Timmy84 said:

I love how there's one person who actually thinks it's possible people can sell WITH the internet. It's good having your own opinion but VI0LET, I just only wonder how that's gonna work in the next ten years. Surely you don't think someone in THIS day and age can push Thriller-type sales with the type of promotion one does.

I have always been the one fighting online piracy, I think that question has been pretty much resolved. I think Apple pretty much paved the way. And yes I do think in this day in age there will be Thriller numbers. Even bigger. Much bigger. Global numbers that will easily surpass anything we have yet to see. I think so more and more each day as the internet model is slowly ironed out.

V10LETBLUES said:

Timmy84 said:

I love how there's one person who actually thinks it's possible people can sell WITH the internet. It's good having your own opinion but VI0LET, I just only wonder how that's gonna work in the next ten years. Surely you don't think someone in THIS day and age can push Thriller-type sales with the type of promotion one does.

I have always been the one fighting online piracy, I think that question has been pretty much resolved. I think Apple pretty much paved the way. And yes I do think in this day in age there will be Thriller numbers. Even bigger. Much bigger. Global numbers that will easily surpass anything we have yet to see. I think so more and more each day as the internet model is slowly ironed out.

Alright.

We'll see by 2021...

Probably not by Michael.

(Too soon?)

Timmy84 said:

V10LETBLUES said:

I have always been the one fighting online piracy, I think that question has been pretty much resolved. I think Apple pretty much paved the way. And yes I do think in this day in age there will be Thriller numbers. Even bigger. Much bigger. Global numbers that will easily surpass anything we have yet to see. I think so more and more each day as the internet model is slowly ironed out.

Alright.

We'll see by 2021...

You will not have to wait that long. As long as there is not global catostrophe, human consuption will continue to grow and most commerce will be through the net.

You can pretty much call bullshit on my theory in less than 5 years if I am wrong.

V10LETBLUES said:

Timmy84 said:

Alright.

We'll see by 2021...

You will not have to wait that long. As long as there is not global catostrophe, human consuption will continue to grow and most commerce will be through the net.

You can pretty much call bullshit on my theory in less than 5 years if I am wrong.

That's why I said 2021 lol

I'll wait but I don't believe people will stop bitching about what's going on with music and the internet by then.

deebee said:

Probably not by Michael.

(Too soon?)

V10LETBLUES said:

Timmy84 said:

I love how there's one person who actually thinks it's possible people can sell WITH the internet. It's good having your own opinion but VI0LET, I just only wonder how that's gonna work in the next ten years. Surely you don't think someone in THIS day and age can push Thriller-type sales with the type of promotion one does.

I have always been the one fighting online piracy, I think that question has been pretty much resolved. I think Apple pretty much paved the way. And yes I do think in this day in age there will be Thriller numbers. Even bigger. Much bigger. Global numbers that will easily surpass anything we have yet to see. I think so more and more each day as the internet model is slowly ironed out.

Okay, do you really think people at large are gonna care about music download sales as much as they have been caring about album and single sales in the past and present? Not that music sales is an important thing for me or anything, but that's an interesting thing to wonder. I don't hear too many discussing download sales right now. I personally don't see MP3s as a delicate format as of yet either, even though it has proven to be dominant in the music marketplace for a couple of decades now.

If there was a possibility of huge sales in the internet era, then why are people too stingy to find that out yet? That's why I can't see in the next five or ten years how it's possible someone can overtake an album from a generation that sold VINYL ALBUMS ONCE UPON AGO!

Remember Thriller came out in 1982. CDs weren't even around then! And then when it did, it continued to sell. And when iTunes finally became popular, before, during and after his death, that album sold well there.

So I still say it's impossible.

Timmy84 said:

If there was a possibility of huge sales in the internet era, then why are people too stingy to find that out yet? That's why I can't see in the next five or ten years how it's possible someone can overtake an album from a generation that sold VINYL ALBUMS ONCE UPON AGO!

Remember Thriller came out in 1982. CDs weren't even around then! And then when it did, it continued to sell. And when iTunes finally became popular, before, during and after his death, that album sold well there.

So I still say it's impossible.

Yep. And back in '82, there was an abundance of music technology such as vinyl, tape, 8-track, and reel-to-reel. Thriller was released in each one of those formats. CDs were about to emerge a couple of years later and that spun a whole new wave of Thriller buyers and listeners, allowing them to adapt to that specific technology.

I think today it's hard to predict if there is going to be anything that outsells Thriller. Yes, we have a decaying compact disc industry, which is viewed as less convenient and accessible to many than pressing the click of a mouse. But, how many other formats do we have today? Vinyl has made a big resurgence and audiophiles/collectors have become fascinated with it again. DVD-Audio and SACD is not as popular and the market just isn't there anymore for those formats. So all we have is booming of iTunes, Amazon, and other MP3 markets and the lukewarm CD industry. Thriller will continue to sell high numbers, leaving these youngins no hope for upstaging its commercial viablility and relevance. SORRY! We can't predict the future, but there is no doubt about anything conquering Thriller.

silverchild said:

Timmy84 said:

If there was a possibility of huge sales in the internet era, then why are people too stingy to find that out yet? That's why I can't see in the next five or ten years how it's possible someone can overtake an album from a generation that sold VINYL ALBUMS ONCE UPON AGO!

Remember Thriller came out in 1982. CDs weren't even around then! And then when it did, it continued to sell. And when iTunes finally became popular, before, during and after his death, that album sold well there.

So I still say it's impossible.

Yep. And back in '82, there was an abundance of music technology such as vinyl, tape, 8-track, and reel-to-reel. Thriller was released in each one of those formats. CDs were about to emerge a couple of years later and that spun a whole new wave of Thriller buyers and listeners, allowing them to adapt to that specific technology.

I think today it's hard to predict if there is going to be anything that outsells Thriller. Yes, we have a decaying compact disc industry, which is viewed as less convenient and accessible to many than pressing the click of a mouse. But, how many other formats do we have today? Vinyl has made a big resurgence and audiophiles/collectors have become fascinated with it again. DVD-Audio and SACD is not as popular and the market just isn't there anymore for those formats. So all we have is booming of iTunes, Amazon, and other MP3 markets and the lukewarm CD industry. Thriller will continue to sell high numbers, leaving these youngins no hope for upstaging its commercial viablility and relevance. SORRY! We can't predict the future, but there is no doubt about anything conquering Thriller.

Exactly!

Timmy84 said:

silverchild said:

Yep. And back in '82, there was an abundance of music technology such as vinyl, tape, 8-track, and reel-to-reel. Thriller was released in each one of those formats. CDs were about to emerge a couple of years later and that spun a whole new wave of Thriller buyers and listeners, allowing them to adapt to that specific technology.

I think today it's hard to predict if there is going to be anything that outsells Thriller. Yes, we have a decaying compact disc industry, which is viewed as less convenient and accessible to many than pressing the click of a mouse. But, how many other formats do we have today? Vinyl has made a big resurgence and audiophiles/collectors have become fascinated with it again. DVD-Audio and SACD is not as popular and the market just isn't there anymore for those formats. So all we have is booming of iTunes, Amazon, and other MP3 markets and the lukewarm CD industry. Thriller will continue to sell high numbers, leaving these youngins no hope for upstaging its commercial viablility and relevance. SORRY! We can't predict the future, but there is no doubt about anything conquering Thriller.

Exactly!

Thriller wont be "outsold" plain and simple, there are many reasons why. But nothing is going to come out that is going to have that form of impact, i mean just look at whats closest in sales, nothing NEW is even close, and sorry but music is no longer a focus for people so nothing is going to take over, there is no market for an album to come out and sell like that.

I mean you are talking about a time when "albums" were the focus, now no one cares about albums but the 30+ crowd for the most part, so right there you lose, because MJ and Thriller was a new thing selling to everyone back then, old, young, middle aged, children etc... and other big records of the day were doing the same too. Those times are gone like a sweater that doesnt fit anymore, toss it away, just like FIRST WEEK SALES need not to be even discussed anymore, that shit died about 15 years ago, along with the Xfiles tv show, and Prince's last top 10 hit. Back then you had a climate for music and BUYING music, now you dont.

lastdecember said:

Timmy84 said:

Exactly!

Thriller wont be "outsold" plain and simple, there are many reasons why. But nothing is going to come out that is going to have that form of impact, i mean just look at whats closest in sales, nothing NEW is even close, and sorry but music is no longer a focus for people so nothing is going to take over, there is no market for an album to come out and sell like that.

I mean you are talking about a time when "albums" were the focus, now no one cares about albums but the 30+ crowd for the most part, so right there you lose, because MJ and Thriller was a new thing selling to everyone back then, old, young, middle aged, children etc... and other big records of the day were doing the same too. Those times are gone like a sweater that doesnt fit anymore, toss it away, just like FIRST WEEK SALES need not to be even discussed anymore, that shit died about 15 years ago, along with the Xfiles tv show, and Prince's last top 10 hit. Back then you had a climate for music and BUYING music, now you dont.

In a nutshell, you hit the nail on the head with everything you said in this post. Different landscape we are in now. PERIOD!

dreamfactory313 said:

Never. The perfect storm that was Michael Jackson's Thriller will never be duplicated, let alone surpassed.

NEVER EVA EVA AMEN to that!

Do I think it'll be passed, eventually?

Yes, because theoretically, anything's possible.

armpit said:

Do I think it'll be passed, eventually?

Yes, because theoretically, anything's possible.

We're talking about Michael Jackson, not Elvis.

Timmy84 said:

armpit said:

Do I think it'll be passed, eventually?

Yes, because theoretically, anything's possible.

We're talking about Michael Jackson, not Elvis.

Or The Eagles...

Timmy84 said:

armpit said:

Do I think it'll be passed, eventually?

Yes, because theoretically, anything's possible.

We're talking about Michael Jackson, not Elvis.

Right

I'm just gonna pretend OR at least believe that was just a joke LOL

Thriller sold 20 million copies from January 1983 (its platinum cert) to October 1984 (its 20x plat cert). And then didn't get a 21 million cert until 1990. It's amazing how sharply those sales dropped off. How could an album sell 20 million copies in a year and a half and then sell merely a pittance the next 6 years?

silverchild said:

V10LETBLUES said:

I have always been the one fighting online piracy, I think that question has been pretty much resolved. I think Apple pretty much paved the way. And yes I do think in this day in age there will be Thriller numbers. Even bigger. Much bigger. Global numbers that will easily surpass anything we have yet to see. I think so more and more each day as the internet model is slowly ironed out.

Okay, do you really think people at large are gonna care about music download sales as much as they have been caring about album and single sales in the past and present? Not that music sales is an important thing for me or anything, but that's an interesting thing to wonder. I don't hear too many discussing download sales right now. I personally don't see MP3s as a delicate format as of yet either, even though it has proven to be dominant in the music marketplace for a couple of decades now.

Of course they are. The only things that are going to matter from now on are download statistics. Physical media is dead for all intents and purposes. Neilson and Soundscan and every other bullshit barometer is dead.

Spinlight said:

Thriller sold 20 million copies from January 1983 (its platinum cert) to October 1984 (its 20x plat cert). And then didn't get a 21 million cert until 1990. It's amazing how sharply those sales dropped off. How could an album sell 20 million copies in a year and a half and then sell merely a pittance the next 6 years?

Hell, because so many people who were fascinated about Thriller were mildly disappointed with Bad.

Just kidding!

silverchild said:

Timmy84 said:

We're talking about Michael Jackson, not Elvis.

Or The Eagles...

silverchild said:

Spinlight said:

Thriller sold 20 million copies from January 1983 (its platinum cert) to October 1984 (its 20x plat cert). And then didn't get a 21 million cert until 1990. It's amazing how sharply those sales dropped off. How could an album sell 20 million copies in a year and a half and then sell merely a pittance the next 6 years?

Hell, because so many people who were fascinated about Thriller were mildly disappointed with Bad.

Just kidding!

Must be true, though, because the sales picked back up in 1990 and it went on to basically sell 2 million copies every couple years.

Spinlight said:

Thriller sold 20 million copies from January 1983 (its platinum cert) to October 1984 (its 20x plat cert). And then didn't get a 21 million cert until 1990. It's amazing how sharply those sales dropped off. How could an album sell 20 million copies in a year and a half and then sell merely a pittance the next 6 years?

Wow, i didn't know about that hmm... interesting. I Wasn't alive in the 80's so this is just my notion but, do you think it's cause maybe it was WAY overexposed and so people stopped with Thriller for a bit?

I Mean i heard in 1984 or w/e they had anti Michael Jackson day's on radio lol so maybe it was ot overexposed for awhile and sales declined.

V10LETBLUES said:

silverchild said:

Okay, do you really think people at large are gonna care about music download sales as much as they have been caring about album and single sales in the past and present? Not that music sales is an important thing for me or anything, but that's an interesting thing to wonder. I don't hear too many discussing download sales right now. I personally don't see MP3s as a delicate format as of yet either, even though it has proven to be dominant in the music marketplace for a couple of decades now.

Of course they are. The only things that are going to matter from now on are download statistics. Physical media is dead for all intents and purposes. Neilson and Soundscan and every other bullshit barometer is dead.

Well you do know that the way these record sales are calculated is corrupted anyway, right? The same thing is gonna happen to download statistics or whatever. It's happening now. Right now, I don't think too many folks are gonna care too much. Many are gonna have to get adapted to how the download charts are gonna be conducted. I still know many people who go out and buy CDs also, so I don't know. But this whole thing about Thriller being outsold still stands as a complete standstill to me.

Spinlight said:

silverchild said:

Hell, because so many people who were fascinated about Thriller were mildly disappointed with Bad.

Just kidding!

Must be true, though, because the sales picked back up in 1990 and it went on to basically sell 2 million copies every couple years.

I mean, Mike had a fabulous run with Thriller from its 1982 November release (even though things didn't pick up til '83) until about 1985 or so. We also gonna take into account the whole Victory trip, which both astounded and pissed off folks (album, promotion and most of all, the tour!) It could also be the state of the music buying public wanting something new or focusing on other folks such as Prince and Madonna. We all know about that. So it sold accordingly as time went by, with its numerous reissues included.

[Edited 5/21/11 13:42pm]

silverchild said:

Spinlight said:

Must be true, though, because the sales picked back up in 1990 and it went on to basically sell 2 million copies every couple years.

I mean, Mike had a fabulous run with Thriller from its 1982 November release (even though things didn't pick up til '83) until about 1985 or so. We also gonna take into account the whole Victory trip, which both astounded and pissed off folks (album, promotion and most of all, the tour!) It could also be the state of the music buying public wanting something new or focusing on other folks such as Prince and Madonna. We all know about that. So it sold accordingly as time went by, with its numerous reissues included.

[Edited 5/21/11 13:42pm]

Yep.

silverchild said:

V10LETBLUES said:

Of course they are. The only things that are going to matter from now on are download statistics. Physical media is dead for all intents and purposes. Neilson and Soundscan and every other bullshit barometer is dead.

Well you do know that the way these record sales are calculated is corrupted anyway, right? The same thing is gonna happen to download statistics or whatever. It's happening now. Right now, I don't think too many folks are gonna care too much. Many are gonna have to get adapted to how the download charts are gonna be conducted. I still know many people who go out and buy CDs also, so I don't know. But this whole thing about Thriller being outsold still stands as a complete standstill to me.

Music is not really that important to many of today's youth like in the old days. They'll download songs for free, but spend $50-$80 on a video game cartridge/disc or $200 on some sneakers. That's probably why some old songs are licensed to games. It's a way for the labels and/or the performers and songwriters to make money. Ringtones is another way.

Music in general is going to die out soon imo.

babybugz said:

Music in general is going to die out soon imo.

The way people are talking in these threads, it died about three, four years ago.