Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” and his Number Ones compilation both reach new peaks on different Billboard charts before his biopic arrived in theaters. LANDOVER, UNITED STATES: American pop music star Michael Jackson sings 13 October 1988 at the Capital Center in Landover, Maryland. AFP PHOTO/Luke FRAZZA (Photo credit should read LUKE FRAZZA/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
The next few weeks will likely be huge for Michael Jackson on the Billboard charts. His self-titled musical biopic, the long-awaited Michael, hit theaters on Friday (April 24), and it seems like it’s headed for a huge opening weekend at the box office.
Michael comes accompanied with a soundtrack of the same name, which may launch on multiple charts after its first full tracking week finishes. Before that title arrives, interest in Jackson’s catalog has grown considerably, and multiple songs and albums will likely find their way back to several rosters – and some may even hit new highs or debut on tallies they’ve never appeared on before.
Jackson’s fans got a head start on supporting the music he left behind before the movie arrived, and this week, both a smash by Jackson and one of his most beloved compilations climb to never-before-seen peaks on different Billboard charts.
Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” Reaches a New Peak
Only two singles by Michael Jackson appear on any tally published by the music magazine and chart compiler, and one which only lives on one roster establishes a new high. “Beat It” reenters the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. at No. 163. In only its third turn on that ranking, the classic Thriller cut sits higher than at any point in the past.
Michael Jackson’s Number Ones Hits a Streaming Peak
Number Ones, a compilation that includes many of his most beloved smashes, ascends ever so slightly on the Top Streaming Albums chart. On that roster, the set pushes from No. 28 to No. 27 less than three months into its tenure on that roster, which looks at the most-consumed full-lengths and EPs in the United States, specifically on streaming sites like Spotify, Apple Music, and others. That’s a new all-time peak for the title.
“Billie Jean” Climbs on Multiple Global Charts
While “Beat It” lives only on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. – which measures the most popular tracks all around the planet, except streams and sales from American listeners are completely ignored – another one of Jackson’s career-defining singles can be found on multiple rosters. “Billie Jean,” another Thriller hit, is joined on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. by “Beat It,” and the former climbs to No. 70. At the same time, the single falls nearly 10 spaces to No. 83 on the Billboard Global 200, where consumption by American listeners does matter.
Unlike “Beat It,” “Billie Jean” is also a win on American tallies. The smash holds at No. 10 on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart and slides backward one slot to No. 15 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales rundown.
Michael Jackson’s Number Ones Lives on Multiple Lists
Meanwhile, Number Ones appears on more rankings than any piece of music by Jackson at the moment, as it settles onto half a dozen lists. Amazingly, the Number Ones compilation can be found inside the top 40 on each and every one of them.
This frame, Number Ones holds on inside the top 10 on both the Top R&B Albums (No. 4) and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (No. 7) charts, though it declines by a single slot on those registers. Number Ones is steady on both the Vinyl Albums (No. 19) list and the Billboard 200 (No. 23). In addition to the Top Streaming Albums chart, where Number Ones hits its new peak, the compilation also grows from No. 24 to No. 17 on the Top Album Sales tally.
Michael Jackson’s Thriller Returns Ahead of Michael Film
LONDON – NOVEMBER 15: Singer Michael Jackson performs on stage during the 2006 World Music Awards at Earls Court on November 15, 2006 in London. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Jackson doubles up on two of those lists, as Thriller is once again a top performer in America. Just ahead of the Michael movie landing in thousands of movie theaters around the world, Thriller climbs to No. 13 on the Vinyl Albums chart and from No. 26 to No. 18 on the Top Album Sales roster.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2026/04/26/michael-jacksons-classic-hit-single-dances-to-a-new-chart-peak/
