Sixty years ago, on August 29, 1958, Michael Jackson-the man, the myth, the legend-was born. An entertainer until the day he died, Jackson started performing at the young age of six, and anyone with sense knew he had star quality even then. Throughout the 80s and 90s, he was the biggest pop star in the world as well as one of the most famous people on the planet. He may be gone now, but his legacy will live on for years to come, and the public will always be reminded of his brilliance and exceptional talent.

In honor of what would’ve been The King of Pop’s 60th birthday, I thought it would be fun to count down 15 of what I believe are his greatest songs. The bottom five songs won’t feature any commentary from me, but once I hit the top ten, I will say more about each track.

15. “Black or White”

14. “In the Closet”

13. “Remember the Time”

12. “Dirty Diana”

11. “Give In to Me”

10. “Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough”

A staple track of the disco era, “Don’t Stop” is a gem. The melodies are infectious, and the lyrics are all about the grind, which I love.

9. “Wanna Be Starting Something”

This track is similar to “Don’t Stop” in the way that it sounds like a symphony. I love the lyrics, although they don’t always make sense, and the “mama say mama sa mamakusa” chants make this song so memorable and unique.

8. “The Girl is Mine”

“The Girl is Mine” features a classic collaboration with Paul McCartney of The Beatles. The song is kind of hokey with its call and answer format, and that line “the doggone girl is mine,” but that’s what makes it so endearing. Both Michael and Paul gave great performances, and the production gives the song such an old school feel.

7. “The Way You Make Me Feel”

First and foremost, I want to say that I love the video for this song. As for the music, I love Michael’s vocals, lyrics, and the bass driven production.

6. “Love Never Felt So Good”

This track is so bittersweet. “Love Never Felt So Good” was released posthumously, so when I hear it, I think about Jackson’s death, but I also think about how everyone still enjoys his music despite this fact. This track is so happy and upbeat. I see it as a celebration of his life, and given he never released it back when it was recorded, this song was a hidden treasure

5. “Beat It”

Van Halen guitar riff + lyrics about the negatives of gang violence + Michael’s vocals + a sick music video with even cooler dance moves= a yes from me.

4. “Man In the Mirror”

This song is just powerful, plain and simple.

3. “Rock With You”

Disco music personified. Michael shines in this groovy track.

2. “Billie Jean”

This is the song that Michael debuted his moonwalk to, and its video was the first one featuring a black artist to be aired on MTV. “Bille Jean,” critically speaking, has to be Michael’s best song. It’s cool, slick, clean, and infectious. The lyrics are simple yet so complex. I mean Jackson made a hit song about how he’s not someone’s baby daddy which is so clever. I adore this song.

1. “Human Nature”

This is basically my theme song. My head is always in the clouds and this song is so dreamy and airy, which is perfect for me. Michael sounds beautiful on this track. The production is magic, and the lyrics portray so much longing. Jackson gave a stellar performance of this track at Wembley Stadium in 1988, and I am in love with it!

The great thing about recorded music is that it doesn’t die when the artist does. I’m so happy that I have the resources to enjoy music across eras from some of the industries’ greats. RIP and Happy Birthday to one of music’s great pioneers!