NEW YORK (AP):

When Michael Jackson anointed himself 'King of Pop' over two decades ago, there was considerable rumbling about his hubris: Yes, he may have become a world sensation with record-setting sales of Thriller, and yes, he may have had a string of No. 1 hits with smashes like Billie Jean and Beat It, but the KING OF ALL POP MUSIC?

Surely, in a modern music history that has given us Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder and so many other greats, that title was more than a bit inflated.

But in actuality, Jackson understated his significance.

While his elaborate, stop-on-a-dime dance moves and sensual soprano may have influenced generations of musicians, Michael Jackson stood for much more than pop greatness - or tabloid weirdness. One of entertainment's greatest icons, he was a ridiculously gifted, equally troubled genius who kept us captivated - at his most dazzling and at his most appalling.

At the height of his fame, he was among the world's most beloved figures. Heads of state clamoured to meet him, screen legends like Elizabeth Taylor were his close friends and, worldwide, simply the mention of his name could make people do the moonwalk, from Los Angeles to Laos. (The New York Times once accurately described him as one of the six most famous people on the planet).

His whispery, high-pitched speaking voice was constantly imitated, his fedora hat on his lean frame instantly recognisable, his childlike image endearing.

He influenced singers ranging from Justin Timberlake to Madonna, from rock to pop to R&B to even rap, across genres and groups that no other artiste was able to unite. He changed music videos with Thriller in 1983, still considered by most to be the greatest music video ever made. Stars like Beyoncé still mimic his moves. His one glove, white socks and glittery jackets made him a fashion trendsetter, making androgyny seem sexy and even safe.

Almost everyone wanted that Michael Jackson connection (and those who didn't were afraid to say so out loud). His celebrity and adoration was staggering.

twisted and disturbed

So when his image began to crumble, becoming twisted and disturbed, that aspect, too, was larger than life. His multiple plastic surgeries and his vitiligo illness, which saw him transform from a masculine looking black man to a wispy, pale-faced, almost noseless figure, was held up as the standard for bad plastic surgery, a freakish-looking character.

His eccentric behaviour left people confused and when allegations (and later criminal charges) that accused him of sexually molesting two boys surfaced on two separate occasions, people were repelled by his alleged behaviour and the man that their former idol had become.

And yet, it was hard to look away.

After his phenomenal success as a child singer with the Jackson Five, the spotlight began to dim when he entered his late teens. Although he still had R&B hits with the Jacksons, it seemed as if he would never recapture the pop success that he burst onto the scene with as a child.

But then he met Quincy Jones, and the musical landscape changed. With the legendary producer, Jackson crafted Off the Wall, what for most artistes would be a career-defining album, from the string-enhanced disco classic Don't Stop Til' You Get Enough, a party staple which he wrote, to the bitter ballad She's Out of My Life.

The best-selling album showed the world a grown-up Michael Jackson with grown-up artistry, showcasing his breathy alto-soprano voice and providing a springboard to his early videos, which gave a glimpse of the dance wizardry to come.

Thriller was the album that would become his greatest success and his career-defining achievement. Also produced by Jones, it featured even more of Jackson's songwriting talents. Selling more than 50 million albums to become the globe's best-selling disc, it spawned seven Billboard top 10 hits, including two No. 1s with Billie Jean and Beat It. It won a then-unprecedented eight Grammys and numerous other awards.

It was an impact measured much more than in statistics.

stunning cinematography

He broke racial barriers on MTV, becoming the first black artiste to be prominently featured on the young, rock-oriented cable TV channel when the success of Billie Jean and Beat It became so overwhelming it could not be ignored. He also established the benchmark for the way videos would be made, with stunning cinematography and precision choreography that recalled great movie musicals.

Jackson's amazing talents as a dancer were also displayed to the world during his Emmy-nominated performance for Motown's 25th anniversary. It is still considered one of TV's most thrilling moments, from his moonwalk strut to his pulsating pelvic movements.

But as Jackson's fame grew, his eccentricities, from his strange affinity for children and all things childlike, to his at times asexual image to his fascination with plastic surgery, began to dull the shine off of his sparkling image. As the years went by, those eccentricities would become more bizarre, and completely tarnish it.

His skin, once a dark brown, became the colour of paste, a transition he blamed on the skin disease vitiligo, though some believed he simply bleached his skin in order to appear more Caucasian. That belief was rooted in his frequent plastic surgeries, which whittled his nose from a broad frame to an almost impossibly narrowed bridge. His image was a tough one to look at, much less embrace.

allegations of child abuse

If his plastic surgery made him disturbingly unwatchable, soon, allegations of child abuse would make him reviled among many. He was first accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy in 1993; no charges were ever filed, a civil lawsuit was settled out of court and he always maintained his innocence. Although he had a chart-topping album with HIStory in 1995 and was still a superstar, he was a damaged one - and would never fully recover from the allegation.

A criminal charge of molestation of another young boy in 2004, which resulted in his acquittal in 2005, further stripped his marketability and his legacy. After the trial ended, he went into seclusion, and while top hitmakers from Ne-Yo to Akon courted him to make new music, no new CD was ever released. He was overwhelmed with legal and financial troubles, with what seemed like weekly lawsuits against him seeking money owed.

A comeback seemed to be most unlikely. His reputation was considered irreparably damaged, his image mocked and his name an automatic punchline. But when he announced he'd be doing a series of comeback concerts at London's famed O2 Arena, not only did the initial dates sell out immediately, the demand was so insatiable he was signed on for an unprecedented 50 shows. He was expected to embark on a worldwide tour sometime after the concert series was completed next March.

Of course, there will be no comeback now, no Jackson Five reunion, no new music to share with millions of fans. But the legacy he leaves behind is so rich, so deep, that no scandal can torpedo it. The Thriller may be gone, but the thrill will always remain.