To Thrill Or Not To Thrill: The Greatest Selling Album?

[Kyuuketsuki]

OK,

So someone explain this to me.

I had a conversation with a friend who claimed Jackson was the greatest entertainer even known with which I (naturally enough) disagreed ... broadly speaking my argument revolved around the idea that "greatest entertainer" was a personal evaluation and that I doubted he had empirical data to support the claim: List of best-selling albums worldwide.

So the late Michael Jackson has the top selling album of all time ... or does he?

From WikiAnswers: Which are the 10 highest selling albums ever?

1. Thriller - Michael Jackson

2. Back in Black - AC/DC

3. Eagles Greatest Hits (71'to 75') - The Eagles

4. Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd

5. Come On Over - Shania Twain

6. The Bodyguard Sound Track - Whitney Houston/Various Artists

7. Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles

8. Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits

9. Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf

10. Falling Into You - Celine Dion

======================

The above list is likely to be partially incorrect. The Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms was certified nine times platinum in America by the RIAA in 1996, but has not been a major catalogue seller in the last decade and is unlikely to be in the same range as albums such as Back in Black and Dark Side of the Moon. Celine Dion's Falling into You is also unlikely to be in the same league.

As of January 2009, the RIAA has these albums as the top certified sellers in the U.S.:

1. Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, THE EAGLES (29 million)

2. Thriller, MICHAEL JACKSON (27 million)

3. Led Zeppelin IV, LED ZEPPELIN (23 million)

4. The Wall, PINK FLOYD (23 million)

5. Back in Black, AC/DC (22 million)

6. Double Live, GARTH BROOKS (21 million)

7. Greatest Hits Volume I & II, BILLY JOEL (21 million)

8. Come On Over, SHANIA TWAIN (20 million)

9. Rumours, FLEETWOOD MAC (19 million)

10. The Beatles, THE BEATLES (19 million)

Now I don't want this to devolve into a "Jackson Is The Greatest" vs. "Oh No He's Not" style argument but who has the greatest number of album sales? ... I genuinely want this explained as the numbers don't seem to tally.

Kyu

[Rockthatpiano06]

I always remember hearing the Eagles were the greatest selling album of all time, but the difference is the first list includes original albums only while the second list includes greatest hits albums. So, the difference is Thriller is probably the biggest selling all original album while The Eagles is the greatest selling completely, but it is a greatest hits album. If any of that makes sense, lol.

[Tiberius]

Simple enough in my opinion:

List of best-selling albums worldwide

RIAA has these albums as the top certified sellers in the U.S

Unless I'm missing something...I think that would explain the discrepancy. Jackson was (and is) very popular in the UK and other countries. I further back up this theory with:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bes...ted_States (Shows Eagles above MJ)

[Kyuuketsuki]

OK ... Thanks

Kyu

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

I have never heard Thriller and no have no intention of doing so. I admired the man's talent,but his music has always left me cold.

It seems to me each generation tends to have at least one outstanding popular entertainer and/or group.The choice may not be by complete consensus,but widely accepted just the same..It seems Michael Jackson is considered the greatest popular entertainer of his generation by many.

For my grandmother, Al Jolson

For my Mother it was Frank Sinatra.

As an adult,for me it's Sinatra and Elvis Presley.In my teens it was The Beatles,followed closely by The Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.---- Poor Amy Winehouse also knocks my socks off.


I never argue relative merits of entertainers,as for me it's completely subjective with no pretense of any kind of objective artistic or musical merit.Perhaps that's why my opinions change.



Popularity is often an inverse measurement of merit and worth,in many areas of life.

[leo-rcc]

In the Netherlands he is the nr. 5 highest scoring artist, after Madonna, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and the Golden Earring.

I never liked MJ, and I still don't. I freely admit he had more talent than me, which is not that difficult, but there is only one song (Dirty Diana) that I found halfway descent, the rest is just not for me.