Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ hits top 10 in sixth decade

Michael Jackson has posthumously become the first artist to score Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 across six different decades, as his iconic track “Thriller” jumped from No. 32 to No. 10 following the 2025 Halloween seasonmathrubhumi.

The song’s resurgence was powered by 14 million streams and 9.3 million radio airplay impressions during the tracking week from October 31 to November 6, making it Jackson’s longest-charting single on the Hot 100 with 26 weeks on the chartbillboard.

Jackson surpassed Andy Williams, who held the previous record with Top 10 hits across five decades, and now has Top 10 placements spanning the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, ’10s, and ’20smathrubhumi.

The late King of Pop accumulated 30 Top 10 singles during his career, including 13 No. 1 hits, with his first solo Top 10 entry being “Got to Be There” in November 1971 and his most recent prior appearance as a featured artist on Drake’s “Don’t Matter to Me” in 2018mathrubhumi.

The renewed interest in “Thriller” comes as excitement builds for “Michael,” the upcoming biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson, the singer’s nephew, which is scheduled for theatrical release on April 24, 2026mathrubhumi.

Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” Makes History With Six-Decade Top 10 Streak

Michael Jackson has posthumously made chart history, becoming the first artist to score Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 across six different decades following his iconic track “Thriller” climbing to No. 10 in the week of November 15, 2025.mathrubhumi

The song surged from No. 32 to No. 10 after the Halloween season, powered by 14 million official streams and a radio airplay audience of 9.3 million during the tracking week from October 31 to November 6, according to data from Luminate. The jump marks the song’s first return to the Top 10 since its original 1984 release, when it peaked at No. 4.billboard

A Record-Breaking Legacy

Jackson now holds Top 10 placements spanning the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, ’10s, and ’20s, surpassing the late Andy Williams, who previously held the record with five decades. The King of Pop first entered the Hot 100’s Top 10 as a solo artist in November 1971 with “Got to Be There” and accumulated 30 Top 10 singles over his career, including 13 No. 1 hits. His last Top 10 appearance before this week came in 2018 as a featured artist on Drake’s “Don’t Matter to Me”.mathrubhumi

According to Billboard, “Thriller” has now become Jackson’s longest-charting single on the Hot 100, spending 26 weeks on the chart and surpassing “Billie Jean” and “Beat It,” which each spent 25 weeks.billboard

Biopic Drives Renewed Interest

The resurgence comes as anticipation builds for “Michael,” the upcoming biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua and scheduled for theatrical release on April 24, 2026. The film stars Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s nephew, in the lead role, with Miles Teller, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, and Laura Harrier in supporting parts.mathrubhumi

The biopic’s teaser trailer, released on November 6, generated 116.2 million views within 24 hours, becoming the most-watched music biopic trailer ever and marking the largest trailer launch in Lionsgate’s history. According to the film’s synopsis, “Michael” will chronicle Jackson’s journey “from the moment his extraordinary talent was discovered as the frontman of the Jackson Five, to his evolution into a visionary artist”.hollywoodreporter

The film was originally scheduled for October 2025 but was delayed to spring 2026.mathrubhumi