Michael Jackson

The production wizard behind Michael Jackson's Thriller won 28 Grammy awards during a career that spanned more than 70 years as a performer, songwriter, producer and music executive.

The singer and guitarist was part of sibling quintet that took over the pop world in 1969 — it released four consecutive No. 1 hits — and launched a family entertainment dynasty that lasted decades.

Journalist Leon Neyfakh and hip-hop commentator Jay Smooth explore Jackson's staying power despite allegations of child sexual abuse. They call the series a "social history" rather than a biography.

Audio engineer Bruce Swedien, who shaped the sound of several albums with Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, died Monday at age 86. He also collaborated with artists from B.B. King to Jennifer Lopez.

Classic releases from multiple genres were crashing up against our ears on our radios, our boomboxes, and on a new device called the Sony Walkman.

The patriarch helped take his legendary family from Gary, Ind., to global stardom, though the disciplinarian streak he used to get them there proved controversial later in life.

The director's new documentary, called Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall, explores the King of Pop's seminal LP. "Michael is alive, because his music is still here," he says.