‘Thriller’ Scored the Late King of Pop in the Top Ten for Six Straight Decades
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” rose from the 32nd spot to the 10th spot on the Billboard Hot 100, earning the late legendary singer a new chart longevity record. Jackson became the first artist to rank in the top ten for six straight decades, from the 70s to the 2020s, even after his death in 2009. He surpassed the late Andy Williams (passed in 2012) who had ranked in the top ten for five decades.
Jackson had first reached the top ten section of the Billboard Hot 100 list in November 1971 with his own debut, “Got To Be There.” Jackson holds an impressive score of thirty top ten placements and thirteen number one placements. Jackson last ranked in the top ten when he was featured in Drake’s 2018 song “Don’t Matter To Me”, until last week.
The Jackson 5, Jackson’s previous family band and first band at age eleven, spent their first week in the top ten placement of the Hot 100 list on December 27th, 1969 with their revolutionary hit “I Want You Back”. It was the final chart of the 60s.
“Thriller” to this day still reigns over the Halloween season, this year drawing 14 million streams, 9.3 million in radio airplay, and selling 3,000 in the United States (Luminate).
The song one-ups other classics such as “Billie Jean” and “Beat It”, and now Jackson’s longest-charting Hot 100 hit single, lasting 26 weeks. In 1983, “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” spent 25 weeks on the Hot 100.
Photo Credits: michaeljackson.com, criticofmusic.com
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