Something that was lost in the last 20-ish years of his career as he got weirder and weirder and his antics overshadowed his music was the fact that he was actually a very talented musician. Aside from being fun, the music on Thriller was actually quite innovative for its time and there were some elements in there that were indeed rather complex, from a musical perspective. So, yeah, in a way his downfall was quite tragic.
____________________________
"Is it wrong for me to long for the simpler days of yesteryear when performers weren't so confusing? Jagger, Bowie...you KNEW they were women. But nowadays, this internationally ranked cheerleading coach just can't figure it out. Neil Patrick Harris? You confuse me. I HEAR you're gay, but there you are on my TV playing a normal, womanizing, cardigan-wearing straight. That's confusing. And then I heard a rumor you're not actually a doctor. So much sneaky gay deception!" --Sue's Corner