Michael Jackson Defies The Odds And Sends Several Songs To New Peaks

BusinessHollywood & EntertainmentMichael Jackson Defies The Odds And Sends Several Songs To New PeaksByHugh McIntyre,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Hugh McIntyre covers music, with a focus on the global charts.Follow AuthorMay 31, 2026, 09:30am EDTMichael Jackson manages to defy Drake's chart domination as two of his songs — "Billie Jean" and "Chicago" — climb while more than a dozen others fall. NEW YORK, NY - CIRCA 1984: Michael Jackson performing circa 1984 in New York City. (Photo by Robin Platzer/Images/Getty Images)Getty ImagesIt's a tough week for every artist on the Billboard charts not named Drake. The rapper recently released three albums, Iceman, Habibti and Maid of Honour, and dozens of songs featured on those full-lengths become hits across a variety of tallies. The hip-hop superstar breaks several records thanks to his surge of new music, and those cuts that don’t have his moniker attached that manage to hold on drop from where they sat last week, with only a very small number of hits either keeping steady, or, in the case of Michael Jackson, rising. The King of Pop – whom Drake references on the Iceman cover artwork, which features only a studded glove – sees not one, but two singles beat the odds. They not only rise on one of the Billboard’s two worldwide tallies, but establish new peaks.Michael Jackson Pushes Two Singles to New Peaks15 tunes by Jackson appear on this week’s Billboard Global Excl. U.S., which ranks the most popular songs all around the planet, except for the United States. Sales and streams from every other nation determine where a composition lands, while the Billboard Global 200, a companion roster, does take into account what Americans are listening to. Jackson nearly conquers the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. for the first time, but he stops just short from doing so. "Billie Jean" dances from No. 3 to No. 2, blocked from the summit...