And so passes so suddenly Michael Joseph Jackson, aged 50. The King of Pop, or Wacko Jacko has thrilled us and appalled us, but one thing is certain, the world has lost an icon.

Sadly, he will most probably be remembered for some crazy stunts, such as disfiguring his face through addiction to plastic surgery, dangling his child outside a balcony and other incidents.

Of course, his legacy will always be tainted by the fact that we never did get to know whether or not he had engaged in lewd acts with minors. But we should also remember that while he did settle out of court with individuals who claimed he had abused their children at his Neverland ranch, he was never found guilty in a court of law.

Jackson will also be remembered for the ways in which he revolutionised the music industry. At a time when music was arguably at its lowest ebb in the late 70s and early 80s, a good looking teenager with an amazing voice stunned us with classics such as Billie Jean, I Want You Back and Thriller. He revolutionised the art of music videos and choreography – not once, but twice. The first was Thriller, an amazing song with a music video that was more like a musical/opera rather than – what was at the time – an LP (long play record). The second time he did it was with his sister Janet in the song Scream – one of the first proper attempts to merge computer generated graphics with real footage.

Choreography was also legendary – who can forget the early 90s, when every person under the age of 16 tried to learn to Moonwalk. Jacko also gave us some of the greatest shows on earth, using a jetpack to leave the stage in Bucharest, Romania.

The man inspired a great deal of artists and the music community laments his loss with some of the most famous names around saying what an inspiration and joy to work with he was. Madonna said: “The world has lost one of its greats, but his music will live on forever.” Sir Paul McCartney said: “I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy-man with a gentle soul.”

The singer’s ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley said she was “sad and confused”. “This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me.”

Justin Timberlake, who has been compared to Jackson, said: “We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of, not only pop music, but of all music.”

Jackson, who had a history of health problems, had been due to stage 50 concerts at the O2 arena in London, it was clearly far too much for him.

Bands playing at the Glastonbury Festival this weekend are also expected to pay tribute to Jackson’s musical achievements.

Jackson began his career as a child in family group The Jackson 5. Thriller, released in 1982, is the biggest-selling album of all time, shifting 65 million copies, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

The singer had been dogged by controversy and money trouble in recent years, becoming a virtual recluse. He perhaps had particular relevance in Malta, especially during the tough times of the 80s when his music served as a distraction from the political divide. To this day, there are people in Malta who dress in Jackson style.

His antics may have had him branded as weird, unstable and not quite right, but his music was truly genius and will live long in the memory. Rest easy Jacko.