No matter what you may think of his personal troubles or legal travails, Michael Jackson was, indubitably, one of the brightest supernovas in a dazzling pop galaxy — regarded as a musical prodigy with the Jackson 5 when he was just a child, a burgeoning solo star by the '70s, and a bona fide international phenomenon with the advent of 1982's Thriller, 1987's Bad, 1991's Dangerous, and beyond.
It's nearly impossible to capture the scope of his legacy, but we would love to hear from you, Mix readers, and learn what his music meant to you.
Did you first get to know him as the little boy with the impossibly clear, high voice singing "I Want You Back" with his brothers in the Jackson 5? Lighting up those glowing sidewalk squares in the video for "Billie Jean"? Moonwalking across the stage at 1983's now-legendary Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever broadcast? What about the then-groundbreaking film-morph technology in the '91 "Black or White" video?
Share your memories of the King of Pop below, and help say goodbye to one of the most controversial, gifted, boundary-pushing performers the world has ever seen.
More from EW on Michael Jackson:
Michael Jackson: 18 key moments in the life of the King of Pop
Michael Jackson dies at 50
Jackson on TV: A classic artist, a revolutionary
Michael Jackson: Share your memories
'Thriller' at 25: Still Can't Beat It
Wanna Be Stoppin' Somethin'
Michael Jackson's 'Thriller the Musical': Would you go see it?
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MJ taught me how to love music, myself, and the world around me. There will be no other.
he was the king of pop, and will never be forgotton
My very first concert ever was the Jackson 5 when I was in 7th grade around 1980.
I remember that 1983 performance of Billie Jean at the Motown Anniversary that took him from superstar to ICON! Appreciate those we have with us now, because we never know when they will be gone. Thanks for everything Michael!
Listen to Off The Wall and marvel in the greatness.
An extremely talanted musician, a creative and loving individual. His legacy will live on for ever. RIP Michael.
The worst thing is that, for a long time now, I can never listen to his best music without feeling sad about what he was and how much he changed. In time now no doubt his musical reputation will overcome his more recent controversies, but that doesn’t seem much of a comfort right now. His passing, for me, is just a reminder that he could clearly never be the person everyone expected him to be, and the transformation that that fact caused in him was painful for us, and it was probably painful for him, too. I hope that our memory of his music will overtake all the others, because I still get excited when I hear Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough or Man In the Mirror or anything from Thriller.
I was one of those people who said “He is such a freak!”. But I am now a person who is so sad, who feels so bad for his children, who wishes he could have had the chance to show his gift again. RIP Michael – you WILL be missed and remembered as a true talent.
I grew up with a poster of the ‘Bad’ album cover on my wall of my bedroom …and I was going to marry him.
And, more relevantly, I was still very young when Earth Song came out, and my first ever album was HIStory. I drove my family crazy listening to it over and over again, reciting Vincent Price’s commentary in Thriller. Back then I was still to young to think about his personal life or know about his public controversies, and that’s my most important memory of the man.
As a young girl, I always wanted to go to one of his concerts but my mom would never pay those high ticket prices. So now that I’m in a position to afford a Micheal Jackson concert, I will never be able to witness his greatness. My heart is bleeding as tears fall down my face. This day will be forever remembered, as the Kin of Pop & the Legend passed away on my 29th birthday.
My memory of Michael is one that not many people know. Just before Thriller came out, MTV wasn’t playing black artists and weren’t going to play anything from Thriller until Epic Records threatened to pull all their artists off MTV. The network caved in and played Michael’s music and the rest is history.
I remember growing up in the 80s, I was at a friend’s house and watched her younger brother get in huge trouble with their mom for cutting the fingers off his new winter gloves in order to be like MJ.
I remember him best from him paying a huge sum of money to the family of a boy that claimed he was molested by Jackson so the boy wouldn’t testify against him in court.
Michael Jackson is America. He is us at our worst and at our best. We created Michael Jackson. The high voiced prodigy in love with excess and with fame. The man who faulted not under his own talent but the fact that he had too much to live up to.
I grew up on his music. He changed my life the first time I saw him spin. Through any changes he made to himself, he made just as many changes to the landscape of popular music.
Rest In Peace, Michael Joseph Jackson. And may your poor tortured soul finally find solace.
Two things: 1) When I was 3-5 years old, I listened to the Thriller LP EVERY night, and I made my dad rent the video from the video store…so much that the store suggested my dad just buy it. Being cheap, he refused and continued to rent it, but that’s another story for another day.
2)I actually met Michael during the Bad tour, and I was still pretty young. All I can remember thinking is that he wore a lot of makeup, and I was extremely nervous.
I remember thinking “The way you make me feel” was the coolest song and video ever when I was 10. I still love that song.
I started saying a few years ago, there might not have been an American entainer who was as talented as Michael Jackson. His singing, dancing, song writing, producing was 2nd to none. Very sad to see what became of his life which was taken way too soon.
He made a distinct impression on me after the Motown Special 25 Anniversary show. At five or so years old I thought for sure he was from another planet after seeing the moonwalk and there was nothing you could’ve done to convince me otherwise! I’ll always remember him because I am singing and writing music today because of him. He is truly a star now though he always have been; the sky I’ll always aspire to reach!
Loved MJ – he’s the best! No one will ever replace him as the King of Pop. Very sad to see such talent gone at age 50. Fantastic dancer and singer. Will be greatly missed – RIP MJ xxx
I have been missing Him for years. I remember him popularizing so many trends in music and video. I can only hope after this calms in the media that he can be reinvented like Elvis was. Videos and music should be his legacy not the legal scandals that wrecked his recent past.
I’m sorry that he didn’t die in prison for the many young lives that he ruined. His music was great and I still enjoy it but the man was a train wreck that needed to be stopped.
The very first cassette tape I bought was Thriller. I remember putting on my most “slippery” socks and spending hours practicing the “moon walk” in the kitchen.
RIP Michael.
For me it will always be Billie Jean and the moonwalk…. I never saw anyone move the way he could.
Tabitha, for what it is worth happy birthday.
I will miss the music and I’ll never forget the first time I ever watch the “Thriller” video. I was so young and scared! But I was riveted.
Thank you for being the breakthrough artist that the black community needed…. you will be missed.
I was wild for MJ in the 1980s. My very first concert experience was the Jackon’s Victory tour. Amazing talent. He will be missed.
As a child molester. Yes, that DOES overshadow his career, and to think otherwise is either willful ignorance or insanity.
r.i.p m.j we will miss you love carmonda a.k.a cece and the famliy tears tears
=(
only the king of pop can moonwalk like dat…
His music was often catchy but Jackson himself was a freak. His lifestyle was a disaster and there was absolutely nothing about him to miss.