25 Reasons We Love Michael Jackson

Why we'll always be down with the King.

17. His Video Premieres Were Events - When Mike unveiled a new video, it was must-see TV: one of the three major networks would always air it (and during primetime), kids would race home, entire families would sit glued to the tube. The next day at school, guess what every kid was talking about?  (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
16. The "Smooth Criminal" Lean - You know what we’re talking about. Our jaws still drop when a zoot-suited MJ and his backup dancers do that inhuman, defying-the-laws-of-physics lean. Mind-blowing.(Photo: Epic Records)
Michael Jackson x ATV Music Publishing - When Michael Jackson learned the value of music pubishing, he changed the game and began acquiring catalogues that "meant something to him," like Sly & the Family Stone songs. He eventually acquired ATV Music Publishing, sold to MJ in 1985 for $47.5 million, and giving him ownership of, most significantly, a bunch of the Beatles' songs, which ruffled the feathers of fellow pop royal Paul McCartney. MJ held on to the share, however, allowing a merger with his label home, Sony. Another merger later (with EMI), the company is now the largest music publishing house in the world, and his estate still rakes in cash from it.(Photo: Havakuk Levison/Reuters)
"Thriller," Michael Jackson - A horror epic film captured on wax, the title song from the biggest-selling album of all time remains the most cinematic track of Michael Jackson's entire musical catalogue. The infectious disco-funk dance track mixed with the King of Pop's early '80s melodic vocals and, of course, Vincent Price's haunt-rap makes this song, excuse the pun, an outstanding thriller.  (Photo: Epic Records)13. We’ve Known Him Since He Was This High - Michael Jackson was like family — through the highs and lows, we watched him grow up, from precocious, Afro’ed boy band leader to shining solo star to the indisputable King of Pop.  (Photo: Chris Walter/WireImage)

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16. The "Smooth Criminal" Lean - You know what we’re talking about. Our jaws still drop when a zoot-suited MJ and his backup dancers do that inhuman, defying-the-laws-of-physics lean. Mind-blowing.(Photo: Epic Records)

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