Since his first performance at age five, Michael Jackson has shown the world his great artistic and musical talent. Although his life was cut too short at age 50, the talent he contributed to the world of music, fortunately, still lives on. Here are some interesting facts about his music and life that make him such a great and talented artist.

The Jackson 5

When Michael Jackson began his career singing and performing with his brothers in the Jackson 5, their first four singles were number one hits, showing his talent and contribution to the musical group. The last of the four songs to earn the number one single title, "ABC", earned the Jackson 5 their first Grammy nomination. Michael Jackson earned one of his two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Jackson 5: the second star is in his own name. 

Awards

Michael Jackson has won more awards than any other artist, both alive and dead. These awards include 26 American Music Awards, 40 Billboard Awards, 13 Grammys, and 23 Guinness World Records. And, since his death in 2009, he has received the title of Highest-Earning Deceased Artist from the Guinness Book of World Records with his reported $1 billion in sales. During the 1984 Grammy awards, Michael won eight awards, the highest number ever won by one person during one year.

Best-Selling Album

When Michael Jackson wrote and recorded his 19th studio album, Thriller, it became the best-selling album of all time, and sold 42.4 million copies when it was released in 1982. Additionally, it spent 122 weeks on the billboard 200, which was just over two years. 

The songs Michael Jackson included on this album clearly displayed his talent, as seven of the nine album songs were Top 10 hits. This earned his Thriller album eight Grammy awards while it remained on the billboard charts for 37 weeks. The album later earned 32 platinum certifications in the United States. Thriller was not only popular in the United States, as it sold over 100 million albums throughout the world. And the album Thriller is tied with the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits as the best-selling album of all time, according to the RIAA.

Michael went on to film a 13-minute music video for the single Thriller. For filming of the video for Thriller, Michael's wardrobe staff collected the zombie's costumes from the Salvation Army, but it was still the most expensive video ever made, costing over one-half million dollars.

You can continue to celebrate Michael Jackson and watch the video of Thriller anytime on YouTube.com, which has already been viewed over 149 million times. Or, get a book on the pop star, like Michael Jackson American Master.