MICHAEL Jackson turns 50 on Friday. Yes, the prince of Neverland, progenitor of potent dance moves, bona fide pop icon and one of the bestselling artists of all time who began his singing career at six, will now be half a century old.

At his peak in the 1980s and early 1990s, no one doubted he was the King of Pop.

But with a tumultuous personal life, eccentric behaviour and a 2001 studio album title that bombed, can he still lay claim to the throne?