Michael Jackson Misses U.K. No. 1 as Gracie Abrams Debuts on Top

Michael Jackson’s compilation album The Essential has come close to reclaiming the top spot on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, climbing from No. 4 to No. 2 this week. The collection continues to benefit from renewed interest following the success of the Michael biopic, but its latest bid for No. 1 has been halted by Gracie Abrams’ new album Daughter from Hell, which debuts at the summit.

A return to the top would have marked a major milestone for Jackson, giving The Essential a record-extending 10th week at No. 1 on the Official Albums Chart. No album from the late pop icon has ever spent that many weeks leading the U.K.’s main albums ranking.

Abrams secures her second U.K. No. 1 album with Daughter from Hell. She previously reached the top with The Secret of Us two summers ago. Her debut album, Good Riddance, peaked at No. 3 in March 2023, while The Secret of Us – Live from Radio City and Minor reached Nos. 74 and 51, respectively.

The Essential most recently topped the Official Albums Chart on the ranking dated May 14 after the release of the Michael biopic became a box office success. The compilation remained at No. 1 for two consecutive weeks before slipping from the summit. During the 10-week period since its return, the album has spent six weeks at No. 2 and has remained inside the chart’s top two for most of that run.

The compilation has already rewritten Jackson’s personal chart history. Earlier this year, The Essential surpassed Thriller as his longest-running No. 1 album on the Official Albums Chart. Thriller previously held the record with eight weeks at the top before The Essential matched and then exceeded that total.

While it narrowly missed No. 1 on the main albums chart, The Essential continues to dominate the Official Albums Streaming Chart. The compilation remains in first place for a ninth week, making it Jackson’s only release to lead the streaming-focused ranking. Although it first appeared on the chart in May 2015, it did not reach No. 1 until this May and has remained among the top two ever since.

Jackson also maintains a strong presence across multiple U.K. charts this week. Alongside The Essential, both Thriller and Bad appear on the Official Albums Chart and the Official Albums Streaming Chart. Meanwhile, Number Ones, Off the Wall and Michael – Songs from the Motion Picture continue to feature on other U.K. album rankings, extending the singer’s enduring chart success.