Michael Jackson Blocks One Of R&B’s Biggest Stars From A New No. 1 Album

BusinessHollywood & EntertainmentMichael Jackson Blocks One Of R&B’s Biggest Stars From A New No. 1 AlbumByHugh McIntyre,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Hugh McIntyre covers music, with a focus on the global charts.Follow AuthorMay 22, 2026, 08:30am EDTMichael Jackson's Thriller and Number Ones sit at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on several Billboard charts, keeping Chris Brown from a new No. 1. 399369 133: Singer Michael Jackson accepts his Peformer of the Century Award during the 29th Annual American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium January 9, 2002 in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)Getty ImagesFor several weeks now, Michael Jackson has appeared at No. 1 on a variety of Billboard charts. He has led some tallies with a number of his biggest hits, and the King of Pop has also managed to rule multiple rosters that focus entirely on albums. Jackson occupies the loftiest two spots on a pair of similarly-composed albums registers, and as his collections refuse to budge, he blocks one of the biggest names in R&B from returning to No. 1 with his latest project.Michael Jackson Sits at Nos. 1 and 2 AgainJackson currently sits at Nos. 1 and 2 on both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top R&B Albums charts. The late superstar leads the way with Thriller, while his Number Ones compilation is steady at No. 2. Those mark the all-time highs for those titles on the rosters, which are compiled based on total consumption and which focus on the most popular hip-hop, rap and R&B titles and the most popular R&B-only albums, respectively.Michael Jackson Blocks Chris Brown from No. 1New at No. 3 on the two charts is Chris Brown's semi-self-titled Brown. Had the multi-Grammy winner's twelfth full-length on his own been released a little later in the year, it's possible that Jackson's current surge – fueled by the incredible success of his biopic, Michael – may...