Ok, I just hate to have to make a MJ thread again so I typed it differently.

But anyway, the other day, I was at the local Wal-Mart getting a CD, well I went towards the book section of the store and right in front of me was the Guinness World Records 2008 book all in big letters over a red background.

So I went to the music page to see if they have "updated" the sales of MJ's "Thriller" because it had reportedly sold over "104 million"...

Well, I checked:

"Thriller is the biggest-selling album of all time with over 55 million records, some have stated it has sold 60 million, while MJ's management company said it has sold over 100 million..."

Well you know me, if something is official, I expect to see it in the book. It wasn't on the 2007 edition and it sure wasn't on the 2008 edition. So why do some fans here believe the 100 million mark?

And also how could an album have reportedly sold over 40-50 million for ten-fifteen years then suddenly go up to 100 million? Who tallied that number and how did it get to that number?

Questions like this ponder me because I really want the story to confirm, if not, just let the 55 million mark stand.

No one has topped him yet regardless but still, how is the 100-million thing posted as fact despite an "award" giving to him that that's how much it sold?

Someone's missing ground here.

----
OH! And I found out that "Brother" Ray Charles has a Guinness record too!

He has the longest chart span of anybody on the R&B charts from 1949's "Confession Blues" song to last year's released sessions with Count Basie (I forgot the name of the album).

all i know about this is they apparently recounted how many sales it has had and it reached 104million units though it isnt clear whether this is for just the album or the album and singles

he did do a photoshoot (or at least posed for a couple of photos) back in november 06 when he went to the guiness headquaters in london so it may turn up in the 2009 issue i guess

either way its a good album no matter how many copies it has sold, its a shame people seem to concentrate on the sales figures so much
[Edited 8/11/07 12:49pm]

b3xy said:

Yeah I don't get it either but I just found it confusing that the 104 million story has been printed as the gospel. If it don't show up on the 2009 edition, it probably was not meant to be, I don't know. I do love the album though but I was just wondering.

P.S. I hope there's no 50-page thread with people arguing about his talent again and again and again... and all the other things too, just let the posters say what they say and move on. Fighting over a 50-page MJ thread never goes nowhere.

Timmy84 said:

...Ray Sings, Basie Swings

A bit of title trickery on this one as it's the Count Basie Band sans Count Basie.
Count Basie had only been doing celestial gigs with folks like Miles and Hendrix at that point.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Thanks. Yeah I think it was done by computer or something.

I know theres been alot of debate because the number isnt actual sales it records shipped. Soundscan didnt exist then, so everything was done by RIAA certification, which is very tough to go by, also the RIAA doesnt track what was sent back to a label that didnt sell, once its shipped to a store its a sale in their eyes, so i think the number is pretty inflated, still the biggest most likely, but inflated.