The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, were an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1965 in Gary, Indiana, by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine, with younger brothers Marlon and Michael joining soon after. They were among the first black American performers to attain a crossover following, preceded by Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, the Supremes, the Four Tops, and the Temptations.
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 first group to debut with four consecutive number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with the songs “I Want You Back”, “ABC”, “The Love You Save”, and “I’ll Be There”. They also achieved 16 top-40 singles on the chart. The group left Motown for Epic Records in early 1976, with the exception of Jermaine, who was replaced by Randy. At Epic, they released four studio albums and one live album between 1976 and 1981, including the successful albums Destiny (1978) and Triumph (1980) and the singles “Enjoy Yourself”, “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)”, 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 Randy Jackson left the group. The remaining four released the poorly received 2300 Jackson Street album in 1989 before being dropped from their label. 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 have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. In 1980 the brothers were honored 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 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. 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.
This week on the Sounds of The 70s we feature music from: Albert Hammond, Grand Funk Railroad, Undisputed Truth, Stevie Wonder, Jacksons, Elton John, Dave Edmunds, Argent, Diana Ross, Heart, Warren Zevon and more . . .
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This week on the Sounds of The 80’s, Edie Brickell, Cars, Robert Palmer, America, Julian Lennon, Dave Edmunds, Hall & Oates, Whispers, Jacksons, AC/DC and more. . . 
