Records and achievements of Michael Jackson

This article lists some of the sales and chart records and achievements of Michael Jackson (1958–2009), American singer. Jackson's success during his peak in the 1980s and 1990s included a number of notable statistical accomplishments.

Data for U.S. sales comes largely from Billboard magazine and the Recording Industry Association of America.

Selected countries

US chart records and achievements

• On 14 November 2006, Jackson is recognized by Guinness World Records as the "First Entertainer To Have Officially Ratified Sales of More Than 100 Million Albums Outside The USA" during his visit to Guinness World Records London Headquarters.^[1]
• Jackson's Thriller (1982) remained at the top on the Billboard 200 album chart for thirty-seven weeks, setting a record for the longest run at number one by a studio album.^[2] It is only one of two two albums to have sold more copies in the United States than any other in two separate years, topping the sales charts in 1983 and 1984, and selling over 32 million copies to date.^[3][4] Worldwide, its sales total has been estimated at 104 - 110 million copies worldwide.
• Jackson's Bad (1987) remained at top 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart for thirty-eight weeks, setting a record for the longest run at top five by an album from a male solo artist.^[5]
• In November 1999, Jackson and Thriller, were named the "Top-selling R&B/pop Artist of the Century" and "Top-selling Solo Studio Album of the Century" by the RIAA, respectively.^[6]
• In July 11, 2009, three of Jackson's albums (Number Ones, The Essential Michael Jackson and Thriller) claimed positions 1-3 respectively on Top Pop Catalog Albums and Top Comprehensive Albums in the week following Jackson's death,^[7][8] marking the first time any catalog album outsold the number album on the Billboard 200. Additionally, eight of the top nine positions on Top Pop Catalog Albums were owned by Jackson, with a ninth held by a Jackson 5 hits collection. This made Jackson the only solo artist to achieve such feat.^[7][8]
• Five of Jackson's albums, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory, Invincible, and the soundtrack to Michael Jackson's This Is It, debuted at number one in the United States.
• "We Are the World", co-produced and written by Jackson became the first ever single to be certified multi-platinum; it received a 4× certification by the Recording Industry Association of America.^[9][10] The estimated global sales of "We Are the World" are said to be 20 million, making it the biggest selling singles of the 1980s.^[11]
• Jackson (aged 11 years, 155 days or 11 years, 5 months, and 2 days) is the youngest vocalist ever to top the Hot 100. As part of the Jackson 5, he topped the charts with "I Want You Back" on the week of January 31, 1970.
• Jackson was the first artist to chart four Top 10 singles from one album (Off the Wall).
• Jackson was the first artist to chart seven Top 10 singles from one album (Thriller), a feat matched only by his sister Janet and Bruce Springsteen.
• Jackson is the only male and the first artist to chart five number one hits from one LP, Bad ("Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", and "Dirty Diana").
• With "Thriller"'s "Billie Jean", Jackson became the first to simultaneously have the number one album and number one single on Billboard's pop and R&B charts.
• Jackson is the first vocalist to have # 1 in US Billboard charts in 4 decades: The 7th (1961-1970), 8th (1971-1980), 9th (1981-1990), 10th (1991-2000).
• Jackson has the largest quantity of # 1 singles (9) during the 80s in the US : "Rock With You", "Billie Jean", "Beat It", "Say, Say, Say", "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana".
• Following changes in Billboard's methodology, Jackson became the first to have a song debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 ("You Are Not Alone").^[2]
• In 2009 Jackson became the first in history to have four of the top 20 best selling albums in a single year in the United States^[12]
• Jackson has had 13 #1 singles on Billboard's Hot 100, making him the male artist with most No. 1 Hits in the Hot 100 era.
• Jackson had 29 top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, equalling The Beatles, and trailing Elvis Presley (36) and Madonna (37).
• Jackson holds the record of Longest Span of US top 40 singles with a span of 42 years and six months. He first charted on the Hot 100 with "Got to Be There" on 6 November 1971 and the last hit with "Love Never Felt So Good" on 21 May 2014.

Jackson's US number ones

Jackson's US Top 10 Hits

Michael Jackson had 29 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Jackson's US R&B number ones

Michael Jackson had 13 number one hits on the Billboard R&B charts.

UK chart records and achievements

• With 15.3 million sales, Michael Jackson is one of only twelve musical acts that have sold more than 10 million singles in Britain, trailing only The Beatles (22.50m), Elvis Presley (21.60m), Cliff Richard (21.50m), Madonna (17.60m)
• Jackson had 7 #1 hits on the UK Singles Chart, tied for 12th all-time.
• Jackson had the most Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart in one year, 19 in 2006. Each of the 19 songs were collectors' rereleases of previous Jackson hits, issued weekly as part of a 20-single promotion. (The first of the singles was ineligible to chart due to its packaging.) Of these singles, "Billie Jean" reached the highest position on the UK chart (#11), and "Jam" remained on the chart for the longest stretch (13 weeks).^[13]
• Jackson had 40 Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart.^[14] Elvis Presley has the most, with 77.
• Jackson's Thriller and Bad are the two highest-selling albums by a male solo artist in UK history. Besides Jackson, only Queen, with the 1st- and 7th-best-selling albums, has multiple entries in the top twenty.^[15]
• Jackson is the only male solo artist to have 2 albums (Thriller and Bad) certified 10x Platinum or more in the UK.
• Bad was the fastest selling album in UK with sales of 350,000 copies during the first week of its release (it is now the eleventh). Today, the album still holds the record for fastest selling album in UK by a male R&B solo artist.^[16]
• In the second week following his death, Jackson had 13 songs in the UK Top 40, and 5 albums in the Top 10, including the top-selling album.

Jackson's UK number ones

Michael Jackson had seven number one hits on the UK Singles Charts.

French chart records and achievements

• Invincible, released in 2001, had the highest first week of sales for a foreign album in France, selling 166,000 copies.^[17]
• Jackson had four diamond albums in France. They are Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory.
• Jackson had 22 top ten hits on the French Top 100 Singles charts.
• Jackson had 36 top 40 hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.

Jackson's French number ones

Michael Jackson had seven number one hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.

Spanish chart records and achievements

• Jackson had 35 top 20 hits on the Top 20 Singles charts.
• Jackson had 29 top ten hits on the Top 20 Singles charts.

Jackson's Spanish number ones

Michael Jackson had 21 number one hits on the Top 20 Singles charts.

Canadian chart records and achievements

• Jackson had five number one albums in Canada: Thriller, Bad, HIStory, Number Ones and This Is It.
• Jackson had three singles that earned at least one platinum certification in Canada: "Billie Jean," "Beat It," and "Say Say Say."
• Jackson's Thriller is the highest-selling album in Canada music history. To date,it remains the only album by a male artist to obtain Double Diamond certification.
• Jackson had 29 top 20 hits on the Top 50 Singles charts.
• Jackson had 20 top ten hits on the Top 50 Singles charts.

Jackson's Canadian number ones

Michael Jackson had five number one hits on the Top 50 Singles charts.

Australian chart records and achievements

• Jackson had eight albums in Australia that earned platinum or multi-platinum certifications: Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory, Invincible, Number Ones, and The Essential Michael Jackson.
• Jackson had 27 top 20 hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.
• Jackson had 20 top ten hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.

Jackson's Australian number ones

Michael Jackson had four number one hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.

Norwegian chart records and achievements

• Jackson had three singles that earned a gold certification in Norway: "Earth Song," "They Don't Care About Us," and "You Rock My World."
• Jackson had 21 top ten hits on the Top 20 Singles charts.

Jackson's Norwegian number ones

Michael Jackson had five number one hits on the Top 20 Singles charts.

Swiss chart records and achievements

• Jackson had 24 top ten hits on the Top 100 Singles chart.
• Jackson had 21 top ten hits on the Top 20 Singles charts.

Jackson's Swiss number ones

Michael Jackson had four number one hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.

New Zealand chart records and achievements

• Jackson had 24 top ten hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.

Jackson's New Zealand number ones

Michael Jackson had eight number one hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.

Irish chart records and achievements

• Jackson had 70 chart entries on the Top 100 Singles charts.

Jackson's Irish number ones

Michael Jackson had ten number one hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.

Other records and achievements

• Jackson is one of three recording artists (along with Paul McCartney and Phil Collins) and the first American artist who have sold over 100 million records worldwide both as solo artists and (separately) as principal members of a band.^[18]
• To date, Jackson is the first and only artist to have 5 albums selling over 30 million copies worldwide: Off The Wall (35 million), Thriller (110 million), Bad (45 million), Dangerous (40 million) and History (30 million). As a results, Jackson holds the record of artist with highest number of best selling albums worldwide^[19]
• Jackson has been credited with supporting more charities than any other artist - 39 charitable organizations - either with monetary donations through sponsorships of their projects or participation in their activities.
• Jackson is the Highest-Paid Commercial Spokesperson ever; Pepsi Cola paid Jackson $12 million to do 4 TV commercials in March 1988.
• David O. Selznick's 1940 Best Film Oscar for Gone with the Wind (USA, 1939) was bought by Jackson for $1,542,000 on June 12, 1999, at Sotheby's, New York City. The Academy Awards no longer permits such sales, all but ensuring that it will remain the most expensive Oscar.
• In 1995, Jackson financed the most expensive music video: ("Scream". The clip, which co-starred sister Janet Jackson, reportedly cost over US$7 million.
• On November 14, 1991, the debut of Michael Jackson’s music video Black or White was broadcast simultaneously in 27 countries, to the largest audience in television history for a music video premiere: an estimated 500 million people.^[20]
• Jackson has 10 U.S. platinum singles, the second most by any male artist (Elvis Presley is first). Jackson has 13 # 1 singles in United States, which also trails Presley for the second most ever by a male solo artist.
• Jackson has the two best-selling VHS music videos ever released: "Moonwalker" (1988), and "The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller (1984).
• Jackson has been given 405 recognized awards, which has been promoted as being the most for an artist. These include the most Grammy Awards and American Music Awards ever won in a single year. Jackson's eight Grammys at the 1984 ceremony were equalled only by the musical group Carlos Santana in 2001); his eight American Music Awards (also in 1984) were later matched by Whitney Houston in 1994. Jackson won four posthumous American Music Awards in 2009, raising his total to 26, the most by any artist.^[21] Jackson has won the most World Music Awards by a male artist, 16. Five of these came in 1996, tying Whitney Houston's record total from 1994. He has also won the most Billboard awards by a male artist, 26. Jackson's 13 Billboard awards in 1983 are the highest one-year total. In 2002, MTV awarded Jackson its one-off "Artist of the Millennium" award.^[22] Jackson was named the "Best Selling Male Artist of the Millennium" at the World Music Awards ceremony in 2000, and the "Artist Of The Century" at the American Music Awards ceremony in 2002. In 2006, the Guinness World Records identified Jackson as the "Most Successful Entertainer Of All Time", and the "First Entertainer to Have Officially Ratified Sales Of 100 Albums Outside The U.S". Also in 2006, Jackson was awarded the "Chopard Diamond award" at the World Music Awards. commemorating sales of over 100 million records.
• Jackson's Bad world tour (1987–1989) was the highest-grossing tour ever at the time, with over $125 million earned. This record was later broken by the Dangerous World Tour (1992–1993) and later broken again by the HIStory World Tour (1996–1997), which is still the biggest tour ever in terms of attendance (4.5 million tickets). 700,000 tickets were sold in about four hours for the cancelled "This Is It" concert series in 2009.
• While the bulk of his sales achievements have come in the fields of pop music and R&B, Jackson has also had success in subgenres. His Dangerous (1991) album (30 million sales worldwide) has been cited as the top-selling new jack swing album, while his Blood on the Dance Floor (7 million sales worldwide) is the biggest selling remix collection.
• Jackson's double album HIStory is the top-selling multiple disc album of all time by a male solo artist. Though estimates of its worldwide sales total range as high as 30 million copies (60 million discs).^[23]
• Jackson was once one of the wealthiest artists in the world, with an estimated fortune of more than $750 million.^[24] In 2007, the Jackson estate's assets were calculated to be $1,360,839,979, with 85% of that total being Jackson's stake in the Sony/ATV Music Publishing song catalog that includes most of the Beatles' songs. Jackson also had sizeable debts that far outstripped his liquid cash total, which was just .05% of his net worth.
• Following his death, Jackson became the first artist to sell more than 2 million downloads in a week.^[25]
• Michael Jackson's This Is It is the top-grossing concert film and documentary film of all time. The posthumous movie has earned over $260 million worldwide to date. It also set a record for concert films with $103.9 million in worldwide ticket sales in its first five days of release.^[26][27]
• On March 16, 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed a record-breaking $250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017 and release seven posthumous albums—some of which will feature unreleased material—over the next decade.^[28]
• According to Nokia's Ovi Music Store, Jackson is recognized as the most downloaded artist of all time.^[29][30][31]
• In August 2010, Jackson became the 44th dancer/choreographer inducted into the National Museum of Dance Hall of Fame, and the hall's first inductee from the world of rock and roll.^[32]

See also

• Records and achievements of Madonna
• List of Michael Jackson awards
• UK Best selling singles artists of all time
• List of most expensive music videos
• List of best-selling albums
• List of best-selling albums in the United States

References