Death -- especially untimely death -- always has been the best career move a popular musician could make.

Sadly, this is as true for Michael Jackson as it was for those who went before him. Within hours of his sudden death on Thursday at age 50, the tributes began pouring in from friends, fans and followers around the world. Radio stations played his music, while millions downloaded it on the Internet. And almost instantly, he was rehabilitated from Wacko Jacko back into the King of Pop.

Like many of you, we've been listening to a lot of Michael Jackson over the past couple of days -- including a lot of songs we haven't spun for years. And we've been struck once again by how unique, how innovative, how just plain incredible he was throughout his '80s heyday. What made him so special and so successful? If we knew the real answer to that, we'd be as famous as Jackson. But here are a few things we noticed during our listening binge:

The Voice

Granted, Jackson was no Pavarotti. But he was a tremendously gifted pop singer with a strong high tenor range, a sometimes-surprising amount of lung power and -- more importantly -- the confidence and ability to make the most of his instrument with his idiosyncratic delivery.

Jackson doesn't just sing the words over top of the song; he becomes part of the backing track with his trademark vocal mannerisms. Go back and listen to Bad -- virtually every line either begins or ends with one of his tics: The sharp exhales, the whoo-hoos, the whee-hees, the interjections.

Much of it is reminiscent of James Brown, but Jackson took it to a whole new level and made it his own. Sure, after a few years it became fertile ground for parodists such as Weird Al. But bottom line: Jackson has a voice that stands alone. And stands the test of time.

The Songs

Nineteen eighty-two was not exactly the greatest year for pop music. The great rock bands of the '70s were dead or dying. The nihilism and power of punk had been diluted into the ironic day-glo fashion of new wave.

Vapidities such as Olivia Newton-John's Physical, Survivor's Eye of the Tiger, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder's Ebony and Ivory and Chicago's Hard to Say I'm Sorry topped the charts. When Thriller came out at the end of November, it breathed new life into that vacuum.

Honed by a lifetime in music, Jackson's songwriting at this time was virtually infallible: His hooks were razor-sharp, his choruses unforgettable, his grooves irresistible, his structures simple and direct, his lyrics passionate and personal. For anyone who wonders why Thriller sold more than 100 million copies around the world, the answer is simple: The songs are flawless.

The Sound

The final element in Jackson's perfect musical storm was the production. His distinctive vocals and infectious songs needed a setting that was every bit as bold and dynamic, and they found that in Jackson's collaboration with producer Quincy Jones. The old-school music legend had worked with Jackson on 1979's Off the Wall, but even he later said he was "electrified" by Jackson's work on Thriller.

"All the brilliance that had been building in Michael Jackson for 25 years just erupted," Jones said. "It was like seeing him and hearing him for the first time."

Listeners were also treated to things they'd never heard before -- thwacking beatboxes, horror-movie sound effects, and songs that gracefully yet boldly crossed colour and musical barriers.

Perhaps the best example is Beat It. Jackson -- who previously had little credibility with rock audiences -- not only came out swinging with a chunky metallic riff set against a slamming beat, he also recruited unimpeachable guitar hero Eddie Van Halen to deliver one of his pyrotechnic solos. With that one song, Jackson bridged funk and rock years before anyone else, and sent millions of white suburban kids to the record store.

If he had only recorded that song, he still would have been an innovator. The fact that he recorded dozens more like it was what made him a musical legend.