CADMAN-HALSTEAD MUSIC BOOKS

HOME BLOG ABOUT US BUY A BOOK INTERVIEW LINKS CONTACT US

Q&A

Darrell Newson asked:

How many albums has Michael Jackson sold worldwide?

Our latest estimate is around 240 million - 193m solo and 47m with his brothers.

Has Thriller really sold 100 million copies?

The figure quoted at the World Music Awards was '104 million records' -
suggesting Thriller and the singles released from it sold or shipped 104 million.
However, based on our estimates, even this figure appears too high, and we have no
idea where it came from or how it was arrived at. Most sources agree the album Thriller
has sold at least 54 million copies globally, and our latest estimate is
61 million (including 2m copies of Thriller 25).

What countries have Thriller / Bad / Dangerous / History / Off The Wall
been certified in?

All known certifications, for all Jackson albums, are detailed on our sister site:
MJJ Charts - here, you will find both albums and singles certifications,
as well as chart action and known sales figures.

Why haven't the Jackson 5 & Michael's solo Motown releases
been certified by the RIAA in the USA?

Motown wasn't affiliated to the RIAA in the 1960s and early 1970s, hence no releases by any
Motown acts were certified at the time. Motown is a member nowadays, but very few 1960s
or early 1970s releases - no matter how well they sold - have been certified, as for that
to happen Motown must pay the RIAA a fee (per title), and open its books for independent audit.
This is something, to date, Motown has failed to do in most instances, though the Jackson 5's
debut hit, I Want You Back, has been certified Platinum (denoting a shipment of 1m).

Why is Sony so secretive about Michael's album sales?

Most record companies are secretive about record sales (or, more accurately, shipments),
while others have been known to inflate the figures they do release. Don't forget, as well,
Michael didn't part company with Sony on the friendliest of terms - so probably don't feel they owe
Michael anything, and don't see any reason to get some out-of-date certifications up-dated.