Actually, he only wrote or co-wrote about half of his major hits - if you check the song writing credits. But I will still give him all due credit for his other talents.

Tommy Denander's post puts things in a very good perspective. I think the basic problem with MJ, is that his personal life, and the often very bizarreness of it, started to eclipse all other aspects of his actual talent. People would tend to focus more on the one, to the detriment of almost forgetting about the other. And I'll admit, it's something I've been guilty of, myself.

There was another thread here recently, asking if his death had made you a fan again. While I can't say that's the case for me, as I never really was a fan, hearing all of his music again, has given me a new found respect for it. Where before, I would tend to just overlook, write-off or ignore it - lately, I've begun to see past the "Image" of the man, and try and appreciate the more "musical" aspects of his career. As a guy in his teens and early 20's when most of MJ's hits came out, I never really listened to them so much from a production or creative standpoint. It was either just, I dug a song or I didn't on surface value alone. But now, older and wiser and more in touch with the other side of the equation, I'm seeing things from a different perspective.

That said, having re-examined his music of late, there really is some amazing stuff to be found. But, there's an awful lot of filler, too. Most of his albums are just beyond only being half great (and that includes "Thriller", too). But when the man was on, he was on.