Best Selling Albums of All Time Discussed as Michael Jackson Dies

For several years now, the best selling album of all time has been Michael Jackson's Thriller, and Thriller also recently took back the title of best selling album of all time in
Best Selling Albums of All Time Discussed as Michael Jackson Dies the United States as well. The second best selling album of all time in the United States has been the Eagle's album Their Greatest Hits, and for a time it had passed Thriller in the standings, but had fallen back into second place a few years ago. Both Thriller and The Eagles Greatest Hits rank among the best selling albums in the world as well, with extremely great sales numbers.

The best selling albums of all time have a list is best viewed on a worldwide scale with the passing of Michael Jackson, who had sold more than 100 million copies of Thriller. To put that in perspective the second highest best selling album of all time is the AC/DC album Back in Black, which has sold only 45 million copies worldwide. That word "only" has to be surrounded by quotations, because 45 million is amazing on its own, it just doesn't measure up to the sales that Thriller has achieved over the years.

Chasing those two albums are nine other albums that have passed the 40 million copy threshold themselves, making the list of best selling albums of all time have a total of 11 albums that have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. Following AC/DC on this list is Meat Loaf with 1977's Bat out of hell, The Eagle's with the 1976 release of Their Greatest Hits, and then the first soundtrack on the list, from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. The Dirty Dancing soundtrack has sold over 42 million copies since its release, putting it on a very successful list of the best selling soundtracks of all time.

best-selling albums micle jackson

As we reflect on the life and accomplishments of Michael Jackson, who passed away yesterday at the age of 50, it's remarkable to realize Jackson's album, Thriller (1982), has more than doubled the worldwide album sales of any other artist. Thriller, which includes such indelibly-etched hits as "Beat It," "PYT (Pretty Young Thing)," "Human Nature," and the title track, has sold more than 100 million copies--a mark that will likely never be touched.

The next closest album is AC/DC's first post-Bon Scott album, the classic Back In Black (1980). With new member Brian Johnson on vocals, Back In Black spawned multiple hits including the title song, "Hell's Bells," and "You Shook Me All Night Long," while selling approximately 45 million copies.

Who could have imagined that an artist named after a popular (if often denigrated) meal might hold the number three spot on the all-time album sales list. Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell (1977) has sold 43 million copies. The album only contained seven songs, all written by Jim Steinman, but included major hits like "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" and "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad."

Two movie soundtracks and a greatest hits package are next on the list, all coming in with sales of approximately 42 million. Dirty Dancing (1987) features memorable hits like the Bill Medley-Jennifer Warnes duet, "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life," the sappy-yet-touching Patrick Swayze ballad, " She's Like The Wind," and Eric Carmen's poppy "Hungry Eyes."

The soundtrack to The Bodyguard (1992) featured the movie's star, Whitney Houston, covering the Dolly Parton-penned "I Will Always Love You." The song topped the Billboard charts in 1992, and was followed closely by hits like "I'm Every Woman" and "I Have Nothing."

The Eagles released Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) in 1976. The album showcases the songwriting of band members and future solo artists Don Henley, Glen Frey, and Joe Walsh, as well as non-member Jackson Browne. All ten songs on the album had been big hits (thus, the album title), including "Take It Easy," "Desperado," and "Take It To The Limit." Cloud Based Badge Printing Buy Security Systems Online ID Card Printer Dubai

List of awards received by Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was an American recording artist, songwriter, entertainer, and businessman. He debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 6, as a member of The Jackson 5, and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years,[1] five of his solo studio albums have become some of the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995). Thriller has remained the biggest selling album of all time with reported sales of 109 million and a Recording Industry Association of America certification of 28 million units.[2]

Through his group, solo, and family work, he became one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. Jackson's other achievements include 13 Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—19 Grammy Awards, 22 American Music Awards, 12 World Music Awards and the sale of over 750 million units worldwide.[3] . Winning numerous awards for his humanitarian endeavors, the singer has been honoured by two Presidents of the United States. He has also been named as the artist of "the Decade", "Generation" and "Century" and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. He died on June 25, 2009 at age 50 after a cardiac arrest.

Contents [hide]
1 AASA Awards
2 American Cinema Awards
3 American Music Awards
4 American Video Awards
5 Bambi Awards
6 BET Awards
6.1 Hall of Fame
7 Billboard Awards
7.1 Billboard Music Awards
7.2 Billboard Music of the 80's Poll
7.3 Billboard Year in Music Survey
7.4 Billboard Video Awards
8 Black Gold Awards
9 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
10 BMI Urban Awards
11 Bob Fosse Awards
12 Boy Scouts of America
13 Bravo Magazine
14 Brazillian TVZ Video Awards
15 BRE Awards
16 BRIT Awards
17 British Phonographic Industry Awards
18 British TV Industry Awards
19 Bollywood Awards
20 Cable Ace Awards
21 Canadian Black Music Awards
22 Capitol Children Museum
23 Cashbox Awards
24 Celebrate the Magic Foundation
25 Children's Choice Awards
26 Crenshaw Community Youth & Arts Foundation
27 Critic's Choice Awards
28 Crystal Globe Awards
29 Danish Grammy Awards
30 Dutch Music Factory Awards
31 Ebony Magazine
32 ECHO Awards
33 Entertainment Tonight
34 Forbes Magazine
35 Friday Night Videos
36 Genesis Awards
37 Golden Globe Awards
38 Grammy Awards
38.1 Grammy Hall of Fame
39 Guinness Book of World Records
40 Harry Chapin Memorial
41 Hollywood Walk of Fame
42 International Awards
42.1 Australia
42.2 Brazil
42.3 Gabon
42.4 Greece
42.5 Italy
42.6 Japan
42.7 The Netherlands
42.8 Spain
42.9 The United Kingdom
43 Hong Kong Hit Radio Awards
44 Irish Music Awards
45 Le Film Fantastique Awards
46 Live! Magazine
47 Mix Magazine
48 MTV Awards
48.1 MTV European Music Awards
48.2 MTV Japan Awards
48.3 MTV Movie Awards
48.4 MTV Video Music Awards
48.5 MTV Video Vanguard Awards
49 Music Connection
50 Music Video Producers' Hall of Fame
51 NAACP Image Awards
52 NARM Gift of Music Awards
53 National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters
54 National Urban Coalition Awards
55 NRJ Awards
56 Oneness Awards
57 Operation One to One Awards
58 People's Choice Awards
59 Popcorn Magazine
60 Pop Rock Magazine
61 Poprocky Magazine
62 Presidential Awards
63 Puls Music TV
64 Radio Music Awards
65 RIAA Awards
66 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
67 Rolling Stone Awards
67.1 Critic's Poll
67.2 Reader's Poll
68 Smash Hits Awards
68.1 Smash Hits Poll
69 Songwriter's Hall of Fame
70 Soul Train Awards
70.1 Hall of Fame
71 United Negro College Fund
72 United States Congress
73 Vanity Fair
74 Video Software Dealer Association Awards
75 World Awards
76 World Music Awards
76.1 Hall of Fame
76.2 Viewer's Choice
77 Other honours
78 See also
79 Notes
80 References
81 External links

Michael Jackson

In 2000, Jackson was listed in the book of Guinness World Records for his support of 39 charities, more than any other entertainer or personality.[114] At the time, Jackson was waiting for the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him; this allowed him to promote his old material how he liked and prevented Sony from getting a cut of the profit. Jackson expected this to occur early in the new millennium, however, due to the fine print and various clauses in the contract, this revert date is still many years away. Jackson began an investigation, and it emerged that the attorney who represented the singer in the deal was also representing Sony, creating a conflict of interest.[111] Jackson was also concerned about another conflict of interest. For a number of years, Sony had been pushing to buy all of Jackson's share in their music catalog venture. If Jackson's career or financial situation were to deteriorate, he would have to sell his catalog. Thus, Sony had something to gain from Jackson's career failing.[115] Jackson was able to use these conflicts as leverage to exit his contract early.[111] Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony.[111] As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled. Jackson made allegations in July 2002 that Mottola was a "devil" and a "racist" who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own personal gain.[111] He charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger".[116] Sony disputed claims that they had failed to promote Invincible with sufficient energy, maintaining that Jackson refused to tour in the US.[117]

Six years after his last studio album and after spending much of the late 1990s out of the public eye, Jackson released Invincible in October 2001 to much anticipation. To help promote the album, a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden occurred in September 2001 to mark the singer's 30th year as a solo artist. Jackson appeared onstage alongside his brothers for the first time since 1984.[118] The show also featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, and Slash, among other artists.[30] In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The concert was aired on October 21, 2001, and included performances from dozens of major artists, including Jackson, who performed his song "What More Can I Give" as the finale.[115] Invincible was a commercial success, debuting atop the charts in 13 countries and going on to sell approximately 10 million copies worldwide. It received double-platinum certification in the US.[25][76][115] However, the sales for Invincible were notably low compared to his previous releases, due in part to a diminishing pop music industry, the lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute.[115] The album spawned three singles, "You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflies", the latter without a music video.

Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (also known as Blanket) was born in 2002.[119] The mother's identity was never released by Jackson, but he has said the child was the result of artificial insemination from a surrogate mother and his own sperm cells.[109] In November of that year, Jackson brought his newborn son onto the balcony of his hotel room in Berlin, as fans stood below. Holding him in his right arm, with a cloth loosely draped over the baby's face, Jackson briefly extended the baby over the railing of the balcony, four stories above ground level, causing widespread criticism in the media. Jackson later apologized for the incident, calling it "a terrible mistake".[120]

Michael Jackson HIStory, second marriage and fatherhood

In 1995, Jackson merged his Northern Songs catalog with Sony's publishing division creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Jackson retained half-ownership of the company, earned $95 million upfront as well as the rights to even more songs.[46][98] He then released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a 15-track greatest hits album, and was later reissued as Greatest Hits – HIStory Vol. I in 2001, while the second disc, HIStory Continues, contained 15 new songs. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for seven million shipments in the US.[99] It is the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, with 20 million copies (40 million units) sold worldwide.[76][100] HIStory received a Grammy nomination for best album.[101]

The first single released from the album was the double A-side "Scream/Childhood". "Scream" was a duet, performed with Jackson's youngest sister Janet. The single had the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number five, and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".[101] "You Are Not Alone" was the second single released from HIStory; it holds the Guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[68] It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success, receiving a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".[101] In late 1995, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance; the incident was caused by a stress related panic attack.[102] "Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, and topped the UK singles chart for six weeks over Christmas 1995; it sold a million copies, making it Jackson's most successful single in the UK.[101]

In early 1996, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) issued a press release charging Jackson with antisemitism regarding lyrics in the song "They Don't Care About Us", the fourth single from HIStory.[103] The song had originally been recorded with lyrics that included the phrase "Jew me, sue me", and "Kick me, kike me". The ADL complained and Jackson responded by saying he would re-record the lyrics before the album went into production. However the ADL's press release charged that Jackson had performed the song live and included the lyrics in question during the live performance.[103] The dispute over the lyrics upset long-time Jackson friend Steven Spielberg, who considered the song anti-semitic.[104]

The HIStory World Tour began on September 7, 1996, and finished on October 15, 1997. Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans. The show, which visited 5 continents and 35 countries, became Jackson's most successful in terms of audience figures.[61] During the Australian leg of the HIStory World Tour, Jackson married dermatologist nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe, who bore him two children: a son, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (also known as "Prince"), and a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson.[97][105] The pair first met in the mid-1980s, when Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo. She spent many years treating his illness as well as providing emotional support. They built a strong friendship, then became romantically involved.[106] Originally there were no plans to marry, but following Rowe's first pregnancy, Jackson's mother intervened and persuaded them to do so.[107] Jackson later claimed that he was in such a rush to leave the hospital with daughter Paris in 1998 that he cut the cord and left with the baby covered in blood, taking the placenta with him in his haste.[108] The couple divorced in 1999, and remained friends, with Rowe giving full custody of the children to Jackson.[109]

In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies as of 2007, making it the best selling remix albums ever released. It reached number one in the UK, as did the title track.[110][111] In the US, the album was certified platinum, but only reached number 24.[25][101] Forbes placed his annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997.[67]

Throughout June 1999, Jackson was involved in a number of charitable events. He joined Luciano Pavarotti for a benefit concert in Modena, Italy. The show was in support of the non-profit organization Warchild, and raised a million dollars for the refugees of Kosovo, as well as additional funds for the children of Guatemala.[112] Later that month, Jackson organized a set of "Michael Jackson & Friends" benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. Other artists involved included Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana Chandrakumar, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the "Nelson Mandela Children's Fund", the Red Cross and UNESCO.[

Michael Jackson - Sexual abuse accusations and first marriage

Jackson gave a 90-minute interview with Oprah Winfrey in February 1993, his first television interview since 1979. He grimaced when speaking of his childhood abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood years, admitting that he often cried from loneliness. He denied previous tabloid rumors that he bought the bones of the Elephant Man or slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The entertainer went on to dispel suggestions that he bleached his skin, stating for the first time that he had vitiligo. The interview was watched by an American audience of 90 million, becoming the fourth most-viewed non-sport program in U.S. history. It also increased awareness of vitiligo, a relatively unknown condition before then. Dangerous re-entered the album chart in the top 10, more than a year after its original release.[10][11][12]

Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler and his father Evan Chandler.[83] The friendship between Jackson and Evan Chandler broke down. Sometime afterwards, Evan Chandler was tape-recorded saying amongst other things, "If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever...Michael's career will be over".[84] A year after they had met, under the influence of sodium amytal, a controversial sedative, Jordan Chandler told his father that Jackson had touched his penis.[85] Evan Chandler and Jackson, represented by their legal teams, then engaged in unsuccessful negotiations to resolve the issue in a financial settlement; the negotiations were initiated by Chandler but Jackson did make several counter offers. Jordan Chandler then told a psychiatrist and later police that he and Jackson had engaged in acts of kissing, masturbation and oral sex, as well as giving a detailed description of what he alleged were the singer's genitals.[86]

An official investigation began, with Jordan Chandler's mother adamant that there was no wrong doing on Jackson's part. Neverland Ranch was searched; multiple children and family members denied that he was a pedophile.[86] Jackson's image took a further turn for the worse when his older sister La Toya Jackson accused him of being a pedophile, a statement she later retracted.[87] Jackson agreed to a 25-minute strip search, conducted at his ranch. The search was required to see if a description provided by Jordan Chandler was accurate. Doctors concluded that there were some strong similarities, but it was not a definitive match.[87] Jackson made an emotional public statement on the events; he proclaimed his innocence, criticized what he perceived as biased media coverage and told of his strip search.[83]

Jackson began taking painkillers, Valium and Ativan to help him cope with chronic pain a consequence to an accident involving the collapse of stage rigging during the Dangerous Tour and for joint inflammation from Lupus. Jackson started taking Xanax for panic attacks and stress stemming from the allegations made against him of child abuse. By the fall of 1993, Jackson was addicted to the drugs.[88] His health deteriorated to the extent that he canceled the remainder of the Dangerous World Tour and went into drug rehabilitation for a few months.[89] The stress of the allegations also caused Jackson to stop eating, and he lost a significant amount of weight.[90] With his health in decline, Jackson's friends and legal advisers took over his defense and finances; they called on him to settle the allegations out of court, believing that he could not endure a lengthy trial.[89][90]

Tabloid reaction to the allegations put Jackson in an unfavorable light.[91] Complaints about the coverage and media included everything from bias against Jackson, accepting stories of alleged criminal activity for money to accepting confidential leaked material from the police investigation in return for money paid.[92] On January 1, 1994, Jackson settled with the Chandler family and their legal team out of court, in a civil lawsuit for $22 million. After the settlement Jordan Chandler stopped co-operating with police regarding criminal proceedings. Jackson was never charged, and the state closed its criminal investigation, citing lack of evidence.[93]

In May 1994, Jackson married singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. They had first met in 1975 during one of Jackson's family engagements at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and were reconnected through a mutual friend in early 1993.[91] They stayed in contact every day over the telephone. As child molestation accusations became public, Jackson became dependent on Lisa Marie for emotional support; she was concerned about his faltering health and addiction to drugs.[88] Lisa Marie explained, "I believed he didn't do anything wrong and that he was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it."[94] In a phone call he made to her, she described him as high, incoherent and delusional.[88] Shortly afterwards, she tried to persuade Jackson to settle the allegations out of court and go into rehabilitation to recover—he subsequently did both.[88] Jackson proposed to Lisa Marie over the telephone towards the fall of 1993, saying, "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?".[88] Presley and Jackson married in the Dominican Republic in secrecy; the parties denied they had been married for nearly two months.[95] The marriage was, in her words, "a married couple's life ... that was sexually active".[96] At the time, the tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a ploy to prop up Jackson's public image in light of prior sexual abuse allegations.[95] Jackson and Presley divorced less than two years later, remaining friendly.[97]

In 1986, the National Enquirer published a series of photographs of Jackson lying in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber,[48] claiming that he slept in the chamber to slow the aging process. Although the photographs were genuine, the claims were untrue; Jackson had disseminated the fabricated story himself.[dubious – discuss] The singer was promoting his upcoming film Captain EO and wanted to promote a science fiction image of himself.[49] Jackson had a fourth rhinoplasty and, wanting masculine features, had a cleft put in his chin.[22] Then he starred in the Francis Ford Coppola-directed 3-D film Captain EO. It was the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis at the time, and was later hosted in Disney theme parks. Disneyland featured the film in its Tomorrowland area for nearly 11 years, while Walt Disney World screened the film in its Epcot theme park from 1986 to 1994.[50]

When Jackson bought a pet chimpanzee called Bubbles, it was reported as an example of increasing detachment from reality.[51] In 2003, the singer claimed that Bubbles had been trained to use the toilet and to clean his own bedroom.[48] Later, it was reported that Jackson bought the bones of The Elephant Man.[48] Although untrue, it was a story that Jackson again disseminated to the tabloid press.[49][dubious – discuss] These stories inspired the pejorative nickname "Wacko Jacko", which Jackson acquired the following year. He would eventually come to despise the nickname. Realizing his mistake, he stopped leaking untruths to the press. However due to the profit being made, the media began making up their own stories.[48][52]


Jackson in 1988, two years after he was diagnosed with vitiligo, here in the early stages of the diseaseJackson's skin was a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in the early 1980s, his skin gradually grew paler. This change gained widespread media coverage, including rumors that Jackson was bleaching his skin.[10] In the mid-1980s, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus; the latter was in remission in Jackson's case, and both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight. The treatments he used for his condition further lightened his skin tone, and, with the application of pancake makeup to even out blotches, he could appear very pale.[53] The structure of his face changed as well; several surgeons have speculated that Jackson had undergone multiple nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, thinned lips and a cheekbone surgery.[54] Changes to his face were, in part, due to periods of significant weight loss.[19] Jackson lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet and a desire for "a dancer's body".[55] Witnesses reported that Jackson was often dizzy and speculated that he was suffering from anorexia nervosa; periods of weight loss would become a recurring problem for the singer later in life.[56] Some medical professionals have publicly stated their belief that the singer had body dysmorphic disorder, a psychological condition whereby the sufferer has no concept of how he is perceived by others.[53]

Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars. Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, "I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight," people would say, "Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He's cracked up. You can't believe a damn word that comes out of his mouth."

—Michael Jackson[57]
With the industry expecting another major hit, Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated.[58] Bad had lower sales than Thriller, but was still a substantial commercial success. In the US, it spawned seven hit singles, five of which ("I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana") reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, more than any other album.[59] As of 2008, the album sold 30 million copies worldwide, including eight million shipments in the US.[25][60]


Jackson wore a gold-plated military style jacket with belt in the Bad era.The Bad World Tour began on September 12, 1987, and finished on January 14, 1989.[61] In Japan alone, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour.[62] Jackson broke a Guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. He performed a total of 123 concerts to a total audience of 4.4 million people, and gained a further Guinness World Record when the tour grossed him $125 million. During the trip he invited underprivileged children to watch for free and gave donations to hospitals, orphanages and other charities.[61]

In 1988, Jackson released his first autobiography, Moon Walk, which took four years to complete and sold 200,000 copies.[63] Jackson told of his childhood, his experience in The Jackson 5 and the abuse he suffered as a child.[64] He also spoke of his plastic surgery, saying he had two rhinoplastic surgeries and the surgical creation of a cleft in his chin.[55] In the book, he attributed the change in the structure of his face to puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hair style and stage lighting.[55] Moon Walk reached the top position on The New York Times best sellers' list.[65] The musician then released a film called Moonwalker, which featured live footage, music videos, and a feature film that starred Jackson and Joe Pesci. Moonwalker debuted atop the Billboard Top Music Video Cassette chart, staying there for 22 weeks. It was eventually knocked off the top spot by Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues.[66]

In March 1988, Jackson purchased land near Santa Ynez, California to build Neverland Ranch at a cost of $17 million. The 2,700-acre (11 km2) property had Ferris wheels, a menagerie, and a movie theater. A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds. In 2003, the property was valued at approximately $100 million.[16][67] In 1989, his annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts was estimated at $125 million for that year alone.[68] Shortly afterwards, Jackson became the first Westerner to appear in a television ad in the Soviet Union.[66]

Jackson's success resulted in his being dubbed the "King of Pop", a nickname conceived by actress and friend Elizabeth Taylor when she presented Jackson with an "Artist of the Decade" award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul".[69][70] President George H. W. Bush presented the singer with The White House's special "Artist of the Decade" award in recognition of Jackson's musical influence in the 1980s; Bush commended Jackson for acquiring a "tremendous following" among other achievements.[71] From 1985 to 1990, Jackson donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund, and all of the profits from his single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.[72][73] Jackson's live rendition of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th birthday celebration received an Emmy nomination.[66]