The best-selling and greatest — album of all time?
The sales numbers for Michael Jackson’s 1982 “Thriller” are overwhelming. Fans snapped up 40 million copies worldwide in its initial release. Over the years, that number has grown to 100 million.
It’s easy to forget that so many of Jackson’s biggest hits came off the same release. There’s the unforgettable title track and the undeniable follow-ups, “Beat It” and “Billie Jean.” The post-disco smash “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” the soft-rock “Human Nature,” the corny collaboration with Paul McCartney on “The Girl is Mine.”
Jackson made scores of albums before and after “Thriller” — memorable recordings with his brothers for Motown and solo releases. None matched the sales feat of “Thriller.”
No album may ever pull that off.
Ricardo Baca, The Denver Post
ALBUMS
The Epic label hits, as a solo artist after leaving the Jackson 5
1979 – “Off the Wall” 7 million sold in U.S.
1982 – “Thriller” 28 million sold in U.S.
1987 – “Bad” 8 million sold in U.S.
1991 – “Dangerous” 7 million sold in U.S.
2001 – “Invincible” 2 million sold in U.S.
Best of the Motown label days, solo and with the Jackson 5
1969
“Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5”
1970
“ABC”
1971
“Goin’ Back to Indiana”
1972
“Got to Be There”
1972
“Ben”
SINGLES
The songs we’ll remember, by the year they scored on the charts
JACKSON 5
1969
“I Want You Back”
1970
“ABC,” “I’ll Be There”
1971
“Got to Be There,” “Never Can Say Goodbye”
1972
“Rockin’ Robin,” “Ben”
1974
“Dancing Machine”
SOLO
1979
“Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Rock With You”
1980
“She’s Out of My Life”
1982
“The Girl Is Mine” (with Paul McCartney)
1983
“Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ ,” “Human Nature,” “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)”
1984
“Thriller”
1987
“I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” (with Siedah Garrett), “Bad”
1988
“The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Man in the Mirror”
1991
“Black or White”
1992
“Remember the Time”
1995
“Scream” (with Janet Jackson)
