The Jacksons - Triumph (35th anniversary)

Today (September 26th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Triumph, the thirteenth studio album from the Jacksons. This 1980 record made it to number 10 on Billboard Album chart(with a twenty-nine week total time on that chart) and number 1 on the US R&B album charts; in the UK it went to number 13. World-wide it sold 1.9 million copies and generated five singles.

For more on this album, click here.

For more on this talented family of brothers as a group, click here.

Michael Jackson - Off The Wall (35th anniversary)

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Sunday.

Today (August 10th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Off The Wall, the smash hit album by Michael Jackson. This Grammy winning release spent a total of one hundred and seventy weeks on the US Billboard Album chart and peaked at the number 3 spot.

For my full review, please click here.

The Jacksons - Victory

Today (July 2nd) is the thirtieth anniversary of Victory, the fourteenth album by the Jacksons. It is the first and only album to include all six Jackson brothers (Jermaine, Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Michael, and Randy) together as an official group. It debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard Album chart, and remained on the charts for a total of thirty weeks. It also charted at number 10 in Canada, number 9 in Australia, and number 3 in the UK and on the US Billboard R&B chart.

Michael Jackson - Farewell My Summer Love

Today (May 15th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Farewell My Summer Love, a release of previously "lost" tracks from Michael Jackson. This album did very well in the UK where it charted at number 9 and became a Platinum seller. It also hit number 94 in Canada, number 90 in Australia, number 50 in New Zealand, number 47 in the Netherlands and number 40 in Germany. Here in the US, it spent fifteen weeks on the Billboard Album chart and peaked at number 46.

Jermaine Jackson - Jermaine Jackson/Dynamite

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Jermaine Jackson, the tenth self-titled solo album from the R&B singer. In the international markets, it was released under the title of Dynamite. The album went to number 57 in the UK, number 38 in New Zealand, number 27 in Sweden and number 21 in the Netherlands. Here in the US, it spent forty-nine weeks on the Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 19, and also went to number 13 on the US Billboard R&B chart.

Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me

Today (January 30th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Somebody's Watching Me, the debut studio album from Rockwell. Born Kennedy William Gordy, Rockwell is the son of Motown founder and CEO Berry Gordy. The record went Gold in the US, reaching number 15 on the Billboard Album chart and number 5 on the Billboard R&B chart. It also went to number 52 in the UK and number 34 in Canada.

The Wiz (soundtrack) (35th anniversary)

Today (September 18th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the release of the motion picture soundtrack for The Wiz. This 1978 blockbuster musical boasted an all-star line-up that helped the record achieve great sales.

Click here for my full review of that album.

The Wiz (soundtrack)

Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.

On October 24th, 1978, a big budget Hollywood musical adaptation of popular Broadway musical The Wiz rolled into movie theatres. This urbanized-retelling of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz starred Diana Ross (as Dorothy), Michael Jackson (as the Scarecrow), Nipsey Russell (as the Tin Man), Ted Ross (as the Cowardly Lion), Mabel King (as Evilene, the Wicked Witch of the West), Lena Horne (as Glinda, the Good Witch of the South) and Richard Pryor (as the Wizard).

A few weeks prior, on September 18th, the double-record soundtrack album was released. This record went to number 40 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 33 on the Billboard R&B charts. Today, we will give it a listen.

Michael Jackson - Thriller (30th anniversary)

Today (November 30th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Thriller, the sixth solo album by legendary American R&B star Michael Jackson.

This record was a number 1 seller is so many countries (Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, the UK and the US). It has gone multi-Platinum the world over as well.

For my track by track full review, please click here.

Diana Ross - Silk Electric

Today (September 10th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of Silk Electric, the thirteenth solo album from Diana Ross. Following on the heels of two Platinum selling records, this one held its own fairly well on the charts. It went to number 44 in Canada, number 33 in the UK, number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 5 on the US Billboard R&B charts.

Remembering Michael Jackson

Today (August 29th) would have been the 54th birthday of the late Michael Jackson. His considered by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful entertainer of all time. He got his start as a performer in the late 1960's as part of a singing group with his older brothers in Gary, Indiana. Once the brothers were signed to the Motown Record label, their careers skyrocketed.

Whether you are a devout fan or thought his personal life was a bit on the crazy side, there is no denying the music he made over the years will be remembered for decades to come.

The Jackson 5 - ABC

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday. Today also happens to be the 53rd birthday of Tito Jackson (born in 1958), one of the musical brothers who made up the Jackson 5.

It is only fitting then to take a look at their second studio album ABC, released in 1970. The album went to number 4 on the US Billboard 200 album charts; more impressive it reached number one on the Billboard R&B album charts and stayed at that spot for an impressive twelve-week run. The record sold over 5.7 million copies worldwide.

The Jacksons - Triumph

On September 26th of 1980, the five brothers Jackson (Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Randy and Michael) released their thirteenth studio album Triumph. The record made it into the top ten on the Billboard Album chart (at number 10) and number 1 on the US R&B album charts; in the UK it went to number 13. World-wide it sold 1.9 million copies and generated five singles.

Michael Jackson - Bad

This past weekend marked the second anniversary of the death of one of pop music’s mega-stars. While some might feel put off by his personal life and questionable behavior, there is no denying that Michael Jackson put out some amazing records. And his seventh solo album Bad, released in 1987, was one of those disks.

The album has sold over 30 million copies to date world-wide; it has gone Platinum many times over. The record was a top-10 seller in all major markets in the world and went to number 1 in nearly all of them (it only reached number 2 in Australia). Nine of the eleven songs were released as singles. The album received six Grammy Award nominations, winning two. It was ranked number 202 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time list (surprisingly it does not appear on the magazine’s 100 Best Albums of the 80’s list).

Michael Jackson - Thriller

So much has already been said (and can still be said) about Michael Jackson's November 30th, 1982 release Thriller. This was his sixth solo album and without a doubt his most successful. It ranks as number 20 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list and as number 7 in their Top 100 Albums of the 80's list, and it appears on the 1001 Albums You Must Listen To Before You Die list.

Michael Jackson - Off The Wall

1979 - the end of a decade and the year I transitioned from Junior High School to High School. It was a time to start being more mature, more serious about my future - the last years of youth before approaching manhood.

It is only fitting, in a way, that Michael Jackson's Off The Wall came out that year. This album - which appears on "the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" list and on Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums of All-Time (it came it at #68) - was a coming of age album, if you will, for an artist who grew up in the public spotlight as I was going from a kid to a teenager. While not his first solo record (it was actually his fourth), it still was a big statement. This was his first huge, multi-platinum seller as an artist separate from the Jackson 5.