WHAT THE KING OF POP WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR?

Love him or hate him, you are unlikely to forget Michael Jackson. From the Jackson 5 to Thriller and even his dramatic untimely death yesterday, Jacko made his mark on pop culture. Here is our verdict on the Top 10 things the King of Pop will be remembered for…

THE AMAZINGLY TALENTED CHILD PERFORMER

The King of Pop burst onto the music scene in the early 1970s in a band with big brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon. Despite the undoubted talents of his siblings, it was the baby of the band who captured the imagination. Michael , the kid with the cheeky grin, afro haircut and infectious vocal – not to mention his stunning dance moves – helped make the family quintet the biggest Motown band of the era.

THRILLER

Jacko had already released his debut solo album Off The Wall in 1979,but it was Thriller which established him as the King of Pop, earning him eight Grammies and staying in the Top 10 of the charts for a record 80 consecutive weeks.Featuring classic tracks like Billie Jean and Beat It, it went on to become the best-selling album of all time.Meanwhile,Jacko’s sparkling glove and leather jacket become instantly recognisable pieces of pop iconography.

THE MOONWALK

Mimicked the world over, Jackson unleashed his trademark dance move on the world during a live performance at the Motown 25: Yesterday,Today, Forever television special in 1983. It quickly became one of the cultural touchpoints for the 1980s.

BAD

If the Moonwalk had teenagers falling over their feet as they tried to glide backwards, follow up album Bad had them grabbing their crotch as they copied their hero.

BUBBLES

The chimpanzee was adopted by Jackson from a cancer research clinic in Texas in 1985. He went on to sit in on the recordings of the Bad album and later slept in a crib in Jackson’s bedroom.This bizarre friendship started to turn the King of Pop into Wacko Jacko.

NEVERLAND

Named after the fantasy island inhabited by Peter Pan, the boy who never grew old in J.M.Barrie’s children’s story, Jackson opened the California ranch and amusement park in 1988. Featuring a zoo and a theme park, the over-the-top estate was at the centre of foreclosure proceedings in 2007.

HIS FACE

The mystery of his transformation from his arrival on the pop scene as a fresh-faced 11-year-old to his unusual appearance in his later years has long been a talking point.The look then and now could be of two entirely unrelated people. The 1991 song Black or White – one of his groundbreaking 1990s videos – stood as a cruel irony to that transformation.

EARTH SONG

The 1990s brought a mix of success and ridicule for Jackson, with the 1996 Brit awards performance that featured a stage invasion from Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker illustrating that the King of Pop’s spell had been broken.

CHILD ABUSE ALLEGATIONS

In 1993, 13-year-old Jordan Chandler and his father Evan accused Jackson of abusing Jordan.A civil case was brought and settled out of court, but Jackson stood trial more than a decade later after another boy, Gavin Arvizo, accused him of sexual abuse. Jackson was acquitted in May 2005 after a five month trial. His judgement was also questioned after he dangled son Prince off a Berlin hotel balcony to wave to fans.

HIS DEATH

Like many famous people before him, Jackson died before his time.The legends of Elvis, Kurt Cobain and Princess Diana only strengthened after their untimely deaths.After a decade in the wilderness, Jackson was booked for a string of performances at the O2 – whether they would have been a triumph or a disaster we will now never know.