"Be careful of what you do," sings Michael Jackson in "Billie Jean." Jackson is pictured here three years before his 2009 fatal overdose on a general anesthetic that he took just to sleep at night.

It is one of those before-and-after albums. There is music before Thriller. And music that was made in its wake. Even today, its stats are mind-boggling. To date, it has sold 70 million copies and has ...

Michael Jackson‘s “Billie Jean” deeply impressed an important R&B musician. He said that the track could have been transformed into 12 different hit songs if Jackson had divided it up in a certain way ...

When Jones and Jackson listened to Thriller for the first time, they thought it sounded terrible. They realized they had to make changes before they put it out. One of these changes was cutting the ...

While filming a 1984 commercial for his successful Pepsi campaign, Michael Jackson sustained injuries that may have impacted the rest of his life.

*Michael Jackson’s music continues to resonate with audiences decades after it first debuted. From timeless classics like “I Want You Back” and “Beat It” to the iconic “Thriller” and “Man in the ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Reporting on Africa, its diaspora, and hip-hop's class acts today. Michael Jackson in Los Angeles, California (Photo by Ron ...