Michael Jackson [Thriller Video | MJJ Productions/Vevo]
Two of the most iconic albums in music history recently earned new certifications from the RIAA.
The RIAA confirms that Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” reached 33x platinum status on February 16, 2017. “Bad” concurrently ascended to diamond (10x platinum status).
The certifications respectively confirm US unit totals of 33 million and 10 million. Each unit is equal to 1 album sale, 10 track sales or 1500 track streams. It is worth noting, however, that “Thriller” and “Bad” were up to 30x platinum and 9x platinum, respectively, before track sales and streams counted toward album certifications.
In reaching 33x platinum, “Thriller” extends its lead as the most-certified album in RIAA history.