Michael Jackson, who passed away in 2009, is once again dominating global music charts and the box office.
There are no new songs or new performances, but a single film has triggered a simultaneous surge in the value of streaming, albums, and copyright. The "King of Pop," Michael Jackson, is now being seen as more than just a star of memories—he is being recognized as a mega-sized intellectual property (IP) that continues to generate revenue even after his death.
According to Billboard in the United States on May 12, Jackson's 1982 album "Thriller" and
his 2003 greatest hits album "Number Ones"
ranked 5th and 6th, respectively, on this week's main album chart, the Billboard 200.
It is extremely rare in the history of world music for two old albums by an artist who died 17 years ago to simultaneously enter the top 10.
With this, Jackson has become the only solo artist to have albums in the Billboard 200 Top 10
across six different decades, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
This goes beyond mere nostalgia; it demonstrates that Gen Z listeners are consuming Jackson's music on streaming platforms
as if it were brand-new content.
Biographical film "Michael" becomes a box office hit in North America... Surpasses "Bohemian Rhapsody"
The catalyst was the biographical film "Michael," which opened in North America on April 24 last month.
According to the Associated Press, the movie grossed $97 million (about 143.5 billion won) in its opening weekend in North America,
and $120.4 million (about 178.1 billion won) overseas, for a global total of $217.4 million (about 321.6 billion won).
This marks the highest-ever opening for a music biopic, surpassing "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2018).
Following the movie's success, the weekly streaming count for Jackson's solo tracks in the U.S.
soared by 146% to 137.5 million plays compared to the previous week.
Sales of the album "Thriller" surged by 425%, re-entering the Billboard charts, and
signature songs such as "Billie Jean" also climbed back into the Hot 100 rankings.
Forbes estimates posthumous earnings at 5 trillion won... Sony acquires half of rights
Even during his lifetime, Jackson viewed music not merely as a consumer product but as a "rights industry."
In 1985, he acquired the ATV music publishing rights, which included songs by The Beatles, for $47.5 million.
At the time, it was seen as an excessively expensive investment, but
the value of music copyrights has exploded over time.
In fact, in 2016, the Jackson estate sold its share of Sony/ATV for $750 million,
and in 2024, Sony Music acquired 50% of Jackson's recording and publishing rights for at least $600 million (about 887.8 billion won).
This deal valued the entire catalog at over $1.2 billion.
Forbes estimates that the cumulative posthumous earnings of the Jackson estate have reached about $3.5 billion (about 5.179 trillion won).
Now, the business of deceased stars goes far beyond producing tribute albums.
Music, as well as image, voice, dance, and even costumes, all become new content assets.
Jeff Jampol, CEO of music legacy management company JAM Inc., said in an interview with The Guardian (UK),
"This is not the music business, but the pop culture heritage business," adding,
"The moment you think it's just about music, you've already failed."
Fans consume stars in ways they wish to remember them, and the market turns those memories into products
Michael Jackson performing during the taping of the 'American Bandstand' 50th Anniversary Show held on April 20, 2002, in Pasadena, California, USA. Photo by AP Yonhap News
원본보기 아이콘Of course, Jackson's name also carries the shadow of allegations of child sexual abuse during his lifetime.
The film "Michael" also drew criticism for not directly addressing the controversies since the 1990s,
as the Jackson estate was involved in its co-production.
While some local reviews called it a "half-finished film," audience consumption continued to surge.
However, not all posthumous IPs achieve success.
For example, following Prince's death in 2016 without a will,
prolonged inheritance disputes sharply destabilized the value of his IP.
In contrast, the Whitney Houston estate partnered with Primary Wave
to launch a "Symphonic Tour" using artificial intelligence (AI)-based vocal restoration technology.
This marks an era in which deceased artists can return to the stage and generate revenue using AI technology.
Attorney Udo Owoneware of Brayan Krise
wrote in a column covering the Jackson estate's catalog sale dispute, "IP can provide revenue to heirs for a long time after an artist's death,
but the scale is unpredictable."
Bill Zysblat, co-founder of RZO and an estate management expert, also emphasized,
"The most important thing is to preserve the dignity of the music and the legacy," adding,
"If fans see the artist doing something in death that they would never have done in life, you will ultimately lose your super-fans."
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Reporter Lee Yiseul ssmoly6@asiae.co.kr
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Edit Kim Mina alskv@asiae.co.kr
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