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Earth Song - #1 21 years ago today.

Tony R

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Can you believe it? 21 years ago Michael had his biggest selling hit ever in the UK as Earth Song became his first and only Christmas Number One.

Hot on the heels of You Are Not Alone, It meant that HIStory would be the only MJ album in the UK to have more than one Number One.

For me Earth Song is the best song on HIStory, in my Top 5 MJ songs and definitely in the category of songs only Michael Jackson could make.

With a stunning video that perfectly captured the ethos of the song, Earth Song is another perfect moment in a music catalogue that is full of them.
 
It's a great achievement that Earth Song, a song released after the 93 allegations went on to become his best selling single in the UK outselling his other well known hits.
 
I remember it like it was yesterday, watching a news program on Sky News on a Sunday morning where they reviewed the new releases when it was released and the critic was all cynical and acted stupid, trying to trash it by mocking lines like "what about the elephants / have we lost their trust". I specifically remember him mocking this line saying how stupid it was. Oh well, maybe he didn't like elephants. LOL.

Thankfully the audience was not that narrow-minded. Indeed, Earth Song was very popular all over Europe. Not only in the UK. I may be wrong but I think in Germany it was his most successful single ever. I think Europe at the time was a lot more receptive of such an environmentalist message than the US.
 
respect77 said:
I remember it like it was yesterday, watching a news program on Sky News on a Sunday morning where they reviewed the new releases when it was released and the critic was all cynical and acted stupid, trying to trash it by mocking lines like "what about the elephants / have we lost their trust". I specifically remember him mocking this line saying how stupid it was. Oh well, maybe he didn't like elephants. LOL.
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SMH, dumb people really shouldn't talk about what their narrow minds can't comprehend.

Thankfully the audience was not that narrow-minded. Indeed, Earth Song was very popular all over Europe. Not only in the UK. I may be wrong but I think in Germany it was his most successful single ever. I think Europe at the time was a lot more receptive of such an environmentalist message than the US.
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Wow, if the bolded is true then that's really cool.


I LOVE Earth Song though!
It stays snatching edges and wigs like.
LA1XrYZg3MrM4.gif

By time you finish listening to the song, watching the short film, or watching any live performance of it you'll be looking this.
XLqsWr5eQJsrK.gif

That song is SO damn powerful!
It's honestly sad how relevant the song's message still is though.
 
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Being only two, I don't really remember seeing it when it was first released. One of my earliest memories is sat in front of the TV watching "Earth Song," wide-eyed. I didn't know what the song was called, I didn't know who sang it, I only knew that I loved it.
21 years later, it's still my favourite Michael Jackson song.
 
I remember watching it on Top Of The Pops every week
 
Pink Diamond Princess;4178162 said:
Wow, if the bolded is true then that's really cool.
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I looked it up. Yes, it is true.

The song also took the number one position in Spain, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland, peaking within the top five in almost every European state.[SUP][25][/SUP] In Germany, it was Jackson's first single to reach No. 1 on the German Singles Chart and by staying on the pole position for 5 consecutive weeks, it's also his most successful single there.[SUP][26][/SUP]
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It is also his most successful single ever in the UK.

"Earth Song" remains Jackson's best-selling single in the United Kingdom, where it sold 1.16 million copies as of November 2012.[SUP][20][/SUP] It debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, where it remained for six weeks throughout December 1995 — beating the U2/Brian Eno project Passengers in competition to win the Christmas number one spot — and into early-1996.[SUP][21][/SUP][SUP][22][/SUP] During its stay at number one, "Earth Song" kept the first single released by The Beatles in 25 years, "Free as a Bird", off the number one position. In early December, bookmakers correctly predicted that Jackson would keep The Beatles off the top position and go on to attain the Christmas number-one single.[SUP][23][/SUP][SUP][24][/SUP]
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Song
 
analogue said:
I remember watching it on Top Of The Pops every week
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Yeah, I was so nervous that it had peaked too soon and wouldn't stay number one until Christmas.

I thought the Beatles 'new' song Free As A Bird would knock it off, but so glad it didn't.

Mike's previous biggest seller in UK was Heal The World which was also Christmas, 1992 but Whitney's I Will Alwsys Love You denied him of the top spot then.
 
The critics were clowns for giving this song a negative reception. Apparently Michael was being self centred and pompous with the song. Idiots.
 
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MJJ'slilgrl said:
Being only two, I don't really remember seeing it when it was first released. One of my earliest memories is sat in front of the TV watching "Earth Song," wide-eyed. I didn't know what the song was called, I didn't know who sang it, I only knew that I loved it.
21 years later, it's still my favourite Michael Jackson song.
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As a young MJ fan myself all I have to say is thank goodness for YouTube.
 
Speaking of Earth Song, has anyone read Joe Vogel's Earth Song book? Is it worth getting. I read his other books on Michael and they were quite good.
 
Tony R said:
I thought the Beatles 'new' song Free As A Bird would knock it off, but so glad it didn't.
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Man what a time I would've loved to been alive (well, I was but ya know, very little). My two favourite artists dominating the UK charts :D
 
Pink Diamond Princess said:
LOL, my fave performance of Earth Song are some of the HIStory tour ones.
I LOVE how he used that cherry picker.
It was epic!:D
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I love it when that fan climbed up with him, it was really funny when they got back down on stage and there was a whole group of security waiting for him :lol:
 
HIStoric said:
I love it when that fan climbed up with him, it was really funny when they got back down on stage and there was a whole group of security waiting for him :lol:
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Me too!
I wonder if it was planned or spontaneous.
I die laughing when he just lays back in Michael's arms.:rofl:
He's going to remember that and tell that story until the day he dies.:)
 
respect77 said:
I remember it like it was yesterday, watching a news program on Sky News on a Sunday morning where they reviewed the new releases when it was released and the critic was all cynical and acted stupid, trying to trash it by mocking lines like "what about the elephants / have we lost their trust". I specifically remember him mocking this line saying how stupid it was. Oh well, maybe he didn't like elephants. LOL.
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Sure,if the song is perfect some people will be desperate enough to find something 'stupid' :D

respect77 said:
I may be wrong but I think in Germany it was his most successful single ever.
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I can tell you,whenever i turn on the radio, they either play Earth Song or They don't care about us.I think HIStory is one of Michael's most appreciated albums here in Germany :)
 
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