List of Michael Jackson records and achievements explained
This article lists some of the sales and charts records and achievements of Michael Jackson (1958–2009), an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Jackson's success during his peak in the 1980s and 1990s included a number of notable statistical accomplishments. He is the most awarded recording artist in the history of popular music[1] and is recognized as the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" by Guinness World Records selling over 500 million records around the world.[2] [3]
Data for U.S. sales comes largely from Billboard magazine and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Selected countries
US chart records and achievements
See also: List of artists who reached number one in the United States and List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones.
- Jackson (aged 11 years, 155 days or 11 years, 5 months, and 2 days) is the youngest vocalist ever to top the Hot 100. As part of the Jackson 5, he topped the charts with "I Want You Back" on the week of January 31, 1970.[4] [5]
- Jackson's Thriller (1982) remained at the top on the Billboard 200 album chart for thirty-seven weeks, setting a record for the longest run at number one by a studio album.[6] It is only one of two albums to have sold more copies in the United States than any other in two separate years, topping the sales charts in 1983 and 1984.
- Thriller is currently the second best-selling album of all time in the United States and the second most certified album after the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), with total units of 34 million sold to date.[7]
- Jackson's Bad (1987) remained at top 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart for thirty-eight weeks, setting a record for the longest run at top five by an album from a male solo artist.[8]
- In July 2009, three of Jackson's albums (Number Ones, The Essential Michael Jackson and Thriller) claimed the top three positions on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Albums and Top Comprehensive Albums charts in the week following the singer's death.[9] marking the first time any catalog album outsold the number one album on the Billboard 200. Additionally, eight of the top nine positions on Top Pop Catalog Albums were owned by Jackson, with a ninth held by a Jackson 5 hits collection. This made Jackson the only solo artist to achieve such feat.[9] [10]
- Jackson was the first artist to launch seven top ten singles off one album.[11]
- Jackson's Bad is only one of two albums where five singles off one album topped the Billboard Hot 100.[11]
- Jackson became the first recording artist to land number one singles in three decades after "Black or White" topped the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1991. His first number-one single, "Ben", topped the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1972.[12]
- Jackson became the first artist to simultaneously top Billboard's album chart and the number one single on both the pop and R&B charts, with Thriller and "Billie Jean" in the week of March 5, 1983.[13]
- Jackson had more number-one singles than any other recording artist in the 1980s with nine singles.[4]
- Jackson's "You Are Not Alone" made him the first artist to have a song debut atop the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1995.[14]
- Jackson holds the record of longest span of number ones for a male act in the Billboard Hot 100 with a span of 25 years and seven months.[15]
- Jackson has had 13 number-one singles on Billboard's Hot 100, making him the male artist with most No. 1 Hits in the Hot 100 era.[16] Including Pre- Hot 100, Jackson follows Elvis Presley for the most number ones by a male artist and ranks fifth overall.
- Jackson has 30 top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with Drake, Madonna, the Beatles, and Rihanna having more.[17]
- Jackson currently holds a record for the longest span of top forty singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in a span of 46 years and eight months, with his debuting solo single, "Got to Be There", entering the chart on November 6, 1971, and his posthumous duet with Drake, "Don't Matter to Me", first charting on July 14, 2018.[18] [19]
- Jackson is the only act to have top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 across five consecutive decades (1970s–2010s)[20] and six consecutive decades including his work with the Jackson 5 (1960s–2010s) when "I Want You Back" charted at No. 8 on the week of December 27, 1969, in the Billboard Hot 100.
- At the 1984 Grammys, Thriller earned Michael 7 Grammy awards with Jackson winning an eighth for his contribution to the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial soundtrack, the most won by an artist in a single year.[21]
- Jackson currently holds the record for the most wins by a male artist at the American Music Awards with 26.[22]
Jackson's US number ones
Michael Jackson had 13 number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.[23]
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Michael Jackson had 28 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts while living, and to date has two posthumous Top 10 entries.
Michael Jackson had eight number one hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.
Michael Jackson had 21 number one hits on the Top 20 Singles charts.
Michael Jackson had five number-one hits on the Top 50 Singles charts.
Michael Jackson had four number one hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.
Michael Jackson had five number one hits on the Top 20 Singles charts.
Michael Jackson had four number one hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.
Michael Jackson had eight number one hits on the Top 100 Singles charts.
Michael Jackson had 10 number one hits on the Top 100 Singles charts, more than any other solo artist.
