Jackson 5

The Jackson 5 were five brothers from Gary, Indiana, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and little Michael, managed by their father Joe Jackson and hardened on talent shows and clubs along the Chitlin' Circuit. They cut their first two singles for Steeltown Records, then signed to Motown in 1968, and what happened next had never happened to anybody: "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There" made them the first group to open their account with four straight number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

It's easy to hear why. "I Want You Back" is a sugar rush with a funky backbone and Michael's startling, grown-up ache out front, and "ABC" is pure schoolyard joy. The bubblegum was real, but so was the soul, and they were among the first African American acts to win a following across so many genres.

Within five years they had piled up six R&B number ones. In 1976 they left for Epic, minus Jermaine, with youngest brother Randy stepping in, and became the Jacksons, scoring with Destiny, Triumph, "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" and "Can You Feel It". Michael's solo career eventually eclipsed everything, but the group sold more than 150 million records, got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.