25 Reasons We Love Michael Jackson

Why we'll always be down with the King.

Michael Jackson - The Jackson 5 first rose to popularity via a deal with Motown, under which Michael Jackson began releasing his solo albums. After a while, however, the brothers felt the label was stifling their creativity too much and they jumped ship for Eipc, where MJ went to record the rest of his catalogue, including Off the Wall, Thriller and Invincible.(Photo: EPA/JAN NIENHEYSEN /Landov)
Style Icon - No matter what Michael Jackson wore people emulated it. Here, he's decked out in buckled pants. (Photo: Barry King/WireImage)
9. His Evolution - MJ’s musical growth throughout his four decades in the spotlight is nothing short of astonishing. From ’60s teen idol and Motown funkster to ’70s disco star to ’80s pop master to ’90s new jack swinger, Mike mastered genre after genre, trend after trend, decade after decade, and never looked back.   (Photos from left: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images, Mark Mainz/Getty Images)
8. He Made Off the Wall,Too - Off the Wall is the album that took MJ from teen sensation to grown-man superstar. He rocked the disco workouts “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” and “Rock With You,” popped it out with Sir Paul on “Girlfriend” and crafted soulful, ethereal jazz with Stevie on “I Can’t Help It.” And he was just getting started.  (Photo: Epic Records)Michael Jackson –Thriller (1982) - With the help of producer Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson crafted this genre-defying masterpiece which catapulted him from R&B superstar to ground/record-breaking global phenomenon and absolute King of Pop. From the danceable "Billie Jean" to the rock-influenced "Beat It" to the ghoulish title track, the Gloved One not only scored smash hits, but used the tracks to pioneer the use of music video as a means of visually pushing the interpretation of pop music.   (Photo: Epic Records)

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10. He Made Bad - Some people sleep on Bad. These people are stupid. MJ evolved fiercely on this 1987 blockbuster, mixing the clean disco-pop of Thriller and Off the Wall with a harder, darker electro-rock sound and a new, bad-ass attitude. Classics like “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Man in the Mirror” and “Smooth Criminal” were the result. It’s the fifth best-selling album of all time for a reason.(Photo: Barry King/WireImage)

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