Michael Jackson has no plans of retiring from the music scene after turning 50 on Friday - insisting he has "great things" planned ahead in his career.

The superstar has transformed the landscape of pop music since breaking out as a solo artist in 1971 - and he has assured fans not to plan for his departure.

He tells U.S. news show Good Morning America, "I am still looking forward to doing a lot of great things, so that's hard - I think the best is yet to come in my true humble opinion."

"I am expanding a lot of the avenues... people see some of the things I do and say, 'Why don't you show this to the world? People don't know these things!' Well, maybe I will."

But the entertainer admits he still looks back fondly at his trailblazing career, adding his "happiest" times were "the recording of Thriller and the Off the Wall album".

He says, "That meant very much to me and seemed to be received so beautifully by the public and the world. You know, I enjoyed it very much."