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)
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Michael 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 Hit
Jackson’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 Hits
Jackson 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. 3.
“Earth Song” Makes 2026 a Special Year for Michael Jackson
Before 2026, Jackson had never accrued multiple debuts in a single year. Back in February, “They Don’t Care About Us” finally landed on the Official Dance Singles chart. The tune sashayed its way to No. 10, becoming one of his three top 10 successes. Just a few months later, “Earth Song” makes 2026 his first year with multiple launches.
Michael Jackson Beats “Like a Prayer”
“Earth Song” is one of only two debuts on this week’s edition of the Official Dance Singles chart, and Jackson scores the higher-ranking of the two. All the way at the bottom of the 40-space roster comes “Like a Prayer,” but not the original. Producer Josh Fawaz reworked Madonna’s classic, and his version has recently become a global smash. A handful of returning favorites by artists like the Chemical Brothers and Sophie Ellis-Bextor also appear on the list after not finding space only several days ago.
“Earth Song” Brings Michael Jackson to a Career Low
“Earth Song” is a welcome new arrival for Jackson, though it does bring him to a career low. Previously, The Remixes — Volume One, which was counted by the Official Charts Company as a single rather than a short project, stood as his lowest-peaking charter. That effort only spent 1 week at No. 27.
Here are all of Jackson’s hits on the Official Dance Singles chart.
- No. 3 – “Scream” with Janet Jackson
- No. 7 – “You Rock My World”
- No. 25 – “Off the Wall / Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”
- No. 27 – The Remixes – Volume 1
- No. 10 – “They Don’t Care About Us”
- No. 35 – “Earth Song”
Michael Jackson Charts 19 Hits at Once
Jackson charts 19 hits in the U.K. this week, and there are multiple debuts across a variety of rankings. “Earth Song” joins “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing),” “You Rock My World,” “They Don’t Care About Us,” “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “Bad” by launching on at least one tally. “Earth Song” is one of only a handful of cuts, also including “Black or White” and “Remember the Time,” that appear on just a single roster across the Atlantic.
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