Today, December 1, 2007 marks the 25-year anniversary of the landmark album Thriller. As good a time as any to revisit the #1 selling album of all time, an album that was #1 on the charts for a record 37 weeks and has sold over 27 million copies in the United States.
If you're old enough to remember 1983, it goes without saying that Michael Jackson was HUGE. Musically and culturally speaking. (Man, I wanted one of those 'Beat It' Jackets!) While times have indeed changed; the first copy of Thriller I listened to was my cousin's vinyl LP; every music artist today stands meekly in the shadow cast by Michael Jackson. The 2007 Hannah Montana wouldn't hold up next to a lock of singed Jheri curl of 1983 Michael Jackson. (The infamous Pepsi commercial)
To give you an appreciation, the total album sales of the top ten albums of 2006 (all ten COMBINED) fall short of Thriller's total sales. And to decry that I'm comparing 25 years of sales would only reinforce my point. The impact on album sales for today's music artists in the Digital Age of Music notwithstanding, Michael Jackson went from superstar to global icon upon the unleashing of Thriller.
The 25th anniversary will be commemorated with a special re-release on February 12, 2008. A Special Edition will feature a DVD along with some unreleased tracks and remixes, including 'Billie Jean 2008 - featuring Kanye West'. The remix of 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'' featuring Akon has leaked and is available below.
Did I mention that I always wanted a "Beat It" Jacket so bad?!
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (Remix featuring Akon)
1 comment:
How much are you willing to pay for it??
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