In the age of music streaming, the number of downloads and plays on Spotify dictates the success of a musician. Given that music apps like Spotify and Apple Music have made many musicians more accessible to more people, artists are getting more streams than ever. While this is impressive, no artist will ever obtain the same level of success as Michael Jackson.
The first music streaming platform was Napster, which launched in 1999, but was forced to shut down in 2001. Soon after that, iTunes was created, as well as Spotify in 2013. Streaming has changed the way we perceive success in the music industry. Artists now have to campaign for listens on social media through TikTok for a trending song.
However, it used to be word of mouth, radio play and appearances on shows that helped artists.
The most-streamed artist on Spotify in 2024 was Taylor Swift, with 26.6 billion streams, and was announced as the most-streamed artist on Apple Music. This year, Swift also broke the record for album sales in the first week of "The Life of a Showgirl's" release. While these two records alone are amazing accomplishments, one cannot ignore how different it is to be a musician today. The impact Jackson had on an album release without social media cannot be replicated today.
When Jackson released his hit album “Thriller” in 1982, it changed the trajectory of the rest of his career. In 1993, album sales were not as closely tracked as they are today, but by the end of 1993, the album had sold 32 million copies alone. This is without social media or a multitude of variants of the same album. Just last week, the album appeared on the Billboard charts once again with the release of the “Michael” trailer.
In 1993, Jackson changed the Super Bowl Halftime show to what we know it is now. Before he performed at the game, it was just college bands to entertain the spectators during halftime. Now every year, people tune in not to watch the actual football game but to watch commercials and the halftime show.
Jackson's performance is the most-watched halftime performance in history with 133.1 million viewers. The NFL’s pick to put Jackson on during the halftime show cemented the show in history and helped establish a new milestone for all artists to achieve.
Almost no other artist could catapult the halftime show into the success it is now except Jackson. He was and still is such a huge artist that even a remote tribe in the Amazon knew who he was when shown a photo of him.
His longevity in music is another reason why no artist will be able to live up to his reputation. The trailer release of the “Michael” movie racked up more than 116 million views in the first 24 hours, and it was only the teaser trailer of the upcoming movie. Jackson is also now the only artist to score a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 in six different decades.
Jackson continues to break records and set the standard for artists, even in death. In the time that he was alive, he was able to set records without using social media for promo and with only one variant of the same album.
While artists in this day and age are certainly talented and deserve their own praise for their records, selling 30 variants of the same record does not equate to the fame and success that Jackson achieved. Michael Jackson was named the “King of Pop,” and that title was well deserved, given the legacy he left on the music industry.
Cassie is a senior studying communications at Ohio University. Please note the views expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Cassie? Email her at cb086021@ohio.edu.
