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Michael Jackson Returns to U.K. No. 1 After Biopic Sparks Catalog Surge
The Michael biopic reignites interest in MJ: The Essential Michael Jackson hits U.K. No. 1 for the first time in 17 years as catalog albums surge.
Michael Jackson has scored his first U.K. No. 1 album in 17 years, as the new biopic Michael sends streams and sales of his catalog climbing back up the charts.
On the Official Albums Chart dated May 8, MJ pulled ahead of a tight three-way race that included Northern Ireland rap trio Kneecap and Spice Girl Melanie C to land the top spot with the career-spanning compilation The Essential Michael Jackson. The collection reaches No. 1 for the first time since Jackson’s death in 2009; it previously dominated the U.K. chart for seven weeks in the wake of his passing.
Michael Jackson performs in concert circa 1988.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
The film’s box office success has translated into a clear catalog bump: 1982’s Thriller climbs two places to No. 6, and Bad moves up five spots to No. 8 — its first Top 10 appearance in 14 years. Suddenly, decades-old albums feel newly urgent as different generations reconnect with Jackson’s music.
New peaks and career highs across the chart
Right behind Jackson, Kneecap notch a career-best with their second LP Fenian at No. 2. The trio — Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí — eclipsed their previous No. 42 peak from 2024’s Fine Art and also topped the Official Vinyl Albums Chart this week, shifting the most vinyl copies of any release over the past seven days.
Melanie C celebrates a personal milestone as well: her ninth studio album Sweat lands at No. 3, the highest-charting solo record by any Spice Girls member. Sweat bests Melanie’s own previous peak of No. 4 with Northern Star (1999), and surpasses the No. 4 debuts of Geri Halliwell’s Schizophonic and Emma Bunton’s A Girl Like Me.
Last week’s chart-topper, Noah Kahan’s The Great Divide, slips three places to No. 4, while Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving holds at No. 5. Kacey Musgraves’ Middle of Nowhere comes in at No. 7, giving the Texan her fourth U.K. Top 10 entry. Tori Amos breaks into a new cycle of attention too: In Times of Dragons lands at No. 13, her highest U.K. chart position in 12 years.
Other moves across the Top 40 include Asake’s M$ney at No. 27 for his fourth Top 40 entry, The Black Keys’ new covers set Peaches! entering at No. 33, and Zara Larsson’s Midnight Sun returning to the Top 40 at No. 26 following the Girls Trip remix edition.
The wider picture here is familiar but still striking: a major film release can reshape listening habits overnight, sending legacy catalogs back into contention while new and local acts carve out fresh milestones. For fans, the charts are momentary proof of how these songs still move people — in theaters, on vinyl, and across streaming playlists.
