Michael Jackson Dominates Billboard R&B Charts With His Own Hits

Michael Jackson continues to lead Billboard’s R&B charts months after the release of his biographical film Michael, even as the movie’s theatrical run slows. The renewed interest in the late singer’s music has kept several of his albums and songs at the top of multiple rankings, with Jackson effectively preventing his own releases from claiming additional No. 1 positions.

Thriller remains the top album on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart, extending its reign to a seventh consecutive week at No. 1. Although the legendary album first appeared on the chart in February 2017, it did not reach the summit until May following the release of Michael. The album has now spent seven of its 445 weeks on the chart in the top position.

Jackson’s Number Ones compilation continues to trail closely behind at No. 2, unable to overtake Thriller. If it eventually reaches the top spot, it would become Jackson’s third No. 1 album on the Top R&B Albums chart, joining Thriller and the posthumous release Xscape, which debuted at No. 1 several years after his death.

On Billboard’s R&B Streaming Songs chart, “Billie Jean” remains firmly at No. 1 for an eighth week, making it Jackson’s longest-running chart-topper on the ranking. The song has now surpassed the five-week run of “Thriller” and the single week achieved by his collaboration with Drake, “Don’t Matter to Me.”

The continued success of “Billie Jean” has kept another Jackson track, “Chicago,” from reaching the summit. The song, which was never officially released as a single, experienced a surge in popularity after the debut of the Michael biopic and has remained at No. 2 since first reaching that position on the chart dated June 6. Earlier, “Human Nature” also climbed to No. 2 but was similarly unable to replace “Billie Jean.”

Jackson’s dominance extends across Billboard’s broader R&B rankings. On the 25-position Top R&B Albums chart, he occupies five spots, with Thriller and Number Ones leading at Nos. 1 and 2. The Essential Michael Jackson climbs to No. 17, while Xscape and Bad appear at Nos. 23 and 25, respectively.

His influence is even more pronounced on the R&B Streaming Songs chart, where 10 of the 15 positions belong to Jackson. He also controls the top four places, with “Billie Jean,” “Chicago,” “Beat It,” and “Human Nature” ranked first through fourth, highlighting the enduring popularity of his catalog among streaming audiences.