The Jackson 5

They were the essence of soul-pop, a drum-tight family unit of fresh faces and serious skills who could school the masses in bubblegum funk with the love lesson "ABC," then turn around and pour out their young hearts to the head-hanging ballad "Who's Lovin' You." Quite simply, the Brothers Jackson were unlike anything that had come before, a real-deal musical phenomenon responsible for a dizzying array of stone-cold smashes — "I'll Be There," "The Love You Save," "Never Can Say Goodbye" — that live on as some of the best, most beloved rhythm and blues laid down by anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Now it's time to take your Next Steps into more Jacksons magic.

The Jackson 5 may have had plenty of age-appropriate numbers, but these boys had old musical souls and talent way beyond their years. Truly, they were ahead of their time, whether boldly melding two songs into one — as they did with the 1975 soul-ballad-turned-funky-rock-anthem "I Am Love (Pts. 1 and 2)" — or standing up to the solid brass and acid-washed guitar of the raucous pop-soul nugget "Goin' Back to Indiana." And they always had their musical antennae up, looking far beyond the Motown hit factory and cutting a version of Jackson Browne's "Doctor My Eyes," giving them a Top 10 hit in Europe.

In our Deep Cuts, we'll hear the Jacksons after they left Motown — and the "5" — behind.

Like most adolescents, the Jackson 5 had their share of growing pains, chafing under Motown house rules and finally bolting (minus Jermaine) for new territory as just "the Jacksons." Hooking up with Philly soul architects Gamble and Huff proved to be a smart move, as they reveal in the laid-back, sunshiny groove of "Blues Away" (Michael's first-ever published song, incidentally). Funk spills out onto the dance floor in the hi-NRG disco of the following year's "Different Kind of Lady," complete with the kind of Vocoder-assisted vocals that another Ohioan, Roger Troutman, would build a career on. And we close out with a song that hints at Michael's imminent solo career and has taken on a special poignancy in the wake of his passing, the confessional "Bless His Soul," one of the rare instances in which Michael and Jackie share lead vocals.

They were brothers born into a strict, working-class household in Gary, Indiana, not necessarily candidates for greatness, yet they became one of the greatest groups of the 20th century — a family-fueled powerhouse of lasting pop appeal. Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Michael (and, later, Randy) were still boys when they caught the ear of Motown founder Berry Gordy, but with all the hit-making mastery of the legendary label at their feet, and a whole lot of funk in their young souls, the brothers knocked their first four singles — including the eternal "I Want You Back" — straight to the top of the charts, in the process giving birth to a dynasty. We bring you their best, from glorious Motown greats like "Mama's Pearl" to boogie-down epics like "Dancing Machine," every track revealing the depth and reach of the Jackson legend.