NEW YORK, Dec. 17 (UPI) — The late Michael Jackson’s landmark 1982 Thriller album has reached another milestone in music history.
The Recording Industry Association of America said the Grammy Award-winning set, which includes the title track, as well as the classics “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” “The Girl is Mine” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin,’” has become the first album to be certified 30X Multi-Platinum for U.S. sales, meaning 30 million units have been bought in this country alone.
More than a 100 million copies of Thriller have been sold around the world. With the total sale of 1 billion albums globally, Jackson is regarded as the biggest selling artist of all time.
“RIAA has awarded Gold and Platinum Records on behalf of the music business for nearly 60 years, but this is the first time an artist has crossed the 30X Multi-Platinum plateau,” Cary Sherman, chairman and chief executive officer of RIAA, said in a statement Wednesday. “We are honored to celebrate the unique status of Thriller in Gold and Platinum history. What an exceptional achievement and testament to Thriller’s enduring spot in our hearts and musical history.”
Thriller spent nearly 2 1/2 years on the Billboard album chart and holds a record of 37 weeks at No. 1.
Jackson died in 2009 of a doctor-administered overdose of anesthesia and sedatives. He was 50.
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