Michael Jackson’s Thriller hits incredible milestone decades after release

12 May 2026, 17:26

The iconic album has returned to the charts once again as renewed interest in Michael Jackson’s music continues following the success of the new biopic.

More than 40 years after its original release, Michael Jackson's Thriller is still making music history.

The legendary 1982 album has reached a rare new milestone on the Billboard charts, as renewed interest in the singer’s music continues following the success of the 2026 biopic Michael.

According to Forbes, Thriller has now spent 500 weeks on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart — a ranking that tracks pure album purchases across physical formats and digital downloads in the US.

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The album climbed from number 48 to number seven this week, marking one of its strongest chart performances in years.

The renewed surge comes as audiences continue flocking to cinemas to watch Michael, the new biographical film based on Jackson’s life and career.

The film has also boosted interest in the accompanying soundtrack album, Michael: Songs From the Motion Picture, which has debuted across multiple Billboard charts.

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Jackson’s catalogue has seen a major resurgence overall, with several of his classic albums returning to the rankings simultaneously.

Alongside Thriller, his 2003 compilation album Number Ones climbed from number 38 to number 12, narrowly missing the top 10.

Off the Wall, released in 1979, also returned to the chart at number 19, while 1987's Bad re-entered at number 37.

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Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart focuses entirely on traditional purchases rather than streaming numbers, making the achievement especially notable in an era dominated by digital listening.

Only a handful of albums have ever remained on the chart for more than 500 weeks.

At present, Forbes reports there are only four titles currently on the chart that have passed the milestone. Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers leads with 742 weeks, followed by Creedence Clearwater Revival's Chronicle with 562 weeks and Nirvana's Nevermind with 510.

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Another classic record is expected to join the list soon, with Fleetwood Mac's Rumours currently sitting at 495 weeks.

Originally released in 1982, Thriller remains one of the biggest-selling albums of all time and includes tracks such as 'Billie Jean', 'Beat It', and 'Thriller'.

The album also returned to several other Billboard rankings this week, including the Billboard 200, Vinyl Albums chart and Top Streaming Albums chart.

Watch the trailer for Michael

Forbes reported that Thriller broke into the streaming chart’s top 10 for the first time after jumping straight to number 10.

The renewed chart success comes more than 15 years after Jackson’s death in 2009, showing the continued global appetite for his music across both older audiences and newer generations discovering his catalogue for the first time.

The success of the Michael film appears to have introduced many younger listeners to Jackson’s music, while long-time fans have also revisited his biggest releases.

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