Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his world record music achievements broke racial barriers in America and his publicized personal life made him a global figure. Through songs, stages, and fashion, he proliferated visual performance for artists in popular music; popularizing street dance moves including the moonwalk (which he named), the robot, and the anti-gravity lean. Guinness World Records named him the most successful entertainer of all time. As part of the Jackson family, Michael at age six made his public debut in 1964 with his older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon, as a member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons). The Jackson 5 signed with Motown in 1968 and achieved worldwide success with Michael as lead singer. Jackson achieved solo stardom with the release of his fifth album Off the Wall (1979). He followed it up with Thriller (1982), the best-selling album of all time, which aided the popularization of MTV and revolutionized the music video medium with the videos for its title track along with "Beat It" and "Billie Jean". Jackson furthered his position as a global superstar with Bad (1987), the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana". Dangerous (1991) saw him venture into an array of artistic sounds, and became one of the most successful albums of the 1990s. HIStory (1995) produced "You Are Not Alone", the first song to debut at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as the protest songs "Earth Song" and "They Don't Care About Us". From the late 1980s, Jackson became a figure of controversy and speculation due to his changing appearance, relationships, behavior, and lifestyle. He was accused of sexually abusing the child of a family friend in 1993. In 2005, Jackson was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and all other charges. While preparing for a series of comeback concerts, This Is It, he died in 2009 from an overdose of propofol administered by his personal physician Conrad Murray, who was convicted in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered reactions around the world, creating unprecedented surges of internet traffic and a spike in sales of his music. His televised memorial service, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, was estimated to have been viewed by more than 2.5 billion people. Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 500 million records worldwide. He had 13 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles (the fourth-highest in Hot 100 history) and is the first artist to have a top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades. Jackson's inductions include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice), the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Dance Hall of Fame (making him the only recording artist to be inducted). As one of the most-awarded artists in popular music, he received 13 Grammy Awards, the Grammy Legend Award, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 26 American Music Awards, including the Artist of the Century and Artist of the 1980s, six Brit Awards, three presidential honors including Artist of the Decade, the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award, and 12 World Music Awards including the Millennium Award, among other awards. In 1992, Jackson founded Heal the World Foundation, donating an estimated $500 million to charity throughout his lifetime. In 2024, half of his music catalogue sold to Sony for $600 million, the largest music acquisition for a single artist in history.