How does one define Michael Jackson? I don’t know. He was the blueprint. THE standard. Anyone who says otherwise is just delusional. Next to James Brown, Michael was the hardest working man in the entertainment industry & is STILL the King of Pop.

Many have tried to tarnish his legacy, reputation and all, BUT the legacy he left behind will never be tarnished. His discography is easily one of the most important discographies in music period. 

Got To Be There (1972):

Favorites: Ain’t No Sunshine, I Wanna Be Where You Are, Rockin’ Robin, Girl Don’t Take Your Love From Me, Maria (You Were The Only One,) You’ve Got A Friend, Wings of My Love.

Michael’s debut album is a Motown gem! His Motown days are remembered more because of his time in the Jackson 5, but you can’t forget I Wanna Be Where You Are & Rockin’ Robin. Amazing to be completely honest!

Ben (1972):

Favorites: Ben, Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool, People Make The World Go ‘Round, We’ve Got a Good Thing Going, You Can Cry on My Shoulder.

Ben is that ALBUM! Easily one of my favorites from Mike.

Music & Me (1973):

Favorites: Happy, With a Child’s Heart, All The Things You Are, Too Young, Doggin’ Around, Euphoria, Morning Glow, Music & Me.

Music & Me is easily Michael’s most underrated album. 😩😭 there’s way too many soulful jams on this record for people to overlook.

Forever Michael (1975):

Favorites: We’re Almost There, Just A Little Bit of You, We’ve Got Forever, Dapper Dan, I’ll Come Home To You.

Another slept on album from Michael. Y’all have to appreciate the Motown albums a little more!

Off The Wall (1979): 

Favorites: Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Rock With You, Workin’ Day & Night, Off The Wall, She’s Out of My Life, I Can’t Help It, It’s the Falling In Love, Burn This Disco Out.

His debut album with Epic is what solidified him apart from the Jackson 5. The timeless records on this album are simply unforgettable. I Can’t Help It is a masterpiece that I fall in love with every listen. This album showcases what was to come from Michael.

Thriller (1982):

Favorites: Beat It, Billie Jean, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, Baby Be Mine, The Girl is Mine, Thriller, PYT, Human Nature, The Lady in My Life.

Wasn’t no bullshit with Thriller! To this day, it is one of the best selling albums of all time. Michael set the standard HIGH for musicians at this point. With long form videos, production out of this world & music that still stands the test of time, Thriller is just one of those albums that reign supreme..even 200 years from now.

Bad (1987):

Favorites: I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, Smooth Criminal, Liberian Girl, Bad, Another Part of Me, Speed Demon, Man In The Mirror, Dirty Diana, The Way You Make Me Feel, Leave Me Alone.

One of my favorite Michael albums, Bad is just as important as Thriller. Does it have the magic Thriller has? Not by a long shot. However, Michael didn’t come to play games. Going above and beyond was Michael’s expertise. 

The lyrical themes make the album stand out than any of Michael’s albums at this point. Discussions of world peace, racial profiling & media scrutiny makes “Bad” sonically above most of the albums released in the 80s.

Dangerous (1991):

Favorites: Heal The World, In The Closet, Remember The Time, Jam, Black Or White, Keep The Faith, Gone Too Soon, Dangerous, Why You Wanna Trip On Me. 

Dangerous is also another favorite of mine. It contained some of the lyrical content Bad touched on, & marked the beginning of a professional relationship between Mike & my favorite producer Teddy Riley ( JAM!) 

Every song is meaningful! From the tear jerking tribute to the late Ryan White “Gone Too Soon,” to the church ballad “Will You Be There,” to the powerful Black & White..Dangerous proves to be an album where Michael was at his breaking point with the world & their views on black people.

HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1 (1995):

Favorites: Scream, Earth Song, Tabloid Junkie, Stranger In Moscow, They Don’t Care About Us, You Are Not Alone, Smile, This Time Around, Childhood, D.S., Little Susie, Come Together.

Being a greatest hits double disc album, with new songs, HIStory is the most iconic & powerful Michael album ever released. I mean when it comes to content. Michael just did not hold ANYTHING back! Themes like injustice, greed, environmental protection & awareness, tabloid scrutiny, etc..are throughout the album & is basically an open letter to the media for treating Michael the way they were at the time. 

Invincible (2001):

Favorites: Speechless, Heaven Can Wait, Unbreakable, Heartbreaker, You Rock My World, Whatever Happens, Break of Dawn, Cry, Privacy, You Are My Life, Butterflies, The Lost Children.  

Being the last album released during Michael’s lifetime, Invincible is easily one of the best albums released during my childhood.

The themes are incredibly similar to his previous work, but is a masterpiece period! 

Michael Jackson was too good for this world, & I honestly feel like we didn’t deserve him. Not only was his music the GREATEST, but he was a great person who wanted to give the world to every individual he could touch. That’s why he’s a legend. That’s why he deserves his flowers. 

That’s why the things in his personal life doesn’t need to tarnish his legacy. I don’t like to think of the ways the white man tried to tear Michael down. I like to think of the music, & how much he love & adored his family, fans & his children. How he gave his ALL to charities..& how unapologetically BLACK he was. Rest in Paradise, King!