Michael Jackson Is First Artist To Chart in the Top 10 Across Six Decades
With his iconic track “Thriller” rising to No. 10 following Halloween.
Summary
- Michael Jackson is the first artist to score a Hot 100 Top 10 hit in six different decades
- His song “Thriller” re-entered the Top 10 at No. 10, breaking the record previously held by Andy Williams
- The surge was driven by a 57% increase in streams due to the Halloween holiday
Michael Jackson has achieved a remarkable new record for chart longevity, becoming the first artist in history to rank in the Billboard Hot 100‘s Top 10 across six distinct decades. This historic milestone was cemented when his iconic song “Thriller” climbed from No. 32 to No. 10 on the chart dated November 15.
The King of Pop, who passed away in 2009, now boasts Top 10 placements in the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, ’10s, and the current ’20s. This achievement surpasses Andy Williams‘ previous record of five decades. Jackson’s solo debut in the Top 10 was with “Got To Be There” in November 1971. Throughout his career, he has accumulated an impressive 30 Top 10 hits, including 13 No. 1s. His most recent Top 10 appearance before “Thriller’s” resurgence was as a featured artist on Drake’s “Don’t Matter to Me” in 2018.
The renewed success of “Thriller” was largely driven by the Halloween holiday, which marked the beginning of the tracking week. According to Luminate, the song garnered 14 million official streams with a 57% week-over-week increase, and also saw a significant boost in radio airplay. Furthermore, “Thriller” is now Jackson’s longest-charting Hot 100 hit, having spent 26 weeks on the chart, surpassing both “Billie Jean” and “Beat It.”
Relive the classic track “Thriller” by the late King of Pop above.
