Kanye West has paid tribute to Michael Jackson on what would have been the King of Pop's 60th birthday.

West has frequently spoken of his admiration for the Thriller and Billie Jean star, who died in 2009 at the age of 50.

On Wednesday, West, 41, tweeted: "Michael we love you."

He also shared a clip from the a cappella version of The Jackson 5's 1971 song Never Can Say Goodbye.

To mark Jackson's milestone, a host of celebrity fans used their social media to pay tribute.

Madonna shared two pictures of the pair together, captioning one: "happy birthday to the" along with a crown emoji, while on another she wrote: "of all kings".

The 60-year-old, herself considered one of pop's most most influential figures, also posted a video of the young Jackson performing.

Bruno Mars tweeted a picture of Jackson, and captioned it: "Still Bad! Happy Birthday Michael Jackson!"

British model Naomi Campbell wished the late star a happy birthday, adding: "I MISS YOU!! WILL ALWAYS LIGHT A CANDLE FOR YOU !!"

And American civil rights leader reverend Al Sharpton tweeted: "Today on what would've been his 60th birthday, we honor his life and continue to say thank you."

Jackson was one of the most popular entertainers in the world and sold hundreds of millions of records throughout a career that spanned four decades.