michael jackson ... the king... LONG LIVE THE KING

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PLZ VISIT THE MICHAEL JACKSON OFFICIAL SITE FOR MORE MICHAEL JACKSON NEWS, VIDEOS, SONGS, etc... www.michaeljackson.com

PLZ VISIT THIS OTHER WEBSITE TO BUY MICHAEL JACKSON MERCHANDISE www.michaeljacksonmerch.com

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NEWS

November 07, 2008 - Michael Jackson's Thriller - The World's Best-Selling Album Of All Time - Is Back On The Top Of Amer

Coast-To-Coast Zombie Dance Tributes & Halloween Sales Frenzy Drive 25th Anniversary Edition of Thriller To #1 On The Billboard Catalog Albums Chart & #1 On iTunes

Michael Jackson's Thriller, the world's top-selling album of all time, is back at the top of the charts this week following a Halloween-inspired surge in sales and coast-to-coast zombie dance tributes to the album.

The Legacy Recordings' 25th Anniversary CD/DVD edition of Thriller has rocketed back into the #1 slot on the Billboard Catalog Albums chart.

A specially-priced Halloween digital edition of the standard Thriller album on iTunes, bundled with a bonus video of the award-winning Thriller zombie music clip, spent much of the week at #1 before settling in as iTunes' #2 album of the week (topped only by John Legend's Evolver). More than 34,000 Thriller ringtones were sold during the same week.

A perennial best-seller since its original release in November 1982, Thriller, and Michael Jackson's iconic zombie dance music video, have, over the past quarter century, launched thousands of Thriller-themed events while inspiring countless zombie-based costumes for Halloween and other spooky occasions. A group of hardcore Thriller "grisly ghouls" gathered at Madame Tussauds wax museum in Times Square this past October to successfully break the Guinness World Record for most "zombies" dancing the signature choreography from Michael's video in a single location. The record-shattering Thriller Dance Re-enactment was previewed in a USA Today Lifeline item (October 27, 2008) and covered in depth in the Halloween editions of both the New York Post and the New York Daily News. Zombie-attired Thriller fans gathered en masse to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the album at Greenwich Village's annual Halloween Parade.

Outside the Big Apple Thriller events, Miami's hot spot Opium Garden hosted an official Michael Jackson Thriller 25 Halloween bash highlighted by Live in Color, an MTV dance crew, performing the Thriller zombie dance. Zombies also descended on the Fox Network's "Morning Show with Mike and Juliet" as well as "The View," where lucky audience members were given complimentary copies of Thriller 25.

Released in February 2008, Thriller 25 -- the newly-expanded deluxe 25th anniversary edition of Michael Jackson's Thriller, the world's best-selling album of all-time -- became America's #2 Top-Selling Album more than a quarter century after the album's original release. One of the hottest albums of 2008, Thriller 25 rocketed into the Top 5 (or better) in a variety of territories across the planet following its worldwide release the week of February 11 while entering the Billboard Top Pop Catalog chart at #1.

With more than two million copies of Thriller 25 sold around the world the new edition of Michael Jackson's classic collection hit #1 in France; #1 in Belgium; #2 in Germany; #2 in Australia; #2 in the Netherlands; #2 in Norway (Thriller's highest position ever in that country); #2 in Sweden; #2 in Switzerland; #3 in the UK; #3 in Denmark; #3 in New Zealand; #4 in Spain; #5 in Austria; #5 in Ireland; #6 in the Czech Republic; and #6 in Italy.

Global response to the release of Thriller 25, the newly expanded deluxe 25th anniversary edition of Michael Jackson's Thriller, the world's top-selling album of all-time, reached a fever pitch across the planet with surprise hit singles, a 29-episode "ThrillerCast" podcast series, the premiere of the "Thrillicious" Sobe Life Water ad campaign at the Super Bowl, the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Michael Jackson at the NRJ Music Awards at Cannes and a host of events and surprises.

The Michael Jackson Thriller 25th anniversary celebration runs throughout 2008 with a multi-faceted global marketing campaign featuring high-profile television, radio and online events around the world and the major re-launch of Michael's official website, www.michaeljackson.com

Originally released in the US on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records, Thriller, Michael Jackson's sixth solo album and second with producer Quincy Jones, first entered the Billboard Top 200 album chart at #11 in December 1982. The original Thriller went on to spend an astounding 80 consecutive weeks in the American Top 10, 37 of those at #1, while making history as the first and only record to be America's top-selling album two years running (1983 and 1984). Thriller has been certified 27x platinum by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond Award status in the US. In 1985, the Guinness Book of Records named Thriller the Best Selling Album of All Time, an achievement which remains unsurpassed to this day.

THRILLER - 25
The World's Biggest Selling Album of All Time Thriller - original track listing - US Billboard Chart Peaks

1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - (#5 Hot 100, #5 R&B)
2. Baby Be Mine
3. The Girl Is Mine (with Paul McCartney) - (#2 Hot 100, #1 R&B, #1 Adult Contemporary)
4. Thriller - (#4 Hot 10, #3 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks)
5. Beat It - (#1 Hot 100, #1 R&B)
6. Billie Jean - (#1 Hot 100, #1 R&B, #9 A/C)
7. Human Nature - (#7 Hot 100, #2 Adult Contemporary)
8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) - (#10 Hot 100)
9. The Lady in My Life

Bonus Material:
10. Vincent Price Excerpt (From Thriller Voice-Over Session)

Previously Unreleased Tracks for 25th Anniversary Edition
11. The Girl Is Mine 2008 with will.i.am
12. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008 with will.i.am
13. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008 with Akon
14. Beat It 2008 with Fergie
15. Billie Jean 2008 Kanye West mix
16. For All Time (unreleased track from original Thriller sessions)

DVD
The Short Films
1. BILLIE JEAN
2. BEAT IT
3. THRILLER
4. BILLIE JEAN - The Legendary Performance from Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, and Forever

25th Anniversary Executive Producer: Michael Jackson
Original Album Produced by Quincy Jones for Quincy Jones Productions

(Dateline - New York - November 7, 2008; source: Legacy Recordings)

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October 31, 2008 - MICHAEL JACKSON THRILLER FANS MAKE HISTORY AND BREAK GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR MOST PEOPLE DOING THE

New York, NY (October 30, 2008) - Seventy-three Michael Jackson Thriller fans today broke the Guinness World Record for the most people doing the Thriller dance at the same at Madame Tussauds New York in Times Square. The previous Guinness World Record was sixty-two people.

Fans from near and far - including one participant from Columbus, Ohio - dressed as zombies and as the King of Pop himself to be a part of this history-making moment with Madame Tussauds wax figure of Michael Jackson at the center of the action. The record-setting event helped celebrate the iconic videos 25th anniversary and Thrillers skyrocket to #1 on the iTunes album chart. Thriller 25, The New Edition of the World's Biggest Selling Album Of All Time is released by Sonys Legacy Recordings and is in stores now. While Michael Jackson was not able to attend the event, he was thrilled with its success. I always thought Halloween and 'Thriller' fit each other like a glove," said Jackson.

Prior to the record-breaking dance, participants took lessons on how to do the Thriller dance from Crunch fitness instructors, received zombie mini-makeovers and had the opportunity to take a photo with Madame Tussauds Michael Jackson wax figure.

Madame Tussauds New York is so excited to have been a part of this history-making moment, said Janine DiGioacchino, General Manager of Madame Tussauds New York and Washington D.C.

The Thriller celebration has just begun. After dancing at Madame Tussauds New York, Zombie dancers are expected to rise from the dead again on Halloween night and descend on 6th avenue as part of the New York Village Halloween parade.

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October 22, 2008 - Listen to the Thriller Megamix!

Listen HERE

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October 22, 2008 - CALLING ALL MICHAEL JACKSON FANS... BE APART OF THRILLER HISTORY!

Fans needed at Madame Tussauds New York to help break the Guinness World Record for the most people doing the Thriller dance at the same time.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of Thriller and in the name of Michael Jackson, please help us make history at Madame Tussauds in Times Square on Thursday, October 30th as we attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most people doing the Thriller dance at the same time.

When: Doors open at 8:00 a.m. Record-breaking dance at 10:00 a.m.

Get there on time to sign up as an official participant, take lessons on how to do the Thriller dance, get a zombie makeover and take a photo with Madame Tussauds' Michael Jackson wax figure, which will receive its own zombie makeover and be decked out in Michael's original jacket from the Thriller video.

All fans and participants strongly encouraged to come in Thriller and zombie costumes!

Where: Madame Tussauds New York 234 West 42nd Street (b/w 7th & 8th Avenues) New York, NY

Event is first come, first serve. Space limited!!

This event celebrates Thriller 25, The New Edition Of The World's Biggest Selling Album Of All Time which is in stores now, released by Sony's Legacy Recordings.

Check out the NEW THRILLER MEGA MIX BY JASON NEVINS.

Visit www.nycwax.com for more information on the world famous Madame Tussauds New York.

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October 22, 2008 - FEATURED ON THRILLERCAST: LL COOL J!

Hip-hop innovator, movie star and all around entertainment legend LL Cool J stops by to talk about how "Thriller" touched his life, some unreleased collaborations and more on this episode of Thrillercast. You can listen at The Podcast Page

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October 15, 2008 - [UPDATED] THE JACKSONS' DESTINY (1978) AND TRIUMPH (1980) NOW EXPANDED EDITIONS

Their First Breakthrough RIAA Platinum Albums - Self-Produced And Self-Written For The First Time

Both Expanded Editions With Multiple Bonus Tracks - Rare 12-Inch Disco Mixes Previously Unavailable On CD

First expanded editions from Jacksons' catalog, with liner notes by Ernest Hardy, arrive at both physical and digital outlets on January 27, 2009, through Epic/Legacy

The evolution that began in 1976, of the classic Motown teen hitmaking group the Jackson 5 into the independent grown-ups known forever after on Epic Records as the Jacksons - was a transition that did not happen overnight. But there is universal agreement that by the time they released their third album for their new label, 1978's Destiny (with the worldwide hits "Blame It On The Boogie" and "Shake Your Body"), followed by 1980's Triumph, the first RIAA platinum album of their career - both LPs self-produced for the first time, and (mainly) self-penned - the transition was complete.

"Three decades after its initial release," writes Ernest Hardy of Destiny, "it's still fresher - more potent, more substantive within its sturdy R&B/pop structure - than most of what you hear playing on the radio or streaming on the net today." In honor of its 30th anniversary, DESTINY, including two bonus tracks of rare 12-inch disco mixes previously unavailable on CD, and TRIUMPH, with three bonus tracks of rare 12-inch mixes also previously unavailable on CD, will both arrive at both physical and digital outlets on January 27, 2009, through Epic/Legacy, a division of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT.

DESTINY and TRIUMPH represent the first expanded editions ever issued by Legacy on the Jacksons, from their catalog of seven original studio and live albums on Epic between 1976 (The Jacksons) and 1989 (2300 Jackson Street). They follow the February 2008 release of the two-disc CD+DVD 25th anniversary expanded edition of Michael Jackson's THRILLER, which has sold over 2 million copies worldwide so far this year.

Michael, celebrating his 50th birthday on August 29th, and the Jacksons will be among the focal points of Universal/Motown's 50th anniversary campaign this fall.

Both DESTINY and TRIUMPH have been newly remastered in the U.S. for the first time in more than a decade, by three-time Grammy Award-winning engineer Mark Wilder. In addition, these expanded editions gain historic importance with new liner notes essays by Ernest Hardy, an award-winning music and film critic and author published in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Village Voice, Rolling Stone, and elsewhere. Hardy last worked for Legacy when he penned extensive notes for Love, Luther (Epic/J Records/Legacy), last year's four-CD box set tribute to Luther Vandross; and has also written notes for albums by Chet Baker, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, and Chuck D's anthology of hip-hop protest songs, Louder Than A Bomb.

DESTINY: EXPANDED EDITION by The Jacksons
1. Blame It On The Boogie (1st single, R&B #3, Hot 100 #54)
2. Push Me Away
3. Things I Do For You
4. Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) (2nd single, R&B #3, Hot 100 #7)
5. Destiny
6. Bless His Soul
7. All Night Dancin'
8. That's What You Get (For Being Polite)

Bonus tracks:
9. Blame It On The Boogie (John Luongo Disco Mix)
10. Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) (John Luongo Disco Mix).

TRIUMPH: EXPANDED EDITION by The Jacksons
1. Can You Feel It (3rd single, R&B #30, Hot 100 #77)
2. Lovely One (1st single, R&B #2, Hot 100 #12)
3. Your Ways
4. Everybody
5. This Place Hotel (aka Heartbreak Hotel) (2nd single, R&B #2, Hot 100 #22)
6. Time Waits For No One
7. Walk Right Now (4th single, R&B #50, Hot 100 #73)
8. Give It Up
9. Wondering Who

Bonus tracks:
10. This Place Hotel (aka Heartbreak Hotel) (Single Version)
11. Walk Right Now (John Luongo Disco Mix)
12. Walk Right Now (John Luongo Instrumental Mix).

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October 15, 2008 - 10 DAYS FROM NOWÂ… 95 CITIES IN 12 COUNTRIES WILL DANCE "THRILLER" SIMULTANEOUSLY

Breaking World Records Raising $$ for Local Charities THRILL THE WORLD www.thrilltheworld.com An Annual Worldwide Simultaneous Dance of Michael Jackson's "THRILLER" Saturday, October 25, 2008 6:00pm UTC/ GMT Times vary according to time zone. Parts of the world will be Sunday, October 26th.

What started off as a crazy idea is now an annual global event!The now-27-year-old dancer from Toronto, Canada set a Guinness World Record for Largest Thriller Dance in 2006.

Last year, Thrill The World saw 1,722 people in 52 cities on 5 continents set two new world records for Largest Simultaneous Thriller Dance.

This year we expect 4,000-8,000+ participants worldwide, with over 20 charitable or not-for-profit organizations benefiting.

Complete list of events attached. *Event listings subject to change without notice. Up-to-date list also available at:

http://thrilltheworld.com/events/info/thrill_the_world_2008/times

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September 03, 2008 - FEATURED ON THRILLERCAST: Q-TIP

A Tribe Called Quest's legendary voice is the latest entry into our Thrillercast series. Listen Now!"

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August 26, 2008 - Fans asked to participate in "King of Pop" album

In honor of Michael Jackson's 50th birthday, fans are being asked to vote for their most favorite songs from the "King Of Pop". The songs with the most votes are being released as limited edition "best of" album titled "KING OF POP" starting this week. Countries that are the first to release this special project are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Japan, Netherlands, Philippines and the UK. Fan participation has been phenomenal: in the UK the voting process involved live television on GMTV and in Germany the media partner BILD received more than 125.000 votes in the first week of voting alone! Next to the above countries which release the "KING OF POP" in the next 2 weeks, Michael Jackson fans in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand & Turkey can also actively vote for their favorite Michael Jackson songs soon and will be able to get a local version of their "KING OF POP" in the next few weeks. Once again has Michael Jackson be a pioneer in letting his fans be part of this process, celebrating the biggest musical genius on this 50th birthday!

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August 26, 2008 - FEATURED ON THRILLERCAST: SALAAM REMI

Songwriter/Producer Salaam Remi, who has worked with artists as diverse as Norah Jones, Nas, The Fugees and Amy Winehouse discusses his Michael Jackson fandom, as the Thrillercast rolls on toward its conclusion! Listen now by clicking on podcast

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Thriller Bio

Epic/Legacy Recordings proudly celebrates the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's Thriller, the world's biggest-selling album of all time, with a newly expanded deluxe edition of the phenomenal record-breaking pop culture touchstone, available in the U.S. on Tuesday, February 12, 2008. The album will be available worldwide the week of February 11, 2008.
The Michael Jackson Thriller 25th anniversary celebration kicks off in December 2007 with the release of a new single and continues throughout 2008 with a multi-faceted global marketing campaign featuring high-profile television, radio and online events around the world.
The Thriller - 25th Anniversary Edition will include the original album in its entirety as well as seven bonus tracks and a DVD featuring Michael Jackson's groundbreaking short films from Thriller ("Thriller," "Beat It," and "Billie Jean") and the artist's Emmy-nominated breakout performance of "Billie Jean" from the legendary "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" television special (first broadcast on NBC on May 16, 1983).
The newly expanded version of Thriller premieres six tracks previously unreleased in any form: "Beat It 2008" with Fergie; a new Kanye West remix of "Billie Jean"; a new 2008 version of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" with Akon; will.i.am remixes of "The Girl Is Mine" and "P.Y.T."; and "For All Time," a rare unreleased cut from the original Thriller recording sessions, newly mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson.
The deluxe Thriller - 25th Anniversary Edition packaging contains a personal greeting from Michael Jackson to his fans penned exclusively for this special release.
Originally released in the US 25 years ago on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records, Thriller, Michael Jackson's sixth solo album and second with producer Quincy Jones, rocketed the former child-star lead singer for the Jackson 5 into the stratosphere of international superstardom. Introducing the "robot" and the "moonwalk" into the international lexicon of clubland dance moves via the pulsing sounds of Thriller, Michael Jackson revolutionized all aspects of mainstream pop culture -- from radio airwaves to the newly emerging art form of music videos -- becoming the world's most popular entertainer in the process.
The original Thriller spent an astounding 80 consecutive weeks in the American Top 10, 37 of those at #1. Seven of the album's original nine tracks became Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 while Individual singles from Thriller reached #1 chart positions in the US, the UK, France, Italy, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, South Africa, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada.
Thriller made history as the first and only record to be America's top-selling album two years running (1983 and 1984).
Thriller has been certified 27x platinum by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond Award status in the US. In addition, the album has achieved Diamond or Multi-Platinum status in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. In 1985, the Guinness Book of Records named Thriller the Best Selling Album of All Time, an achievement which remains unsurpassed to this day.
In February 1984, Michael Jackson held a record-breaking 12 Grammy nominations, going on to win eight, which stands as the record for most Grammy Awards to be won by anyone in a single year. Seven of Michael's Grammys that year were for Thriller: Album of the Year; Record of the Year ("Beat It"); Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ("Thriller"); Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical (Thriller); Best Male Rock Vocal Performance ("Beat It"); Best Male R&B Vocal Performance ("Billie Jean"); Best R&B Song ("Billie Jean"). (Michael's eighth Grammy that year was in the Best Recording For Children - Single or Album, Musical or Spoken category for "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"). That same year, Michael Jackson took home eight American Music Awards and three MTV Video Music Awards. The following year, "The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller" took home the Best Video Album trophy at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards.
Named the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" by the Guinness World Records, Michael Jackson is among the most highly acclaimed and influential artists in pop culture. He was named the World Music Award's Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium and received the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award. He has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice: in 1997 as a member of the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist in 2001.

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Biography

American superstar Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana in 1958 and has been entertaining audiences nearly his entire life. His father, Joseph Jackson, had been a guitarist but was forced to give up his musical ambitions following his marriage to Katherine (Scruse). Together they prodded their growing family's musical interests at home. By the early 60s the older boys Jackie, Tito and Jermaine had begun performing around the city; by 1964 Michael and Marlon had joined in. A musical prodigy, Michael's singing and dancing talents were amazingly mature and he soon became the dominant voice and focus of "The Jackson 5." An opening act for such soul groups as the O-Jays and James Brown, it was Gladys Knight (not Diana Ross) who officially brought the group to Berry Gordy's attention, and by 1969 the boys were producing back-to-back chartbusting hits as Motown artists. As a product of the 70s, the boys had emerged as one of the most accomplished black pop/soul vocal groups in music history, successfully evolving from a Temptations-like group act to a disco phenomenon. Solo success for Michael was inevitable, and by the 80s he had become infinitely more popular than his brotherly group. Record sales consistently orbited, culminating in the biggest-selling album of all time, "Thriller." A TV natural, he ventured rather uneasily into films, such as playing the Scarecrow in Wiz, The (1978/I), but had better luck with elaborate music videos. In the 90s the down side as an 80s pop phenomenon began to show. Michael grew terribly child-like and introverted by his celebrity. A rather timorous, androgynous figure to begin with, his physical appearance began to change drastically and his behavior grew alarmingly bizarre, making him a consistent target for scandal-making, despite his numerous charitable acts. Two brief marriages -- one to Elvis Presleys daughter Lisa Marie Presley -- were forged and two children produced by his second wife during that time, but the purposes were obviously image oriented. Despite it all, Michael Jackson's skills as a singer, dancer, writer and businessman are unparalleled, and it is these prodigious talents that will ultimately prevail over the extremely negative aspects of his seriously troubled life.

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Thriller