The first U. S. shipment of Michael Jackson's posthumous album, "Michael," will be 900,000 according to retail sources. Sony is projecting first-week CD sales of 340,000 and digital album sales of 60,000. Those numbers are similar to debut-week sales of Jackson's album "This Is It," though that album had the marketing strength of a major motion picuture behind it.
Second week projections for "Michael," are set at 280,000 units, while digital sales are expected to slip from its debut week percentage of 15% to 8%. However, both of those percentages are better than the digital sales garnered by "This Is It" in its first week when the format accounted for only 5.6% of total sales.
Many music merchants say the controversy surrounding the single "Breaking News" should fuel awareness and interest in the album.
"I think people will come out to buy the album, especially with the controversy," Edge Entertainment Distribution music buyer Danny Cohen says.
The debate over song quality and vocal authenticity will likely be a moot point by Nov. 15, when the Jackson website is scheduled to debut "Hold My Hand," which features Akon. That first commercially available single from "Michael" will be made available for sale that same day at digital stores like iTunes.
Some merchants worry that the quality of the first song streamed from Jackson's site may not inspire consumers to rush out and buy the whole album on street date. One merchant described "Breaking News" as "an interesting choice to sell an album." However, many merchants say that Sony sales representatives have told them the single was chosen more because of the lyrical content as a way to herald the news about the upcoming album.
Second week projections for "Michael," are set at 280,000 units, while digital sales are expected to slip from its debut week percentage of 15% to 8%. However, both of those percentages are better than the digital sales garnered by "This Is It" in its first week when the format accounted for only 5.6% of total sales.
Many music merchants say the controversy surrounding the single "Breaking News" should fuel awareness and interest in the album.
"I think people will come out to buy the album, especially with the controversy," Edge Entertainment Distribution music buyer Danny Cohen says.
The debate over song quality and vocal authenticity will likely be a moot point by Nov. 15, when the Jackson website is scheduled to debut "Hold My Hand," which features Akon. That first commercially available single from "Michael" will be made available for sale that same day at digital stores like iTunes.
Some merchants worry that the quality of the first song streamed from Jackson's site may not inspire consumers to rush out and buy the whole album on street date. One merchant described "Breaking News" as "an interesting choice to sell an album." However, many merchants say that Sony sales representatives have told them the single was chosen more because of the lyrical content as a way to herald the news about the upcoming album.
you know i think Michael really wanted to change the world. you can tell because of his songs like man in the mirror,heal the heal world,earth song,black or white,and they don't care about us. and it is so sad that he pasted and when i looked at the video they don't care about us i really started to cry becuase is was so happy to see all the people that loved him and saw him. i mean he was and still the king of pop. i mean Michael had kids,family, and fans and Michael song you are not alone in so meaningful atfer his death. :( I LOVE YOU MICHAEL!!!
Bass note, treble, stereo control, how low you go
Just enough to make your juices flow
Press play, don't stop, rotate, too hot
You feel I'm real
I'm everything you need, so tell me what's the deal
Chorus
2000 Watts, 8 ohms, 200 volts, real strong
Too much of that, fuse blown
Be careful what you say don't overload
2000 Watts, 8 ohms, 200 volts, real strong
Too much of that, fuse blown
Be careful what you say don't overload
3D, high speed, feedback, Dolby
Release two or three, when I reach I can go 'till I hit my peak
Compact steelo, chico, D-Lo, highpost lady
Shorty really wanna be there for me
Chorus
2000 Watts, 8 ohms, 200 volts, real strong
Too much of that, fuse blown
Be careful what you say don't overload
2000 Watts, 8 ohms, 200 volts, real strong
Too much of that, fuse blown
Just enough to make your juices flow
Press play, don't stop, rotate, too hot
You feel I'm real
I'm everything you need, so tell me what's the deal
Chorus
2000 Watts, 8 ohms, 200 volts, real strong
Too much of that, fuse blown
Be careful what you say don't overload
2000 Watts, 8 ohms, 200 volts, real strong
Too much of that, fuse blown
Be careful what you say don't overload
3D, high speed, feedback, Dolby
Release two or three, when I reach I can go 'till I hit my peak
Compact steelo, chico, D-Lo, highpost lady
Shorty really wanna be there for me
Chorus
2000 Watts, 8 ohms, 200 volts, real strong
Too much of that, fuse blown
Be careful what you say don't overload
2000 Watts, 8 ohms, 200 volts, real strong
Too much of that, fuse blown
There were no albums bigger than Thriller and Bad, and Jackson seemed to be just entering his prime as an artist.
In hindsight, considering the astonishing heights he hit in the 1980s, maybe there was nowhere to go but down. On top of the world profeessionally, his persional affairs increasingly came under the microscope and seemed to gradually bleed the life and vibrancy out of the mercurial artist.
The new decade sarted off with Jackson in the studio, recording his new album, Dangerous. Jackson had recently signed a 15-years, six-record deal with sony, and if the singer was able to deliver sales numbers comparable to what he posted in the 1980s, the deal was estimated to have an earing power of up to $1 billion.
Dangerous got off to a great start-it debuted at number one and quickly outpaced the sales of Bad.
There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all
We can't go on pretending day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of God's great big family
And the truth, you know,
Love is all we need
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me
Send them your heart so they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stones to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand
When you're down and out, there seems no hope at all
But if you just believe there's no way we can fall
Let us realize that a change can only come
When we stand together as one
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all
We can't go on pretending day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of God's great big family
And the truth, you know,
Love is all we need
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me
Send them your heart so they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stones to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand
When you're down and out, there seems no hope at all
But if you just believe there's no way we can fall
Let us realize that a change can only come
When we stand together as one