Michael Jackson’s scorching-hot musical back-catalogue is setting the Billboard pop charts on fire.
Well, high sales online and off were kind of a foregone conclusion, after the celebrity’s untimely passing last week. But no one could have known just how stupidly high the sales figures were going to be.
The night the singer died, Twitter and all other social networks were buzzing with two things; one, rumours of what the heck actually happened in the star’s last hours and two, lists of people’s favourite songs. This made it apparent that people were not done listening to Thriller and the like. It seems that all these millions of people then got off their networks and all of them went and bought every record they could get their hands on.
Based on preliminary sales numbers from Nielsen SoundScan, the top nine positions on Billboard’s Top Pop Catalog Albums chart will house Jackson-related titles when the tally is released in the early morning on Wednesday. Remember, too, that SoundScan’s tracking ends on a Sunday — just three days after Michael’s death. These numbers will be even bigger for the coming week. (via Evil Beet)
This will be awesome news for the Jackson family estate. Here’s hoping a vain hope, that some of the money generated from sales will go to the little Scandinavian looking babies who lived in Jackson’s house for a decade but weren’t biologically related to him.
“Number Ones” will fittingly lead the pack at No. 1 with sales of 108,000 (an increase of 2,340 percent) while “The Essential Michael Jackson” and “Thriller” are in the second and third slots with 102,000 and 101,000, respectively. Last week “Number Ones” was the only Jackson title on the chart, at No. 20 with 4,000 copies; both “Essential” and “Thriller” re-enter the tally this week.
Additionally, his classic 1979 studio set “Off the Wall” re-enters at No. 4 with 33,000 while his 1987 album “Bad” returns at No. 6 with 17,000. At No. 5, the Jackson 5’s “The Ultimate Collection” debuts with 18,000. Jackson’s fourth studio album for Epic Records, 1991’s “Dangerous,” re-enters at No. 7 with 14,000, and his 2001 compilation, “Greatest Hits: HIStory — Volume 1,” returns to the list at No. 8 with 12,000. Finally, Jackson’s 2004 box set, “The Ultimate Collection,” charts its first week on the Pop Catalog chart, arriving at No. 9 with 11,000.
The lone non-Jackson-related set in the top 10 is a reissue of the “Woodstock” movie soundtrack, which bows at No. 10 with 8,000. (via Yahoo)
Some of Michael Jackson’s album covers can be found below in the gallery.
He’s the greatest of all time! I still need to whip out his albums, I have about 3.
Put them on and turn the music up. They’re apparently all classics now or something.
I have them all…even the not so good later ones. of course, i bought them when they came out…lol
Wow – they’ll be collector’s items so take good care of them
Ha ha ha …
I was just commenting to someone and wondering just what positions MJ’s music was occupying on the charts.
You’re clairvoyant.
Thanks
Well, now you can tell them sugar, he is on target to occupy 9 of the top 10 positions in the pop chart!
BTW… Tonight on a local NYC station (Channel 9) they re-aired the 2006 World Music Awards where MJ was honoured as the world’s greatest/most popular celebrity in recognition of the 25 anniversary of “Thriller”.
It was something to see, what with all those weeping, moistening knickers in the audience.
I noticed that MJ’s eyes were kinda droopy. It was obvious he wasn’t up to his usual gravity-defying, moonwalking self and the voice was sorely lacking. Apparently the problems that led to his untimely demise were either beginning to take hold or already had.