Five Burning Questions About Michael Jackson Swarming the Charts After ‘Michael’ Film Success

Historically speaking, Michael Jackson storming the Billboard charts is the least surprising thing in the world: Jackson spent virtually his entire career making Billboard history with the astronomical success of his album, singles and tours. But few likely expected going into 2026, nearly 17 years since his 2009 passing, that he would once again be one of the most impactful pop stars on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200.

On the former chart (dated May 16), Jackson notches four entries in the top 50 this week — led by “Billie Jean” at No. 17 — thanks to revived streaming interest in his catalog following the popularity of the box office-topping Michael biopic. Meanwhile, he also notches two sets in the 200’s top 10, with his game-changing Thriller album ranking at No. 5 and his hits compilation Number Ones at No. 6.

How surprising is it to see MJ taking over the charts again? And who could be the next pop legend to receive such a catalog-boosting biopic? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.

1. Michael Jackson charts four songs on the Hot 100 this week, as well as two albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200. On a scale from 1-10, how surprised are you at the chart presence he’s having following the debut of the Michael movie?

Christopher Claxton: I’d say a 2; I’m not surprised at all. Michael Jackson is called the King of Pop for a reason, and a big part of that is how timeless his music is. The songs are so infectious that it’d honestly be hard to watch the movie, or even just the trailer and not immediately revisit the classics afterward.

Angel Diaz: A 1, because Michael Jackson remains a pop culture phenomenon, and one of the most famous people on the planet. It’s one of the least surprising things ever. 

Lyndsey Havens: 3 — I’m not terribly surprised. The movie provided an opportunity for two things: to bring MJ’s hits-fits catalog top of mind and give permission for it to be celebrated. And it accomplished both, which is what we’re seeing on the charts this week. 

Carl Lamarre: A 3. Michael was universally beloved. From the moonwalk to Thriller, Michael’s musical abilities were majestic and generational. That’s why his continued success and longevity continue to rain down on pop culture. I mean, there are still Michael Jackson copycats running around Vegas. Fabio Jackson was just in Ye’s “FATHER” video. From a cultural standpoint, the King of Pop never vacated his throne, even after his untimely demise 17 years ago.

Andrew Unterberger: I’ll say a 6. I mean, now that we know that the movie is as big as it is it’s certainly not as surprising — though the fact that his numbers are still growing two and a half weeks into the movie being out is pretty wow. But if you had asked me before the movie’s release if it was likely to have this kind of impact, I probably would’ve bet against it.

2. What do you think is the bigger factor behind MJ’s new streaming bump — old fans rediscovering his catalog, or new fans coming to his music for the first time? 

Christopher Claxton: The Michael movie definitely reminded longtime fans of what they’d been missing, pushing many people back toward his catalog. But I think the biggest factor behind MJ’s streaming surge is actually new fans discovering his music for the first time, more than older fans revisiting it.

At this point, there are probably more potential new MJ listeners than older ones, simply because of how long ago his peak era was. According to Screen Engine and Comscore, 58% of opening-week moviegoers were under 35, with viewers ages 18–34 making up around 55% of the audience. A lot of younger people never grew up with these records in real time. Movies like this open the door to an entirely new world of music, introducing a new generation to the hits of the past.

Angel Diaz: I think it’s a mix of both. He still has stans out there, and I think it’s as simple as just folks revisiting his music after getting hyped once they get home from the movies. Then there’s the younger generation who get to tap in easier because of streaming and are Christopher Columbusing his catalog, so brace yourselves for social media deep dives about s–t we know already. I mean, these kids are trying to compare him to various artists in terms of popularity and talent. 

Lyndsey Havens: Definitely older fans, but mostly because I can’t imagine that this film would be an introduction for anyone. MJ’s music is so seeped into music and cultural history that I guess I would think anybody who has stepped outside has encountered it to some degree.

Carl Lamarre: A combination of both. I went to the movies on Mother’s Day to see Michael with Mama Lamarre, and I must say, there were people of all ages in the theater vibing to MJ’s classics. Nostalgia will always have a home for us Uncs and Aunties. As for the younger crowd, they love finding reasons to surf through the oldies. Michael’s legacy is currently feeding everyone.

Andrew Unterberger: The longer the bump lasts, the more it feels like new audiences are coming into the fold. As crazy as it seems to imagine anyone not already being familiar with MJ’s catalog, his death was nearly two decades ago, and the times his name has been in headlines in the years since haven’t always been for positive reasons. Having this kind of heavy spotlight purely on his peak years and the timeless music from them is I’m confident converting a lot of new fans.

3. “Billie Jean” is currently the best-performing song of the revived bunch — does that make sense to you as his most actively revived hit, or do you think another song might eventually take it over? 

Christopher Claxton: I think “Billie Jean” being the best-performing song from his revived catalog makes perfect sense. It spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1983 and is widely considered one of the greatest songs ever made. Right now, I feel like the only tracks that could really compete with it are “Beat It” or “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough,” all they’d need is a viral dance challenge. But honestly, that’s the thing with Michael Jackson’s catalog: he has so many timeless hits that almost any song could take over again at any moment.

Angel Diaz: This is interesting because I have been seeing the famous clip of him doing to moonwalk for the first time during the Motown 25 show back in ‘83, so this explains it. The kids are rediscovering things which are equal parts cool and equal parts annoying because they try to talk like they were there. 

Lyndsey Havens: That one surprises me, as much as I love it. And without having seen the film, I’m not sure in what context it plays, which could be contributing to it leading the way. But what surprises me most is that of the four songs that re-entered the chart, “Human Nature” is the only one that never hit No. 1 (it peaked at No. 7) and yet, it’s the one that’s trailing “Billie Jean” as of now.

Carl Lamarre: Toss-up for me between “Billie Jean” and “Thriller.” People are probably returning to “Billie Jean” mainly because of his legendary performance at Motown 25, where he birthed the moonwalk. Hate to play spoiler, but for those who saw the movie, that moment was special. I can see people running back to the song off that performance alone.

Andrew Unterberger: I might’ve expected “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” to be the song with the biggest bump, just from the showcase moment it got in the movie, where it’s (understandably) presented as him just reaching a higher plane as a recording artist. But “Billie Jean” is “Billie Jean,” and often with these full-catalog artist bumps, it’s the biggest song that benefits the most.

4. Two and a half weeks into the movie’s release and MJ’s songs are still climbing on streaming — how much longer can this last? Do you think the bump will die out in the next few weeks or could it possibly last into the summer? 

Christopher Claxton: Normally, I’d say this kind of hype would fade over the next few weeks, but summer is right around the corner. When the weather gets warm, people naturally gravitate toward upbeat, feel-good music and songs they can dance to, and Michael Jackson’s catalog embodies that energy perfectly. So while the tracks might not stay as high on the charts as they are right now, I don’t see them falling off completely anytime soon.

Angel Diaz: I’m going to expect this trend to last into the summer because there’s people that aren’t going to see it until it hits streaming, and once it hits streaming, it’s going to hit the black market, and that’s when everybody is really going to see it, which then means everybody is going to revisit the catalogue and that’s when we’re really going to start getting the hot takes. I already saw someone trying to say Bad is better than Thriller. 

Lyndsey Havens: I think it could last into summer, with the potential for more uptempo classics like “Beat It” (currently No. 32) to rise higher — especially once the film hits streamers. 

Carl Lamarre: I give it until mid-June. In the meantime, I love that the movie is giving people a reason to return to his discography while also serving as a welcome mat for newcomers. That’s the beauty of music: bringing everyone together.

Andrew Unterberger: I think the bump might crest in the next week or two but I bet the songs hang around on (or at least near) the charts for at least another month or so. Hell, Coachella was three weeks ago now and Justin Bieber is still No. 1 on the Global 200. Once these event-based bumps happen now — especially at this scale — they don’t dissipate quickly.

5. Who do you think could (or should) be the next musical legend to have their catalog exploded by a new feature biopic like this? 

Christopher Claxton: This is a tough question, but I’d probably say Marvin Gaye. His impact on soul and Motown music is undeniable, and his influence still echoes through modern R&B today. Stevie Wonder is another strong choice. His influence stretches across pop, R&B, soul, funk, rock, jazz, and even reggae. Few artists have shaped as many genres as he has.

Angel Diaz: 2Pac and Biggie deserve better biopics and I hope they get one everyone will be happy with eventually, but I’m going left field with this one and say the Queen of Grunge Tina Bell needs her story to be told and for her music to be more readily accessible.  

Lyndsey Havens: Madonna! Never too late to revive that one. Let’s also throw Stevie Nicks into the ring — who wouldn’t love that?

Carl Lamarre: Snoop. Though one is reportedly already in the works, I’m excited to see how it turns out. The younger generation knows Snoop for his various side quests and sometimes forgets about his Doggy Dogg magnificence on the mic. The same man cheffing with Martha Stewart was also a lethal MC holding down the entire West Coast through multiple eras. The Dogg needs his flowers.

Andrew Unterberger: Check Janet Jackson’s current streaming totals compared to Michael’s, and get that biopic in the works ASAP.