He is the most awarded recording artist in the history of popular music and is recognized as the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" by Guinness World Records selling an estimated 1 billion records around the world.
During his extraordinary career, Michael Jackson sold more than a billion records worldwide, released 13 No. 1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Elvis Presley (USA) is the best-selling solo artist, with 1 billion sales worldwide (129.5 million in the USA).
Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists in history with over 400 million records sold worldwide. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Jackson has sold 89 million certified albums in the United States, making him the sixth top-selling album artist in the country.
Over the course of Elvis' life, he achieved some of the highest accolades in music and film. It is estimated that more than one billion Elvis records have been sold worldwide, more than anyone in record industry history.
Michael Jackson — $400 million. Elvis Presley — $40 million. Arnold Palmer — $35 million. Charles Schulz — $34 million.
Michael Jackson's Thriller, estimated to have sold 70 million copies worldwide, is the best-selling album ever. Jackson also currently has the highest number of albums on the list with five, Celine Dion has four, while the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Madonna and Whitney Houston each have three.
Thriller, the album, gained its overall Diamond certification back in 1983 and became 34 times multi-platinum in August 2021.
With 13 No. 1s – and one more to which he contributed vocals – Jackson leads the list of male artists with the most chart-topping hits.
Ed Sheeran is the most-followed male artist, and Ariana Grande is the most-followed female artist. Drake is the most-streamed male artist of all time, and Taylor Swift is the most-streamed female artist of all time.
Spotify keeps a playlist of nearly all songs with over one billion streams. As of January 2023, a total of at least 344 songs have reached this milestone.
Kylie Minogue is the highest-selling Australian artist of all time, and an unsuspecting gay icon. She rose to fame on the Australian soap opera, Neighbours. Her wedding on the show to Jason Donovan's character was viewed by 20 million people in the UK alone.
Three of Drake's LPs have sold over five million copies, which is astounding for any artist over the past decade, rap or otherwise. Well, from 1979 to his death in 2009, Jackson released seven albums, and his only sold under eight million copies twice — again, mostly physical copies.
However, Michael Jackson still reigns supreme over Drake when it comes to the most consecutive No. 1 singles (5 to Drake's 2). Thriller, meanwhile, remains the best-selling album of all time with a reported 100 million copies sold worldwide.
Besides having a big name, the singer also had a big fortune through his albums. Upon his death, Michael's net worth was estimated to be around $500 million.
These awards, given by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), represent huge sales — 500,000 units for gold, 1 million for platinum, 2 million or more for multiplatinum, and 10 million for diamond.
Currently, country singer Garth Brooks holds the record for the most diamond-certified albums with nine. Other artists who have three or more diamond-certified records include The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Shania Twain and the Eagles.
In the last 20 years, two albums have managed to string together 10 consecutive weeks at No 1 – Adele's 21 from January to March 2012, and Morgan Wallen's Dangerous: The Double Album from January to March 2021.
Referred to as the "King of Pop", he is certified and known as the most awarded and nominated recording artist in the history of popular music. Michael Jackson is considered to be one of the greatest entertainers of all time and one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
Under the terms of the trust, Michael Jackson's children are in line to receive $33 million each. Michael's mother, Katherine Jackson, will receive her share of the estate immediately, and any portion remaining when she passes, will be split between Prince, Paris and Blanket.