Five years ago today, the world stood still when it found out that Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, had died. With a career spanning four decades, Jackson is considered one of the, if not the greatest, entertainers of all time. TMZ was the first to break the story of Jackson’s death and speculation on how he died started quickly. Jackson’s final cause of death was said to be an overdose of propofol that was administered by Dr. Conrad Murray. Murray was eventually sentenced to a short prison term for his involvement in the death.
Although it’s been five years, Jackson’s legacy lives on, even in death. Earlier this year, Xscape, a posthumous album containing eight of the pop star’s previously unreleased songs was released. “Love Never Felt So Good,” the first single released from the album, featuring Justin Timberlake, immediately topped the charts. The song’s momentum fueled a hologram Michael Jackson performance on this year’s Billboard Music Awards, a performance that was met with both awe and bewilderment.
In memory of Jackson, Rolling Stone compiled a playlist that consists of 50 of his biggest songs, from as early as his Motown days to those days when a Jackson music-video premiere on television was a huge event. There’s no doubt that Jackson’s memory and his music will live on for generations to come; many are just grateful to have experienced it firsthand.
QOTD: What’s your favorite Michael Jackson song or memory?
Yesha Callahan is editor of The Grapevine and a staff writer at The Root. Follow her on Twitter.
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