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This Day in Black History: June 17, 1995

Michael and Janet Jackson's duet on "Scream" from Michael's ninth studio album, "HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I," reached #5 in its debut week on the pop charts, the highest debut of any single up to that time.

Pop icons Michael and Janet Jackson made pop history with their 1995 duet, "Scream." Released in late May with the corresponding record "Childhood," "Scream" reached the number five spot in its debut week on the pop charts, making it the highest debut of any single up to that time.

The song's aggressive lyrics have been considered an open letter to tabloids and the media regarding their non-stop coverage of the child sexual abuse allegations Michael faced in 1993. Frequent Jackson collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis teamed up with the brother-sister duo to write, compose and produce the popular record.

The record's award-winning music video also helped to catapult "Scream" to new heights. A whopping $7 million price tag placed the futuristic, black-and-white video in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive music video ever made at the time.

 

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(Photo: Epic Records)

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