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Thriller Fails To Qualify For Main Billboard Chart

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by Paul Cashmere - February 21 2008

Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' album will be absent from Billboard's Album Chart tomorrow because it is considered a "catalogue' album.

The 25th anniversary edition of 'Thriller' sold 166,000 units this week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, which would have placed it at number two behind Jack Johnson.
However, 'Thriller' has been designated to the Top Pop Catalog chart instead of the Billboard 200 because it is not considered a new release.
Geoff Mayfield, Billboard's Sr. Director of Charts, says there was much debate between Sony-BMG and Billboard over the listing but in the end Billboard would not change its policy for 'Thriller'.
"Sony-BMG stated a strong case and we did consider it," Geoff tells Undercover News. "I took to heart their comments and then I took it to retail. The response I got overwhelmingly is that it is a catalogue album and belongs on the catalogue chart".
"It is being worked in Sony through Legacy which is their catalogue division', he said. "The core of the album is a 25 year old recording. The addition of new material doesn't make it different".
Over the years, hundreds, if not thousands of albums have been reissued with additional material just like 'Thriller'. "U2's recent 'The Joshua Tree' reissue and Beck's 'Odelay' fall into the same category," he states. "In fact, Beck's album has new tracks just like 'Thriller' and it did not qualify."
Other albums such as The Who's 'Live At Leeds' and Wings 'Band On The Run' were reissued like 'Thriller' with extra tracks.
"I wasn't interested in what Sony-BMG thought," Geoff said. "We always rethink our rules. We did so in November. Sometimes there is a change, sometimes there is not. To change the rules for 'Thriller' would have signalled a change for all other albums moving forward."
So why is the reissue of 'Thriller' different to the reissue of 'Traveling Wilburys' which did qualify for the chart? "Wilburys was the entire Wilburys output in one package," he says. It was never done before. If 'Thriller' and 'Off The Wall' were combined into one package then that would qualify and would have been charted".
'Thriller' is the second biggest album of all-time in the United States. Jackson needs to sell another 3 million copies to beat the current title holder Eagles 'Their Greatest Hits'.
http://www.undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=4167
 
Re: Thriller Fails To Qualify For Billboard Chart

Thanks for posting MjjChichi;)

Thats not fair-_-...i would love to see Mj back at Billboard Charts^_^
 
Re: Thriller Fails To Qualify For Billboard Chart

exactly. like we knew it would. so why "the let's get Michael to #1 campaign" it was all a bit silly. he is number one on the Catalog charts though.. but that's not the main chart.. and doesn't really count.
 
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Re: Thriller Fails To Qualify For Billboard Chart

i hope he will sell another 3 million and he will beat eagles
 
Re: Thriller Fails To Qualify For Billboard Chart

New York Daily News:

Michael Jackson's label has a chart attack over 'Thriller 25'

Thursday, February 21st 2008

Michael Jackson (above) got some help from Will.i.am and Fergie, among others, on 'Thriller 25.' But Billboard says the album is still an oldie, and Sony is not pleased.

The folks at Sony are not thrilled that Michael Jackson's "Thriller 25" is on Billboard's catalogue -or oldies - chart.

Even though it's No. 1.

Label sources argue that Jackson's 25th-anniversary album is full of new material and should be on the music-biz bible's Top 200 list.

Sure, it has Jackson's memorable hits "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "The Girl Is Mine."

But one source says, "It has six new songs. Michael went into the studio and recorded with Kanye West, Fergie, Akon, Will.i.Am - and there's a brand-new song from Michael, and videos. It beat Grammy winners Amy Winehouse and Herbie Hancock, with 167,000 crossing the counter. Yet for reasons unfathomable to folks in the music industry, Billboard has decided to relegate it to the catalogue chart. Catalogue makes it look like same ol' same ol', but with a new cover.

"Michael expected it to be on the Top 200 chart."

Billboard chart guru Geoff Mayfield tells us: "We were approached by Sony and Sony BMG to consider 'Thriller 25' as a current album. But we had to be consistent with hundreds, if not thousands, of reissues that have come to the market. There have actually been new issues of classic albums that include even more new material. We didn't just make the decision on our own. We contacted major retailers [like Wal-Mart and Best Buy], and that was the consensus."

Mayfield was conciliatory. "I always understand when people are disappointed when they don't show as high up on the chart, or on the chart they wanted." But Jackson should be happy, he added: "It's the largest sum for an album on the catalogue chart to be sold in 10 years."
 
Re: Thriller Fails To Qualify For Billboard Chart

I don't understand why there just can't be three charts like: "The best selling albums of the week", "the best selling new albums of the week" and "the best selling catalog albums of the week". I hope this Thriller success changes their rules, because the second best selling album of the week should be quoted as the second best selling album of the week, not just the best selling catalog album even if it was the biggest selling catalog album.
 
Re: Thriller Fails To Qualify For Billboard Chart

That's all nonsense and so unfair no matter how they try to explain it, they won't let Michael be number 1 even though the album sales has done tremendously well! not bad for an album that's 25 years old, yet they seem to disguise the fact so it won't get any publicity because of it's high ratings/sales. It would be different if it was Elvis and th Beatles "anniversary albums", no offense but that's how it is every now and then.
 
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Re: Thriller Fails To Qualify For Billboard Chart

Mike #1 on the catalog chart.

So he's #1. Sony should be happy. Just my opinion.
 
Re: Thriller Fails To Qualify For Billboard Chart

^exactly, I'm happy about that, but the whole billboard issue is ridiculous in my opinion.
 
Re: Thriller Fails To Qualify For Billboard Chart

Fair enough. If those are the rules then they are the rules.

nice to kno that the album is unofficially no1 :)
 
Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

Bosses at record label Sony are fuming after the U.S. Billboard chart refused to recognise Michael Jackson's Thriller 25 as a new album.

The singer's 25th anniversary edition of the hit LP was relegated to the secondary catalogue chart after Billboard classed it as a re-issue.

And Sony is furious, insisting the album contains enough new material for it to be considered a separate recording from the original 1982 version.

The updated classic features new collaborations with current artists including Kanye West, Fergie, Akon and Will.i.Am - as well as a new song from Jackson himself.

But Billboard has refused to back down, insisting Jackson should be happy with the success of Thriller 25 - as it is number one in the catalogue chart.

Billboard's Geoff Mayfield tells New York Daily News, "We were approached by Sony and Sony BMG to consider Thriller 25 as a current album. But we had to be consistent with hundreds, if not thousands, of reissues that have come to the market. There have actually been new issues of classic albums that include even more new material. We didn't just make the decision on our own. We contacted major retailers and that was the consensus.

"I always understand when people are disappointed when they don't show as high up on the chart, or on the chart they wanted. It's the largest sum for an album on the catalogue chart to be sold in 10 years."

Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/wenn/20080221/ten-sony-furious-over-jackson-s-chart-sn-c60bd6d.html
 
Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

thriller 25 is in a league of its own, there is no other type of re-issue album, billboard should recognise this fact.
 
Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

I understand their getting angry and all. But Thriller 25 is doing great nonetheless! :yes:
And everybody is seeing it! We don't need it to appear on the Billboard new albums chart... ;)
 
Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

Too right as well, I think they have every right to be miffed!
 
Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

well I'm glad that Sony is stepping up for it..
 
Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

tinker*bell said:
I understand their getting angry and all. But Thriller 25 is doing great nonetheless! :yes:
And everybody is seeing it! We don't need it to appear on the Billboard new albums chart... ;)
Click to expand...


I agree. I understand Sony's frustration also. But T25 is everywhere right now. It's doing great. And with all the forthcoming surprises from Sony along with Michael's upcoming all-new studio album, there's so much more to be happy about. But I still wonder why Billboard took the survey among the stores. That part doesn't make sense.
 
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Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

Down With Billboard Fight The Power!!!! :angry:
 
Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

This is a weird situation because half of the album has been already released and the other half are newly recorded remixes of those songs. I think Billboard gets it right here because it truly isn't a new album. It's still being recongnized on another chart (and at #1!) so I wouldn't feel snubed. It's nice to see Sony care about this enough to fight about it though.
 
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mannlorraine said:
Too right as well, I think they have every right to be miffed!
Click to expand...
Well, they don't because... those are Billboards policy and they knew that!

Besides, I think, Sony and Michael want "Thriller 25"'s sales counted towards the original "Thriller" to one day have a shot of becoming the biggest sold album in the US again! But if Billboard treats T25 as a new album, then RIAA would have a strong case to start it's certification from scratch as well... so that would mean there is the original "Thriller" at 27 mio sold and the new one starting again from gold status!

They can't have it both ways! And all nitpicking aside, it's simply not a new album!
 
Re: AW: Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

PatrickS77 said:
Well, they don't because... those are Billboards policy and they knew that!

Besides, I think, Sony and Michael want "Thriller 25"'s sales counted towards the original "Thriller" to one day have a shot of becoming the biggest sold album in the US again! But if Billboard treats T25 as a new album, then RIAA would have a strong case to start it's certification from scratch as well... so that would mean there is the original "Thriller" at 27 mio sold and the new one starting again from gold status!

They can't have it both ways! And all nitpicking aside, it's simply not a new album!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I agree with you. :yes:
 
Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

mjfan4ever2009 said:
I agree. I understand Sony's frustration also. But T25 is everywhere right now. It's doing great. And with all the forthcoming surprises from Sony along with Michael's upcoming all-new studio album, there's so much more to be happy about. But I still wonder why Billboard took the survey among the stores. That part doesn't make sense.
Click to expand...

this is really good.. in soooo many ways...

like Sony is really behind Michael.. and I think when it comes to Michael's new album.. you bet.. Sony will step u to the plate on promoting it...

and I am sure.. if Michael didn't have any conviction b4 to put out some new material.. this will certainly seal it...
 
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Re: AW: Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

PatrickS77 said:
Well, they don't because... those are Billboards policy and they knew that!

Besides, I think, Sony and Michael want "Thriller 25"'s sales counted towards the original "Thriller" to one day have a shot of becoming the biggest sold album in the US again! But if Billboard treats T25 as a new album, then RIAA would have a strong case to start it's certification from scratch as well... so that would mean there is the original "Thriller" at 27 mio sold and the new one starting again from gold status!

They can't have it both ways! And all nitpicking aside, it's simply not a new album!
Click to expand...

Very well put.
I doubt Thriller 25 is going to sell much more than a million copies in the US alone, so if its sales were counted separately from the original Thriller album, then the media would probably brand it a flop or something rediculous like that.
 
Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

I think Sony are overstepping their boundaries, Thriller 25 is certainly not a new album by any means. :rolleyes:
 
Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

hmmm...but if it counts as the original thriller album, wont it help thriller be #1 in the u.s. for best selling of all time??
 
Re: Thriller Fails To Qualify For Billboard Chart

i'm curious about their reasoning about the Wilburrys...cus it's still not a new album..but hey..so what...the fans have spoken MJ is doing reallly well!:punk:
 
Re: Thriller Fails To Qualify For Billboard Chart

who craes about billboard, he's number one in the world!
 
AW: Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

MJsPYT1 said:
hmmm...but if it counts as the original thriller album, wont it help thriller be #1 in the u.s. for best selling of all time??
Click to expand...
Yes, that's my point!
 
Re: Sony furious over Jackson's chart snub

i think sony just wants people to recognise that t25 is ~2 in the usa, and billboard is many peoples source
 
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