Yes there was.
His first solo music video was in 1979 with 'Dont stop till you get enough' from his first solo album 'Off The Wall'.
Off the Wall - "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough"
he wrote most of his own music after off the wall and from thriller on
No.
Off the Wall cd.
no
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux3joe0GdTA
Off the Wall was published in 1979.
Michael Jackson has sung the song of the wall.
Off the wall
Got to Be There Ben Music & Me Forever, Michael Off the Wall Thriller Bad Dangerous HIStory Blood on the Dance Floor Invincible
Michael Jackson was always important, but the time that people really just loved Michael Jackson was when off the wall came out, then they thought that Michael couldn't do better than Off The Wall, Until Thriller came out, then at Motown 25, Michael did his first debut of Billie Jean, it was the first time for everything then, the first time he did that song in public, the first time he Moonwalked, the first time many people saw Michael as being a wonderful solo artist