Top 10 Michael Jackson Songs

The Best Songs

1. "Beat It"

By JOSH TYRANGIEL
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Jackson never got much credit for being a pioneer, but his melding of rock and R&B preceded the meeting of Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith by four years. Besides featuring one of the best guitar solos in pop history (provided free of charge by Eddie Van Halen, in a move his accountant no doubt regrets) it's the best example of Jackson's ability to bridge moods and genres. It's tense and spooky, it rocks, and yet you can't help but to dance to it. It's Jackson's best.

Watch TIME's video "Appreciating Michael Jackson, the Musician."

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Video

Appreciating Michael Jackson, the Musician

TIME music critic Josh Tyrangiel remembers — and appreciates — the high peak of Michael Jackson's career in the early '80s

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The World Mourns Michael Jackson

As the world woke up to news of Jackson's death Friday, fans paid their last respects to the King of Pop from Jakarta to Shanghai as well as in the U.S.

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Top 10 Michael Jackson Moments

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(Sort of) Celebrating Michael Jackson's 50th

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