The king of pop’s estate has signed a deal with Sony to release 10 albums of Jackson’s material – as many as he released solo albums while he was alive. The price tag on the deal is truly staggering; £132 million, even without hitting any sales targets. The concert film ‘This Is It’ was also a big earner, grossing £171 million at the box office, and the two between them clear the massive debts that the estate owed, estimated at around £263 million, with a £40 million overspill to be divvied up between the beneficiaries. Quite how MJ managed to run up such a phenomenal overdraft in the first place is another question – obviously owning a personal zoo doesn’t come cheap.
There are “strong indications” that Conrad Murray, who Jackson hired to be his personal physician in advance of his strenuous ‘This Is It Tour’, will be charged in a Los Angeles court this week. Murray and his lawyer have travelled to L.A. from his practice in Houston, TX and speculation is rife. No charge is currently scheduled, but involuntary manslaughter seems likely to be the case that Dr. Murray will have to answer. As usual with the sadly departed Mr. Jackson’s affairs there is no shortage of wild rumour surrounding the case.
Neilsen gathers information from both bricks and mortar and online stores in the US, and has released a full report of music sales in 2009. The album charts are more or less what you might expect, apart from the last minute addition of Susan Boyle, who sold almost as much in the 5 weeks after her debut was released as Taylor Swift, the next biggest selling artist of 2009. Michael Jackson’s death in the Summer undoubtedly caused his high chart position, but dear old Lady Gaga has smashed into the number 4 position from practically a standing start. Shows what you can achieve if you’re prepared to take your clothes off in a college bar, dole out some pizza and start selling your hair.
In terms of an artists’ overall units, rather than single albums, MJ topped the list, with the Beatles (whose catalogue is owned by the Jackson estate) making a surprise appearance at number 3, presumably supported by their Rock Band license deal.
2009 TOP TEN SELLING ARTISTS
(based on Album sales from 12/29/2008-1/3/2010)
Michael Jackson ~ 8,286,000
Taylor Swift ~ 4,643,000
Beatles ~ 3,282,000
Susan Boyle ~ 3,104,000
Lady Gaga ~ 2,813,000
Andrea Bocelli ~ 2,668,000
Michael Buble ~ 2,280,000
Eminem ~ 2,166,000
Carrie Underwood ~ 1,895,000
Black Eyed Peas ~ 1,881,000
Another widely expected, but still pleasing phenomenon is that while the CD slides sickeningly into obscurity, vinyl sales are up: 33% in a single year, to 2.5 million albums. The Beatles and Jackson feature high on the list in the vibyl format, resting on a bed of heavy listening, serious music fan music like Fleet Foxxes, Animal Collective and Radiohead.
2009 TOP TEN VINYL ALBUMS
(12/29/2008-1/3/2010)
Abbey Road/ Beatles ~ 34,800
Thriller/ Michael Jackson ~ 29,800
Merriweather Post Pavilion/Animal Collective ~ 14,000
Wilco/ Wilco ~ 13,200
Fleet Foxes/ Fleet Foxes ~ 12,700
Backspacer/ Pearl Jam ~ 12,500
Veckatimest/ Grizzly Bear ~ 11,600
Appetite for Destruction/ Guns N’ Roses ~ 11,500
Big Whiskey & the…/Dave Matthews Band ~ 11,500
In Rainbows/ Radiohead ~ 11,400
2009 TOP TEN VINYL ARTISTS
(based on vinyl album sales from 12/29/2008 – 1/3/2010)
Radiohead ~ 45,700
Beatles ~ 38,800
Michael Jackson ~ 30,400
Metallica ~ 30,200
Wilco ~ 29,600
Bob Dylan ~ 24,500
Animal Collective ~ 20,600
Pearl Jam ~ 19,900
Bon Iver ~ 17,100
Iron & Wine ~ 16,600
Michael Jackson’s father Joe Jackson has lost his claim for a monthly allowance from the late singer’s estate. Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff refused the claim for a $15,000 (£9,000) per month allowance and dismissed his challenge of the appointment of lawyer John Branca and music executive John McClain as executors in a Los Angeles court, reports BBC News. The judge said that the ruling was based on Michael Jackson’s decision not to give his father any of his assets. “Joe Jackson takes none of this estate,” he said. “This is a decision his son made.”
Can anyone else think of a life equally as blessed and cursed? About the only one who got away without being burned was Bubbles, who inherited a cool $2 million.
Mario paint, ah Mario paint. Somewhere in between being an awesome game and giving you the impression that Nintendo were just running out or ideas late nineties. The composer in Mario paint was a stand alone spin off to Mario paint in 1999. We don’t care about that though, we just love saucy attempts to make shreading tunes. You tube is home to tonnes of these, here’s a couple of gigglers!
Thriller (Michael Jackson)
Through the fire and flames (Dragon Force) , this gets good at the attempt of lyrics!
The last few years have truly made this the decade of anniversaries, with bands re-releasing things all over the place and reunions galore. But its so hard to find some sort of come-back reunion that people actually care about. Did you know for example that its the tenth anniversary of Slipknots debut album? Didn’t think so. The world either doesn’t even bat an eyelid or everyone swarms together because the band has become some sort of brand, like the crowds that engulfed Abbey Road last year for the Beatles 40th year since making their last album together.
Solid anniversaries in the last few years include (granted some are more interesting than others), Pink Floyd, The Animals, Michael Jackson and we’ve recently enjoyed some re-releases of The Doors original mixes. All solid album sellers in their own right but we need to enjoy a comeback from a band that will really put fire in our bellies. Sadly all the above have either split or passed away.
The latest band to officially become veterans is everybody’s favorite scar band, and their not making it a cringe worthy effort to pop out a greatest hits either. Madness are releasing a 30th anniversary edition of their debut album ‘One Step Beyond’. To be released as a two-disc package, with the original set list for your money on disc one, with disc two full up of ‘B’ sides and a John Peel session. Madness havn’t stopped either. Solidly touring in the UK for December climaxing at the O2 arena, new material in the form of this months ‘The Liberty Of Norton Falgate’ as well as successfully filling London’s Regent Street last Month. Madness for Prime Minister!
R&B star R. Kelly has plans to finish the album Michael Jackson was supposedly working on before his death in June. In an interview with Blackvoices.com, Kelly said that he and the King of Pop had been speaking not long before Jackson’s death about helping complete the album.
It was Kelly who penned one of Jackson’s biggest hits, the ballad “You Are Not Alone.” The platinum-selling single was the first record to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 when it debuted in 1995.
“I recorded five joints for Michael Jackson,” Kelly said.
“This studio here is where Michael recorded. And we had been talking on the phone about his new album, and I was going to finish what Michael was doing at the time. We’re going to get it out though. Michael liked the way I would try to sing the songs just like him.”
Fans of the late Micheal Jackson have just 24 hours left to claim if they want their money back for the tickets they purchased for Michael’s 50 show comeback dates that were to be held in London.
Fans have two realistic options with there now useless tickets. Either keep the ticket, which contain a series of lenticular images and holograms that are set to sour in value in the next couple of decades, in the form of a memento of their fallen pop idle. Or to to contact via the web one of two ticket providers, Ticket Master, and GetMeIn.com in a mad dash attempt at getting through congested servers to try an squeeze out a refund.
Organisers and promoters AEG live issued 8 different versions of the tickets ranging from £50-£75 for a ticket before Jackson died in June. It is still unclear weather or not if the public will ever learn exactly how many of the 800,000 tickets that were issued to ticket holders have been refunded.
The king of pop’s estate has signed a deal with Sony to release 10 albums of Jackson’s material – as many as he released solo albums while he was alive. The price tag on the deal is truly staggering; £132 million, even without hitting any sales targets. The concert film ‘This Is It’ was also a big earner, grossing £171 million at the box office, and the two between them clear the massive debts that the estate owed, estimated at around £263 million, with a £40 million overspill to be divvied up between the beneficiaries. Quite how MJ managed to run up such a phenomenal overdraft in the first place is another question – obviously owning a personal zoo doesn’t come cheap.
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