While Michael Jackson’s Thriller remains the best-selling studio album ever (estimated 70 million copies), other artists have outsold him in total career records. The Beatles (over 600 million) and Elvis Presley have higher total record sales. In the US, the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits surpassed Thriller.
Taylor Swift has overtaken Michael Jackson to rank as the 6th artist with the most certified album units in US history, according to the RIAA.
Who is the most successful artist of all time?
RIAA: Eagles' Greatest Hits Has Outsold Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' Becoming The Best Selling Album Of All Time. The Eagles have dethroned GRAMMY-winner Michael Jackson of his best album of all-time title.
The Beatles: With over 1 billion records sold worldwide, The Beatles are often hailed as the most successful and influential band in the history of popular music. Their innovative approach to songwriting and recording has set the standard for countless artists who followed.
After Jackson's death, McCartney said, "It's so sad and shocking... He was a massively talented boy man with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever." (I quote a post from FB)
Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 500 million records. He holds a joint-record for a male solo artist with 13 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and is the only artist to have a top-ten single in six decades.
Taylor Swift is the highest-grossing live music artist of all time, collecting $3 billion according to Pollstar. U2, Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, and Elton John also passed two-billion mark in concert revenue.
As to be expected, due to his far greater number of total chart entries, Elvis has the advantage over The Beatles in most performance categories. Presley placed 102 titles in Billboard's top 40, while The Beatles had 50 entries that made it that far up the chart. In the top 20, Elvis had 61 songs and The Beatles 37.
Michael Jackson is widely cited as having an estimated 4.8 billion fans, a figure suggesting nearly two-thirds of the world's population admired him at his peak, making him one of history's most popular figures, with media outlets like CNN, BBC, and The Guardian reporting on his immense global reach.
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Michael Jackson's Wikipedia page, People.com article, Reddit post, Tyla article, YouTube video, YouTube video, Facebook post, Michael Jackson's Legacy website Michael Jackson's final words, as reported during his doctor Conrad Murray's trial, were pleas for "milk," which was his nickname for the powerful anesthetic Propofol. He reportedly told Murray, "I'd like to have some milk," and "Please, please give him some milk" because it was the only way he could sleep, leading to the fatal overdose that ended his life in 2009.
It's a debate with no single answer, as Elvis Presley was bigger in US chart dominance (114 Top 40 hits vs. MJ's 36) and pioneering rock, while Michael Jackson achieved greater global reach, international tours, and broader multimedia influence (music videos, dance). Both are among the biggest artists ever, selling over a billion records, but Elvis was the original King of Rock, while Jackson became the King of Pop with unparalleled global cultural saturation.
Top 10 Greatest Entertainers of All Time
Michael Jackson's Thriller, estimated to have sold 70 million copies worldwide, is the best-selling album ever. Jackson also has the highest number of albums on the list with five, Celine Dion has four, while the Beatles, Madonna, Whitney Houston and Pink Floyd each have three.
The richest singer of all time is generally considered to be Jay-Z, with estimated net worths reaching billions, primarily from his music, record labels (Roc-A-Fella), fashion (Rocawear), and significant investments in alcohol brands (D'usse, Ace of Spades) and tech companies like Uber. Other music billionaires include Taylor Swift and Rihanna, while Paul McCartney is the wealthiest British musician, but Jay-Z consistently leads lists of the world's richest musicians due to his diverse business empire.
They explain, "Taylor isn't just popular — she's engineered an entirely new era of fan-driven music culture," adding, "More people may know who she is now, but Michael Jackson is still bigger in cultural footprint."
There's no single "number 1 artist of all time" as it's subjective, but Leonardo da Vinci often tops lists for visual art due to masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, while The Beatles are frequently cited as the best-selling music group ever, and Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley are often named as top solo music artists by sales and influence. Modern metrics like Spotify streams point to artists like Bad Bunny or Taylor Swift for recent dominance.
Credited for influencing hundreds of musicians, his songs are among the most covered and sampled in music history. His influence extended to inspiring a vast array of trends and raising awareness for social causes around the world; as a result, Jackson is widely regarded as one of the most famous figures in history.
Tupac Shakur reportedly refused to work with Michael Jackson primarily due to feeling disrespected after Jackson allegedly didn't show up to a studio session, wanting Tupac to record his verse alone instead of meeting and vibing, which Tupac saw as a lack of respect, though some rumors suggest deeper issues, including Jackson's alleged preference for working with The Notorious B.I.G. and past altercations.
While subjective, Michael Jackson's saddest songs often cited by fans include "Gone Too Soon" (a tribute to AIDS victim Ryan White), "She's Out of My Life" (raw heartbreak), "Stranger in Moscow" (loneliness), "Childhood" (lost innocence), and "Earth Song" (global despair). These tracks explore profound loss, isolation, regret, and longing, touching on themes from personal pain to global suffering.
When Lennon was murdered, McCartney was devastated by the loss of his former bandmate, friend, and creative partner. However, McCartney was prevented from attending the funeral due to his strained relationship with Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono.