In 1969 The Jackson 5 set a record in the US when their first four singles topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Throughout the 1970s they released a steady stream of hit singles and albums, becoming famous worldwide in the process. However, it was Michael who was the focus. Rolling Stone magazine described him as "a prodigy with overwhelming musical gifts" and by 1972 he started recording and releasing solo material. But while things professionally couldn't be better, behind the scenes it was a different. Years later in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey Michael admitted that even at the height of his Jackson 5 fame he was mentally and physically abused by his father Joseph and would frequently cry through loneliness.