Albums & Awards

The records. Off the Wall with Quincy Jones, Thriller and the eight Grammys in one night, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory and Invincible, the sales figures, the chart runs and the trophies.

Part of Michael Jackson

15 moments in this segment.

1. 1979-08-10 - A rare 1979 interview. A young Michael, on the cusp of solo stardom, in a 1979 interview.
2. 1979-08-10 - "Off the Wall" (1979). Produced with Quincy Jones, "Off the Wall", "Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough", "Rock with You", establishes Michael as a solo superstar and one of the great disco-soul records.
3. 1984-05-14 - The face of the 80s. The single white glove, the jacket, the jheri curl, the most photographed star in the world.
4. 1984-07-06 - Publicity portrait (1984). A 1984 publicity portrait at the absolute peak of the Thriller phenomenon.
5. 1987-08-31 - "Bad" (1987). "Bad" produces a record five #1 singles and launches Michael’s first solo world tour, 123 shows seen by 4.4 million people.
6. 1988-07-16 - The King of Pop at his peak. By the late 1980s Michael Jackson was the most famous entertainer on the planet, the "King of Pop".
7. 1991-11-26 - "Dangerous" & "Black or White" (1991). "Dangerous" and the "Black or White" video, with its groundbreaking morphing finale, kept Michael at the cutting edge of pop and music video.
8. 1993-02-24 - The Grammy Legend Award (1993). Sister Janet presents Michael the Grammy Legend Award at the peak of his fame.
9. 1995-06-16 - "HIStory" & "Earth Song" (1995). The "HIStory" double album and the epic "Earth Song" leaned into spectacle and message, and the giant promo statues toured Europe.
10. 2002-11-18 - Artist of the Century (2002). Michael receives the "Artist of the Century" award at the American Music Awards.
11. 2011 - "Thriller" - the best-selling album ever (1982). Released in November 1982, "Thriller" becomes the best-selling album in history, spawning seven hit singles and winning a record eight Grammys. The subject dates from 1982; this photograph was taken in 2011.
12. 2011-11-02 - "The Life of an Icon" (2011). A feature documentary on Michael’s life and influence.
13. 2012-11-22 - "Bad 25" - Spike Lee documentary. Spike Lee’s documentary on the making and legacy of "Bad".
14. 2014-05-13 - The legacy of the King of Pop. One of the best-selling music artists of all time, Michael Jackson reshaped pop music, dance and the music video, a towering, and deeply contested, cultural figure.
15. 2019 - The "Bad" LP. The vinyl label of "Bad", the album that produced a record five #1 singles. The subject dates from 1987; this photograph was taken in 2019.