Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson lived in the spotlight and on the charts in a way that no artist before ever did . . . and no artist after ever will. With his first #1 hit at age 11, a solo career that produced the best-selling album of all time, and relentless reinvention, Michael was always one moonwalking step ahead of the times. No introduction to Jackson's musical legacy would be complete without a meaty wedge from his signature album; from the mirror-ball disco cool of "Billie Jean" to the sweat-drenched grit of "Beat It," Thriller hit the pop world like a 42-minute triple-decker combo of earthquake, tsunami, and volcanic eruption, yielding seven Top 10 hits and cementing Jackson's status as pop's heavyweight champ. And the album's techno-funky title track wasn't merely a dance-floor favorite; it also spawned the video that put MTV on every '80s' teen's must-see list.

In Next Steps, Michael joins forces with another legend, digs through his roots, and more.

The sum of Michael's genius sprang not only from his ambition and talent, but also from his sense of musical history and his versatility. Jackson may not have realized that Bobby Day's R&B smash "Rockin' Robin" had its chart debut the very week he was born, but his note-perfect performance illustrates his undeniable command — at 13! — of All Things Pop. Rather than following it up with another rocker, Michael dials back the NRG for "Ben," a gorgeous ballad that gave his fans their first peek at a childlike vulnerability that would be part of his makeup for the rest of his life. And in the good-natured back-and-forth of "The Girl Is Mine," Jackson teams up with another megastar legend, Paul McCartney, who was not only an occasional musical partner, but also a fan and friend.

In Deep Cuts, Michael proves to be as brilliant an interpreter of others' music as he was an innovator of his own.

Because so much of Michael Jackson's music is, well, Michael Jackson's music, it's easy to overlook that he was masterful at interpreting — and reinterpreting — others' musical visions. Take Bill Withers' heavy-hearted slab of sorrow-stricken soul, "Ain't No Sunshine"; in Michael's hands, it morphs into a seductively smooth groove of fire and desire. Jackson injects Lennon & McCartney's psychedelicized stream of '60s consciousness, "Come Together," with a megawatt shot of speaker-shuddering beats and nail-studded-leather-tough guitar riffs. And on "Time Waits For No One," a wispy gauze of a ballad co-written by brothers Jackie and Randy, Michael's whipped-cream vocal floats on a feather-bed string arrangement, hinting at the super-slick production that would reach its peak with Thriller a couple of years later and change the face of pop music forever.

Blessed with a talent that knew virtually no bounds, Michael Jackson lived nearly his entire lifetime in the spotlight, first as a member of the Jackson 5, and later as the creator of the best-selling album of all time, defining the word superstar for generations to come. It was no idle boast that he claimed the crown as King of Pop, because he always had the musical goods to back it up. From the pre-teen rocket launch of "ABC" to the game-changing groove of "Billie Jean" to the soulful sweetness of "You Are Not Alone," Jackson lived at the top of the charts for four decades, a hit-making machine unparalleled in pop history. They say that the light that shines twice as bright burns half as long, and in the wake of Michael's passing, we can always take comfort in the undeniable fact that the music he left behind will continue to shine . . . forever.