“Michael likes to lay back,” big daddy Joe Jackson told Ebony magazine in 1974. “He’s not the type who wants to be out-front.” Although this might have been true when the Jackson clan was in the crib, in the studio and on stage the cute soul boy was a natural leader. As equally influenced by Sammy Davis as he was by Stevie Wonder, he was as comfortable on stage as he was in the studio.

Learning from pop and soul masters from the time he was a tot, Michael matured into an artist who believed in musical diversity. With his love of all music, Michael created a canon of material including bubbly Cali-pop, screaming soul, stomping disco, ranging rock and exquisite ballads.

“I love creating and coming up with unusual things,” he told journalist Lisa Robinson. “To be kind of a pioneer.” Indeed, from the stunning first Jackson 5 single “I Want You Back” in 1969 to his last solo album Invincible (2001), Michael Jackson was a stellar force gone way to soon. Though he’s pigeon-holed as the “King of Pop,” Michael’s body of work was rich and varied. As the first anniversary of his passing approaches, we put together this list of 21 tracks that capture the many colors of Michael’s musical magic.

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