10 Soul Icons Michael Jackson Studied to Master the Golden Era Sound

Before the world crowned him the King of Pop, Michael Jackson was a little boy in Gary, Indiana, pressed against a television screen, studying every move, every scream, every spin. In this video, we count down the 10 soul icons Michael Jackson studied to master the golden era sound the teachers behind the greatest entertainer who ever lived. From James Brown's camel walk to Jackie Wilson's spins, from Marvin Gaye's aching falsetto to the 10-year-old audition that shook Smokey Robinson to his core these are the stories of the men who built Michael Jackson, note by note. Some of them died broke. Some were murdered. One was buried in an unmarked grave. And Michael never forgot a single one of them. You'll hear the funeral Michael quietly paid for. The gold casket he kissed goodbye. And the Grammy moment where the most famous man on Earth used his microphone to say someone else's name. If you believe these legends deserve to be remembered with the same reverence the world gives Michael, subscribe to R&B Wonders where we honor the voices that built soul music, one story at a time. 🎵 In this video: 10. Wilson Pickett – In the Midnight Hour (1965) 9. Little Richard – Long Tall Sally (1956) 8. Otis Redding – Try a Little Tenderness (1966) 7. Ray Charles – What'd I Say (1959) 6. Smokey Robinson – The Tracks of My Tears (1965) 5. David Ruffin – My Girl (1965) 4. Stevie Wonder – Superstition (1972) 3. Marvin Gaye – What's Going On (1971) 2. Jackie Wilson – Lonely Teardrops (1958) James Brown – Please Please, Please (1956) 💬 Which of these legends shaped the music you love? Tell us in the comments. 🔔 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a story: @RnBWonders #MichaelJackson #SoulMusic #RnB #JamesBrown #MarvinGaye #JackieWilson #MotownHistory #ClassicSoul #MusicHistory #RnBWonders #StevieWonder #SamCooke #OldSchoolRnB #SoulLegends #KingOfPop