Was Michael Jackson the greatest musician of all time? A look at his legacy on his 68th birthday

Michael Jackson would have turned 68 today, having been born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, as the eighth of ten children in the Jackson family.

The anniversary comes as his legacy remains firmly in the spotlight, with Lionsgate confirming a sequel to its biopic “Michael”, according to Yahoo.

The first film, released in April, follows Jackson’s life from the 1960s through the Bad Tour in the late 1980s.

It starred his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the title role, with his siblings LaToya and Marlon Jackson, along with his son Prince Jackson, serving as executive producers.

The film grossed over $1 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing music biopic of all time and Lionsgate’s highest-grossing release.

The sequel is expected to begin production in 2026 or 2027 and will cover Jackson’s life from the 1980s until his death in 2009.

Jackson’s career began at age six as the lead singer of the Jackson Five, which debuted in 1964 and signed with Motown Records in 1969 before parting ways with the label in 1975.

Two years later, he launched his solo career with *Off the Wall*, an album that included hits like “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Rock With You” and “Workin’ Day and Night.”

It sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, earning two Grammy nominations and one win.

That solo success only grew with the release of *Thriller*, *Bad*, *Dangerous* and *Invincible*, albums that carried Jackson to global stardom and produced some of the best-selling records in music history, including “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Human Nature” and the title track “Thriller.

“The scale of that catalog, paired with his influence on music videos, dance and live performance, is often cited as the basis for calling Jackson the greatest musician of all time — a title he shares in public debate with artists like The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Prince.

Supporters point to his commercial dominance, record-breaking album sales, and his role in transforming the music video into an art form.

Critics of the label note that “greatest of all time” is inherently subjective, and other artists have rivaled or matched his chart success, cultural reach or musical innovation in different eras.

Jackson died in 2009 at the age of 50 while preparing for his “This Is It” residency, a planned 50-show comeback that would have marked a return to the stage after years out of the spotlight.

With his catalog continuing to top streaming charts and a second biopic already in the works, Jackson’s influence on pop music shows no sign of fading nearly two decades after his death — a legacy that continues to fuel the debate over where he ranks among music’s all-time greats.