Jackson sales 'will top 2 million in year'

Michael Jackson's UK album sales in the run-up to Christmas are expected to top two million after record label Sony announced plans to release new LP This Is It.

Music retailers are reportedly expecting the album to become one of the biggest selling records of the season and believe it will renew interest in Jackson's back catalogue, according to Music Week.

"It will do phenomenally well," Play.com category manager for music Helen Marquis said. "His albums are still selling strongly, but having a new piece in the mix could have a phenomenal effect and it could reignite the catalogue."

HMV head of music Rudy Osorio added: "If you consider that hundreds of thousands of fans bought tickets to Michael's O2 shows and if you take into account the incredible lift in sales of Michael albums since his death, then you have to imagine this new release has a huge potential audience - one that could make it one of the biggest-selling albums of the Christmas period."

Jackson has so far shifted 1.55 million albums since he passed away in June. His biggest seller is The Essential, which accounts for 515,000 units sold.

Over 1.2 million Jackson singles have also been sold following his death, with 'Man In The Mirror' notching up 200,000 downloads.

Sony recently confirmed that new single 'This Is It' will be released on October 12. The album follows two weeks later and coincides with the release of the movie of the same name, which follows the late singer preparing for his planned 50-date London residency.