Which of MJ's album releases had the most hype towards it?

[R1chard]

Most people here probably are too young to remember the hype for Bad

When did you become a MJ fan?

Quite surprised not to have seen a similar topic.

www.mjjcommunity.com

 

[Spaceship]

Sure, Sony wanted there to be hype.

But that's very different to lots of people actually being hyped.

It's just not on the same level. The statues were just a gimmicky stunt.

Yes, you finally posted something smart.

Dangerous had the most hype, followed by Bad, followed by Thriller. Then maybe followed by Got To Be There. HIStory would be lucky to be 5th.

Now you just lost it

 

[IhateTheMedia]

MJ’s popularity only seemingly sharply declined post 1993. In reality the HIStory project completely outperformed expectations. The tour was a worldwide massive triumph in terms of ticket sales (not in terms of performance sigh). The album sold in very high quantities despite being an expensive double album and 4 of its 5 singles were global monster hits (scream,you are not alone, earth song and they don’t care about us). Two of them even survived time and are still in playlists all over the world (earth song and they don’t care about us), not to mention how socially relevant they still are.

And there is still a case to be made of Stranger In Moscow hitting nr 1 in Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic which is by no means a small feet as a 5th single.

Sony was greedy AF and upped the price of History so they could maximize profits which lead to sales lower than Dangerous. Invincible is a completely different can of worms but it would have done as well as Dangerous if not better if not for Sony

 

[mj_frenzy]

Look, you might not like HIStory but it had hype and publicity by necessity. They wanted Michael's music back at the forefront so went out of their way to push it. Statues, TV spots, TV appearances. Earth Song was Christmas Number 1 in the UK he did a message on Top of the Pops. He appeared at the Brits and "performed".

People were hyped for the album.

The aggressive marketing campaign of the 'HIStory' album actually led to less hype for this album.

Michael Jackson was presented as a narcissist guy, as a hero, as a Messiah, and so on, and many people did not like that, which in turn led to less hype for the 'HIStory' album.

 

[Spaceship]

Tbh, I misspoke earlier. There's no doubt that History was hyped. The fact "Scream" was the first single to debut as high as no.5 on the Hot 100, and "You Are Not Alone" the first to debut at no.1, is proof of that. The album also sold better than Dangerous in its debut week (nearly 400k whereas Dangerous sold 326k).

So yeah, it was hyped. That's exactly why it was considered such a disappointment when it didn't do so well in the end, compared to MJ's previous adult solo albums. By the time he was reported to be working on his next album, Invincible, there definitely wasn't as much hype because the public perception was largely that MJ was a freak. Invincible sold 363k in its first week, which isn't bad, but by 2001, that wasn't an impressive number.

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

Tbh, I misspoke earlier. There's no doubt that History was hyped. The fact "Scream" was the first single to debut as high as no.5 on the Hot 100, and "You Are Not Alone" the first to debut at no.1, is proof of that. The album also sold better than Dangerous in its debut week (nearly 400k whereas Dangerous sold 326k).

So yeah, it was hyped. That's exactly why it was considered such a disappointment when it didn't do so well in the end, compared to MJ's previous adult solo albums. By the time he was reported to be working on his next album, Invincible, there definitely wasn't as much hype because the public perception was largely that MJ was a freak. Invincible sold 363k in its first week, which isn't bad, but by 2001, that wasn't an impressive number.

Growth.

 

[librariangirl:)]

In Europe it was definitely History, when it comes to hype in the sense of a massive PR machine. For my taste it was a bit over the top with the statue etc. and the album was a bit of a disappointment to me too.

 

[dam2040]

HIStory was my favorite. The statue being so in your face was just amazing.

 

[Thatkliqkid]

The aggressive marketing campaign of the 'HIStory' album actually led to less hype for this album.

Michael Jackson was presented as a narcissist guy, as a hero, as a Messiah, and so on, and many people did not like that, which in turn led to less hype for the 'HIStory' album.

I think this very much depends on what country you were in at the time.

People are presenting arguments here as if there's a massive difference between Dangerous and HIStory and I don't think there is as big as they are claiming at least not in the UK.

Dangerous was in the top 10 album chart for 24 weeks....HIStory for 22. That's not a huge slide off.

As for posters claiming Sony were greedy when it came to the price of HIStory....it was a double album of course it was going to cost more.

 

[Spaceship]

Dangerous sold like 30m worldwide
History only sold half of that lol

 

[mj_frenzy]

Dangerous sold like 30m worldwide
History only sold half of that lol

The sales of the 'HIStory' album (with its 2 separate discs) are around 40 million copies worldwide, meaning that they exceed the sales of the 'Dangerous' album.

Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) counts a double album as 2 separate discs as long as the combined (total) running time of these 2 discs is at least 120 minutes.

The combined (total) running time of the 'HIStory' album is more than 120 minutes, so this album's sales count as 2 separate discs.

 

[kai]

It was the 'Dangerous' album, given also the fact that robbers stole 30,000 copies of it right before its official release (from a warehouse at Los Angeles International Airport) in order to sell it on the street at a discount.

good mp3 was not existing and the internet as today was not a thing back then xD

 

[Spaceship]

The sales of the 'HIStory' album (with its 2 separate discs) are around 40 million copies worldwide, meaning that they exceed the sales of the 'Dangerous' album.

Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) counts a double album as 2 separate discs as long as the combined (total) running time of these 2 discs is at least 120 minutes.

The combined (total) running time of the 'HIStory' album is more than 120 minutes, so this album's sales count as 2 separate discs.

Nah actually it sold 20m counting both discs

As one package it only sold 10m. Not even half of Dangerous lol

 

[Hurley509]

Nah actually it sold 20m counting both discs

As one package it only sold 10m. Not even half of Dangerous lol

I think this is wrong. People are chopping and changing their terms when they say "20 million" and people are like, 20 million discs or 20 million double discs aka, 10 million.

No, it sold 20 million units, 40 million discs. If you think it only sold 10 million you're supposing that it was LESS successful than Invincible was. Tha is DEFINITELY not the case.

Dangerous sold like 30m worldwide
History only sold half of that lol

I am not sure where sales stood in the 90s but Dangerous is now estimated to have sold 40 million, much of that, perhaps, since his death.

So yeah, it was hyped. That's exactly why it was considered such a disappointment when it didn't do so well in the end, compared to MJ's previous adult solo albums. By the time he was reported to be working on his next album, Invincible, there definitely wasn't as much hype because the public perception was largely that MJ was a freak. Invincible sold 363k in its first week, which isn't bad, but by 2001, that wasn't an impressive number.

This is 'mostly' true. In its first few weeks Invincible was outselling Dangerous, and then died when nothing outside of YRMW came out. HIStory fizzled after the first couple of singles as well. Some of that may be owed to the increased pricing of a double disc.

---

I think HIStory was a pretty good album. I think the issue it faced was the over-the-top promotion that came off narcissistic, and also the fact it came with a greatest hits disc. It made people wonder and question the quality of whatever is on the second disc. Are they all of cuts and why wont they stand on their own?

As far as singles go, Scream and YRNA were successes in the US, Earth Song internationally, TCAU really flailed in the US, probably due to the contrrversy around it. Usually Michael Jackson albums are a sustained enslaught, two years worth of releases. I think outside of the HIStory tour, (which never played in the US), there was no real prolonged effort with HIStory in the US especially, which adds to the perception that the album was a "disappointment", because in the US, it was. And half assing on releases and tours there contributes tto that.

-

As for Invincible I don't remember any hype for Invincible here in Australia. I remember just going about my life oblivious, then next thing you know my sister is playing a new Michael Jackson album. And it's like Michael Jackson? Seriously? He's still around? Can he still moonwalk? I'd mostly forgotten about the guy for about 6-7 years at that point. I did hear more of him once the album had released but it was usually the media snickering, classmates bagging me for liking Michael Jackson, all this. As good as I think 'some' of the material on Invincible was, the albnum really failed to land and there was no real Michael Jackson hype in 2001.

 

[dam2040]

Regarding HIStory, most fans only remember MJs problems with Sony starting at Invincible.

MJNI, an old fan club at the time, were begging Sony to promote the singles properly - especially in the US. Some weren't even sent to radio!

 

[8701girl]

Regarding HIStory, most fans only remember MJs problems with Sony starting at Invincible.

MJNI, an old fan club at the time, were begging Sony to promote the singles properly - especially in the US. Some weren't even sent to radio!

yep i remember it was hard to find singles from history album

 

[R1chard]

If you think it only sold 10 million you're supposing that it was LESS successful than Invincible was. Tha is DEFINITELY not the case.

Huh? I thought we debunked this? Invincible sold about 6 million.

Dangerous is now estimated to have sold 40 million, much of that, perhaps, since his death.

I think that's just the Sony thing of pulling a number out their ass, doubling it, then putting another zero at the end.

Think about what you're saying. Copies selling after his death? CDs? Really?! In the streaming age?!

People simply don't buy music any more. It would be false to assume you can simply add another million sales every year, as if they carry on selling at the same rate as when they were new. That period is over.

 

[zinniabooklover]

I did buy 3 copies of Dangerous on CD after Michael died. I mean, I bought all of his CD's after he died but with some of them I bought extra copies.

Just sayin'.

 

[etoile 37]

Copies selling after his death? CDs? Really?! In the streaming age?!

I'm still buying CDs *shrugs*

 

[mj_frenzy]

I think that's just the Sony thing of pulling a number out their ass, doubling it, then putting another zero at the end.

Think about what you're saying. Copies selling after his death? CDs? Really?! In the streaming age?!

People simply don't buy music any more. It would be false to assume you can simply add another million sales every year, as if they carry on selling at the same rate as when they were new. That period is over.

According to Nielsen Music, in the 10 years after his death (25/06/2009 - 25/06/2019), his physical album sales increased by 16.1 million copies in the US:

"16.1 million: The number of albums [Michael] Jackson has sold in the U.S. after his death, according to Nielsen Music" (Billboard)

It is worth noting also that many retail stores reportedly ran out of stock (of his physical albums) in the following days after his death.

 

[Spaceship]

No, it sold 20 million units, 40 million discs. If you think it only sold 10 million you're supposing that it was LESS successful than Invincible was. Tha is DEFINITELY not the case.

Invincible only sold 6m worldwide. The 12-13m figure was debunked 10 years ago now.

History sold about 10m units, 20 million discs. Maybe even less lol

 

[Andymachine]

In Europe it was definitely History, when it comes to hype in the sense of a massive PR machine. For my taste it was a bit over the top with the statue etc. and the album was a bit of a disappointment to me too.

Depends where in Europe. In the UK it was Dangerous i can assure you. By History , a lot of people had lost interest , though i know in mainland Europe he was still pretty massive.

 

[librariangirl:)]

Depends where in Europe. In the UK it was Dangerous i can assure you. By History , a lot of people had lost interest , though i know in mainland Europe he was still pretty massive.

I‘m not talking about „hype“ in terms of popularity, but about the massive pr machine behind the launch of History.

 

[R1chard]

I'm still buying CDs *shrugs*

So am I (I will never buy any music that is not available on CD or a superior format).

But I'm not the norm. Nobody else buys them. There weren't much more than about 100 million CDs sold last year in total, worldwide. CDs are only for collectors, they're not mainstream. People simply do not buy music any more.

According to Nielsen Music, in the 10 years after his death (25/06/2009 - 25/06/2019), his physical album sales increased by 16.1 million copies in the US:

Right. Probably half in the month following his death. The other 8 million over 10 years, that's 0.8 million sales per year, spread between 10 albums, it's not even 0.1 million per album!

ie nothing.

I‘m not talking about „hype“ in terms of popularity, but about the massive pr machine behind the launch of History.

That's not what this thread is about. TC specifically asked "which one in particular was treated as the biggest event among fans".

Again, Sony wanted HIStory to be hype. The public had other ideas.

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

We've already established it was Bad with the most hype, what are we even still talking about? The whole world was waiting for Bad.

 

[MonkeyCheater]

I think this is wrong. People are chopping and changing their terms when they say "20 million" and people are like, 20 million discs or 20 million double discs aka, 10 million.

No, it sold 20 million units, 40 million discs. If you think it only sold 10 million you're supposing that it was LESS successful than Invincible was. Tha is DEFINITELY not the case.



I am not sure where sales stood in the 90s but Dangerous is now estimated to have sold 40 million, much of that, perhaps, since his death.



This is 'mostly' true. In its first few weeks Invincible was outselling Dangerous, and then died when nothing outside of YRMW came out. HIStory fizzled after the first couple of singles as well. Some of that may be owed to the increased pricing of a double disc.

---

I think this is wrong. People are chopping and changing their terms when they say "20 million" and people are like, 20 million discs or 20 million double discs aka, 10 million.

No, it sold 20 million units, 40 million discs. If you think it only sold 10 million you're supposing that it was LESS successful than Invincible was. Tha is DEFINITELY not the case.



I am not sure where sales stood in the 90s but Dangerous is now estimated to have sold 40 million, much of that, perhaps, since his death.



This is 'mostly' true. In its first few weeks Invincible was outselling Dangerous, and then died when nothing outside of YRMW came out. HIStory fizzled after the first couple of singles as well. Some of that may be owed to the increased pricing of a double disc.

---

With the exception of France, the first few sales weeks of Invincible were far behind those of Bad, Dangerous and History.

 

[MonkeyCheater]

So am I (I will never buy any music that is not available on CD or a superior format).

But I'm not the norm. Nobody else buys them. There weren't much more than about 100 million CDs sold last year in total, worldwide. CDs are only for collectors, they're not mainstream. People simply do not buy music any more.


Right. Probably half in the month following his death. The other 8 million over 10 years, that's 0.8 million sales per year, spread between 10 albums, it's not even 0.1 million per album!

ie nothing.


That's not what this thread is about. TC specifically asked "which one in particular was treated as the biggest event among fans".

Again, Sony wanted HIStory to be hype. The public had other ideas.

Well, the original poster seems to have blurred the lines between actual ’hype’ and fan excitement.

in terms of actual Hype, I would suggest Bad, Dangerous and History all received similar hype (advertising, pr, media coverage).

 

[Spaceship]

Bad had the highest first-week sales of any MJ album, so there's no question that it was the most hyped.