Michael Joseph Jackson, commonly known as MJ as well as the "King of Pop", is an American musician, entertainer, and pop icon whose successful career and controversial personal life have been a part of pop culture for almost 40 years. Michael Jackson is widely regarded as one of the greatest entertainers and most popular recording artists in history, displaying complicated physical techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, that have redefined mainstream dance and entertainment. His achievements in the music industry have included a revolutionary transformation of music videos, establishing high-profile album releases and sales as a new trend for record companies to generate profits, dominating pop music during the 1980s, and becoming the first black entertainer to amass a strong f...more >>ollowing on MTV while leading the relatively young channel out of obscurity. He has been symbolically named the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" by Guinness World Records.