Publicity Blitz Pays Off for Jackson’s Sales

Michael Jackson’s recent publicity blitz--highlighted by his highly rated ABC-TV interview Feb. 10 by Oprah Winfrey--has resulted in a dramatic chart resurgence of his 15-month-old “Dangerous” album.

The collection leaped from No. 26 to No. 12 on the nation’s pop album chart following the Winfrey appearance--selling more than 59,000 copies in the week, according to industry sources. The figure was almost twice the previous week’s total for the album, but it fell 168,000 units short of Whitney Houston’s “Bodyguard” soundtrack album, which is in its 13th week as the nation’s best-seller.

Jackson’s album, which has sold more than 4 million copies since its release in November, 1991, was slowly dropping down the charts, reaching No. 131 before the media campaign that also included a performance during the presidential inaugural festivities.

An appearance on the “American Music Awards” TV show last month helped boost sales for “Dangerous” from 11,500 to 21,000, a chart jump from No. 88 to No. 41. His subsequent performance at the Super Bowl pushed the album to the No. 26 slot with sales of 29,500.

Last week, Jackson’s prime-time interview with Winfrey nearly pushed “Dangerous” back into the Top 10.