The late King of Pop has made history once again as his iconic hit Thriller achieves an unprecedented milestone, propelling him to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time in six decades.
The track, which originally peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 in 1984, has now surged from No. 32 to No. 10 on the chart dated 15 November, earning Jackson a new record for chart longevity. With this achievement, the late pop legend becomes the first artist to have secured a top 10 position on the Hot 100 in six separate decades—spanning the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and now the 2020s.
This remarkable feat sees Jackson surpassing the late Andy Williams, who had charted in the top 10 across five decades, from the 1950s through the 2020s, thanks in part to his holiday classic It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
Jackson’s first top 10 hit came in November 1971 with Got to Be There, marking the beginning of a stellar solo career. Over the years, he racked up 30 top 10 singles, including 13 chart-topping hits. His last top 10 appearance prior to this week was in 2018, when he was featured on Drake’s Don’t Matter to Me.
Additionally, Jackson’s earlier work with the Jackson 5 made its mark on the Hot 100, with the group’s first top 10 hit, I Want You Back, landing in the top 10 on the final chart of the 1960s, dated 27 December 1969. At the time, Jackson was just 11 years old.
With Halloween marking the beginning of the 31 October – 6 November tracking week, Thriller saw an impressive 14 million official streams (a 57% increase week-on-week) and 9.3 million in radio airplay (up 124%). In the United States, it sold 3,000 copies (up 1%) according to Luminate.
Furthermore, Thriller has now become Jackson’s longest-charting Hot 100 hit, spending 26 weeks on the chart—surpassing other tracks from his Thriller album, including Billie Jean and Beat It, which each charted for 25 weeks starting in 1983.