As the 2025 Oscars prepares to honor the late Quincy Jones with a tribute on Sunday, we decided to take a look back at his decades-long career in admiration and astonishment. In addition to being the force behind classic films and TV shows like “The Color Purple,” “The Wiz,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and creating his own hip-hop magazine (looking at you VIBE), Jones’ musical contributions spanned across genres, mediums and artists like Michael Jackson, The Brothers Johnson, Frank Sinatra, Donny Hathaway, and The Winans.
Whether he was making trumpets sing for a jazz album or getting the notes just right for a pop project, Jones’ ear for sonic superbness is one that can’t be touched or compared — or adequately summarized for tribute, if we’re being honest.
So, in anticipation for his upcoming tribute, we’d thought it’d be fitting to take a look back at some of the legendary musicians he produced for. Let’s kick things off with the biggest star of them all: Michael Jackson.