Michael Jackson’s Thriller is the first album certified RIAA 30x multi-platinum

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Michael Jackson's Thriller is now the only album in music history to be certified 30X Multi-Platinum in the United States, breaking the album's own historic record. Thriller has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. The King of Pop also remains the biggest selling artist of all time with over 1 billion records sold globally. Thank you to all of Michael's fans who have contributed to this milestone. Read the complete announcement:

MICHAEL JACKSON’S THRILLER IS THE FIRST ALBUM CERTIFIED RIAA 30X MULTI-PLATINUM THE KING OF POP MAKES HISTORY (AGAIN)!
THRILLER REMAINS THE BIGGEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME, TOPPING 100 MILLION SALES WORLDWIDE
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Estate of Michael Jackson, Epic Records and Legacy Recordings announced today that Michael Jackson’s THRILLER is the first album in RIAA Gold & Platinum Program history to be certified 30X Multi-Platinum for U.S. sales, continuing The King of Pop’s reign as the biggest selling artist of all time with worldwide sales of over 100 million for Thriller and 1 billion overall.

“RIAA has awarded Gold & Platinum records on behalf of the music business for nearly 60 years, but this is the first time an artist has crossed the 30X multi-Platinum plateau,” said Cary Sherman, Chairman & CEO, RIAA. “We are honored to celebrate the unique status of Thriller in Gold & Platinum history. What an exceptional achievement and testament to Thriller’s enduring spot in our hearts and musical history.”

Michael Jackson’s masterpiece Thriller, produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson, won a record setting 8 Grammys, more than any album ever, and has been earning awards and setting new standards of success since its release on November 30, 1982. Thriller spent nearly 2 -1/2 years on the Billboard album chart and holds a modern day record of 37 weeks at #1. It was the first album in history to spend each of its first 80 weeks in the album chart’s Top 10, a feat only reached by one other album in the more than three decades since. During its 112th week on Billboard’s album chart, it became the first title ever to be certified RIAA 20X multi-Platinum (October 30, 1984). Worldwide, Thriller went to #1 in practically every country in the world, including the UK, France, Italy, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, South Africa, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and apartheid South Africa.

The album was acclaimed for its range and depth. Rolling Stone referred to the album as a ‘’watershed” moment for Michael, and Newsweek prophetically wrote that “Michael’s voice haunts these songs, gives them heart…It is what will make this music endure.” Seven tracks from the album became Top 10 singles, and three, “Beat It”, “Billie Jean” and “Thriller”, went #1. ALL nine assumed a permanent place in hearts and memories of everyone on the planet.

More than just an album, Thriller has remained a global cultural multi-media phenomenon for both the 20th and the 21st centuries, smashing musical barriers and changing the frontiers of pop forever. The music on Thriller is so dynamic and singular that it defied any definition of rock, pop or soul that had gone before. ‘“Beat It” was a new kind of pop rock hybrid and demolished the longstanding segregation between black and white music with Eddie Van Halen’s incendiary guitar. On “The Girl Is Mine” a black man and a white man bantered about the same girl. On the same album were songs like the African-rooted “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” and the rhythm and blues based “Billie Jean”. No one had ever released an album with such a vast range of material.

“Perhaps Michael’s most significant racial trailblazing came with music videos,” wrote Joe Vogel in Man in the Music. Fascinated with the fledgling art form Michael wanted to tell a story and entertain on a grand scale. Despite the luscious cinematography, dramatic narrative and spectacular choreography of “Billie Jean”, a fledgling MTV, which was programming white rock artists almost exclusively, refused to play it. Epic persisted. Once the wall came crashing down, MTV’s ratings soared and a door was opened for a generation of African American artists. “He was MTV’s Jackie Robinson,” said cultural critic Touré. Next came the unforgettable short film for “Beat It” which featured Michael bringing two gangs together through the power of music and dance. And then there was “Thriller”. Premiered at the AVCO Theatre in Los Angeles in 1983, it sold out every night for three weeks. No other video before or since has generated such excitement and has such a hold on our attention such that more than 30 years later we all share it as a collective memory and it remains the only music video to be inducted into the elite National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

The importance of Thriller was recognized by Michael Jackson’s industry peers at the Grammys. Thriller was nominated in a record breaking 12 categories, and won a history making eight, which stands as the record for most Grammy Awards to be won by any album. Seven of those Grammys that year were awarded to Michael for: Album of the Year; Record of the Year ("Beat It"); Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ("Thriller"); Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical (Thriller); Best Male Rock Vocal Performance ("Beat It"); Best Male R&B Vocal Performance ("Billie Jean"); Best R&B Song ("Billie Jean"). (Michael's eighth Grammy that year was in the Best Recording for Children - Single or Album, Musical or Spoken category for "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"). That same year, Michael Jackson took home eight American Music Awards and three MTV Video Music Awards. The following year, "The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller" took home the Best Video Album trophy at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards.

During his extraordinary career, Michael Jackson sold more than a billion records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Jackson as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and “Thriller” as the World's Top-Selling Album of All Time. His artistry, choreography and music continue to inspire generations of pop, soul, R&B and hip-hop artists and fans.

"It is crystal clear that Michael Jackson is simply the greatest, and biggest artist of all time," says LA Reid, Chairman & CEO
of Epic Records. "Not only are his charts hits and sales stats staggering, but his pure musicality was other-worldly. Thriller was groundbreaking and electrifying...it was perfection. I am extremely proud that Michael is the heart and soul of Epic Records and he will forever remain the one-and-only King of Pop."

“100 million albums and counting. There has never been a phenomenon like Thriller,” says John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson. “Michael opened the floodgates of his creativity, explored emotional depths and pushed the boundaries of sonic innovation. In the process, he breached destructive barriers in the music industry and literally united the world through his music: there isn’t a place on this planet that hasn’t been exhilarated by the music of Michael Jackson. 30 years after its release, Thriller continues to be a revelation.

Music from Thriller and Michael’s other hit albums is featured in the hit Las Vegas show Michael Jackson ONE, produced by Cirque du Soleil and the Estate of Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson ONE is selling out shows and amazing fans at the Michael Jackson ONE Theatre at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.

http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/ne...st-ever-30x-multi-platinum-riaa-certification
 
Is that it?
Is it the great and exciting announcement from MJ Estate that we were waiting for?!
OMG! What a great news!
What now? Should I go and play "Thriller" album for the thousand time in my life or should I go and buy another copy and help it become 31x multi-platinum tomorrow and wait for another great announcement?!

561380-bigthumbnail.jpg
 
It was due for a while so I am glad it finally happened! Great.
 
So now it's official that Michael's the biggest selling artist of all time?

I hope this is true, cause I've always seen him placed 3rd after Beatles and Elvis.

This news is great, especially when you certain parties (e.g. Billboard) trying to marginalize his achievements with their out of the ass rankings!
 
Is that it?
Is it the great and exciting announcement from MJ Estate that we were waiting for?!
OMG! What a great news!
What now? Should I go and play "Thriller" album for the thousand time in my life or should I go and buy another copy and help it become 31x multi-platinum tomorrow and wait for another great announcement?!

561380-bigthumbnail.jpg

Thats what the estate do to "keep mjs legacy alive"
 
I, for one, am glad they finally did this and glad it's making the news outlets too.
He just broke another record!! Yes! :)
 
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Michael Jackson's Thriller is now the only album in music history to be certified 30X Multi-Platinum in the United States, breaking the album's own historic record. Thriller has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. The King of Pop also remains the biggest selling artist of all time with over 1 billion records sold globally. Thank you to all of Michael's fans who have contributed to this milestone. Read the complete announcement:

MICHAEL JACKSON’S THRILLER IS THE FIRST ALBUM CERTIFIED RIAA 30X MULTI-PLATINUM THE KING OF POP MAKES HISTORY (AGAIN)!
THRILLER REMAINS THE BIGGEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME, TOPPING 100 MILLION SALES WORLDWIDE
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Estate of Michael Jackson, Epic Records and Legacy Recordings announced today that Michael Jackson’s THRILLER is the first album in RIAA Gold & Platinum Program history to be certified 30X Multi-Platinum for U.S. sales, continuing The King of Pop’s reign as the biggest selling artist of all time with worldwide sales of over 100 million for Thriller and 1 billion overall.
“RIAA has awarded Gold & Platinum records on behalf of the music business for nearly 60 years, but this is the first time an artist has crossed the 30X multi-Platinum plateau,” said Cary Sherman, Chairman & CEO, RIAA. “We are honored to celebrate the unique status of Thriller in Gold & Platinum history. What an exceptional achievement and testament to Thriller’s enduring spot in our hearts and musical history.”
Michael Jackson’s masterpiece Thriller, produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson, won a record setting 8 Grammys, more than any album ever, and has been earning awards and setting new standards of success since its release on November 30, 1982. Thriller spent nearly 2 -1/2 years on the Billboard album chart and holds a modern day record of 37 weeks at #1. It was the first album in history to spend each of its first 80 weeks in the album chart’s Top 10, a feat only reached by one other album in the more than three decades since. During its 112th week on Billboard’s album chart, it became the first title ever to be certified RIAA 20X multi-Platinum (October 30, 1984). Worldwide, Thriller went to #1 in practically every country in the world, including the UK, France, Italy, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, South Africa, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and apartheid South Africa.
The album was acclaimed for its range and depth. Rolling Stone referred to the album as a ‘’watershed” moment for Michael, and Newsweek prophetically wrote that “Michael’s voice haunts these songs, gives them heart…It is what will make this music endure.” Seven tracks from the album became Top 10 singles, and three, “Beat It”, “Billie Jean” and “Thriller”, went #1. ALL nine assumed a permanent place in hearts and memories of everyone on the planet.
More than just an album, Thriller has remained a global cultural multi-media phenomenon for both the 20th and the 21st centuries, smashing musical barriers and changing the frontiers of pop forever. The music on Thriller is so dynamic and singular that it defied any definition of rock, pop or soul that had gone before. ‘“Beat It” was a new kind of pop rock hybrid and demolished the longstanding segregation between black and white music with Eddie Van Halen’s incendiary guitar. On “The Girl Is Mine” a black man and a white man bantered about the same girl. On the same album were songs like the African-rooted “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” and the rhythm and blues based “Billie Jean”. No one had ever released an album with such a vast range of material.
“Perhaps Michael’s most significant racial trailblazing came with music videos,” wrote Joe Vogel in Man in the Music. Fascinated with the fledgling art form Michael wanted to tell a story and entertain on a grand scale. Despite the luscious cinematography, dramatic narrative and spectacular choreography of “Billie Jean”, a fledgling MTV, which was programming white rock artists almost exclusively, refused to play it. Epic persisted. Once the wall came crashing down, MTV’s ratings soared and a door was opened for a generation of African American artists. “He was MTV’s Jackie Robinson,” said cultural critic Touré. Next came the unforgettable short film for “Beat It” which featured Michael bringing two gangs together through the power of music and dance. And then there was “Thriller”. Premiered at the AVCO Theatre in Los Angeles in 1983, it sold out every night for three weeks. No other video before or since has generated such excitement and has such a hold on our attention such that more than 30 years later we all share it as a collective memory and it remains the only music video to be inducted into the elite National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
The importance of Thriller was recognized by Michael Jackson’s industry peers at the Grammys. Thriller was nominated in a record breaking 12 categories, and won a history making eight, which stands as the record for most Grammy Awards to be won by any album. Seven of those Grammys that year were awarded to Michael for: Album of the Year; Record of the Year ("Beat It"); Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ("Thriller"); Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical (Thriller); Best Male Rock Vocal Performance ("Beat It"); Best Male R&B Vocal Performance ("Billie Jean"); Best R&B Song ("Billie Jean"). (Michael's eighth Grammy that year was in the Best Recording for Children - Single or Album, Musical or Spoken category for "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"). That same year, Michael Jackson took home eight American Music Awards and three MTV Video Music Awards. The following year, "The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller" took home the Best Video Album trophy at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards.
During his extraordinary career, Michael Jackson sold more than a billion records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Jackson as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and “Thriller” as the World's Top-Selling Album of All Time. His artistry, choreography and music continue to inspire generations of pop, soul, R&B and hip-hop artists and fans.
"It is crystal clear that Michael Jackson is simply the greatest, and biggest artist of all time," says LA Reid, Chairman & CEO of Epic Records. "Not only are his charts hits and sales stats staggering, but his pure musicality was other-worldly. Thriller was groundbreaking and electrifying...it was perfection. I am extremely proud that Michael is the heart and soul of Epic Records and he will forever remain the one-and-only King of Pop."
“100 million albums and counting. There has never been a phenomenon like Thriller,” says John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson. “Michael opened the floodgates of his creativity, explored emotional depths and pushed the boundaries of sonic innovation. In the process, he breached destructive barriers in the music industry and literally united the world through his music: there isn’t a place on this planet that hasn’t been exhilarated by the music of Michael Jackson. 30 years after its release, Thriller continues to be a revelation
 
Nice to see the figures been put out there.counter acting the medias agenda when it comes to mjs sales figures will always be needed
 
Re: Michael jackson's 'thriller' first ever 30x multi-platinum riaa certification

^^Great news! But this is posted already this morning.
 
I get it that some expected an announcement about a new project, but can we not turn this positive thread into some Estate-bashing negativitiy, complaining thread?

I am sure a new project eventually will come, anyway.
 
So now it's official that Michael's the biggest selling artist of all time?

I hope this is true, cause I've always seen him placed 3rd after Beatles and Elvis.

This news is great, especially when you certain parties (e.g. Billboard) trying to marginalize his achievements with their out of the ass rankings!

Overall sales are different than one album's sales. MJ is the owner of the biggest selling album of all times.

Elvis and the Beatles might have bigger album sales overall because they released a lot more albums than MJ did. Their individual albums did not get close to the sales of MJ's usual sales for an album but when you have a gazillion 1-2 million or 4-5 million sellers then it will add up to more than 4-5 20-30 million sellers.
 
RIAA

RIAA &#8207;<s>@</s>RIAA <small class="time"> </small>
.<s>@</s>michaeljackson's <s>#</s>Thriller is 1st album in 57 years of <s>@</s>RIAA Gold & Platinum history to earn 30X multi-Platinum!



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Other tweets:

CBS Los Angeles &#8207;@CBSLA 23m23 minutes ago
Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is still hot more than 30 years and 30 million copies later: http://cbsloc.al/1m7ofvm


Trending Report&#8482; &#8207;@TrendingReport 26m26 minutes ago
Michael Jackson is Still Moonwalking To Historic Sales http://thetrendingreport.co m/michael-jackson-is-still-moonwalking-to-historic-sales/ &#8230;


Rolling Stone &#8207;@RollingStone 2h2 hours ago
Michael Jackson&#8217;s &#8216;Thriller&#8217; has become the first-ever album to sell 30 million copies in the U.S. http://rol.st/1I7lRz9



AP Entertainment &#8207;@APEntertainment 2h2 hours ago
#MichaelJackson's #Thriller sets new sales record 3 decades after its releasehttp://apne.ws/1UyYrE9



The Detroit News &#8207;@detroitnews 2h2 hours ago
Michael Jackson&#8217;s &#8216;Thriller&#8217; sets new sales record http://detne.ws/1QMhoTG



The Washington Times &#8207;@wtimesculture 47m47 minutes ago
Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' sets new sales record http://ow.ly/397ein
 
Re: Michael jackson's 'thriller' first ever 30x multi-platinum riaa certification

Something will always be the best album of musical history . Congratulations Michael Jackson and Thriller. :chillin:
 
Pretty ridiculous albeit not surprising that they handled this the way they did imo. I mean, teasing "some exciting news about Michael&#8217;s continuing legacy," announcing a time for fans to check their website on, and saying "we don&#8217;t want to give away too much," suggests more than an update about record sales. They could have drawn attention to it without giving fans the impression that it would be something (relatively) major.

With that said, it's a nice achievement for Michael!
 
Overall sales are different than one album's sales. MJ is the owner of the biggest selling album of all times.

Elvis and the Beatles might have bigger album sales overall because they released a lot more albums than MJ did. Their individual albums did not get close to the sales of MJ's usual sales for an album but when you have a gazillion 1-2 million or 4-5 million sellers then it will add up to more than 4-5 20-30 million sellers.

I've always said that when you look at the amount of albums MJ released vs the amount of albums that Elvis and The Beatles released, then MJ's success record is far more impressive
 
SoCav;4123141 said:
Pretty ridiculous albeit not surprising that they handled this the way they did imo. I mean, teasing "some exciting news about Michael’s continuing legacy," announcing a time for fans to check their website on, and saying "we don’t want to give away too much," suggests more than an update about record sales. They could have drawn attention to it without giving fans the impression that it would be something (relatively) major.

With that said, it's a nice achievement for Michael!

It is a great news and very happy for it , Michael really deserve it. But I do agree with you on the way MJE handled this , I read last night on FB and run like crazy to see what happened.But happy anyway :)
 
Great news! Beautiful announcement.

And suck it Adele and all racist "music" critics.
 
I would think the biggest selling artist tag includes everything as mj released so few actual albums compaired to others
 
Im sure they will try or just totally ignore the press release
 
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is still scaring up sales and giving the King of Pop’s legacy a new milestone.

The album has sold 30 million copies in the United States, making Jackson the first artist to attain 30-time multiplatinum status, the Recording Industry Association of America and Jackson’s estate announced Wednesday.

The album has proved even more popular overseas, with a total of 100 million copies sold worldwide since its 1982 release. It includes some of Jackson’s most recognizable hits, including “Beat It,” ”Billie Jean,” ”Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” and the title track, which inspired one of the most famous music videos of all time.

“‘Thriller’ continues to be the yardstick against which all other albums are measured,” said John Branca, co-executor of Jackson’s estate.

“What an exceptional achievement and testament to ‘Thriller’s’ enduring spot in our hearts and musical history,” RIAA chairman and CEO Cary Sherman wrote in a statement. The group monitors music sales and bestows gold status on albums that have sold 500,000 copies and platinum status if they reach 1 million sales.

Branca noted that Jackson wrote the album to appeal to a broad audience, which helped fuel its popularity abroad.

“He didn’t want to sell records to blacks or whites or Americans,” Branca said. “He wanted to sell records to everyone, Africa, Asia, everywhere. It’s just continued to sell and sell and sell.”

Branca was cautious about declaring that Jackson and “Thriller” had set an unbreakable record.

“You can’t say never,” he said, noting Adele’s album “21” has sold 11 million copies in the U.S. since 2011. “Nobody saw that coming.”

But, he added, “You wouldn’t want to bet that there’s another one coming along. Not these days.”

A greatest-hits collection of songs by the Eagles is Jackson’s closest competitor at the moment, with 29 million albums sold, according to the RIAA.

Jackson’s music surged in popularity after his unexpected death in June 2009 at age 50. His estate has released new music, the film “This is It” that features footage of Jackson’s final rehearsals for his comeback concerts and a pair of Cirque du Soleil shows.

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
 
Here's Why Michael Jackson Still ***** Adele
http://fortune.com/2015/12/16/michael-jackson-thriller/

30 million reasons why.

We&#8217;ve heard a ton lately about the success of Adele&#8217;s 25, a record that has already sold more than 5 million copies in the U.S. in three weeks. It&#8217;s an astonishing feat in any era, but particularly in this time of dwindling music sales.

But that is still a long way off from the numbers posted by Michael Jackson&#8217;s 33-year-old blockbuster record Thriller, which the Recording Industry Association of America on Wednesday said had surpassed 30 million copies sold in the U.S.

The record, which included classics like &#8220;Billie Jean&#8221; and &#8220;Beat It&#8221; is the first record ever to hit the 30-time platinum mark. Thriller has pulled ahead of the Eagles&#8217; Greatest Hits 1971-75, which has sold 29 million copies, as the best selling record of all time in the U.S. By some estimates, Thriller has hit 100 million copies worldwide. The album&#8217;s label is Epic/Legacy.

Jackson&#8217;s 1979 Off the Wall is eight times platinum, while his Bad CD from 1987 has hit the 9 million mark, according to the RIAA, which certifies U.S. album sales.

&#8220;What an exceptional achievement and testament to Thriller&#8217;s enduring spot in our hearts and musical history,&#8221; RIAA chairman and CEO Cary Sherman wrote in a statement to the Associated Press.

Thriller became a smash largely because it crossed over to different fan bases, appealing to African American as well as white listeners, along with rock fans as well as dance fans. That kind of crossover appeal has also fueled the success of Adele&#8217;s CDs, of which, 21 has sold 11 million copies stateside. Adele is signed to XL Recordings.

Jackson died in 2009, but his estate has continued to capitalize on his continued appeal by releasing new music, outtakes from tour rehearsals as featured in the movie This is It, as well as shows by Montreal-circus company Cirque du Soleil.
 
World Music Awards ?@WORLDMUSICAWARD
#MichaelJackson's #Thriller Is World's Best-selling Album & 1st to be certified 30 Times Multi-Platinum in the US!
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