He doesn’t have a crown (well, maybe he does) but Michael Jackson is the undisputed King of Pop. Born and bred in the music industry, his career spans four decades and includes some of the most successful and well-loved songs in the history of pop music.

Michael started performing early, joining his brothers’ group, the Jackson 5, in the late 60s and graduating to a solo career soon thereafter. As the front man for the family group, he was a cute boy with serious singing and dancing skills who quickly got his own deal with Motown Records. The hits kept on coming, first with the Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There” and “I Want You Back” and then with his solo “Got to Be There” and “Rockin’ Robin.”

After a few more years as part of the Jacksons, Michael collaborated with music legend Quincy Jones on Off the Wall, an album that would mark his transformation from child star to adult superstar. Packed with hits, the album showcased a very danceable fusion of pop and soul. Songs from Off the Wall included “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” and “Rock With You,” both #1 hits in 1979. The album and its songs won Michael numerous Billboard, American Music and Grammy awards.

Jackson followed up the success of Off the Wall with Thriller, a truly monumental album that spent a whole year at the top of the charts, generating an unprecedented seven Top 10 singles, including “Thriller,” “Billie Jean” and “Beat It.” Thriller busted records (the Guinness kind, not the vinyl kind) left and right, becoming one of the best selling albums of all time; the Grammy folks practically threw sackfuls of statuettes in Michael’s general direction. He became a celebrated idol in every corner of the globe. The newly launched MTV network devoted considerable airtime to the album’s music videos, including the lengthy, mini-movie of the single “Thriller.” Michael’s trademark leather outfit and single white sequined glove swept the fashion world and started a new trend among his fans. Also imitated—with varying degrees of success—was his ‘moonwalk’ dance routine, which was eagerly taken up by amateur and professional dancers alike.

After a hair-singeing brush with pyrotechnics gone wrong, Michael settled a lawsuit with the Pepsi Cola Company and donated the money to his center for burn victims. Continuing in a charitable vein, he co-wrote and performed with other singers and musicians the song “We Are the World,” raising money for the relief of famine-hit Africa.

In 1987, Michael Jackson released Bad, another commercial and critical success, that included many #1 and Top 10 hits, like the title track (Martin Scorsese directed the video for “Bad”), “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Dirty Diana,” “Man in the Mirror” and “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.” The subsequent world tour featured screaming, fainting fans of all ages welcoming Michael in four continents.  The sparkle from all those sequined gloves must have been blinding.

Michael’s eccentric lifestyle didn’t diminish the demand for his music and 1992’s Dangerous produced more hits with “Remember the Time” and “Black and White.” Another album, HIStory released in 1995, was a compilation of old hits and new material and the accompanying world tour topped the success of Bad, with 4.5 million people attending the concerts.

Michael Jackson’s influence continues to reverberate through the world of pop music today, making him one of the most revered icons of the past 30 years. His name and music are known everywhere and the King of Pop will undoubtedly reign for years to come.