Michael Jackson Still Rules Album Sales; “Thriller” First Album Ever To Earn 33x Diamond Status

(AllHipHop News) Michael Jackson continues to justify why he gained the title “The King of Pop,” eight years after his death at the age of 50.

Michael Jackson’s landmark album Thriller has just been certified as the first album in history to earn 33x Diamonds.

That means the record has sold 33 million copies and streams, making it the best-selling release in history.

Worldwide, the overall sales for Thriller, counting physical copies and streams, now surpasses the 1 billion mark.

“Thirty-five years later, Michael Jackson’s Thriller remains as timeless and iconic as ever,” said Cary Sherman, Chairman, and CEO, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). “Thriller has now become the first and only album to achieve an RIAA 33X Diamond Award, a moment forever etched in Gold & Platinum Program history. Congratulations on another ‘Thriller’ milestone.”

Mike’s album Bad was also just verified 10x Diamond, in recognition of United States sales and streams of 10 million units.

Thriller also had an impact on Hip-Hop and has been sampled by numerous rappers, including Esham, Nas, Redman, Dr. Dre and others.