What was Michael Jackson's first number-one song as a solo artist?
Uncredited (likely Matthew Rolston); Distributed by Epic Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The 1970s were a wild time - bell-bottoms were in, disco was king, and a young musical prodigy was about to break free from his family band to dominate pop culture for decades to come. Yes, we're talking about the one, the only, Michael Jackson.
Before he was the King of Pop, Michael was the crown prince of the Jackson 5, stealing hearts with his cherubic face and mind-blowing vocals. But like any ambitious royal, he had his eyes on a bigger prize - solo superstardom. And boy, did he achieve it in style!
The transition from child star to adult artist is a notoriously tricky tightrope to walk. For every Justin Timberlake who makes it look easy, there's a cautionary tale waiting in the wings. But MJ? He didn't just walk that tightrope; he moonwalked across it, leaving the rest of the music industry in his glittery, rhinestone-studded dust.
As the 70s gave way to the 80s, Michael was busy cooking up a musical storm that would change the face of pop forever. His solo albums were like a masterclass in hitmaking, each one more successful than the last. And as his album count rose, so did his trophy collection. Grammys, AMAs, VMAs - you name it, he probably won it. Multiple times. And he dished it all out with a side of killer dance moves.
Speaking of dance moves, let's take a moment to appreciate the cultural impact of Michael's footwork. Before him, pop stars were content with a few hip shakes and maybe a spin or two. After Michael? If you couldn't defy gravity and the laws of physics with your dancing, were you even trying?
Michael's music videos were mini-movies, pushing the boundaries of what could be done in the medium. He turned "Thriller" into a horror movie, "Smooth Criminal" into a noir masterpiece, and "Black or White" into a global unity anthem (with some morphing effects that probably gave George Lucas a run for his money).
But every superstar's journey has a starting point. Before the moonwalk, before the glove, before he headlined the Super Bowl, there was that crucial moment - the first solo number one. It was the song that proved he was a pop culture phenomenon in the making, and he was here to stay.
What was Michael Jackson's first number-one song as a solo artist?
