michael jackson tour record

Photos of the Michael Jackson’s biggest and most iconic world tour “Bad” back in 1987-1988

Bad was the first ever solo concert tour by Michael Jackson, launched in support of his seventh studio album Bad (1987). Sponsored by Pepsi and spanning 16 months, the tour included 123 concerts to 4.4 million fans across 15 countries making it the second highest grossing tour of 1988. When the tour concluded it grossed a total of $125 million, adding two new entries in the Guinness World Records for the largest grossing tour in history and the tour with the largest attended audience. In April 1989, the tour was nominated for “Tour of the Year 1988” at the inaugural International Rock Awards.

On June 29, 1987, Jackson’s manager Frank DiLeo announced the singer’s plan to embark on his first solo world concert tour. T he tour began in Japan, marking Jackson’s first performances in the country since 1973 as part of The Jackson 5. The first nine scheduled concerts that began on September 12 sold out within hours, and five more were added due to high demand. Over 600 journalists, cameramen and fans waited for Jackson’s arrival to the country at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport. His pet chimpanzee Bubbles, who took a separate flight, was greeted by more than 300 people.A chartered jumbo jet was used to carry 22 truckloads of equipment, along with Jackson’s entourage of 132 for the tour.The stage set used 700 lights, 100 speakers, 40 lasers, three mirrors and two 24-by-18 foot screens. Performers wore 70 costumes, four of which were attached with fiber optic lights.

While in Tokyo, Australian pop music critic Ian “Molly” Meldrum conducted an exclusive interview Jackson and DiLeo that was featured on 60 Minutes in the United States.On September 18, Jackson was handed the Key to the City by Yasushi Oshima, the mayor o fOsaka. He was accompanied by Bubbles, who was the first animal allowed inside the city’s town hall. Jackson dedicated his Japanese concerts to Yoshiaki Hagiwara, a five-year-old boy who was kidnapped and murdered, and gave £12,000 to the parents of Hagiwara.Attendance figures for the first 14 dates in Japan totalled a record-breaking 450,000. Crowds of 200,000 were what past performers could manage to draw for a single tour.Nippon Television was a co-sponsor with Pepsi for the Japanese dates.

Jackson performed five concerts in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in Australia in November. While off stage, he spent time visiting sick children at their homes in the Sydney suburbs.

Rehearsals for the tour’s 1988 leg took place at the Pensacola Civic Center in Pensacola, Florida from January 22 to February 18, 1988. Vincent Paterson, who had worked with Jackson on several videos, was brought in to choreograph and co-direct the tour with Michael. On the last day of preparation, Jackson allowed 420 school pupils to watch him rehearse after the children made him a rap music video in his honour.The first performances were to begin in Atlanta, Georgia, yet Pepsi officials objected as the city was home to rival drinks company Coca-Cola.For both Atlanta shows, Jackson gave 100 tickets to the Children’s Wish Foundation for terminally ill children.The first of three concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City in March served as a benefit to raise $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund. Jackson presented a check of $600,000 to the fund. On March 2, 1988, Jackson performed at the 30th Annual Grammy Awards, receiving an enormous standing ovation after performing “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “Man in the Mirror”. Jackson’s album, Bad was also nominated for Album of the Year at the ceremony.

Jackson began his European tour in Rome at the Flaminio Stadium on May 23, 1988. Police and security guards rescued hundreds of fans from being crushed in the crowd of 30,000.Police reported 130 women fainted at the concert in Vienna on June 2. On June 17, Jackson travelled to the town of Vevey to meet Oona O’Neill, the widow of comic actor Charlie Chaplin. “I have fulfilled my biggest childhood dream”, said Jackson after the visit. The most successful of the European dates were those in London atWembley Stadium. Ticket demand for the five July dates exceeded 1.5 million, enough to fill the 72,000 capacity venue 20 times.Jackson performed seven sold out shows, beating the previous record held by Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Genesis. More shows could have been added, but the venue had reached its quota for live performances.The third concert on July 16 was attended by Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince Charles. On September 8, Jackson was entered into the Guinness World Records , the first of three times from the tour alone. The Wembley shows were attended by a record 504,000 people. Management also presented him with a special award. On July 30, NBC aired Michael Jackson Around the World , a 90-minute special documenting the singer on tour. On August 29, after a birthday performance in Leeds, Jackson donated $130,000 to Give For Life. The final European show was held in Liverpool on September 11, staged at Aintree Racecourse. 1,550 fans were reported injured among the crowd of 125,000.

Michael Jackson

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In 1988, Michael Jackson gave himself a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for setting a new attendance record, when he played the first of seven nights at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The shows on his Bad World Tour were attended by a total of 504,000 fans, beating the record previously held by Genesis . Ticket demand for the dates exceeded 1.5 million, enough to fill the 72,000 capacity venue 20 times over.

Jackson could do no wrong. Sponsored by Pepsi and spanning 16 months, his Bad World Tour saw the singer play 123 concerts to 4.4 million fans across 15 countries. When the tour concluded it had grossed a total of $125 million, adding two new entries in the Guinness World Records for the largest grossing tour in history and the tour with the largest attended audience.

Jackson’s then-manager Frank DiLeo had announced the singer’s plan to embark on a solo world tour in June 1987, with the first dates in Japan, marking Jackson’s first performances in the country since 1973 as part of The Jackson 5.

When Jackson arrived at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport over 600 journalists, cameramen and fans greeted him. A chartered jumbo jet was used to carry 22 truckloads of equipment, along with Jackson’s entourage of 132 for the tour. The stage set used 700 lights, 100 speakers, 40 lasers, three mirrors and two 24-by-18 foot screens.

Every night on the tour the then unknown Sheryl Crow (who was working as a backup singer) would join Michael for a duet on “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”.

But enough of the boring facts, lets talk about Bubbles. Yes, his pet chimpanzee Bubbles, Jackson’s constant companion. Jackson had adopted the young primate from a Texas research facility in the early 1980s. He lived with Jackson at his Neverland Ranch, where he slept in a crib in Jackson’s bedroom, would eat at the dining table, wore a diaper, ate candy in the Neverland movie theater and relieved himself in Jackson’s personal toilet. Jackson and Bubbles often wore matching outfits.

At the start of the Bad tour, Bubbles took a separate flight from the US and upon arriving at Narita International Airport was greeted by more than 300 people. During his stay in Japan, Jackson surprised people by taking the animal to tea with a Japanese mayor. And why not.

But there’s more: Bubbles had sat in for the recording of the Bad album (along with Jackson’s pet snake), and had his own bodyguard and agent. According to some reports, the singer had taught the chimpanzee how to moonwalk. Now that I would like to see!

Unfortunately, Bubbles matured into an aggressive adult chimp unsuitable as a companion animal and was sent to a California animal sanctuary where he attempted suicide. (Why didn’t the guards remove his laces and belt?).

But I read that Michael kept in touch with his ex-best friend. On his birthday, (Bubbles’ that is), Michael arranged a party and invited some ‘celebrity animals’ including Cheetah, the chimp from Tarzan, and movie star dogs Benji and Lassie.

Sadly Bubbles, now in his late twenties, resides at the Centre for Great Apes in Florida, unaware that his former owner has gone for a long moonwalk in the sky. He spends his time hanging out with a group of six other chimps. Among his favourite things to do are eating sweet potatoes, painting and teaching all the other inmates the moonwalk. Apparently, Bubbles is often heard regaling them with tales of his adventures on that Bad tour from 1986, and publishers have reputedly offered the chimp a lifetime supply of bananas to publish a “tell-all memoir” about his times with Michael Jackson. Or did I make that last bit up?

With Michael Jackson, it’s often hard to separate the myth from reality…

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10 Records Michael Jackson Set in His Heyday and Whether He Still Holds Them, Shares Them or Lost Them

The King of Pop rewrote the record book, but records are made to be broken.

By Paul Grein

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Drake made Billboard chart history on Monday (Oct. 16) when his latest single “First Person Shooter” (featuring J. Cole ) entered the Hot 100 at No. 1. This allowed Drake to tie Michael Jackson ’s record as the male solo artist with the most No. 1s (13) in the chart’s 65-year history. This had to have been a big moment for Drake, who landed his first Hot 100 hit, “Best I Ever Had,” in May 2009, just one month before Jackson died.

Drake is known to be a chart-watcher. “I’m one away from Michael,” he boasts in “First Person Shooter” (a boast that became outdated the moment the record hit No. 1). Jackson, who was also an avid chart-watcher, had a similar experience in March 1988 when he landed his 10th No. 1 hit, “Man in the Mirror,” which allowed him to tie Stevie Wonder ’s then-record for the most No. 1 hits by a male solo artist. Jackson later added three more No. 1 hits to his tally: “Dirty Diana,” “Black or White” and “You Are Not Alone.”

We should point out that Jackson was the only billed artist on 12 of his 13 No. 1 hits. The exception was “Say Say Say,” on which he had co-equal billing with Paul McCartney . By contrast, Drake has been the only billed artist on just five of his 13 No. 1 hits. He has teamed with credited featured artists on five more. On his remaining three No. 1 hits, Drake was a featured artist behind Rihanna (two hits) and Future (one).

Jackson set many records in his 1980s heyday. Let’s see which of those records he still holds, which he must now share and which have since been broken.

Most No. 1 Hot 100 hits by a male artist

Shares record with: Drake

Notes: You can read much more about Drake’s record-setting accomplishment here .

Now that Drake has tied Jackson’s record for most No. 1 Hot 100 hits by a male solo artist, what worlds are left to conquer? If he amasses six more No. 1s, he’ll tie Mariah Carey’s mark as the solo artist with the most No. 1s (19). If he amasses seven more, he’ll tie The Beatles’ record for the most No 1s (20) by any artist.

Most No. 1 Hot 100 hits from one album

Shares record with: Katy Perry

Notes: In July 1988, Bad became the first album to spawn five No. 1 hits on the Hot 100. (The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack had spawned four No. 1 hits in 1977-78 – three by Bee Gees and one by Yvonne Elliman.) Jackson achieved the feat when “Dirty Diana” hit the top spot, following “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Bad,” “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “Man in the Mirror.”

In August 2011, Perry tied Jackson’s record when “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” became the fifth No. 1 from Teenage Dream , following “California Gurls” (featuring Snoop Dogg), “Teenage Dream,” “Firework” and “E.T.” (featuring Kanye West, now Ye).

As you can see, Jackson was the only credited artist on all five of his No. 1s from Bad , while Perry had credited featured artists on two of hers from Teenage Dream .

Most top 10 Hot 100 hits from one album

Record now held by: Taylor Swift

Notes: In September 1983, Jackson’s Thriller became the first album in history to spawn five top 10 hits on the Hot 100, when “Human Nature” followed “The Girl Is Mine” (a collab with Paul McCartney), “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” into the winner’s circle. (Both Jackson’s previous album, Off the Wall and Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 blockbuster Rumours had each spawned four top 10 hits.) Jackson went on to pad his record by scoring a sixth (“P.Y.T.” (Pretty Young Thing)”) and then a seventh (“Thriller”) top 10 hit from Thriller .

But Thriller demonstrated the potential for albums to become perennial hit machines, so other artists were able to replicate his feat. Bruce Springsteen’s  Born in the USA  (1984-85),  Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814  (1989-91) and Drake’s  Scorpion  (2018) equaled Jackson’s feat of landing seven top 10 hits from an album. Drake’s  Certified Lover Boy  set a new record of nine top 10 hits in 2021. Taylor Swift’s  Midnights   upped the record to 10 in 2022.

While they never held the record, two other albums have yielded seven or more top 10 hits on the Hot 100. Drake & 21 Savage’s Her Loss yielded eight top 10 hits in 2022. Drake’s current For All the Dogs spun off seven.

Non-soundtrack with the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200

Still holds record

Notes: Thriller logged 37 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 1983-84, which set a new record for an album that wasn’t a soundtrack. (The soundtrack to West Side Story is still the overall leader, with 54 weeks on top in 1962-63.) The old record for non-soundtracks was 31 weeks, shared by Harry Belafonte’s Calypso (1956-57) and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (1977-78).

Thriller ’s 37 weeks on top included two streaks where the album was No. 1 for 17 consecutive weeks. It was No. 1 from Feb. 26, 1983 to June 18, 1983, when “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” topped the Hot 100, and again from Dec. 24, 1983 to April 14, 1984, when the “Thriller” video dominated MTV and the album swept the 1984 Grammy nominations and awards. No other album has stayed on top for 17 consecutive weeks twice.

Album with the most weeks at No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums

Notes: Thriller also logged a record-setting 37 weeks at No. 1 on what is now called Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The old record of 20 weeks on top was shared by Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life (1976-77) and Rick James’ Street Songs (1981).

Album with the most weeks in the top 10 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums

Record now held by: Lil Baby’s My Turn

Notes: Thriller first claimed the record on Nov. 11, 1983 when it logged its 46th week in the top 10, passing Lou Rawls’ Lou Rawls Live (45 weeks). Thriller extended its record to 76 weeks, but that was broken by Post Malone’s Stoney and beerbongs & bentleys , each with 77 weeks; Posty’s Hollywood’s Bleeding with 84 weeks and Lil Baby’s My Turn , with 85 weeks. My Turn took the lead , which it still holds, in March 2022.

Thriller has since added a few more weeks to its top 10 run and has pulled ahead of Stoney and Beerbongs & Bentleys . With 79 weeks in the top 10, it is now behind only My Turn, which has padded its lead to 125 weeks, and Hollywood’s Bleeding, now at 95 weeks.

Highest-RIAA-certified album of all time

Record now held by: Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975

Notes: Thriller was the highest-certified album from the time the Recording Industry Assn. of America introduced multiplatinum certifications on Oct. 20, 1984 until Eagles’ hit-studded compilation surpassed it on Nov. 10, 1999.   Thriller regained the lead on Dec. 16, 2015, but Eagles pulled ahead again on Aug. 20, 2018. Jackson’s album is currently certified for U.S. shipments of 34 million. The Eagles compilation is at 38 million.

Eagles’ album wasn’t certified multiplatinum until Aug. 21, 1990, when it came in at 12 million. It has zoomed in the years since. You could say the band knows how to take it to the limit .

Thriller remains the highest-certified studio album. In second place, among studio albums: another Eagles album, Hotel California (26 million).

Most Grammy nominations in one year

Shares record with: Babyface

Notes: Jackson received 12 nominations in 1984, 11 for his work in various capacities on Thriller and one for his work on E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial , which was nominated for best recording for children. That surpassed his two-time duet partner Paul McCartney’s old record of nine nominations in 1966.

Babyface equaled Jackson’s feat in 1997. He received seven nods for his work on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, two for work on Toni Braxton’s Secrets , one for a guest performance on Quincy Jones’ Q’s Jook Joint , one for producing Eric Clapton’s “Change the World” and one for producer of the year.

Most Grammy Awards in one night

Shares record with: Santana

Notes: Jackson won eight Grammys at the ceremony in February 1984, breaking Paul Simon’s record of seven awards won at the first live telecast in March 1971. (Simon’s record was aided by the fact that, at the time, the Recording Academy awarded two Grammys to artists who also produced or co-produced their winners for album and record of the year.) Jackson won seven of his awards for Thriller and one for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial , which won for best recording for children.

Santana equaled Jackson’s feat at the ceremony in February 2000. The band won all eight of their awards for their album Supernatural . Santana won in two of the same categories that Jackson had swept 16 years previously: record of the year and album of the year.

Jackson continues to be the solo artist with the most Grammys won in one night. The awards to Santana were to the band.

Interesting side-note: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial was released on MCA Records, the label connected to Universal Pictures, which distributed the movie. A legal dispute with Epic Records, Jackson’s label, kept the album from realizing its potential. It bubbled under the Billboard 200 for six weeks, but never charted, and was ultimately pulled. So, was making that album a waste of time for Jackson? Hardly. If he hadn’t recorded the album, he would have won just seven Grammys, which would have tied the old record, but not set a new one.

Top-grossing music documentary

Record now held by: Justin Bieber

Notes: Jackson’s 2009 film This Is It set a new record as the top grossing music doc with a gross of $72.1 million. That far eclipsed Madonna: Truth or Dare , by Jackson’s 1991 date to the Oscar telecast, which grossed $15 million in 1991. But Jackson held the record just briefly, before it was narrowly eclipsed by Justin Bieber: Never Say Never in 2011, with a gross of $73 million. Those are currently the top two music docs of all time, according to boxofficemojo.com.

Among all documentaries (music and non-music), This Is It is currently in fourth place, behind two non-music docs – Fahrenheit 9/11 ($119.1 million) and March of the Penguins ($77.4 million) – and the aforementioned Bieber concert doc ($73 million). Boxofficemojo.com does not list Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour , which is strictly performance-based, as a documentary.

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Michael Jackson's Groundbreaking Career, By The Numbers

In the hours after news broke of [article id="1614744"]Michael Jackson's death,[/article]

sales of the King of Pop's albums skyrocketed, occupying every slot in the top 15 on the Amazon.com best-seller list and about half the top 20 iTunes album and single lists. Yet this post-tragedy sales spike was only the latest boom in a 40-years-long career of unparalleled hit-making. (Sources for this article include Jackson's Web site, the RIAA and Billboard, among others.)

Jackson sold more than 750 million records worldwide. He notched eight platinum or multiplatinum albums and 13 #1 singles, and had 47 tracks crack the Billboard Hot 100. He won 13 Grammy Awards, was inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist) and received the American Music Awards' Artist of the Century Award. His 1982 album, Thriller, is the biggest-selling original album of all time (it has been neck-and-neck with the Eagles' Greatest Hits collection for several years). The "Guinness Book of World Records" cites the singer as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time.

Michael joined his brothers Jackie, Tito, Marlon and Jermaine in the Jackson 5 in 1963, when he was just 5 years old. Starting with 1969's "I Want You Back," the Motown group notched five #1 chart hits, including "ABC" and "I'll Be There."

While his solo career began in 1971 and included hits like "Ben" and "Rockin' Robin'," it kicked into high gear with the release of the classic Off the Wall in 1979. The album eventually went platinum seven times, stayed in the Billboard Top 200 for 73 weeks and spawned four top-10 hits. The singles "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You" went platinum too.

Yet it was just a run-up to the global superstardom he was about to embark upon: 1982's Thriller went platinum a mind-boggling 28 times, making it the biggest-selling studio album in history. It spent 37 weeks at the top of the Billboard albums chart and won a record-breaking eight Grammys in 1984. Seven songs -- out of a total track list of nine -- reached the top 10 Billboard singles chart, including "Billie Jean" and "Beat It."

Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos

The 1985 benefit song "We Are the World," which Jackson co-wrote with Lionel Richie, went platinum four times and stayed in the top Billboard spot for four weeks. The song raised an estimated $50 million for famine relief in Africa.

After Thriller, nearly five years passed before the release of his next solo album, but Bad proved worth the wait. It went platinum eight times and settled into the Billboard chart for 85 weeks. The album produced five #1 Billboard Top 100 singles: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," "Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana."

1991 brought "Dangerous," another Billboard -topping album. It went platinum seven times and hung around the chart for 117 straight weeks. The single "Black or White" went platinum and hit the top Billboard spot.

His 1995 greatest-hits album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future: Book I, stayed on the Billboard chart for 36 weeks and went platinum seven times. His 82-show world tour was seen by 4.5 million fans, the biggest tour of his career. A remix album of the greatest-hits record, called Blood on the Dance Floor, also went platinum.

His final studio album, Invincible, reached the #1 Billboard spot and remained on the chart for 28 weeks.

At the time of his death, Jackson was preparing for 50 sold-out shows at London's O2 arena that grossed an estimated $85 million in ticket sales.

MTV will be paying tribute to MJ throughout the weekend with music videos, exclusive performances and calls and tweets from celebrity admirers and friends. For everything we've got on the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered."

Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below.

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The Weeknd surpasses Michael Jackson for highest-grossing tour by a Black artist

The toronto star's after hours til dawn tour has made more than $350 million.

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The Weeknd has set a new world record, this time surpassing Michael Jackson to hold the title of highest-grossing tour in history by a Black artist. 

• All hail the new king of pop: the Weeknd's record-breaking continues
• The Weeknd's 'Blinding Lights' becomes the most-streamed song on Spotify

The Toronto R&B star has been on his After Hours Till Dawn tour since summer 2022, and is currently on the European leg of the tour performing in countries including Germany, France and Spain. The Weeknd's tour, in support of his two pandemic releases After Hours and Dawn FM , is scheduled to wrap in Mexico this October. The tour has already made more than $350 million in revenue. Until now, Michael Jackson held this touring record with his 1987 Bad tour, which grossed $311 million after adjusting for inflation (as calculated by Hot New Hip Hop ).

Today, the Weeknd indirectly acknowledged this new record by posting a video of himself covering Jackson's 1988 song "Dirty Diana" at his concert in Belgium. "my king. then, now and forever. rest easy," he wrote in the caption. 

Jackson has been a longtime influence on the Weeknd's music. Back in 2016, he told the Los Angeles Times : "Michael, man, that guy was the star. He invented the star. There will never be another Michael. I want to make it very clear that I'm not trying to be Michael. He's everything to me, so you're going to hear it in my music." 

In addition to this latest record, the Weeknd's HBO concert special, Live at Sofi Stadium , earned two Emmy Award nominations today, for lighting design/direction and technical direction/camerawork. 

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.

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The Weeknd breaks Michael Jackson's record for the highest-grossing tour by a Black artist

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The Weeknd  has set a new tour record previously held by Michael Jackson, notoriously known as the “King of Pop,” for over 20 years.

Since the summer of 2022, the Canadian performer has embarked on his ongoing “ After Hours Til Dawn Tour ” in support of his fourth and fifth studio albums. With his millions of fans and constant chart-topping records, many believed Weeknd could do something special with his seventh tour, and he did.

The Grammy Award-winning singer has passed the late Jackson’s record for the highest-grossing tour ever by a Black artist . His global experience has already garnished over $350 million in revenue. Jackson held the record since 1987 when he went on his “Bad Tour.” According to Hot New Hip Hop , the musical icon grossed $311 million after adjusting for inflation.

After setting a new tour marker, Weeknd celebrated the milestone by honoring Jackson , who passed away in 2009 at age 50. The “I Feel It Coming” producer shared a video of a fan recording his performance of Jackson’s ’80s hit “Dirty Diana” in Brussels, Belgium. “My king. Then, now, and forever. Rest easy,” Weeknd captioned his Instagram post .

Per Billboard , Weeknd joined Jackson earlier this year as the only male soloist with multiple Hot 100 No. 1s from three or more albums. If not in concert, most fans can see Weeknd on TV portraying Tedros, a nightclub impresario, on HBO’s “The Idol.” In a previous interview with W  magazine , the talented storyteller opened up about the difficulties of juggling re-filming the series as Tedros while performing live as his stage name .

“I had to rest and reflect and think about The Weeknd and Tedros and all that had happened with the show. I realized that I need to know that, I’ve made the best version of whatever I’m making. It was a challenge to redo ‘ The Idol ,’ and, in truth, I sacrificed my health and home to make it work,” he said. “When you’ve done the best you can, I would call that a happy ending.” 

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The Weeknd Respects Michael Jackson After Breaking His Record

The Weeknd is quickly becoming this generation's King of Pop.

Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd (or maybe as "Tedros Tedros" from his rat-tailed character on HBO's The Idol ), is breaking massive records. The crooning R&B artist destroyed a previous tour revenue record held by the one and only Michael Jackson. The Weeknd's "After Hours Til Dawn" Tour is now the highest-grossing tour ever by a Black artist. The current tour has raked in over $350 in ticket sales alone. Add in merch and concessions, and this tour is going to be one of the most financially successful music events of all time.

Michael Jackson held the record since 1987 when he went on his "Bad" Tour. Adjusting for inflation, MJ grossed $311 million during that time and ended up number two on the list of richest tours of the 1980s. Pink Floyd's "A Momentary Lapse in Reason" Tour took the top spot. Flashforward to now, The Weeknd was aware of the impending record and quickly nabbed the highest-grossing tour of the 2020s decade . When he cruised right past the King of Pop, he made sure to give the late great musical genius his flowers.

Read more: The Weeknd Reacts To “The Idol” Viewer Saying They Can’t Listen To His Music Anymore

The Weeknd Is On A Torrid Pace To Icon Status

"[My] king. [Then], now and forever. [Rest] easy," is what the caption says on The Weeknd's Tweet. A video from a fan's perspective captured him on stage, singing his rendition of the Michael Jackson hit, "Dirty Diana." Renamed "D.D.," he sings it live as an homage to surpassing Michael's tour record. He is still on the road, going international this year. The "After Hours Til Dawn" Tour concluded its North American stint back in September 2022. The multi-country tour will end the international portion on October 25th of this year in Guadalajara, Mexico.

As for the record of highest-selling tour of all time, that accolade belongs to Sir Elton John. His "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" recently concluded and pulled in a whopping $910 million over 320 separate shows. It's tough to beat the most popular pop singer of all time. But beating out Michael Jackson is still an impressive feat for The Weeknd. He'll look to continue his rampant cultural influence with the tour and the TV screen.

Read more: Michael Jackson Molestation Allegations Will Officially Go To Trial

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Just three months after it first hit U.S. theaters, the movie has beaten the previous record holder, Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’

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Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is now officially the highest-grossing film in box office history among concert and documentary films, having earned more than $261.6 million earned globally. The feat comes a week after The Eras Tour opened in China, with a tally of $8.7 million following its debut on December 31.

Having only arrived in U.S. theaters on October 13, The Eras Tour has already beaten the previous record holder Michael Jackson’s This Is It , which opened in 2009 and grossed $261.2 million at the global box office.

Shop the best of Taylor Swift’s discography on vinyl and more .

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Upon release in October, The Eras Tour made $92.8 million in North America and $30.7 million internationally for a cumulative total of $123.5 million, making it the biggest start of all time for a concert film. It immediately toppled 2011’s Justin Bieber: Never Say Never , which earned $73 million in the same timeframe. At the domestic box office, it stood as the second-biggest October debut ever behind 2019’s Joker, which pulled in $96 million, and had the seventh-biggest opening weekend of 2023.

“On behalf of all of us at AMC Theatres, I send my congratulations and eternal gratitude to Taylor Swift for her remarkable and record-setting box office performance with Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film,” says AMC Chairman and CEO Adam Aron, whose theater chain screened The Eras Tour in North America. “Her spectacular performance delighted fans around the world and serves as another strong reminder about the power of extraordinary filmmaking and magic of movie theaters.”

Fans who were unable to catch the film in theaters were able to watch at home starting on December 13, when Swift released The Eras Tour to streaming platforms. The extended version of the film included the songs “Wildest Dreams,” “The Archer” and “Long Live,” which were not included in the original 2-hours-45-minute run time.

Last week, with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) once again landing at the top spot on Billboard 200, Swift broke another record – by surpassing Elvis Presley for the most No.1 weeks of any solo musician in music history .

To date, Swift has logged 68 weeks with the No.1 album in America. That number tops Elvis’ previous record of 67 weeks at the top of the charts. Now, Swift sits behind only The Beatles , who spent 132 weeks at No.1 over the course of their career. In the week prior to this, Swift had tied the second place record for most weeks spent at the top of the charts.

Listen to the best of Taylor Swift on Apple Music and Spotify .

January 11, 2024 at 9:23 pm

Of course she is number one who is her competition exactly it’s not like this is the 1970’s or even the 1980’s when people like Elton John and Michael Jackson were ruling those decades. She have virtually no competition from anyone. Back in the 70s and 80s there was a lot of competition. Today there is a scarcity of talent.

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Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour' smashes records, overtakes Michael Jackson as highest-grossing concert film ever

Kicking off 2024 on a high note, Taylor Swift has achieved yet another historic milestone with her cinematic triumph, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour . The movie has officially become the highest-grossing concert and documentary film in box office history, raking in a staggering $261.6 million globally.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour officially becomes the highest-grossing concert film of all time, surpassing Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It.’ pic.twitter.com/MPho9KhZY7 — Pop Base (@PopBase) January 8, 2024

Swift's victory comes just a week after the film's release in China, where it earned an additional $8.7 million following its debut on December 31. Among concert films, The Eras Tour dethrones the previous record-holder, Michael Jackson's This Is It , which grossed $261.2 million globally in 2009.

Also read: Golden Globes 2024 viewers roast Jo Koy for cringeworthy hosting; Here's why

A significant chunk of the film's total gross can be attributed to its record-breaking opening weekend in October. With $92.8 million in North America and $30.7 million internationally, the cumulative total reached $123.5 million, making it the highest-grossing start of all time for a concert film. This feat toppled the previous record held by Justin Bieber: Never Say Never , which earned $73 million in the same timeframe.

Hi! Well, so, basically I have a birthday coming up and I was thinking a fun way to celebrate the year we’ve had together would be to make The Eras Tour Concert Film available for you to watch at home! Very happy to be able to tell you that the extended version of the film… pic.twitter.com/JTpl0tz1uG — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 27, 2023

Swift took an unconventional route for the film's release by partnering with AMC Theatres, the world's largest cinema chain. This strategic move allowed Swift, as a producer, to claim about 57% of ticket sales, while theaters retained the rest along with a small distribution fee for AMC. Despite not being exclusively screened at AMC, the film played in 3,855 theaters across the U.S. and Canada and 4,527 venues internationally.

AMC Chairman and CEO Adam Aron expressed his congratulations and gratitude to Swift, highlighting the film's remarkable box office performance and emphasizing the enduring allure of extraordinary filmmaking and the magic of movie theaters.

For those who missed the theatrical experience, Swift generously released The Eras Tour for streaming on December 13. The extended version included bonus tracks, such as 'Wildest Dreams,' 'The Archer,' and 'Long Live,' enhancing the original 2-hours-45-minute runtime.

I had the time of my life fighting dragons with youuuu 🫶 Celebrate 34 with me by watching The Eras Tour (Extended Version) including “Long Live” 🐉 “The Archer” 🏹 and “Wildest Dreams” 🩵 at home! PS troll me all you want about my excessive and literal millennial emoji use but… pic.twitter.com/NPny3rJlav — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) December 13, 2023

As Swift's global dominance persists, she plans to resume her Eras Tour on February 7 with a four-night engagement at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. The tour will span the entire year, concluding with a grand finale in Vancouver, BC, in December.

Also read: Is Nicki Minaj teasing a collab with Taylor Swift? Netizens say ‘make it happen’

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