The Jacksons (formerly “The Jackson 5”)

The Jackson 5, later the Jacksons, is an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. They were managed by their father Joe Jackson. The group were among the first African American performers to attain a crossover following.

The Jackson 5 performed in talent shows and clubs on the Chitlin' Circuit, then signed with Steeltown Records in 1967 and released two singles. In 1968, they left Steeltown Records and signed with Motown, where they were the first group to debut with four consecutive number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the songs "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There". They achieved seventeen Top 40 singles on the chart in five years, including six number-one Billboard R&B hits. The group left Motown for Epic Records in early 1976, with the exception of Jermaine who was replaced by youngest brother Randy. Changing their name to the Jacksons upon signing with Epic, they released four studio albums and one live album between 1976 and 1981, including the successful albums Destiny (1978) and Triumph (1980) and singles, such as "Enjoy Yourself", "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel" and "Can You Feel It".

The brothers also released solo albums, most successfully Michael. In 1983, Jermaine reunited with the band to perform on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever TV special. They released the Victory album the following year, followed by an extensive tour which also featured songs from Michael's solo albums. After the Victory tour, Michael and Marlon left the group. The remaining four released the poorly received 2300 Jackson Street album in 1989 before being dropped from Epic. In 2001, the Jacksons reunited on Michael's 30th Anniversary Celebration TV special. The four eldest of the brothers embarked on their Unity Tour in 2012 following Michael's death, and they planned several major performances for 2017.

The Jackson 5/The Jacksons have sold up to 150 million records worldwide. In 1980, the brothers were honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as the Jacksons. They were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Two of the band's recordings ("ABC" and "I Want You Back") are among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and, alongside "I'll Be There", were also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.