Michael Jackson – back at the top

A chubby-cheeked 10-year-old Michael flanked by his four brothers (middle row, left-right) Tito, Marlon, Jermaine and (back row) Jackie in 1968, two years after they formed the Jackson Five. Back then the world really was black and white for Michael and family Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Corbis

The brothers jump for joy in 1971, the halcyon days of the Jackson Five, but the cracks would begin to show less than a year later when Michael made a bid for solo success with the theme tune for the film Ben. That the song was inspired by a pet rat did not stop Michael taking it to No 1 in the US charts, his first taste of solo success Photograph: Julian Wasser/Time Life Pictures/Getty

Katherine and Joseph Jackson proudly display their 'variations on brown' interior design at home in Gary, Indiana while the brothers show off their numerous framed discs Photograph: John Olson/Time Life Pictures/Getty

1971, and Michael's love of rodents shows no sign of abating Photograph: Corbis

It's 1972 and these trousers, made of four different types of material, signify that neutral-colour slacks are just so last decade Photograph: Rex

1972: Cher (centre) with the Jackson family on the set of Sonny and Cher Hour. We're guessing from the expressions here that some people are feeling 'creatively compromised' Photograph: CBS/Getty

1975: A young Michael Jackson (centre) performs live with the Jackson Five in February 1975 in London. We think they chose these trousers purely on the basis of comfort Photograph: Anwar Hussein/Getty

Not another family snap of the Jackson Five after they've raided the dressing-up box, but Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow in a 1978 production The Wiz. Yes, he's the Scarecrow, and that's actually Diana Ross as Dorothy in the middle (and Ted Ross as the Lion and Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man) Photograph: Kobal

Michael Jackson talks tactics with Muhammad Ali and his wife Veronica in 1977. 'So,' Ali's saying, 'you're suggesting rather than sting like a butterfly and float like a bee, I try switching things around? Interesting.' Photograph: Ron Galella/Getty

Woody Allen and Michael Jackson at Studio 54 in New York City, 1978. Photograph: Ron Galella/Getty

Michael in 1979, a period in which his shirts were clearly chosen to reference the interior design of the family home Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

1979 saw the release of Off the Wall, the debut solo album that helped Jackson progress from novelty child star to trailblazing solo artist. And he did it all with the help of producer Quincy Jones, whom he met on the set of Jones's adaptation of ... The Wiz! Photograph: Getty

Michael Jackson on stage in 1981 with brothers Tito and Randy. The latter is so blinded by his glittery outfit that he's forgotten his guitar Photograph: Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis

1981: Marlon, Tito, Jermaine, Michael and Randy Jackson enjoy their 15 minutes with Andy Warhol Photograph: Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis

Michael Jackson found common ground, and temporary lurve, with fellow child actor Brooke Shields in 1981 Photograph: Ron Galella/Corbis

It's 1983 and Jackson's loves include monkeys, llamas and cardigans. Times were simpler back then Photograph: Rex

1984: Something about Michael caught Andy Warhol's eye, and we're guessing it wasn't the rocking 'J'-branded cardigan he sports in the previous photo. Here is Warhol's Pop Art interpretation of the star on the cover of Time magazine Photograph: Getty

Michael Jackson stands out from the zombies in the video for 1984's Thriller. 'I'm not like the other guys,' he says, stating the obvious somewhat Photograph: Public domain

1984: Michael Jackson and first lady Nancy Reagan at the White House. Her face of thunder tells us she doesn't like having her outfit upstaged by a man wearing shoulder pads and a golden sash Photograph: Diana Walker/Getty

Diana Ross nabs a bit of Jackson's thunder following his success at the 1984 AM Music awards. Jackson won eight awards, including favorite male vocalist and favorite album for the top-selling Thriller. Fingers crossed Rossy, you'll get your turn in the spotlight one day Photograph: Julian Wasser/Getty

Jackson escapes the crowd by placing statues on top of his car after visiting Madam Tussauds in 1985. He's a card, that Michael Photograph: Public domain

Michael Jackson performs at the 1988 Grammy Awards ceremony in New York. His album Thriller won eight Grammys in 1984, but the follow-up LP, Bad, won only one this time around, for best-produced non-classical recording. All together now, 'Oww!' Photograph: Ron Frehm/AP

This exhibit by Jeff Koons is entitled Michael Jackson and Bubbles and was on display at the opening of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum in 1988. Notice the absence of his woolly four-legged pet from photo 16. Seems the tagline, 'A llama's for life, not just for Christmas' didn't have much of an effect on MJ Photograph: Rex

Jackson performs some of his signature, gravity-defying moves during the 1988 film Moonwalker Photograph: Kobal

Michael Jackson with the child actor Macaulay Culkin at Disney World Florida in 1991. The pair remained friends for years, despite the age gap, but finally severed their friendship following a bitter row over whether Superman could 'have' Batman Photograph: Rex

Jackson fulfills his official King of Pop title during a 1991 concert at Wembley. Notice how the outfits get less colourful as the dance moves get more exotic Photograph: Rex

Jackson's close friendship with Liz Taylor has weathered some storms, not least of which because she's convinced Captain Planet could have both Superman and Batman. The fool Photograph: Rick Maiman/Corbis

Michael's young companion Brett Barnes calls shot gun on a ride at Eurodisney Paris, 1992. At least, we think he did Photograph: Rex

From Nancy Reagan to the Clintons, Michael Jackson doesn't seem to mind which side he bats for. He's just crazy for power, and he really likes holding hands Photograph: Peter Turnley/Corbis

Michael Jackson gives a performance with 3,000 children during the 1993 Super Bowl XXVII halftime show in Pasadena. We're not sure where he's hidden them in this picture, but we're assured they're around somewhere Photograph: Ralf-Finn Hestoft/Corbis

Nice, France, 1993 Photograph: Jacques Soffer/AFP

Michael Jackson with his father Joe at a Jackson family gathering held at Tito Jackson's house in 1994. Michael would later reveal he had a strained relationship with his father because of what he felt was overly strict parenting Photograph: William Maldonado/Corbis

This seems like as good a time as any to mention that there is speculation as to whether Michael Jackson has succumbed to facial surgery once or twice. Here he is during Family Reunion: A Gospel Music Celebration in 1994 Photograph: Rex

And those rumours were given something of a helping hand when, in 1995, a 10-metre-tall Jackson was pulled along the Thames to publicise the launch of his new album, HIStory Past, Present and Future. Fortunately, his people were on hand to explain this wasn't Jackson himself but merely a statue made in his honour Photograph: David Giles/PA

Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis, in 1995. She had divorced her first husband Danny Keough just 20 days earlier and Jackson remained her husband for two years before they split ... Photograph: Kim Kulish/Getty

... but not before they'd had time to compare naked torsos in this cringeworthy declaration of love for the video to 1995's You Are Not Alone Photograph: Getty

We're starting to get the message that Jackson really loves Disney and all Disney-related rides, creatures and paraphernalia Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Corbis

Michael Jackson and his second wife Deborah Rowe-Jackson pose for a wedding photo minutes after the ceremony in 1996 Photograph: Reuters

A close-up of Jackson's big, shiny, metallic ... outfit on the opening night of his 1996 HIStory tour Photograph: Thierry Orban/Corbis

Jackson visits Nelson Mandela in South Africa in 1991 and treats him like the father he wished he'd had. Hell, he's the father we wished we'd had Photograph: Rex

1999: Jacko in New York, shortly after a trip to the WTF Museum Photograph: Rex

2001: Michael Jackson (left) performs onstage with Britney Spears during his 30th Anniversary Celebration, The Solo Years concert in New York's Madison Square Garden Photograph: Corbis

He or she may have a napkin on his or her head, but there's no denying that's a baby under there being dangled over the edge of a balcony and it's a long way down Photograph: Tobias Schwarz/Reuters

Michael sues German concert promoter Marcel Avram in a civil lawsuit at Santa Maria court in 2002. There are lots of details and statistics relating to how and why but we won't be repeating them because, frankly, they're boring and nothing to do with Jackson's gigantic hand Photograph: Rex

'Weeeeeeeeeeeee!' said Jackson, 'Hold on tight, Martin!' But the fun and games would be over when the singer saw the result of Bashir's 2003 Living with Michael Jackson documentary and felt he'd been misrepresented Photograph: ITV/Rex

A Santa Barbara police mugshot shows Jackson in 2003, following his arrest on child molestation charges Photograph: Rex

Jackson was charged with 10 counts, including molesting a boy, plying him with liquor and conspiring to commit child abduction, at the Santa Barbara County courthouse in 2005 in what has to be the lowest point in the singer's tumultuous career Photograph: Carlo Allegri/Getty

And while it can hardly be credited as a high, being found not guilty must have come as a huge relief to him and his many fans Photograph: Dan Chung/Guardian

A recently acquitted Jackson says goodbye to another man whose life proved chaotic, the soul legend James Brown Photograph: Tami Chappell/Reuters

So now we reach the end, with Banksy's enigmatic piece of art making some kind of statement about the man as he celebrated 50 years on the planet Photograph: David Levene/Guardian