Steve Greenberg, founder and CEO of S-Curve Records, was a disc jokey in Tel Aviv, Israel, when "Thriller" first dropped and witnessed first-hand how Jackson became an international icon.

CNN: 'King of Pop' was major influence on younger artists

But between classical disc-jockeying, slaving at Tower Records ( The Tower That Fell), and writing for classical radio stations, we have channeled our experience to come up with a generic model-listener who has appreciation written all over him or her (enough to have read on thus far), but relatively littleprevious exposure.

FORBES: How To Build A Top Quality Classical Music Library For $100

In September, Mosaic Records will release a six-disc box of rare concerts from 1964-65.

WSJ: Charles Mingus | The Bassist in a Box | By Will Friedwald

Even the many live records, including this two-disc set, are only intermittently great: Booker was prone to effusive showboating, and because he could dazzle on autopilot, that's often how he rolled when performing.

NPR: James Booker: Making the Insipid Sublime

Disc jockeys today have found high-tech alternatives to hauling heavy vinyl records to nightclubs.

NPR: Hi-Tech DJ's Trade Discs for Laptops

The self-produced disc found its way to a major label and was released earlier this year by Telarc Records.

NPR: Simone Dinnerstein: Variations on a Career