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Michael Jackson was unquestionably the biggest pop star of the ’80s, and certainly one of the most popular recording artists of all time. In his prime, Jackson was an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and loads of sheer star power.

His 1982 blockbuster Thriller became the biggest-selling album of all time (probably his best-known accomplishment), and he was the first black artist to find stardom on MTV, breaking down innumerable boundaries both for his race and for music video as an art form. Yet as Jackson’s career began, very gradually, to descend from the dizzying heights of his peak years, most of the media’s attention focused on his increasingly bizarre eccentricities; he was often depicted as an arrested man-child, completely sheltered from adult reality by a life spent in show business.

The snickering turned to scandal in 1993, when Jackson was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy; although he categorically denied the charges, his out-of-court settlement failed to restore his tarnished image. He never quite escaped the stigma of those allegations, and while he continued to sell records at superstar-like levels, he didn’t release them with enough frequency (or, many critics thought, inspiration) to once again become better known for his music than his private life. Whether as a pop icon or a tabloid caricature, Jackson always remained bigger than life.

Here we provide a run down of the key dates that Michael Jackson has accomplished during his life.

1958 – Michael Joseph Jackson is born August 29, in Gary, Indiana, USA.

1962 – Joe, Michael’s father, organises a family musical group – it eventually becomes the Jackson 5

1970 – The Jackson 5 release ‘I Want You Back’, ‘ABC’, ‘The Love You Save’ and ‘I’ll Be There’ – they all top the charts

1972 – Michael Jackson scores his first number 1 single as a solo artist with ‘Ben’ – he also earns an Oscar nomination

1977 – Jackson stars in the movie ‘The Wiz’ with Diana Ross and meets Quincy Jones

1979 – Jackson releases his first solo album as an adult. ‘Off The Wall’, produced by Quincy Jones goes platinum, while singles ‘Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough’ and ‘Rock With You’ top the charts.

1982 – Jackson releases ‘Thriller’, the album goes on to become the biggest-selling album of all time, staying in the charts for 2 years and hitting number one worldwide. ‘The Girl Is Mine’ – a duet with Paul McCartney, ‘Beat It’, ‘Billie Jean’, ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, ‘Human Nature’ and ‘P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)’ all reach number one in the charts. Michael Jackson supports the singles with amazing music videos, turning them into mini movies with narratives, best shown on ‘Thriller’, widely acknowledged as the greatest video of all time.

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1983 – Jackson wins 8 Grammys and becomes a spokesperson for Pepsi.

1984 – Michael records his last album with the Jacksons.

1985 – ‘We Are The World’ is released, the single supports the all-star famine relief effort for Africa.

1986 – Jackson buys a ranch in California and turns it into Neverland, an  amusement park filled with rides and animals. He undergoes cosmetic surgery and gets accused of wanting to ‘turn white’ as his skin gets lighter.

Wild rumours about Jackson’s personal life start to surface, the media talk about hormone treatments, the star sleeping in an oxygen tent and excessive
cosmetic surgery.

1987 - Jackson’s new album ‘Bad’ is released – once again produced by Quincy Jones. Singles ‘I Just Can’t Stop Loving You’, ‘Bad’, ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’, ‘Man in the Mirror’ and ‘Dirty Diana’ all debut at number 1.The world tour supporting the album becomes the highest-grossing tour of all time. More media speculation about the star’s personal life – tabloids start to call him ‘Wacko Jacko’.

1991 – New album ‘Dangerous’ is released, first single ‘Black Or White’ debuts at number one, although the video gets criticised for it’s violent scenes. Following singles ‘Remember the Time’, ‘In the Closet’, ‘Jam’ and ‘Heal the World’ don’t perform as well as expected.

1993 – Jackson is accused of molesting a 13 year old boy, he denies the charges and settles out of court, paying an estimated 18 to 20 million.

1995 – Michael Jackson marries Lisa Marie Presley, the marriage breaks up 19 months later. Jackson releases ‘HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1’,
a two-CD set featuring new material and his greatest hits, singles ‘Scream’ and
‘You Are Not Alone’ top the charts but the record is perceived as a disappointment.

1996 – Jackson marries Debbie Rowe, over the next two years the couple has two children, son Prince Michael Jackson, Jr. and daughter Paris Michael Katherine Jackson.

1999 – The couple divorce.

2001 – Michael Jackson is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and holds a massive concert at Madison Square Garden celebrating the 30th anniversary of his first solo record. Release of ‘Invincible’- the album performs well but singles ‘You Rock My World’ and ‘Butterflies’ disappoint and the single ‘What More Can I Give’ get canceled.

2002 – Jackson’s media appearances take an extreme turn – when at the MTV Video Music Awards he gets a birthday cake he thinks he has won the Artist of the Millennium title. Fans grasp in horror when he dangles his son off a balcony in Germany. He apologises the next day but his image gets more and more tarnished.

2003 – The star’s Neverland ranch is searched and he is arrested on charges of child molestation.

2005 – Jackson’s child molestation trial begins and he is acquitted on all counts. The singer moves to Bahrain.

2009 – Jackson announces his comeback with a 50 date run of shows at London’s O2 arena called This Is It.

25th June 2009 - Michael Jackson dies in California.

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