“Billie Jean” becomes Michael Jackson’s second song to spend at least a year — 52 weeks or more — on the main singles list in the U.K. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, BRUNEI – JULY, 1996: American singer, songwriter, and dancer Michael Jackson (1958-2009) performs on stage during a concert for the 50th birthday of Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei circa July, 1996 at the Jerudong Park Amphitheatre in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. (Photo by Bill Nation/Sygma via Getty Images)
Getty Images
There are so many hit songs included in Michael Jackson’s discography that it would be tough to pick only one and call it the biggest. A handful may be considered signature smashes, with titles like “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “Thriller” and perhaps dozens of others ranking among the late superstar’s bestselling and most-streamed cuts.
As fans of the King of Pop continue to consume Jackson’s work in huge numbers – 2026 has been the biggest year in a long time for the music he left behind thanks to the immense success of his biopic Michael – they keep one of his most famous compositions on a hugely competitive chart for another frame. In the United Kingdom, just holding on has proved to be enough for the singer to posthumously manage an impressive showing.
Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” Reaches One Full Year
“Billie Jean” drops several pegs on the Official Singles chart this week, but it holds inside the top 40. This period, the smash slips to No. 31. The ranking – the most competitive for songs in the nation – measures the most popular tracks in the U.K. with a combination of sales and streams.
As of this frame, “Billie Jean” has now spent 52 weeks — exactly one year — as one of the 100 most-consumed cuts in the country.
Michael Jackson Claims Two Year-Long Charters
“Billie Jean” is Jackson’s second hit to spend at least a year on the Official Singles tally. “Thriller” crossed that line first and is now up to 62 turns somewhere on the roster.
“Thriller” does not appear on the Official Singles chart as frequently these days as “Billie Jean.” In the coming weeks or months, if “Billie Jean” continues to perform well, it could match – and then perhaps even pass – “Thriller” to become Jackson’s longest-charting hit on the list.
Michael Jackson Charts “Billie Jean” on Four Rosters
“Billie Jean” takes up space on four U.K. rankings this week – a very healthy number for a 40-year-old single. In addition to its placement on the Official Singles tally, the classic drops from No. 7 to No. 11 on the Official Streaming roster, slipping just outside the top 10. The song moves in the opposite direction on two sales-only lists. “Billie Jean” rises on both the Official Singles Sales and Official Singles Downloads rankings this frame.
Michael Jackson Charts Two Hits on the Main Songs List
Jackson fills two spaces on the Official Singles chart this week. As “Billie Jean” lands at No. 31, “Beat It” climbs two spots to No. 65. “Beat It” also appears on the same three additional rosters as “Billie Jean.”
Michael Jackson Scores Four Streaming Hits
On this week’s Official Streaming chart, another two Jackson cuts are present. As both “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” move backward this week, “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” falls to No. 77, while “Human Nature” declines to No. 87.
Michael Jackson Fills Seven Positions on the R&B Chart
Jackson is most successful this time around on the Official Hip-Hop and R&B Singles chart, which ranks the most popular songs classified within those genres in the U.K. using sales and streaming activity. Though he’s first and foremost thought of as a pop musician, what that genre means changes throughout time, and the Official Charts Company counts many of his best-known tracks as R&B instead. This frame, the late musical talent controls seven of the 40 available spaces.
“Human Nature,” “Dirty Diana,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Man in the Mirror,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Rock With You” and “Thriller” appear at Nos. 6, 12, 19, 22, 32, 35 and 36, respectively.