http://www.billboard.com/...fied-album





Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' Extends Reign as Highest Certified Album in U.S. History
2/16/2017 by Keith Caulfield


The seminal 1982 album passes the 33-times platinum mark.


Michael Jackson’s blockbuster album Thriller just keeps on getting bigger. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has certified the set at 33-times platinum in the U.S., extending Thriller’s record as the highest certified album in history.


That means Thriller -- released in 1982 -- has earned 33 million equivalent album units in the U.S. That sum blends traditional album sales (one album sale equals one unit), tracks sold from an album (10 tracks sold equals one unit) and on-demand audio and/or video streams (1,500 streams equals one unit).


A plaque commemorating the milestone was presented at the home of Epic Records chairman Antonio "L.A." Reid over Grammy weekend, where Sony Music CEO Doug Morris, Columbia Records chairman and incoming Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer, Sony president, commercial group Richard Storey, attorneys Karen Langford and John Branca toasted the certification.


The RIAA revamped its Gold & Platinum Awards Program on Feb. 1, 2016, growing from a pure album sales certification process to one that includes tracks and streams. That same day, Thriller’s certification was raised from 30 million to 32 million.


Thriller continues to maintain its place as the highest-certified album ever, ahead of Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, with 29 million. (It was last certified on Jan. 30, 2006.)


Thriller was released through Sony Music Entertainment’s Epic Records and spent 37 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The mega-successful set was the first to generate a record seven top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including two No. 1s: “Billie Jean” (No. 1 for seven weeks) and “Beat It” (No. 1 for three weeks). In 2015, Thriller was named the biggest album of all time by a male artist on the Billboard 200 chart, and the No. 3 title overall.


Simultaneous with Thriller’s raised certification, its follow-up, Bad, climbs to 10-times platinum (the RIAA’s Diamond award). Jackson is one of just 22 acts with more than one Diamond-certified album.


Representatives for Sony and Jackson’s estate say that Thriller has sold 105 million copies globally.

who's counting anyways ?

I mean, big reason why Thriller is so massively popular is because it's the best selling album of all time.

so is Bad considered a "flop"?? I mean it sold 23 million less than Thriller!

Crazy more than 30 million copies just in USA.

IamBryan said:

Thriller and BAD were the first two C.D's I brought as a little girl, never forget. Definitly two of the greatest albums ever made! Those albums changed my life MJ's impact and reach has no bounds. We will be listening to MJ for years, decades and centuries to come. He is truly immortal and lives forever.

My favorite.. Musically/Production.

Then late 1982 arrived and BAAM!!!-----> The Juggernaut!!!

Nice, that is so good and that means at least 72 million copies sold globally, 90,000 in New Zealand alone and 3.6 million in the UK.

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That album is incredible. I think OTW is 13 million worldwide, Bad about 35 million w/w, Dangerous 30 million w/w, History 28 million w/w (14 million, each count as 2 albums). BODF about 4 million and 6 million for invincible, plus the singles must have sold a few million too.

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In 1989 Sony had a ceremony where MJ was presented with an award for selling 100 million records, which included all the singles and J5/Jackson stuff. He must be closing in on 500 million in total.

MD431Madcat said:

Shawy89 said:

paisleypark4 said:

Beautiful, I would want those, but i would never play them, at least until I get a decent record player.

That's another thing Michael Jackson and others have on Madonna. While Madonna is the highest selling female artist of all-time, her catalog has zero chance of selling much in the future like Jackson's. Her hits still occasionally play on the radio but it's simply not going to have any popularity among the next generations unlike Jackson's.

[Edited 2/17/17 7:12am]

^Great point that is not often observed.

EmmaMcG said:

Shawy89 said:

who's counting anyways ?

I mean, big reason why Thriller is so massively popular is because it's the best selling album of all time.

Yeah but it's also a great album. Forget about sales and awards and take the fact that it's Michael Jackson out of the equation and just judge it on the music and it is THE perfect pop album. It's seriously flawless. Even some of the songs that didn't make the album are amazing. I think the album's popularity and sales figures sometimes makes people numb to just how brilliant it is. The same can be said of Michael Jackson himself.

MJ is a legend above all legends and an Icon above all Icons. His legacy is a testament to his impact and influence. There will never be another Michael Jackson. This is why I laugh when people try compare mediocrity to him, Its just NO comparision.

Surprised there was never a billion seller. Probably because most of the world cannot afford even one album.

mnbvc said:

That's another thing Michael Jackson and others have on Madonna. While Madonna is the highest selling female artist of all-time, her catalog has zero chance of selling much in the future like Jackson's. Her hits still occasionally play on the radio but it's simply not going to have any popularity among the next generations unlike Jackson's.

[Edited 2/17/17 7:12am]

I don't think so, Madonna will be remembered just as much as Michael, although not as respected as him. And her sales won't match those of Jackson in a near future.

Wow! I'd have thought that Bad was certified Diamond a long time ago...

I have (3) thriller LPs and at least (2) Cds.

thedoorkeeper said:

I bought Thriller when it was released. That x-mas I bought two copies to give as gifts. At some point I bought a cd version. A few years ago my wife bought the rereleased version. I've bought a few downloads of favorite songs from Thriller. I can see how those sales numbers can easily rack up.

214 said:

mnbvc said:

That's another thing Michael Jackson and others have on Madonna. While Madonna is the highest selling female artist of all-time, her catalog has zero chance of selling much in the future like Jackson's. Her hits still occasionally play on the radio but it's simply not going to have any popularity among the next generations unlike Jackson's.

[Edited 2/17/17 7:12am]

I don't think so, Madonna will be remembered just as much as Michael, although not as respected as him. And her sales won't match those of Jackson in a near future.

No doubt she won't be forgotten but when you see clips such as these, it's quite clear that Jackson has a enduring quality about him that she and most can't really match.

MD431Madcat said:

I have (3) thriller LPs and at least (2) Cds.

thedoorkeeper said:

I bought Thriller when it was released. That x-mas I bought two copies to give as gifts. At some point I bought a cd version. A few years ago my wife bought the rereleased version. I've bought a few downloads of favorite songs from Thriller. I can see how those sales numbers can easily rack up.

Most of us serious MJ fans do, as we buy the special editions and remasters. Myself

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Off the wall, CD of album, 2001 SpecialEdition, 2016 Documentary and chalk set. (3)

Thriller, Vinyl album, CD and Thriller25 (3)

Bad, Standard album, 2001 Speical Edition, Bad 25 (3)

Dangerous - Incredibly just once CD that is probably original, thinking of buying a pop up cover one (1)

History - Clean and Dirty Versions (2)

BODF, Invincible - 1 each

Michael - 2 Copies (why)

Xscape - Standard and Deluxe

Icon

This is it (1 each)

Number 1s (CD and DVD)

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And that is nothing compaed to some people, some cats on MJJ have like every album in all formats (Tape, Vinyl, Disc, piano rolls), then reissues, remasters, special editions and so on.

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So even though Michael only 7 official albums while alive (OTW onwards - 11 if you count Motown excluding cash in releases after 1975 like One day in your life) - Each MJ fan is probably responsible for 20 - 50 sales of MJ albums.

mnbvc said:

214 said:

I don't think so, Madonna will be remembered just as much as Michael, although not as respected as him. And her sales won't match those of Jackson in a near future.

No doubt she won't be forgotten but when you see clips such as these, it's quite clear that Jackson has a enduring quality about him that she and most can't really match.

I agree.

This album is so ubiquitous at this point, it's like a piece of fucking household furniture lol. No matter what, it'll never stop selling. Just won't stop. Like the Terminator. I miss MJ, man lol.

SoulAlive said:

Let's not turn this into a silly comparison thread Michael is Michael,Madonna is Madonna.They both had some incredible achievements.Let's leave it at that.

You´re right, thanks God they both exist. I mean artistically

mnbvc said:

MotownSubdivision said:

mnbvc said:

No doubt she won't be forgotten but when you see clips such as these, it's quite clear that Jackson has a enduring quality about him that she and most can't really match.

There's hope for the world yet. The kids in the first video seem to know that today's music is trash compared to the adventurous 80s.

there's only one way to clean this stuff up

Let's not forget these recerts are because of the new rules allowing the RIAA to count streaming as pure sales. That's why in february, THRILLER went from 30 Platinum discs to 33 P !

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In fact, this only proves, sadly, that BAD never reached the 10 million mark in pure sales. I always thought BAD was undercertified...Apparently not.

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Because we are on the org, do not forget that PURPLE RAIN is really undercertified. It was last certified at 13P in 1996 (!) but sold 2.5 millions more between 1996 and today.

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It would be a great promotion if WB would recertify PURPLE RAIN at 15 *P. With streaming added and with the new deluxe edition coming, it will reach fast the 16*P...