Michael Jackson Still a Thriller!

There are moments in one's life when the universe just lines up the way you want and need it to. Let's just say that opening my mailbox this morning and finding the 25^th Anniversary Edition in it was nothing short of a - Thriller.

Yeah I know, and here it goes. Before the comments about Michael Jackson and his personal life begin pouring in - lay off, because this is a conversation on music not on MJ's lifestyle. So, if you want to discuss music, hit me up....if not, keep it moving. Ooh, did I sound a little like Brittany Spears' now famous crying fan? Didn't mean to... Just wanted to make sure this conversation remains focused on "The World's Biggest Selling Album Of All Time" and the recently released 25^th Anniversary Tribute to this musical mega hit.

Say what you may, but Michael Jackson is undeniably still "The King Of Pop!" Here are the stats to prove it: The original Thriller spent 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. Finally, Thriller made history as the first and only record to be America's top-selling album two years running (1983 and 1984). Oh and did I mention that it won 8 Grammy Awards out of 12 nominations? Well, I could go on but it would be redundant and I might run the risk of crushing too many other egos.....so I'll stop right there.

Michael Jackson was named the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" by the Guinness World Records - and 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.

Now, 25 years later, as I insert my new CD into the car player and drive my 7 year old son to school, I am ready to put on my white diamond encrusted glove and spray some curl activator on my gheri curl. Well, maybe not the gheri curl y'all but it felt that real. So, as I turned up the volume and started jammin' to track #1 - Wanna Be Startin Somethin', I know that MJ is a legend because my son asks; "Mommie is that the New Michael Jackson or the Old One?" I simply respond, "it is the legendary one son and your lesson in music history begins when I hit play." He responds, "can you hit #5 -Beat It?" I say, "son you've got to listen to the entire CD because this is what music is truly made of." He settles back in his seat and after Thriller comments "ooh Mommie that was scary. It felt just like Halloween" to that I respond, like the Vincent Price excerpt "Michael Jackson Is Still The Thriller --- Can You Dig it?!?!?" ---followed by maniacal laughter.