2026 Becomes Michael Jackson’s Busiest Year On One Chart

BusinessHollywood & Entertainment2026 Becomes Michael Jackson’s Busiest Year On One ChartByHugh McIntyre,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Hugh McIntyre covers music, with a focus on the global charts.Follow AuthorMay 14, 2026, 12:40pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Michael Jackson's "Earth Song" debuts on the U.K.'s dance songs chart, and now 2026 is the first year the late star has scored multiple new wins. VARIOUS, VARIOUS - JUNE 25: Michael Jackson performs in concert circa 1988. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)WireImageMichael Jackson is known as the King of Pop, but he recorded music that can be classified using a number of different genre labels. The late superstar regularly appears on charts that focus on R&B music these days, but he can occasionally also be found on the dance rankings. Much of Jackson's output does bring the crowd to the dance floor, even if the music industry doesn't often classify his work under the dance moniker. In the U.K. this week, Jackson posthumously scores a new hit on a dance tally. As his latest smash debuts, this year becomes the singer's most productive yet.Michael Jackson Charts Another New HitJackson's "Earth Song" debuts on the Official Dance Singles chart, the U.K.'s list of the biggest tracks that can be classified using that sometimes vague word. "Earth Song" opens at No. 35, becoming yet another top 40 win for the bestselling solo musician of all time.Michael Jackson Now Claims Half a Dozen Dance HitsJackson has now claimed half a dozen wins on the Official Dance Singles chart. He first appeared on the tally a little over 30 years ago, when "Scream," his collaboration with his younger sister Janet, launched in the summer of 1995. That duet holds as his highest-rising win, and it topped out at No...