Highest selling studio album - Thriller by Michael Jackson

Released November 30, 1982

Recorded - April 1981 - November 1982

Westlake Recording Studios

(Los Angeles, California)

Length 42:19 (Album Version)

73:06 (2001 Special Edition)

Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall. Thriller explores similar genres to those of Off the Wall, including funk, disco, soul, R&B, and pop. Thriller's lyrics deal with themes including paranoia and the supernatural.

With a production budget of $750,000, recording sessions took place between April and November 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. Assisted by producer Quincy Jones, Jackson wrote four of Thriller's nine tracks. Following the release of the album's first single "The Girl Is Mine", some observers assumed Thriller would only be a minor hit record. With the release of the second single "Billie Jean", the album topped the charts in many countries. At its peak, the album was selling a million copies a week worldwide. In just over a year, Thriller became—and currently remains—the best-selling album of all time. Additionally, according to official RIAA estimates, merely on shipments, the album is approaching 30 million abums sold in the United States alone. Achieving this sales status will make it the first and only album to be certified Triple Diamond in the US. Furthermore, it would officially become the highest selling album in the US, surpassing the album that currently holds that title, Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) by The Eagles. Worldwide sales of the album are estimated to be as low as 70 million and as high as 110 million, with additional totals from singles being sold is estimated to be over 100 million copies worldwide. Seven of the album's nine songs were released as singles, and all reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards at the 1984 Grammys.

Thriller cemented Jackson's status as one of the predominant pop stars of the late 20th century, and enabled him to break down racial barriers via his appearances on MTV and meetings with President Ronald Reagan at the White House. The album was one of the first to use music videos as successful promotional tools—the videos for "Thriller", "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" all received regular rotation on MTV. In 2001, a special edition issue of the album was released, which contains additional audio interviews, a demo recording and the song "Someone In the Dark", which was a Grammy-winning track from the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial storybook. In 2008, the album was reissued again as Thriller 25, containing re-mixes that feature contemporary artists, a previously unreleased song and a DVD.

Thriller ranked number 20 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2003, and was listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers at number three in its Definitive 200 Albums of All Time. Thriller was preserved by the Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry, as it was deemed "culturally significant".

Bolt backed for 2012 sprint treble

Usain Bolt has been tipped to extend his domination of sprinting events by adding the 400 metres to his collection of world records.

Derek Redmond, who struck 4x400m gold at the 1991 World Championships, believes the Jamaican superstar - who already holds the world record and the Olympic and world titles at 100 and 200m, could finish first over all three distances at the London Olympics in 2012. Redmond, speaking at the Youth Sport Trust Young Ambassador Conference, believes Michael Johnson's world record mark of 43.18 seconds for the 400m will also fall.

"My prediction for Usain Bolt is that he will become the first person to hold world records at 100m, 200m and 400m at the same time," he said. "He started life as a 400m runner and I heard a rumour that his people wanted to find out what the timetable would be for 2012 so that he could have a chance of doing all three events."

Redmond added: "Whether he will or not remains to be seen, but I think he will start running 400m and if he gets it right he will set the world record for that as well.

"He could manage all three at a major championships. It would be tough but people have done the 800m and 1500m before, as well as the 400m and 800m. It can be done depending on the timetable, but it certainly won't be easy.

"If anyone can do it, it's him, but so much would depend on whether the format of 2012 would allow him to do it."

Redmond believes it is only a matter of time before Bolt betters the 9.58secs record he set for the 100m at the World Championships in Berlin last month.

"Bolt is awesome, a phenomenon. He's so relaxed and natural," he said.

"He's unbelievable and every time he steps onto the track you don't know what he's going to do. People expect him to break world records each time.

"I think he can run 9.55 because he still looks likes he's easing up with 10 or so metres to go. There's definitely more to come."

Copyright © 2009 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

Skydivers attempt Everest record

Three skydivers have completed what they hope is a record breaking jump next to Mount Everest, landing at the world's highest drop zone.

The parachutists - two Britons and an Indian - jumped from an altitude of 6,154m to land at the sandy plateau of Gorak Shep, 5,165m above sea level.

The skydivers said they faced high winds and freezing temperatures during the three-minute jump.

But they said that it was thrilling to pass so close to Mount Everest.

'Fantastic mountains'

The BBC's Joanna Jolly in Kathmandu says skydiving trips next to Everest have been operating for the past year, but this was the first jump to land above 5,000m.

Leo Dickinson (centre), Ralph Mitchell, right and Indian army officer Ramesh Tripathi

The trio say their drop was an exhilarating experience

One of the men who took part, British filmmaker Leo Dickinson, said he believed Gorak Shep was the highest landing zone in the world. He hopes to register the feat with Guinness World Records when he returns home.

A spokeswoman for Guinness World Records said that they were aware of the record breaking attempt, but the jump has not yet been officially recognised as a record.

Mr Dickinson said that he saw "a panorama of fantastic mountains" after he jumped, in addition to getting a glimpse of Mount Everest before opening his parachute.

The divers were in free fall for about five seconds before deploying their parachutes and gliding down to the landing zone. All three are experienced skydivers.

The Nepalese government recently allowed skydiving in the Everest region because it adds to the list of activities that the country has to offer tourists in advance of Visit Nepal Year in 2011.

Tourism is one of the Nepal's biggest money earners with tens thousands of foreigners coming every year to trek in the Himalayas.