Breaking News: Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, was known for his singular genius, often crafting iconic hits on his own….Read More 👇

Michael Jackson had a once-in-a-lifetime career that spanned four decades. After releasing his first solo album at just 13, he would go on to release nine more, including Thriller – which continues to hold its place as the best-selling album of all time.

His music is some of the most influential of its time, and continues to influence artists from all around the world in the way they perform and create music.

Out of Jackson’s 10 studio albums, only a handful contain collaborations with other artists.

Compared to his peers from the 1970s and beyond, Jackson didn’t participate in many collaborations throughout his career, especially with his own albums.

Occasionally, he would hop on a track with a friend or an artist he looked up to, but Jackson’s catalog of collaborations is very sparse in the grand scheme of things. Below are what I believe to be the best collaborations of his career.

In 1995, a new, underrated boy band debuted. 3T, comprised of Taj, Taryll, and TJ Jackson, sons of Tito Jackson, released their debut studio album Brotherhood under Jackson’s label MJJ Music. The 12-track album is a charming debut that showcases classic Jackson vocals blended in perfect harmony.

Jackson is featured on two tracks, but “Why” is the only one he’s officially credited on. His voice blends with his nephews like it would with his own brothers, providing a kind of nostalgia that is sure to remind fans of the Jackson 5/The Jacksons era.

It also clearly doesn’t hurt to have the King of Pop as your uncle, because their 2004 album saw Prince featured on “Stuck on You,” written by Lionel Richie. “Why” isn’t the most iconic collaboration, but it’s a reminder of how strongly the Jackson family looked out for each other.

Forgive me for asking, but was I the only one who was unaware that Eddie Murphy released music? Clearly, I have some music history to catch up on. I can’t say I’m going to go on a Murphy discography deep dive after this, but I did find myself grooving in my seat to “Whatzupwitu” off of his third studio album, Love’s Alright.

Murphy’s and Jackson’s voices pair surprisingly well in this funky R&B track, with Jackson coming in on the choruses and providing his signature ad-libs throughout.

The music video for this song is often regarded as one of the worst of all time, but there’s something so endearing about the clear chemistry between these two artists, who were likely just having fun on a set that consisted of just a green screen. This also followed Murphy’s iconic appearance in Jackson’s “Remember the Time” music video.