Originally Posted by mushymanrob:
“the source?
well if you actually read the thread instead of taking cheap shots at me...youd see that post #3 made by a fan not by me, compares his chart stats for here and america. these stats are easily verified. they show that he had greater chart success then he did here, forget the sales difference between the 2 countries, and the population difference because each countries charts are relative to the population. his greater chart success in america shows he was more popular over there then here where his chart runs, particually his singles, were not so great. it really isnt a difficult concept to understand you know... and so what if he was more popular over there then here? see, i dont know what the problem is with that.”
There are two main differences between the UK & the USA which have both historically favoured Michael Jackson's sales in America.
Firstly, the make up of the population of the two nations which the USA having a far more significant African-American population which favours music of black origin.
Secondly, the way the two nations charts were compiled. Until last year when streaming was allowed, the UK charts have always been based on records sold in shops, and more recently digitally. In the USA since the Hot 100 inception there was three components (Record Sales (now mainly digital sales with added streaming elements); Radio Airplay; (and initially) Jukebox plays, superseded from mid 1986 by music video plays; and now by internet youtube, etc plays.
To give a comparison:
The Beatles had 20 USA #1 hit singles; yet topped the sales chart with 26 of their singles, but were dragged down because they only topped the Radio Airplay chart 13 times, and The Supremes had more #1s in the US airplay charts in the 1960s than The Beatles.
Of MJ's USA Billboard Hot #1 singles with weeks at #1
(and #1 on other component charts):
Don't Stop To You Get Enough 1 week (#1 sales 2 weeks / #2 airplay / #1 jukebox 3 weeks)
Rock With You 4 weeks (#1 sales 2 weeks / #1 airplay 5 weeks / #2 jukebox)
The Girl Is Mine #2 (#3 sales / #1 airplay 4 weeks / #3 jukebox)
Billie Jean #1 for 7 weeks (#1 sales 5 weeks / #1 airplay 10 weeks / #1 jukebox 6 weeks)
Beat It #1 for 3 weeks (#2 sales / #1 airplay 6 weeks / #2 jukebox)
I Just Can't Stop Loving You #1 for 1 week (#1 sales 3 weeks / #1 airplay for 1 week / #13 jukebox/video airplay)
Bad #1 for 2 weeks (#2 sales / #1 airplay 2 weeks / #1 jukebox/video 4 weeks)
The Way You Make Me Feel #1 for 1 week (#3 sales / #2 airplay / #1 jukebox/video 6 weeks)
Man In The Mirror #1 for 2 weeks (#1 sales 2 weeks / #1 airplay 3 weeks / #4 jukebox/video)
Dirty Diana #1 for 1 week (#1 sales 1 week / #3 airplay / #1 jukebox/video 4 weeks)
Smooth Criminal #7 (#16 sales / #5 airplay / #1 jukebox/video 3 weeks)
Black Or White #1 for 7 weeks (#1 sales for 4 weeks / #1 airplay 4 weeks / #1 jukebox/video 8 weeks)
Remember The Time #3 (#7 sales / #1 airplay 2 weeks / #1 jukebox/video 4 weeks)
Scream #5 (#3 sales / #8 airplay / #1 jukebox/video 3 weeks)
You Are Not Alone #1 for 1 week (#1 sales 1 week / #3 airplay / #1 jukebox/video 2 weeks)