Created Mon 29th Jun 1:02pm PST by

Will Michael Jackson's Thriller reclaim the title of #1 album in America this year?

Background: Thriller, the…top? album of all time. The granddaddy statistic of them all, mentioned within the first few paragraphs of practically all Jackson coverage, the record-breaking sales total of Thriller is actually pretty slippery. Yes, it’s widely agreed to be the world’s top-seller at a supposed 100 million copies. But like the jumbo figures we hear quoted every year for global-TV viewership of the Super Bowl and the Oscars, there’s likely to be a good deal of padding in that total (which is probably not even Sony’s fault, given the shiftiness of global distribution arrangements).

Better to focus on the more carefully tallied American market, where Thriller is certified a staggering 28-times platinum. Sadly, as most U.S. pop fans know, this total of 28 million hasn’t been enough to make Thriller America’s all-time top album for nearly a decade now; back in 2000, Jackson’s album was dethroned by the now 29-times-platinum Eagles album Their Greatest Hits 1971–75. You don’t have to be a virulent Don Henley-hater to find this standing offensive — a hits compilation, topping one of the greatest original pop recordings of all time?

Ah, but here’s where Jackson’s death will produce justice: In the wake of Thursday’s gruesome news, even the most conservative predictions have Thriller moving at least a half-million copies in the weeks to come, probably more. (The death of Kurt Cobain in 1994 quickly added a million in sales to then-current Nirvana album In Utero, and a similar number to the evergreen Nevermind.) What’s more, Thriller is already on an 18-month upswing, thanks to the 25th-anniversary reissue Sony dropped in February ’08. The Recording Industry Association of America counts sales of any version of Thriller — 1982 original, or the 2001 or 2008 reissues — toward its cumulative certification total. Source: Idolator

Settlement details:http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTop100 Please note that a tie *WILL NOT COUNT* Thriller must be uniquely #1

Forecast history %

Yes

59%

41%

Question suspends in 1 week

Activity: H$38,736
Predictions: 154
Comments: 3

Suspend date: Sun 29th Nov 11:59pm PST (1 week to go)

Initial likelihoods: Yes: 70%

Action history:

Created Mon 29th Jun 1:02pm PST by

jenniandboys [Admin]

Changed Description Mon 29th Jun 1:08pm PST by

jenniandboys [Admin]

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... shiftiness of global distribution arrangements~~). <~~). Better to focus ... pop recordings of all time~~? <~~? Ah, but here’ ... — toward its cumulative certification total. <a href="http://idolator.com/5247672/chartwalker-why-billboard-geeks-remain-fond-of-michael-jackson">Source: Idolator</a>

Changed Settlement info Tue 30th Jun 9:02am PST by

jenniandboys [Admin]

: show details

... /goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTop100</a> Please note that a tie *WILL NOT COUNT* Thriller must be uniquely #1

Changed Description Tue 30th Jun 9:02am PST by

jenniandboys [Admin]

: show details

... shiftiness of global distribution arrangements~~).<~~). Better to focus ... pop recordings of all time?<? Ah, but here’

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Suspend date: Sun 29th Nov 11:59pm PST (1 week to go) details

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Predictions (154)

22 hours ago

cluster0ne Level 6, Player (H$2,254)

predicted Yes (H$20 at 59%)

9 weeks ago

brea2pointoh Level 1, Newbie (H$976)

predicted Yes (H$100 at 59%)

9 weeks ago

doodoo657 Level 1, Newbie (H$1,016)

predicted Yes (H$100 at 59%)

10 weeks ago

bigken1 Level 15, Seer (H$359,930)

predicted No (H$1,000 at 39%)

10 weeks ago

frogchop Level 17, Superdubber (H$1,696,406)

predicted No (H$250 at 38%)

Comments (3)

frogchop Level 17, Superdubber (H$1,696,406)

Great question Jenny. You certainly did your homework on this one. There's no question in my mind that the repeat buyers for the Eagles is pretty slim compared to Thriller. Afterall, there's only so many times you can listen to Desperado before you reach for a gun (especially if you subconsciously think "where is waldo" everytime he sings Desperado...HA! Ruined it for you!).

posted 20 weeks ago

kruijs [Power User]

Michael Jackson is about to rock the Billboard charts.

Nielsen SoundScan's sales numbers won't be released until Wednesday (July 1) morning, but industry prognosticators indicate that three of Jackson's albums -- "Number Ones," "The Essential Michael Jackson" and "Thriller" -- each sold 100,000 copies last week. The sales tracking week ended at the close of business on Sunday (June 28) night.

To compare, Jackson's entire catalog of solo albums sold 10,000 in the week that ended June 21.

The aforementioned titles will also be the top three albums on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog chart, and Jackson may lock up anywhere between six to nine slots in tally's the top 10.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/michael-jackson-rocks-billboard-charts-1003988912.story

posted 20 weeks ago

kruijs [Power User]

As predicted, Michael Jackson is once again the King of the Pop charts.

Based on preliminary sales numbers from Nielsen SoundScan, the entire 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 (July 1). Nielsen SoundScan's sales tracking week ended at the close of business on Sunday (June 28) night.

Jackson himself has a record eight out of the top 10, while a Jackson 5 compilation also finds its way into the upper tier.

The King of Pop's "Number Ones" will fittingly lead the pack at No. 1 with 108,000 (an increase of 2,340%) while "The Essential Michael Jackson" and "Thriller" are in the Nos. 2 and 3 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.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/michael-jackson-breaks-billboard-charts-1003989310.story

posted 20 weeks ago