MICHAEL JACKSON - Thriller (LP)

In 1984, Thriller sold 32 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling album in history. It was the best-selling album of 1983 globally and also became the first album to be the best-selling in the United States for two consecutive years, in 1983 and 1984. The project set new standards in the music industry, both through its songs and its music videos and promotional strategies, having a lasting influence on artists, record labels, producers, marketing specialists, and choreographers. With Thriller, Michael gained a new status, becoming a global pop icon at the age of twenty-five and one of the biggest stars of the second half of the 20th century, his success giving Jackson an unprecedented cultural impact for an African American artist, breaking racial barriers in popular music. He received regular airplay on MTV and was invited to the White House by President Ronald Reagan. Thriller is also one of the first albums to use the music video as a true promotional tool; those of Billie Jean, Beat It, and Thriller are often cited for having elevated the music video to the status of an art form.