The Top Ten Stories about Michael Jackson

top spot for two consecutive weeks from October 24th 1987.

Michael Jackson’s album ‘Bad’ was released on 31st August 1987 followed closely by the single ‘Bad’ which was released on September 7 1987, which was MJ’s seventh number one hit single over all. Twenty years after the album was released it had sold over 30 million copies worldwide and shipped 8 million units in the United States. It was the first and currently only album ever to feature five songs in the Billboard Hot 100 number 1 singles. In the late 80’s the album one two Grammy’s, one for Best Music Video for Leave Me Alone and one for Best Engineered Album. Bad was also ranked number 43 in the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time of the MTV Generation in 2009 listed by VH1. It was ranked number 202 on the Rolling Stone magazine 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Bad became the first of Jackson’s albums to debut at number-one on the Billboard 200 where it remained for the next six consecutive weeks. It sold 8 million copies in the US alone. In the UK the album sold 500,000 copies in just five days and is currently certified 13x platinum, for sales of 3.9 million making it Jackson’s biggest-selling album in the UK. Globally, it is Jackson’s overall third best-selling recording, behind Thriller and Dangerous, with 30 million copies sold. From this album 5 of the songs hit number one – record. Bad was the 9th best selling album in British History this was announced in 2006.

Despite how successful the record was in a poll in Rolling Stone magazine US citizens voted Bad worst album and worst single.

Story Number 5: Bubbles and Pets

Bubbles is the name of the chimpanzee that became associated with Michael Jackson. MJ rescued the chimp from a Cancer research clinic in Texas in 1985. Michael Jackson was reportedly quite close to the chimp but the media mocked this friendship, as they mocked many aspects of his life. The media portrayed the relationship as weird and  Jackson as a ‘bizarre eccentric’, obsessed with recapturing his lost childhood and it was this incident that lead MJ to be named Wacko Jacko. Bubbles sat in with Jackson when he recorded one his most famous albums, Bad and was obviously a big part of his life for a while; Bubbles even made a cameo appearance in “Liberian Girl” a track from the album bad. The chimp was moved to the Neverland ranch with ‘Jacko’ in 1988, he slept in a crib in MJ’s bedroom. Sometimes the Chimp wore a diaper and on other occasions he was allowed to use Michael Jackson’s private toilet – something which the star was again scrutinized for.

Robert Thompson, a professor of popular culture supposedly suggested that “this is when the weirdness reached epic proportions” – the media produced many false stories about the pair suggesting that Bubbles was one of a series of apes that Jackson had owned or owned. The two did a lot together, went for walks and spent a lot of time with one another. Jackson has been reported as once said “My chimp bubbles is a constant delight.” Kenny Rogers once said of Bubbles: “..[he] was so human it was almost frightening. He would take Christopher [Rogers’ son] by the hand, walk over to the refrigerator, open it, take out a banana, and hand it to him. Christopher was amazed…we all were.”

Bubbles is reported to still be alive today after he was removed to an animal century because there were fears he may attack Jackson’s newborn son, Prince Michael II.

Story Number 6: Neverland

Neverland Valley Ranch, is situated in Santa Barbara County, California and was the home of Michael Jackson from 1988-2005. Neverland was named so after the make-believe land in Peter Pan, the children’s story book about a boy who never grows up – a figure or idea that Michael was thought to have idolized. The property is over 2,800 acres in size and today is made up of vineyards.

When it was owned by Michael Jackson after he bought it in 1988 for a massive million, he turned it into his home and a massive private amusement park. Within the amusement park there was a zoo, theme park, two railroads, a ferris wheel, carousel, zipper, spider, sea dragon, wave swinger, super slide, dragon wagon kiddie roller coaster and bumper cars. Having seen footage of the inside of Neverland it truly was a childhood land, a fantasy home constructed using Jackson’s ideas and visions.

Michael Jackson’s Neverland, it was initally reported, would be turned into “Foreverland” a permanent memorial to the King of Pop – a bit like Presley’s Graceland – so that fans and tourists from all over the world could travel to see the singers former home and a glimpse into his life. It was also thought that there were plans to bury Michael Jackson in Neverland and that there may be a public or private viewing – however, the family of Michael

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