) and Thriller (1982) rewrote pop music. Thriller remains the highest-selling album in history at over 70 million copies. Find Michael Jackson vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958, the eighth of ten Jackson children. He launched his recording career at age 5 as the lead vocalist of the Jackson 5 (with brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon) on Motown Records. After Jackson 5 success across the late 1960s and 1970s, his solo career launched in earnest with Off the Wall (1979), produced by Quincy Jones. His 1982 album Thriller - also produced by Jones - became the highest-selling album in history, with over 70 million copies sold worldwide. The Thriller, Beat It, and Billie Jean music videos transformed MTV and music video as art form. He continued releasing material across multiple decades with Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995). He faced controversies including child sexual abuse allegations (with criminal acquittal in 2005 but ongoing civil litigation). He died on June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles at age 50 from acute propofol intoxication administered by his physician Conrad Murray (who was subsequently convicted of involuntary manslaughter). His foundational influence on contemporary pop, R&B, and broader popular music is widely cited as one of the most important contributions to the form.
Michael Jackson's sound combines pop, R&B, soul, funk, dance-pop, rock, and disco with his distinctive vocal delivery (use of vocal hiccups, gasps, and falsetto), choreographic innovation, and arrangements drawing on classic R&B traditions alongside progressive expansion into rock and contemporary dance music. His foundational influence on contemporary pop, music video as art form, and broader popular music is widely documented.
Original Epic Records pressings of the late-1970s through 1990s Michael Jackson catalog are foundational items in popular music collecting. Multiple anniversary editions (including the 25th anniversary and 40th anniversary Thriller editions), audiophile reissues (Mobile Fidelity, Acoustic Sounds, Tone Poet), and the comprehensive Sony/Legacy reissue programs have been released.
Listeners new to Michael Jackson typically start with Thriller (1982) or Off the Wall (1979).
