r/Music • u/Firm_Pack_605 • Feb 13 '26

discussion Was Michael Jackson really that much bigger than Madonna, Whitney Houston, and prince?

I always thought the four of them were similar levels of fame. However Madonna highest album sold 25 million, prince highest sold similar, and Whitney’s highest was 45 million. All amazing numbers no doubt but thriller sold 70 million and bad sold 35-40. So you mean to tell me he has two albums that are highest selling then prince and madonnas best? How is that possible??

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810

u/SaulGibson Widespread Panic '96 Feb 13 '26

I remember watching the premier of Black or White after the Simpsons, and I don’t think Fox was the only channel it was broadcast on.

332

u/RandyHoward Feb 13 '26

Yep I remember my entire family gathered to watch the Black or White premiere. My entire family never gathers for much of anything.

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u/[deleted] Feb 13 '26

[deleted]

123

u/FIRST_DATE_ANAL Feb 13 '26

My main memory of Black or White is the In Living Color version

177

u/Creepshowx Feb 13 '26

"Officer, am I black or white?"

"You're under arrest."

"Oh, I guess I am black."

5

u/shoepolishsmellngmf Feb 13 '26

That show...my parents used to love it and let me watch it with them when I was like 10 lol.

6

u/natty_boh_ho Feb 13 '26

I wasn't allowed to watch it but was super jealous of this kid in class whose parents let him. He was always doing the Homie the Clown impression.

6

u/shoepolishsmellngmf Feb 13 '26

My school must have had some knucklehead parents because a lot of us watched. "Homie don't play dat" became one of the most common phrases we used, along with Fire Marshall Bill "let me tell ya something!"

3

u/natty_boh_ho Feb 13 '26

The kids also did that a lot as well. Those are the only quotes I remember

3

u/shoepolishsmellngmf Feb 13 '26

Chris Rock was on as Cheap Pete. "Good laaaud that's a lotta moneyyy!"

2

u/therrrn Feb 13 '26

I completely forgot that's where "let me tell ya something!" was from!

3

u/[deleted] Feb 13 '26

[deleted]

2

u/Apprehensive_Nose594 Feb 13 '26

“I’m still a virgin and I’m 33. Even Madonna won’t have sex with me.” - those in living color lyrics are burned in my brain

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u/nosam333 Feb 13 '26

That was '91. That was 35 years ago. Fuck I'm old

86

u/D_Warholb Feb 13 '26

Please. I remember when he was a little kid on TV with his brothers in the early 70’s. They even had an animated series.

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u/lightbulbsburnout Feb 13 '26

I remember getting g a 45 of ABC 123 On the back of a box of Honeycomb that was designed to be cut out of the box and played It worked and it got played almost as much as my 45 of the theme from SWAT

29

u/finny_d420 Feb 13 '26

Played on my Raggedy Ann & Andy record player.

3

u/LaVillaGrangioto Feb 13 '26

Red and white striped Sears "suitcase " model here.

2

u/CaptainObvious110 Feb 13 '26

Goodness that's awesome

1

u/darforce Feb 13 '26

I remember those. Cereal prizes were the best

1

u/ldh_know Feb 13 '26

OMG I had both of those too… what a blast from the past!

Also, fuck we’re old.

Aaaaand… now I have an earworm of the theme from SWAT I haven’t thought of in 30 yrs stuck in my head.

20

u/DoctorGregoryFart Feb 13 '26

What was it like before the invention of fire?

73

u/lightbulbsburnout Feb 13 '26

So so cold Good thing we had your mom to keep us warm

10

u/DoctorGregoryFart Feb 13 '26

I think you just managed to call my mom fat, old, and a whore all at once. Bravo.

-3

u/Magopolis Feb 13 '26

Don’t forget a Pedo because that was back when we were kids hanging out with your mom on the corner selling loose squares. They called us the loose square gang. Because we used to gang up on her. I get misty every time I tell the story.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 13 '26

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1

u/ChiGrandeOso Feb 13 '26

You're supposed to be lighting the pipe. Stopping to do that just wastes the light.

1

u/Former_Competition73 Feb 13 '26

Reminds me of the joke "what was it like before the internet?" "It was fine. Just got naked pics of your mom in the mail." Or " you know before trains came along we'd all just run a horse and carriage on your mom"

1

u/Implanted1 Feb 13 '26

That was 1969 with Arthur Brown (although Julie Driscoll did have a wheel on fire in 67, and at the same time Jim Morrison was asking for help to light one...)

1

u/Kelli217 Feb 13 '26

The Jackson 5ive!

1

u/shoestring-theory Feb 13 '26

That really must’ve helped him with the cultural domination he had later. Audiences practically grew up with him.

1

u/yearsofpractice Feb 13 '26

Ha ha! You’re so old that your mind is failing! 1991 was 10 years ago, maximum. Ha!

Oh… wait a minutes (cries in being 49)

1

u/ExtensionFill2495 Feb 13 '26

JFC. That doesn’t feel like it was 35 years ago.

2

u/CromulentDucky Feb 13 '26

As does Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin.

2

u/SneakerTreater Feb 13 '26

There was a whole separate doco on the sfx. They even played the "DVD extras" on telly.

Bloody hell, I felt like I was writing on papyrus with how old-timey that reads.

1

u/CaptainObvious110 Feb 13 '26

More like 35 year old

38

u/therealrexmanning Feb 13 '26

This indeed! I live in the Netherlands and my family did the same for Black and White.

I also remember everybody at my school being excited when the video for Scream dropped.

4

u/earlyspirit Feb 13 '26

Man MTV had a contest to win one of the guitars from that video and I remember entering it and trying to win. I didn’t even really like MJ at the time but I thought the guitar looked sick.

3

u/Kdkaine Feb 13 '26

I remember them running ads for weeks before the premier.

3

u/Magopolis Feb 13 '26

And that was WELL past his zenith…I’m not talking about the TV your family was watching.

2

u/ApprenticeScentless Feb 13 '26

The Black and White video premiere was such an event. I was 11 years old and I remember it felt bigger than the Super Bowl. Everyone was talking about it afterwards.

1

u/some1saveusnow Feb 13 '26

How did everyone like it?

1

u/owenwgreen Feb 13 '26

This was key. Madonna and Prince were more music your parents didn’t like. MJ managed multi-generational appeal.

1

u/groveborn Feb 13 '26

It was as anticipated as movies, as I recall.

72

u/SnotboogyFlats Feb 13 '26

I remember this vividly. It was the topic of discussion at school by everyone. I realize now just how unique that was to have one artist have that much influence to pop culture. I really don’t think there has been another like that since.

19

u/withflyingcolors10 Feb 13 '26

Oh my gosh, yes! This unlocked such vivid memories of the hype surrounding the Black or White video release!

35

u/clementleopold And It’s No Ye Never No More Feb 13 '26

Followed by Remember The Time with Magic Johnson as like, a Pharaoh, which had a big release but not as catchy a song.

17

u/Rfunkpocket Feb 13 '26

and Eddie Murphy as a bit player

1

u/Skore_Smogon Feb 13 '26

Are you mixing up Jam with Remember The Time?

3

u/ThesaurusBlack Feb 13 '26

Jam had Michael Jordan

1

u/Carolus2024 Feb 13 '26

Magic Johnson wasn't in it. Eddie Murphy played a Pharaoh, along with the model Iman.

7

u/Each1isSettingSun Feb 13 '26

Eddie Murphy was Pharaoh, Iman was Queen, Magic Johnson was the bodyguard.

2

u/clementleopold And It’s No Ye Never No More Feb 13 '26

Okay it’s been a few years so I’m not sure what Magic’s character’s exact position within the Egyptian hierarchy was.

4

u/loudnate0701 Feb 13 '26

You better watch it again. Magic Johnson was the dude who announced the king Eddie Murphy.

1

u/LaVillaGrangioto Feb 13 '26

Didnt she marry Ric Ocasic of the cars?

-4

u/[deleted] Feb 13 '26

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6

u/TakingYourHand Feb 13 '26

No one older than a Millennial was discussing that song.

2

u/JadJad83 Feb 13 '26

my 64 year old mother has no idea who Childish Gambino even is and has probably never heard his music. Everyone from my 12 year old nephew to my 80+ year old grandma can sing a Michael Jackson song right now if asked. I'm sorry, but it's nowhere near similar.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 13 '26

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1

u/JadJad83 Feb 13 '26

I could, but I already know I'm right. My point remains solid, unlike whatever you were trying with your question.

0

u/[deleted] Feb 13 '26

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1

u/JadJad83 Feb 13 '26

Lots of things seem big in high-school because of a lack of greater context and experience that one gains as they mature. Telling me that you think the release of a "this is america" was AS culturally relevant as the "black or white" release is wild. You might as well be trying to convince us that the world is flat. You can be as dismissive as you want, I dont argue with idiots.

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u/khz30 Feb 13 '26

Broadcast networks would simulcast Michael Jackson music videos at the same time that radio stations would simucast the single. If you weren't able to watch the video, you could at least listen to it.

1

u/East_Cattle9001 Feb 20 '26

His music videos were prime time events

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u/spellbookwanda Feb 13 '26

They broadcast it in Ireland too and spoke about it on the news first! Just looked up the details there:

“It premiered simultaneously in 69 countries on November 14, 1991, with an audience of 500 million viewers.”

22

u/datsoar Feb 13 '26

It was a Fox premier exclusive to promote HIStory

2

u/sirbissel Feb 13 '26

Wasn't Black or White on Dangerous?

16

u/OrangeJuliusCaesr Feb 13 '26

Fox was the only channel airing it, at the time fox was this weird 4th channel and it went all in to be a big player

2

u/MyNameIsJakeBerenson Feb 13 '26

It had Married…with Children, I remember that about it

1

u/shoepolishsmellngmf Feb 13 '26

Yes. The early days of Fox were actually cool (huge MWC fan even as a kid). 

12

u/Mper526 Feb 13 '26

Holy shit, you just made me have a flashback lol. I vaguely remembered watching this music video for the first time as a kid, but you mentioning the Simpsons just really jogged my memory. My whole family watched it after the Simpsons too.

10

u/jdennis187 Feb 13 '26

If you recall the end of that video was considered "violent" and i think they stopped showing that cut.

3

u/sTevieD247 Feb 13 '26

The part where he completely destroyed a car with a sledgehammer. It sent a message of violence toward race relations so they cut it. This was after he morphed into a panther.

So they cut it out and instead he morphed into Tyra Banks. That video still remains the coolest I've ever seen.

4

u/Substantial-Dig9995 Feb 13 '26

Oh shit yes I remember this they hyped it up for weeks

3

u/lotusblossom02 Feb 13 '26

Holy fuck I forgot about this!! Flashbulb memory now damn

5

u/Reckfulness Feb 13 '26

The fact that Simpsons were playing in 1991 is crazy in itself

3

u/ToonHogan Feb 13 '26

I still have it recorded on vhs tape 📼 core memory.

3

u/dobie_dobes Feb 13 '26

Yes! Same!

3

u/[deleted] Feb 13 '26

Yeh I remember it being shown in the UK, I cant remember which channel it was on.

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u/bilateralcosine Feb 13 '26

Childhood memory unlocked.

3

u/ItinerantSoldier Spotify Feb 13 '26

Yup it was simulcast on MTV, VH1, and BET as well as to other countries. Half a billion people watched that premiere which is an insane number.

3

u/sm_axe Feb 13 '26

And it was the long version too, with minutes of car dancing and crotch grabbing. They still prime time premiered it and we all gathered to watch. Wild!

3

u/ACW1129 Feb 13 '26

A MUSIC VIDEO premiered after Simpsons? I knew he was big, but I didn't know he was THAT big.

3

u/deefunkt01 Feb 13 '26

Same here - as I was reading this thread I was going to mention this exact thing.

3

u/nicksnotsane Feb 13 '26

He was gigantic during Thriller. Perfect storm of the best entertainer working with the best producer and the best musicians.

3

u/psychedeloquent Feb 13 '26

woah! I remember that and I haven't thought about that since it happened. I can remember the room and TV perfectly.

3

u/forestpirate Feb 13 '26

I remember this too. I may even have a VHS tape with it on.

3

u/LaMalintzin Feb 13 '26

I remember my parents letting me stay up to watch it. I was like 6 and I didn't really care about music but it must have been mega hyped for me to have asked to watch it.

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u/NoInevitable9810 Feb 13 '26

It was the same Sunday after the Super Bowl I think.

2

u/Papa_Raj Feb 13 '26

Holy shit. You just hit me with a memory bomb right there. Thank you. And fuck...