For half a hundred years, Michael Jackson’s music continues to be an indelible part of our cultural consciousness. Landmark albums such as Off the Wall and Thriller shattered information, broke racial obstacles, amassed awards, and set a new standard for popular music. While his tunes continue to be played in just about any corner from the world, however, they possess rarely been provided serious critical interest. The first book dedicated solely to exploring his creative function, Man in the Music guides us through an unrivaled evaluation of Jackson’s recordings, record by record, from his trailblazing use Quincy Jones to his later on collaborations with Teddy Riley, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and Rodney Jerkins. Sketching on uncommon archival materials and on dozens of primary interviews using the collaborators, technical engineers, makers, and songwriters who helped provide the musician’s music into the globe, Jackson professional and acclaimed social critic Joseph Vogel reveals the inspirations, demos, studio sessions, technological advancements, setbacks and breakthroughs, failures and triumphs, that gave rise to an immortal body of work.