Death spurs Jackson sales

2009-06-26 12:34

Los Angeles - In death, Michael Jackson is enjoying a commercial renaissance that had eluded him for years.

The self-proclaimed "king of pop" who died suddenly on Thursday occupied the top 15 slots on online retailer Amazon.com Inc's best-selling albums within hours.

The No 1 disc, not surprisingly, was the 25th anniversary reissue of his 1982 blockbuster Thriller, the biggest selling album in history with estimated worldwide sales of almost 50 million copies. Three different configurations of Thriller came in at number 12, 13, and 14.

Second place went to 1979's Off the Wall, which was followed by 1987's Bad. Both were also massive sellers upon their initial release. His last studio album, 2001's Invincible, came in at a more modest No. 10.

The other albums on the list were mostly compilations either of his solo work or his hits with the Jackson 5.

Jackson's Sony Music label said he sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide, and released 13 No 1 singles.

"His artistry and magnetism changed the music landscape forever," Sony Corp Chairman, CEO and President Sir Howard Stringer said in a statement. "We have been profoundly affected by his originality, creativity and amazing body of work."

- Reuters