When Motown recording artists, the Jackson Five, burst upon the music scene in 1969, this group of five brothers followed an extremely successful career trajectory that launched the youngest brother, Michael Jackson, into superstardom. But as a group, the Jackson Five was more than the sum of its parts, or even the sum total of Michael Jackson's charisma: all of the brothers were talented singers and songwriters in their own right. During the 1970s, they enjoyed a lengthy string of hit singles, becoming the most popular black soul vocal group of all time.

The Jackson Five were comprised of Jackie Jackson (born May 4, 1951), Tito Jackson (born Oct. 15, 1953), Marlon Jackson (born Mar. 12, 1957), Jermaine Jackson (born Dec. 11, 1954) and Michael Jackson (born Aug. 29, 1958)—all of whom sang. The five brothers were born into a very large family run by authoritative patriarch, Joseph Jackson, an aspiring amateur musician who...