7 The 100 Most Influential Musicians of All Time 7Thriller sold more than 40 million copies, captured a slew of
awards, including a record-setting eight Grammys, and
became the best-selling album in history. The first single
on the album, “The Girl Is Mine,” an easygoing duet with
Paul McCartney, went to number one on the rhythm-and-
blues charts and number two on the pop charts in the fall
of 1982. The follow-up single, “Billie Jean,” an electrifying
dance track and the vehicle for Jackson’s trademark “moon-
walk” dance, topped the pop charts, as did “Beat It,” which
featured a raucous solo from famed guitarist Eddie Van
Halen. Moreover, “Beat It” helped break down the artificial
barriers between black and white artists on the radio and
in the emerging format of music videos on television.
By 1984 Jackson was renowned worldwide as the “King
of Pop.” His much anticipated Victory reunion tour with
his brothers was one of the most popular concert events
of 1984. Further solo albums—Bad (1987) and Dangerous
(1991)—solidified Jackson’s dominance of pop music, and
in 2001 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame; the Jackson 5 were inducted in 1997.
Jackson’s eccentric, secluded lifestyle grew increasingly
controversial in the early 1990s. His reputation was seriously
damaged in 1993 when he was accused of child molestation
by a 13-year-old boy he had befriended; a civil suit was set-
tled out of court. In 1994 Jackson secretly married Lisa
Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, but their marriage
lasted less than two years. Shortly thereafter Jackson
married again, this marriage producing children, though
it, too, ended in divorce. While he remained an inter-
national celebrity, his image in the United States was slow
to recover, and it suffered even more in November 2003
when he was arrested and charged with child molestation.
After a 14-week trial that became something of a media
circus, Jackson was acquitted in 2005.