>Rod Temperton wrote SIX songs for MJ. SIX!! MJ wrote most
>of his most famous/most loved songs. himself.

Michael Jackson still deserves to be in that list because he himself is a great songwriter (it isn't just that he "made" Thriller, he -wrote- "Billie Jean"!), though.

he wrote a lot of those songs for the Jacksons (w/Randy) when CBS finally let the Jacksons do their own music.

he's written HITS for other people.

Mike doesn't get a lot of credit beyond the stage and the studio.