Artist page · 2026-05-23
About
Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory — five studio LPs that reshaped pop, with original Epic pressings still widely traded.
Seventh of nine children, Michael Joseph Jackson started professionally aged eleven with the Jackson 5 at Motown, then launched a parallel solo career in 1971 with Got To Be There. The move to Epic and the encounter with Quincy Jones produced Off The Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987) and Dangerous (1991), four studio LPs that anchor the discography along with HIStory (1995) and Invincible (2001).
The vinyl trail follows two distinct eras: Motown LPs from 1972 to 1975, then the Epic run from 1979 onward, regularly re-pressed and now reissued on Epic/Legacy. Original US and European pressings remain widely available, while certain Japanese editions sit at the higher end of the market.
Discography
Studio albums, EPs and notable live records, in chronological order. Drag the timeline to browse.
Motown · 1972
Motown · 1972
Motown · 1973
Motown · 1975
Epic · 1979
MCA Records · 1982
Epic · 1982
Motown · 1984
Epic · 1987
Epic · 1991
Epic · 1997
Epic · 2001
ZYX Music · 2009
Epic · 2010
Epic · 2011
MJJ Music · 2014Playlist
The tracks that sum up Michael Jackson's career.
The essentials
Our pick, validated by the editorial team.
Nine tracks produced with Quincy Jones, from Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' to Billie Jean and Beat It. The 2016 Epic reissue keeps the original A/B sequencing intact.
The Epic debut: ten tracks of disco, boogie, funk and ballads, opened by Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough. The 2016 Epic/Legacy reissue restores the original tracklist.
Eleven tracks including The Way You Make Me Feel, Man In The Mirror, Dirty Diana and Smooth Criminal. Original Epic pressings circulate between Europe and the US, alongside the 2016 reissue.
Collectors
The hidden side of the catalogue: rare pressings, sought-after matrices, Discogs values.
| Album | Edition | Country · Year | Matrix | Rarity | Avg. price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xscape Xscape | Album | Mexico | 888430722125 | Original pressing | |
| Xscape Xscape | Album, Unofficial Release | Russia | 4607147916131, 33808 | Standard edition | |
| Invincible Invincible | Album, Stereo | Japan | EICP 20 | Original pressing | 23,21 € |
| Invincible Invincible | Album, Stereo | Japan | EICP 20 | Japanese pressing | 7,99 € |
| Dangerous Dangerous | Album, Stereo | US | EK 45400 | Original pressing | 1,52 € |
| Dangerous Dangerous | LP, Album, Stereo | Philippines | QELLP-25318 | Standard edition | |
| Bad Bad | LP, Album, Stereo | Europe | EPC 450290 1 | Original pressing | 5,00 € |
| Bad Bad | LP, Album | US | E 40600, OE 40600 | Standard edition | 20,64 € |
Face B
Studio secrets, touring anecdotes and B-sides worth the whole album.
Born in Gary, Indiana on 29 August 1958, Michael Jackson joined the family group at the Detroit label and released his first solo LP, Got To Be There, on Motown in 1972, aged thirteen. Four studio albums followed at Motown through 1975.
From Off The Wall in 1979 to Bad in 1987, three Epic LPs produced with Quincy Jones reshaped the pop ecosystem. Thriller (1982) lines up nine tracks; Bad (1987) brings eleven. The trio defines the heart of the catalog.
Original 1987 Bad pressings exist in a European edition (cat. EPC 450290 1) and a US edition (E 40600 / OE 40600). The 2016 Epic and Epic/Legacy reissues of Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad now sit alongside earlier copies on the second-hand market.
Invincible closed the studio chapter in 2001 with sixteen tracks. After 2009, Michael (2010) and Xscape (2014, eight tracks including Love Never Felt So Good) extended the catalog from unreleased sessions, before the announced Songs From The Motion Picture LP.
Thriller, with sales estimated between 65 and 108 million copies, stands as the best-selling album in recorded music history.— Recurring industry estimate
Nearly 7 million listeners and more than 377 million plays logged on streaming trackers, with Billie Jean alone past 27 million plays. Beat It, Thriller and Rock With You round out a top five anchored by Off The Wall and Thriller.
Go further
Artists who share part of Michael Jackson's musical DNA.
Official store
T-shirts, posters, accessories and limited editions.
FAQ
The most common questions about pressings, reissues and limited editions.
Michael Joseph Jackson was born on 29 August 1958 in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. He died on 25 June 2009 in Los Angeles, California, at age fifty.
Five Epic LPs structure the catalog: Off The Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995). Invincible followed in 2001, with Michael (2010) and Xscape (2014) released posthumously.
Quincy Jones co-produced Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad, the three LPs that defined the late-seventies to late-eighties sound. From Dangerous onward, Michael Jackson worked with other producers including Teddy Riley.
The original 1987 European pressing carries Epic cat. EPC 450290 1, while the US edition uses E 40600 / OE 40600. The widely circulated 2016 reissue is on Epic and clearly identified on the back cover and labels.
Japanese editions tend to fetch the highest prices, with some Invincible copies (cat. EICP 20) listed above 20 euros. Certain Off The Wall variants also reach a high envelope, while standard US and European pressings stay affordable.
French independent record stores in Paris, Lyon, Lille, Bordeaux and Marseille regularly stock the Epic/Legacy reissues. Online, Vinyles.com compares offers across multiple retailers shipping to France in real time.
Yes: the 2016 Epic and Epic/Legacy editions of Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad are pressed to current audiophile standards, easy to find through French retailers, and priced below most original 1979–1987 copies in clean condition.
Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller, Rock With You, Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, P.Y.T., Smooth Criminal, Remember The Time, Human Nature and Black Or White consistently lead listening data and frame the essential tracklists.
Transparency
This page is compiled by the vinyles.com editorial team from public sources and our marketplace.
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