Quick pop quiz: Prior to this week, what was Taylor Swift’s last new No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100? I bring up “Is It Over Now?” to offer a benchmark for assessing the latest flotsam to wash up ...

Michael Jackson‘s “Billie Jean” deeply impressed an important R&B musician. He said that the track could have been transformed into 12 different hit songs if Jackson had divided it up in a certain way ...

When Jones and Jackson listened to Thriller for the first time, they thought it sounded terrible. They realized they had to make changes before they put it out. One of these changes was cutting the ...

*Michael Jackson’s music continues to resonate with audiences decades after it first debuted. From timeless classics like “I Want You Back” and “Beat It” to the iconic “Thriller” and “Man in the ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Reporting on Africa, its diaspora, and hip-hop's class acts today. Michael Jackson in Los Angeles, California (Photo by Ron ...