A leap of “Faith”

“Faith” was Michael’s first solo album released in October 1987 via Columbia Records/Epic Records and according to an “AllMusic” review was described as a “superbly crafted mainstream pop/rock masterpiece”. It won several awards including the Grammy Awards for Album of the Year in 1989. The album sold over 20 million copies worldwide and received diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. In 2003, the album was ranked number 480 on the Rolling Stone’s “500 greatest Albums of All Time” and in 2012 it ranked at 472 on an updated list by the magazine. It evidently entered the R&B chart at #1 making it the first album by a Caucasian artist to hit the top spot as a consequence of the strong R&B/Funk elements on the album. The album’s prestigious success was a sign that US record sales were recovering, a trend that was confirmed by the equally enigmatic accomplishment of Michael Jackson’s “Bad”. By the end of 1988, the industry had sold millions of albums, an increase of approximately one percent.  Compared with record sales in 1987, this showed a two percent increase.