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)
[ Rating: 4.6/5 (35 votes cast) ] [ 26 comments ]

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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.
[ Rating: 4.7/5 (33 votes cast) ] [ 30 comments ]

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OliMFMJ is smooth with the slide  4 hours ago
MJ_ROX_MY_SOX_OFF is HAVING A SLUMBER PARTY WITH MJ AND YOU ARE ALL INVITED! LOL  5 hours ago
Lucilia is my love today I dreamed of you and not to forget you are welcome I wrote down in our book of the dreams  5 hours ago
r_a_m_i_n is waiting for the one,the day that never comes...!!!!  5 hours ago
BETHANY is HAVING A SLUMBER PARTY WITH MJ AND YOU ARE ALL INVITED! LOL!  5 hours ago
maximumjacksons is hoping you will join us: www.maximum-jackson.com  7 hours ago
WendyPan is happy! Michael! YOU rock my world,baby! Love you forever: Ashlee.  8 hours ago
Michael_Jackson_Rocks_My_World is Always A MJ Fan!  9 hours ago
Michael_Jackson_Iz_Awesome88 is I LOVE MICHAEL JACKSON  9 hours ago
LauraMJFan is New to MichaelJackson.com :)  9 hours ago
SabrinaLovesMJ is too lonely and sad to sleep and I need someone to hold me in there arms(parents don't care or brother)  10 hours ago
Tenbit is Proud of Michael in every single way. Stay Strong Angel; you know GOD loves you!  13 hours ago
milloca is Milla Jackson  13 hours ago
adrianamartins is and always will be fan of mj .my big love  14 hours ago
eja_mikey is hope Michael has found his peace..  15 hours ago
mjsuperstar is falling in drugs and she needs help!!!  15 hours ago
AYOTAL is HURRY UP WITH THAT ALBUM MJ! I KNOW YOU CANT RUSH PERFECTION BUT DANG I CANT WAIT!  15 hours ago
skywalker is Off the Wall is MJ best album.He should make another similar album.It would be MAGIC!!  16 hours ago
ilymjjackson4ever is *Loves Michael Sooooo Much*  17 hours ago
mariahash is happy  18 hours ago
Muslimah is MJ 4life  18 hours ago
MJ_Rox02 is Loving MJ's Song Billie Jean 4 Ever! L.O.V.E Love  19 hours ago
nitannoying is TEXT ME!!!!! (407)-342-6852 FROM 7:00pm-4:00am!!!!  19 hours ago
MikeFan is from the perfect world, world that threw me away today  20 hours ago
ElDjazairia is STILL IN LOVE WITH MICHAEL SINCE HER CHILDHOOD AND SHE ALWAYS STAY AN ADMIRER(www.michaeljacksonthebest.skyrock.com)  20 hours ago
VoulaMJ87 is sooooooo bored....  23 hours ago
frozenfragrance is in love with Michael  23 hours ago
wordup is crazy  yesterday
Anit90 is im so sorry for not answering your sweet comments ,im having problems with my pc ,i will get back to you soon !!! ,kisses  yesterday
RachelsWaffles is excited! Michael touches down in England today! Good luck with it all!  yesterday
luckky is cool guy  yesterday
yashica is saying `Michael Jackson why you did so.Mikaeel or Michael may you live in peace.And if u did it chnge ur name of ur site too, love you in all the ways u are`.  yesterday
hammidtariq is Hammid Tariq  yesterday
breaknbeat is dreamin about my baby,Michael.Get well soon baby.  yesterday
yewbs is astounded at Michael Jacksons work. You are an amazing person and I believe you can do more still! your an insiparion! Cant wait for Michaels new hits in 09!!!!  yesterday
shaista is happy for michael's decion  yesterday
dassyn is happy to know a new CD's coming in 2009!!! wOoJoO!!!  yesterday
jackie06 is a fan of Micahel Jackson!  yesterday
11Mjfanforever11 is excited to have some of the Song listings for MJ's new 2009 Album!!!!!!  yesterday
ulyzzhez is cool and have cool dance step like michael jackson  yesterday