In March 1991, Jackson signed a record-breaking $65 million deal with Sony Records, surpassing Neil Diamond's contract renewal with Columbia Records. Teddy Riley co-produced his 1991 album Dangerous, which was his ninth studio effort. It received eight US platinum certifications and 32 million copies sold by 2018. The album's lead track, "Black or White," was the most successful single in the United States and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. It also had similar success elsewhere. As for the second track, Memories of That Time, it peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It was 1992 at the end of the year when Dangerous became the best-selling album of the year internationally and 'Black or White' became the best-selling single of the year globally, according to the Billboard Music Awards. Claiming to have injured his ankle during dance rehearsal, he performed "Remember the Time" while sitting at the 1993 Soul Train Music Awards. 'Heal the World' reached its highest UK position of number two in 1992.
Performances by Jackson occurred in 1993 during the Dangerous World Tour. Dangerous may have been an influence for many contemporary pop and R&B artists, say the writers. Jackson started the Heal the World Foundation in 1992. The charity coordinated a field trip to Jackson's ranch so underprivileged children could experience the thrills of an amusement park and gave out millions of dollars to help kids in crisis due to things like poverty, disease, and war. In July of that year, Jackson published Dancing the Dream, his second book, which was a collection of poems. With an audience of over 3.5 million, Jackson headlined 70 gigs on the $100 million Dangerous World Tour, which ran nonstop outside of the US from June 1992 to November 1993. Heal the World Foundation received contributions. Jackson and HBO still have not broken their record-breaking $20 million deal for the tour's broadcast rights.
At Bill Clinton's inaugural banquet, Jackson sang 'Gone Too Soon,' a song she wrote for White, and 'Heal the World.' Following White's death, she urged the Clinton administration to raise more money for HIV/AIDS groups and research. President Omar Bongo presented Michael Jackson with an Officer of the National Order of Merit during his 1992 African tour, and almost 100,000 supporters, some of whom held "Welcome Home Michael" signs, greeted him at his first visit in Gabon. Compared to Pope John Paul II's previous visits to the Ivory Coast, more people came to see Michael Jackson. An Ivorian tribal leader gave him the name "King Sani" while he was at the town of Krindjabo. After that, he gave speeches in English and French to the distinguished guests, signed the documents that formalized his reign, and oversaw ceremonial dances from his gilded throne.
Jackson was the featured performer of the 1993 Super Bowl XXVII halftime show in Pasadena, California. The NFL sought for a prominent singer to stem the tide of halftime viewing erosion. At 133.4 million, the halftime show surpassed the actual game viewership for the first time in Super Bowl history. Jackson performed a variety of songs, including "Heal the World," "Black or White," "Billie Jean," and "Jam." Dangerous shot up the US album chart by 90 positions thanks to the performance.
Jackson had a 90-minute interview with Oprah Winfrey on February 10, 1993. He spoke about how his father had beaten him when he was a kid, how he thought he had missed out on his childhood as a result, and how he would frequently cry when he was lonely. First time he addressed the tabloid claims that he bleached his skin, slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, or bought the Elephant Man's bones; second time he acknowledged to having vitiligo. The interview helped propel Dangerous back into the top 10 of the US album chart, where it had previously been for almost a year following its first release. The interview was the most-watched television interview in American history, with over 90 million people tuning in to see it.
Not only did Jackson win Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Single at the American Music Awards in January 1993, but she also became the first artist to earn the International Artist Award of Excellence. February saw him walk away with the "Living Legend Award" at Los Angeles's 35th Annual Grammys. He and Brooke Shields were also present at the awards ceremony. Best Engineered - Non Classical went to Bruce Swedien and Teddy Riley, while Best R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Vocal Performance were all up for grabs with Dangerous.
Michael Jackson was allegedly involved in the sexual abuse of a kid in August 1993, according to Jordan Chandler and his father, Evan Chandler. Jordan was thirteen years old at the time. Jordan said that he and Jackson had engaged in oral sex, kissed, and masturbated. Although Jordan's mother first disputed to the authorities that Jackson had beaten her son, she eventually changed her mind. As proof that his father was trying to extort money from him, Jackson utilized the tape of Evan stating his willingness to pursue charges. He claimed that Evan was a victim of his envy. Later on, Jackson's older sister La Toya denied ever accused him of being a pedophile, saying that her abusive husband had forced her to make the charge.
When the police raided Jackson's house in August, they found two legal large-format art books showing boys in various states of undress playing, jogging, and swimming. The books' contents were unknown to Jackson, and he denied ever having opened them. Somebody else, he said, had to bring them to him. To the authorities, Jordan Chandler detailed Jackson's privates. The victim did not match the description, according to the jury's decision after a strip search. In an alleged out-of-court settlement in January 1994, Jackson allegedly paid the Chandlers $23 million. The police never pursued any criminal charges. Due to a lack of evidence in the absence of Jordan's testimony, the state concluded its investigation on September 22, 1994.
Relying on the medications he had taken for the reconstructive scalp procedures he underwent following the 1984 Pepsi commercial accident, Jackson was able to manage the emotional toll of the sexual assault accusations. On November 12, 1993, Jackson postponed the remaining dates of the Dangerous World Tour because to her health problems, the stress of the charges, and her addiction to opioids. He acknowledged his close friend Elizabeth Taylor, who had been an encouragement and a confidante. With the tour's finale, his sponsorship deal with Pepsi expired.
Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, had a phone proposal around the year's end 1993. They were wed at La Vega, Dominican Republic, by civil judge Hugo Francisco alvarez Perez in May 1994. The wedding, according to the tabloids, was all a publicity stunt to get Presley's singing career off the ground and away from the sexual assault allegations against Jackson. Just over a year after their wedding, in December 1995, they filed for a dissolution of their marriage. Only Presley sought to restore her maiden name in her divorce suit, which she filed the following month, citing "irreconcilable disagreements" as the reason for her split. In his post-divorce remarks, Judge Perez expressed amazement at the length of time the marriage endured. I gave them a year. For around 18 months, they were a couple. Afterwards, Presley said that she had made tremendous sacrifices to remain with Jackson, and the couple had intermittently attempted to reconcile for four years following their divorce.
Since Jackson left the project when the sexual assault allegations surfaced, his contributions to the Sega Genesis game Sonic the Hedgehog 3's music went unrecognized. Sega Technical Institute director Roger Hector and Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima claim that the claims caused the termination of Jackson's position and the rewriting of his music. Members of Jackson's entourage, including musical director Brad Buxer, felt that the Genesis' cover of the song was unacceptable and that Jackson was uncredited for it.
A second marriage, fatherhood, Blood on the Dance Floor, and HIStory in the Mix—a close-up of a pale-skinned Jackson with black hair—are all pieces of background information. He wears a black jacket with white designs all over it. Book I of Michael Jackson's 1995 double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future has a greatest hits collection on disc one, HIStory Begins. When Michael Jackson's Ghosts premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997, Jackson was there. Twelve of the thirteen tracks on Disco 2: HIStory Continues are original compositions, while two are cover versions. It debuted at number one in the US and has eight million certified sales. The best-selling multi-disc album of all time, with 20 million copies sold internationally. Among HIStory's Grammy nominees was Album of the Year. The review in the New York Times detailed a musician whose insecurities had gotten the better of him.
'Scream/Childhood' was the lead single from HIStory. In their duet "Scream," Michael and Janet Jackson—the youngest of his sisters—criticise the media's coverage of the 1993 allegations of child abuse against Michael. 'Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals' was the song's Grammy nomination; it reached number five on Billboard's Hot 100. The second single, "You Are Not Alone," is the first song in Guinness's discography to debut at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. As for the Grammy nomination, it was for "Best Pop Vocal Performance" in 1995.
In 1995, the Anti-Defamation League and other groups claimed that the original lyrics of "They Don't Care About Us" included antisemitic language, such as "Jew me, sue me, everyone do me/ Kick me, kike me, don't you black or white me." After making some adjustments, Jackson re-released the song.
In late 1995, while getting ready for a televised performance, Jackson fainted after a stress-related panic attack, which led to his hospitalization. After merging Sony's music publishing division with his ATV Music library, Jackson established Sony/ATV Music Publishing in November. In addition to the extra song rights and $95 million upfront, he retained half of the company.
The third single from HIStory, "Earth Song," topped the UK Singles Chart for six weeks in 1995 over the Christmas season. Its highest position on the UK charts was number 87. While Michael Jackson was performing "Earth Song" at the 1996 Brit Awards, Jam band member Jarvis Cocker cut in to voice his dissatisfaction of what he perceived as Jackson's "Christ-like" demeanor. "Disgusting and cowardly" was how Jackson characterized the assault on stage.
'Scream,' Jackson's 1996 music video, won the Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form, and the American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist. In July 1996, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah celebrated his fiftyth birthday with a concert in the Jerudong Park Amphitheater, which he had specifically commissioned for the occasion. Special guest performance was Jackson. Someone supposedly handed $17 million to Jackson. From September 7, 1996, until October 15, 1997, Michael Jackson supported the album HIStory with his world tour. Over 4.5 million people saw him perform in 82 concerts over five continents, 35 countries, and 58 cities—his most successful tour to that point. There were $165 million in earnings. On tour in Sydney, Australia, Jackson wed dermatological assistant Debbie Rowe, who was six months along with her pregnancy.
Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. was born on February 13, 1997. In 1998, his sister Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson was born on April 3rd. As part of the terms of their divorce in the year 2000, Rowe paid Jackson $8 million and agreed to let him have primary custody of their children. In 2004, following the second child abuse charge against Jackson, she returned to the court to regain custody of her children. There was a settlement in 2006.
Originally released in 1997 by Jackson, Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix featured five new tracks in addition to remixes of popular HIStory songs. With over 6 million copies sold globally, it easily ranks as the top-selling remix album of all time. Both this album and "Blood on the Dance Floor" reached number one in the UK. With a US high of number 24, the album was certified platinum.
Conflict between Jackson and record company over Invincible: Recorded from October 1997 to September 2001, Jackson's ninth solo album Invincible set a new record for the largest album production spend at $30 million. In June 1999, Jackson and Luciano Pavarotti raised money for War Child at a charity concert in Modena, Italy. The one million dollars raised from the shows went toward the Kosovo War refugees and children from Guatemala. Jackson had scheduled to hold charity performances with his band 'Michael Jackson & Friends' in Korea and Germany later that month. Musicians such as A. R. Rahman, Boyz II Men, Slash, The Scorpions, Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Luther Vandross, and Mariah Carey were also involved. Three deserving organizations received contributions: the Red Cross, the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, and UNESCO. Receiving the "Outstanding Humanitarian Award" at the 1999 Bollywood Movie Awards in New York City, Jackson discussed Gandhi's impact on his life. His New York City address was 4 East 74th Street, and he lived there from August 1999 until 2000. Nominated for two significant prizes in the new century, Jackson was named Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the century at the 12th World Music prizes and Artist of the 1980s Decade at the 27th American Music Awards. He broke the record for most charitable contributions made by a celebrity in 2000, totaling 39 separate charities, and was therefore named Guinness World Record Holder.
In September 2001, Jackson performed two concerts at Madison Square Garden to commemorate thirty years of her solo career. When the Jackson siblings last performed together, it was in 1984. Mya, Usher, Destiny's Child, Liza Minnelli, Monica, Slash, and Whitney Houston were among the other guests. During Marlon Brando's first performance at the sho'ws, the audience booed and technical issues were to blame. According to Nielsen Media Research, 45 million people watched the show in November. Benefit concert "United We Stand: What More Can I Give" had its Washington, D.C., location at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. Jackson oversaw the operation on October 21, 2001, following the events of September 11, 2001. Jackson sang "What More Can I Give" as the show came to a close.
Prior to the release of Invincible, Jackson and his record company, Sony Music Entertainment, were in a fight. In the early 2000s, Jackson had the idea that he would regain the master licensing rights and be free to sell his albums as he chose, keeping all of the profits. But the contract provisions have pushed the reversion date years down the road. His objective was to have Jackson's contract terminated early. Oct. 30, 2001 was the release date of Invincible. It was Jackson's first full-length in six years, and it was also the final album of original songs that he ever released. The album debuted at number one in thirteen countries and sold eight million copies worldwide, proving its immense success.
In 2002, on January 9th, the American Music Awards presented Jackson with the Artist of the Century title, marking his 22nd such distinction. It was the same year that he had Prince Michael Jackson II, his third child, via surrogacy; he had conceived of him through artificial insemination. His mother had brought him to term without her knowledge. On November 20, Jackson was in the midst of a media frenzy when he briefly leaned Blanket over the balcony of his four-story Berlin hotel room. 'A catastrophic miscalculation,' Jackson said, expressing his profoundest apologies for the predicament. After Jackson failed to appear for two 1999 performances as planned, promoter Marcel Avram charged him of breach of contract on January 22. In March, a jury in Santa Maria handed down a $5.3 million judgment to Avram, with the court ordering Jackson to pay. On December 18, 2003, Jackson's legal team settled the matter for an undisclosed amount and promptly stopped appealing the verdict.
The Apollo Theater hosted a Jackson concert on April 24, 2002. The Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign were the recipients of donations during the event. With these money, we can strengthen voter registration and turnout. There was a $2.5 million profit. Michael Jackson performed at Michael Jackson: Live at the Apollo, one of his final live performances.
At Al Sharpton's National Action Network in Harlem in July 2002, Jackson accused Sony Music head Tommy Mottola of being a "racist" and "very, very, very diabolical." The accusation prompted Sharpton to form an investigation investigating whether Mottola exploited Black artists. Mottola had allegedly called Irv Gotti a "fat nigger" while they were coworkers, according to Jackson's claim. Sony replied by calling the accusations "ludicrous, vindictive, and hateful" and stating that Jackson's career has always had Mottola's backing. Sony blamed the failure of a $25 million advertising campaign and the fact that Jackson refused to tour the US for Invincible for their decision not to renew Jackson's contract.
Countdown to Michael Jackson's acquittal following his trial: documentary, first child abuse accusations, second trial, and number ones
In May 2002, a documentary film crew under Martin Bashir's direction started filming Michael Jackson. They didn't stop until his 2003 Las Vegas concert. In a documentary that premiered in February 2003 titled "Living with Michael Jackson," the King of Pop held hands and discussed sleeping arrangements with a twelve-year-old kids. The fact that he shared his bedroom and bed with other people, including minors, and that he didn't think it was improper to do so drove him to stir up controversy. The misunderstanding of his comments and the lack of sexual overtones in his sleepovers were his main points of contention.
On October 3, 2003, Mayor Oscar Goodman bestowed the Las Vegas Key upon Jackson. On November 18, 2003, Sony released Number Ones, a greatest hits compilation. When it sold three million copies or more, the RIAA certified it five times platinum, while the UK certified it ten times platinum.
Santa Barbara authorities indicted Jackson on December 18, 2003, on seven counts of child molestation and two counts of intoxicated a minor with alcoholic drinks. Jackson denied the accusations in his not-guilty plea. Santa Maria, California was the site of the People v. Jackson trial, which began on January 31, 2005, and ended in May of the same year. As a result of the event's stress, Jackson's health suffered. If proven guilty, he might have spent twenty years behind bars. June 13, 2005 was the day of Jackson's not-guilty verdict. In addition to revealing the FBI's role in Jackson's 2005 trial and the 1993 accusations, the 2009 release of Jackson-related documents also showed that the bureau had failed to find evidence of criminal conduct involving Jackson.
Jackson, clad in an overcoat, moves from side to side as he talks about his last years, money problems, Thriller 25, and This Is It. His mane obscures his countenance. He has a son who wears a mask and a baseball cap. Two men are following the Jacksons, while a third person is holding an umbrella for them. After his trial, Jackson went into hiding. Enjoying a day at Disneyland Paris with his kid Blanket in 2006. He moved to Bahrain in June 2005 as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah. In early 2006, Jackson reportedly inked a deal with Two Seas Records, a Bahraini startup. Nothing ever came of the transaction, according to Two Seas CEO Guy Holmes. Holmes found out that Jackson was about to file for bankruptcy on top of being involved in 47 ongoing lawsuits. In September 2006, Jackson broke up all relations with Two Seas.
In April 2006, Jackson took out a $270 million loan from Bank of America, pledging to use a piece of his ATV catalog stake—worth around $1 billion back then—as collateral. Fortress Investments, a company that buys problematic assets, bought the loans from Bank of America last year. Jackson agreed to reduced interest payments as part of a $300 million refinancing with Fortress Investments. Sony Music would buy back half of his holdings, or around a quarter of the collection, for a set sum. Financial experts told Jackson he needed to liquidate some assets to avoid bankruptcy. Financial restraints forced the closure of the main house at Neverland Ranch, and Jackson visited Abdullah in Bahrain. Jackson owes at least 30 employees $306,000 in delayed wages for failing to pay them on time. Jackson had to pay a fine of $100,000. There was no return to Neverland from Jackson after his acquittal.
Around the middle of 2006, Jackson moved to Grouse Lodge, a house studio in rural Westmeath, Ireland, not far from Rosemount. There he began working on his next album with American producers will.i.am and Rodney Jenkins. Jackson welcomed a film crew from Access Hollywood into his Westmeath studio that November. Jackson had a brief performance at the World Music Awards in London on November 15, covering 'We Are the World.' It was his final public engagement before receiving the Diamond Award for selling one hundred million albums. Upon his return to the US in December, he made his home in Las Vegas. That month, in Augusta, Georgia, he gave a eulogy at the funeral for James Brown, stating that Brown had been the most influential person in his life.
Observing a large piece of semi-arid land from above. On an otherwise desolate landscape, you may make out pockets of vegetation. There are a number of circular structures scattered across the site. Photo captured in 2007 by Sony and Jackson showing the attractions at 2,800-acre Los Olivos, California, Jackson's Neverland Valley Ranch. Once upon a time, Viacom controlled Famous Music LLC, a music publishing corporation. As part of the deal, Jackson received music licensing from a number of musicians, including Beck and Eminem. Despite his problems and "intentional efforts to wound," Jackson stated in a brief interview that he did not regret his professional path. In March, during his visit to the US Army base Camp Zama in Japan, Jackson received almost 3,000 troops and their families. In September, Jackson continued to compose songs for his second album, despite never having finished it.
Part of Thriller 25, published in 2008 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Thriller, were two remixes of hits "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" by Jackson and Sony. Sony BMG released many compilation albums of Michael Jackson's biggest hits in honor of his half-century birthday; each album featured a different mix of tracks tailored to a unique country. This July, Fortress Investments threatened to foreclose on Neverland Ranch, which had served as collateral for Jackson's obligations. Fortress sold Jackson's debts to Colony Capital LLC. After canceling the auction in April of 2009, Jackson had intended to sell more than a thousand artifacts from his collection via Julien's Auction House. In November, he received $35 million for the transfer of Neverland Ranch ownership to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC, a joint venture with Colony Capital LLC.
In March 2009, amidst speculations over his well-being and financial situation, Jackson unveiled a series of comeback performances called This Is It during a press conference that took place at the O2 Arena. He had planned for these shows to be his big-stage comeback following the 1997 HIStory World Tour. Jackson hinted about a possible retirement after the engagements. The initial itinerary included ten shows in London, as well as additional trips in Paris, New York, and Mumbai. The first ten performances will earn Jackson £50 million, according to AEG Live president and CEO Randy Phillips.
The extraordinary demand for the London residence led to its extension to fifty nights. It just took two hours for over a million tickets to sell. The original intended duration of the performances was from July 13, 2009, to March 6, 2010. Jackson reunited with his longtime touring partner, choreographer Kenny Ortega, after moving to Los Angeles to get ready for the tour. For the rehearsals, AEG utilized both the Forum and the Staples Center. Currently, Jackson had debts of around $500 million. When he died, his house in San Fernando Valley was about three or four months late. The Independent reports that in order for Jackson to settle his debts, he planned a world tour, new songs, movies, a museum, and a casino.
Michael Jackson had a cardiac collapse from an overdose of propofol and benzodiazepines on June 25, 2009, the day he passed away. His London performance residency was about to start, and all of the events had already sold out. Dedicated fans showered him with flowers and heartfelt messages at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, prescribed a number of sleep aids when the star was residing at the Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, residence he had rented. At 12:21 PM Pacific Time, paramedics arrived at the accident site four minutes after receiving a 911 call. Jackson underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques. At 2:26 pm Pacific time, doctors at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center declared Jackson dead after an unsuccessful attempt to resuscitate him after more than an hour of treatment. Jackson overdosed and died from the effects of the propofol and lorazepam that Murray had given him.
Several websites, including Google, AOL Instant Messenger, Twitter, and Wikipedia, experienced slowdowns or even failures owing to an excessive number of users, triggered by the quick transmission of word of his demise. There was an 11% to 20% spike in total website traffic. Around the world, television networks aired Jackson specials and music video marathons on MTV and BET. When MTV briefly returned to its previous music video format—including remarks from MTV stars and other celebrities in live news segments—the network aired hours of Jackson's music videos.
In front of a stained-glass window stands a massive pink and white box, symbolizing Michael Jackson's memorial service. People gathered outside a gated area; here is where Jackson's unmarked tomb is located, at the end of the Sanctuary of Ascension in the Great Mausoleum's Holly Terrace in Forest Lawn Glendale; it overlooks the area. Pastureland, flora, and trees are all possible sights. At the entrance, the trees envelop the space, casting a lengthy shade over the people underneath. Fans went to the makeshift memorial outside the Neverland Ranch fence after Jackson's death. The Staples Center in Los Angeles hosted a memorial event on July 7, 2009, after a private family service at Forest Lawn Tribute Park's Hall of Liberty. We randomly picked 8,750 fans from more than 1.6 million submissions for commemorative tickets. The fortunate winners each received a pair of tickets. The memorial ceremony was one of the most watched events in streaming history, with an estimated 2.5 to 3 billion viewers worldwide and 31.1 million in the US alone.
Smokey Robinson and Queen Latifah presented eulogies, and Shaheen Jafargholi, Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, and Lionel Richie performed at the memorial. When Al Sharpton told the Jackson children, "Wasn't nothing weird about your papa," they erupted in hollers and a standing ovation. There was nothing typical about what your dad had to deal with. The first time Paris Katherine Jackson, Jackson's eleven-year-old daughter, addressed the crowd, she sobbed. In any case, he dealt with the matter. Lucious Smith spoke a last prayer. The burial for Jackson took place on September 3, 2009, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
The inquiry and prosecution of Conrad Murray for criminal charges were the subject of the People v. Murray case. As of August 2009, the Los Angeles County Coroner had ruled Jackson's death a homicide. Authorities accused Murray with involuntary manslaughter on February 8, 2010. Near the end of 2011, a court found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sent him to prison for sentencing. Murray was only prison for a year and eleven months out of a total of four years, but ultimately got out early.
Posthumous sales: With two of his awards going to his compilation album Number Ones, Jackson received four posthumous victories at the 2009 American Music Awards, bringing his total number of awards to 26. In 2009, his albums sold 35 million copies worldwide, more than any other artist. In the United States alone, they sold 16.1 million copies in the year following his death. He became the first musician in history to reach 2.6 million song downloads in a single week with his impressive performance. Albums from Michael Jackson's history, including Thriller, Number Ones, and The Essential Michael Jackson, were the first to sell more copies than any new album. Furthermore, Jackson became the first artist in US album chart history to have four albums debut in the top 20 in the same year. In the year following Jackson's death, album sales topped 75 million worldwide. By the end of 2013, sales of Jackson's albums had surpassed fifty million worldwide.
After striking a $250 million deal with the Jackson estate in March 2010, Sony Music extended the distribution rights to Michael Jackson’s back catalog until at least 2017. Due to the increase in sales, this agreement was extended in March 2010 from its original expiration date of 2015. It broke every record for a single artist's music deal ever before. They reached a deal to release ten CDs with new arrangements of their songs as well as anthologies of their earlier work. In 2017, the parties involved extended the contract. Thriller, Bad, and Off the Wall all had their royalties disputed, but in July of that year, a Los Angeles judge affirmed Quincy Jones's entitlement to $9.4 million. In July 2018, the estate acquired Sony/ATV's portion in EMI for $287.5 million.
Jackson eventually broke the streak in 2014, after fifty decades of not having a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100. When the Recording Industry Association of America certified 30 million copies sold of Thriller the following year, it shattered yet another record. A year later, Soundscan certified the record as 33 times platinum after included streaming and audio downloads in its criteria.
In February 2024, Sony Music spent around $600 million to acquire half of Michael Jackson's master recordings and publishing rights. The Michael Jackson book and the Michael Jackson Broadway musical are not part of the deal, among other Jackson-related works. However, the Mijac publishing catalog is. If this holds, it will be the largest sale of any artist's work ever.