If you grew up listening to Michael Jackson, you already know his music never really went away. But what is happening right now on the charts? That is something else entirely.
For the week of May 8 through May 14, the King of Pop became Spotify’s Top Global Artist. It is the first time he has ever held that title, and he has been gone for 17 years.
The surge is being driven by Michael, a new biographical film about Jackson’s life. Since the movie hit theaters last month, his classic songs have been climbing the charts again. “Billie Jean” (a song you likely remember from 1983) recently hit number one on the Billboard Global 200. That makes it the biggest song in the world right now, more than 43 years after it was first released.
The film itself is also a massive hit. Heading into its fourth week in theaters, Michael has grossed over $283 million at the box office, according to IMDB. That success made Jackson the first artist of 2025 to hold the number-one song and the number-one movie at the same time.
A Place in the History Books — Again
As of May 18, Jackson also reached number one on Billboard’s Artist 100. He is only the sixth artist ever to top that chart after his passing. The others who have done it are David Bowie, Prince, XXXTentacion, Juice WRLD, and Pop Smoke.
Beyond “Billie Jean,” several more of his songs are back on the Billboard Hot 100. “Human Nature” climbed to number 29, “Beat It” landed at number 32, and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” came in at number 42.
Songs you danced to decades ago are sitting right alongside today’s biggest hits. That says something about the music, and about the generation that never stopped loving it.