Guinness World Records has long recognized Thriller as the World’s Top-Selling Album of All Time and Michael Jackson as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time. Jackson’s most recent posthumous release, Xscape, was certified gold by the RIAA in September 2014.
Michael Jackson set a new record from beyond the grave with his “Thriller” album, now the first ever to be certified 30x multi-platinum.The new feat was announced by the Recording Industry Association of America and the music legend’s estate on Wednesday.
The 30x certification signifies that the late King of Pop’s iconic 1982 album has sold 30 million copies in the United States, as well as more than 100 million copies worldwide.Jackson is also the top-earning dead celebrity, raking in a reported $1 billion since he passed away.
In 1983, Jackson told Rolling Stone that his creative process, surrounding Thriller, was a mystery to him. “I wake up from dreams and go, ‘Wow, put this down on paper,'” he said. “The whole thing is strange. You hear the words, everything is right there in front of your face. And you say to yourself, ‘I’m sorry, I just didn’t write this. It’s there already.’ That’s why I hate to take credit for the songs I’ve written. I feel that somewhere, someplace, it’s been done and I’m just a courier bringing it into the world. I really believe that. I love what I do. I’m happy at what I do. It’s escapism.”
