Pink Floyd vs. Michael Jackson
I've seen some debate on other forums surrounding the length of time Dark Side of the Moon was on the Billboard charts (741 consecutive weeks) vs. the crazy amount of copies of Michael Hackson's ...excuse me...Jackson's "Thriller" album which all sold in a relatively short period of time.
I contend that fads are short lived and that's why they are fads. People blindly jump on the bandwagon and then you don't hear about it anymore. (AchyBreaky Heart, Macarena, Who Let the Dogs Out, etc.) Face it...other than his bizarre personal life - what talk was there about Michael Hackson in the last 10 years? Before he bought the farm, that is. Yes, "Thriller" sold a bazillion copies in about a year and that was like 1983 or '84 if I recall. But the last week of listening to people crying and gushing over this overrated long-ago washed up bubblegum pop sensation is nauseating. Especially the people claiming he was a "genius" and a "revolutionary." That is pure extract of B.S. He stole his trademark "Moonwalk" from the great James Brown and the Jax5 which was better than his solo crap was yet but a teenybopper sugar-coated Temptations ripoff.
Some facts to consider:
The Eagles "Greatest Hits" CD outsold Thriller in the U.S.
Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon" was on the Billboard charts for twice as long as Thriller.
Most top ten albums? Rolling Stones with 36. Jackson didn't even sniff the top of the list.
Most #1 albums? The Beatles of course with 19.
(There is a Jackson on the list with 6. Janet Jackson, not Michael.)
Most total weeks at #1? Beatles 132. Michael Jackson down the list at 50.
The "Westside Story" soundtrack spent 17 more weeks at #1 than Thriller.
Comedy actor Jackie Gleason (yes, Ralph Cramdon the bus driver from the Honeymooners) had an album that was in the top ten twice as long as Thriller. As did big band's Glen Miller.
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