November 6, 1971 Michael releases his first solo single "Got To Be There." He had already had eight Top 40 hits with the Jackson 5. October 14 , 1972 At the age of 14, Michael has his first #1 single called “Ben.” It was the title song from a film about a beloved rat. February, 1978 Michael plays the scarecrow in the movie musical The Wiz August 5, 1979 Michael's first studio album, Off The Wall, is released. The album spends eight months in the Top Ten. It becomes the first album in history to spawn four top ten singles. Two of the singles, "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" & "Rock With You," become number one hits and are certified Gold. Eventually the album is certified 7x Platinum in the United States. November 29, 1979 "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is certified Gold December 10 , 1979 Off The Wall is certified Platinum