Elvis Presley, Prince and Michael Jackson — three of music’s greatest of all time, who have all been gone at least a decade — chart top 10 albums together. VARIOUS, VARIOUS – JUNE 25: Michael Jackson performs at the 12th Annual MTV Movie Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on September 7, 1995. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
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Michael Jackson’s biopic, the aptly and simply-named Michael, was expected to do big business globally, and the King of Pop did not disappoint. As of the time of writing, Michael has earned nearly $600 million at the box office all around the world, and that number could continue to grow dramatically before it is finally pulled from theaters.
Michael has also become a huge win on the Billboard charts, as an accompanying soundtrack, also marketed as Michael – but on the weekly rankings officially named Michael: Songs From the Motion Picture (Soundtrack) – launches in lofty positions this week. Jackson scores a new top 10 on several tallies, and he is stopped from earning what may have been his first No. 1 on one Billboard albums roster.
KPop Demon Hunters Keeps Michael Jackson From No. 1
Jackson nearly conquers the Soundtracks chart this frame, but he doesn’t quite manage to rule. KPop Demon Hunters, which has now lived on the tally that focuses entirely on the top-performing EPs and full-lengths attached to TV or film projects — but not Broadway — for 45 weeks, is comfortable once again at No. 1.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 08: (L-R) Rei Ami, EJAE and Audrey Nuna attend the KPop Demon Hunters NY Music Focused Tastemaker on December 08, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Netflix)
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Prince Falls as Michael Jackson Debuts
As Jackson’s Michael arrives, he pushes another late superstar out of the runner-up spot. Prince’s Purple Rain – credited not only to the late rocker but also his backing band the Revolution – sat at No. 2 just days ago, and now it slips to No. 3. Purple Rain has spent more than 750 weeks on the Soundtracks chart and has dominated in the past.
Elvis Presley Joins Prince and Michael Jackson Inside the Top 10
Many of the highest-ranking titles on the Soundtracks chart are not specific to one artist. Efforts like F1: The Album, The Greatest Showman, Twisters: The Album, and both Moana and Frozen feature a number of different vocalists, but a few projects are attached to just one superstar.
This week, three of the most beloved solo artists of all time — all of whom have been gone for at least a decade — appear inside the top 10 together on the Soundtracks chart. As Jackson debuts at No. 2 and Prince backtracks to No. 3, Elvis Presley reenters at No. 10.
Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert, which was attached to a concert film/documentary of the same name, breaks back onto the tally at No. 10 after not finding space only a few days ago. Epic was recently released on vinyl, and this week it debuts on the wax-focused roster and returns to several other lists simultaneously. Michael and Epic are the only titles that appear on the Soundtracks chart that did not manage to carve out a home last frame.
Michael Debuts on Several Billboard Charts
Michael earns its loftiest starting point on the Soundtracks chart, which is one of three lists where the title arrives within the top 10. The set lands at No. 7 on the Top R&B Albums tally and one space lower, at No. 8 on the Top Album Sales chart.
According to Luminate, Michael sold a little more than 8,900 copies in America. That figure includes vinyl as well as CDs, cassettes, and downloads from stores like iTunes.
Michael Barely Misses the Top 10 on Several Rankings
LONDON – NOVEMBER 15: Singer Michael Jackson performs on stage during the 2006 World Music Awards at Earls Court on November 15, 2006 in London. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
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Jackson nearly breaks into the top 10 on several other rosters with Michael, though the soundtrack comes in just beneath that uppermost tier. Michael starts at No. 11 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at No. 12 on the Vinyl Albums rundown.
The soundtrack fares worst on the Billboard 200, which makes sense, as it is the chart company’s most competitive albums ranking. Michael shifted just over 20,000 equivalent units in its first tracking period, with a little less than half of those being actual purchases, while streaming activity makes up much of the rest. The soundtrack is new at No. 37.
ForbesMichael Jackson Owns 60% Of The Top 10 On One Chart This WeekBy Hugh McIntyre
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Hugh McIntyre