That MJ was a tremendous recording artist is beyond doubt, although popularity does not guarantee quality – just remember the Spice Girls phenomena.
What really annoys me is that lots of people are going out and buying MJ records. Let me explain that a bit better. It is not that people are buying his records per se. It is that they are buying them just because he is dead. If they liked MJ’s music then why didn’t they buy the CDs when he was alive? Dieing is a good career move.