# In 1982, Michael Jackson made the best-selling album ever. Elton John believed that was part of the problem

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1982-michael-jackson-made-the-best-selling-album-ever-elton-john-believed-that-was-part-of-the-problem/
- Published: 2026-10-24T02:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-24T03:09:43+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-1982-michael-jackson-made-the-best-selling-album-ever-elton-john-believed-that-was-part-of-the-problem/
- Topics: Art, Culture, Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- John said *Thriller* set an almost impossible standard.
- He urged Jackson to stop trying to outsell it.
- John’s own career taught him to accept change.

## Summary

Elton John believed the success of Michael Jackson’s *Thriller* created pressure for Jackson to surpass an almost impossible benchmark. John said records of that scale come along once in a lifetime, and that artists eventually need to find their feet rather than keep trying to top them.

The article says John admired Jackson from his days with the Jackson 5 and regarded *Thriller* as an exceptional pop album. It presents John’s own career as context: when *Rock of the Westies* sold less than his other work, he was willing to change direction instead of trying to recreate *Goodbye Yellow Brick Road*. The article gives no sales figures.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.