For several weeks, Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” has been blocked from No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B Digital Song Sales chart — now by several smashes. Michael Jackson poses at a press conference before a date on his HIStory world tour in 1996. (Photo by Phil Dent/Redferns)
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For well over a month now, Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” has been working its way toward the summit on Billboard‘s R&B Digital Song Sales chart. The decades-old smash, from perhaps the bestselling artist of all time, has never managed to conquer the list of the bestselling R&B-only tunes via platforms like iTunes. Of course, the ranking was introduced long after “Billie Jean” enjoyed a hugely successful run on various other charts, but the fact that it has come so close to dominating, yet never worked its way all the way to the highest rung, is surprising, given how popular it remains to this day. Even in the wake of Jackson’s box office smash biopic, Michael, “Billie Jean” has been blocked from the penthouse – by multiple bestsellers.
Bruno Mars Blocks “Billie Jean” From Hitting No. 1
On this week’s R&B Digital Song Sales chart, Bruno Mars returns to No. 1. His single “I Just Might,” which introduced his then-upcoming album The Romantic earlier this year, vaults from No. 3 to the highest space. “I Just Might” has now led the charge for a dozen frames.
“Billie Jean” Holds at No. 2 – Again
“Billie Jean,” meanwhile, is stationary at No. 2, the highest it has ever climbed on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart. “Billie Jean” debuted on the ranking in July 2013, but it wasn’t until only a few weeks ago, on the chart dated May 23, that the Thriller smash missed out on ruling by just one space for what would turn out to be only the first time.
Eddie Dalton Also Stopped “Billie Jean” From Ruling
When “Billie Jean” first reached No. 2 on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart, it wasn’t “I Just Might” that blocked it from the throne. Artificial intelligence music project Eddie Dalton – a fake artist – kept him from scoring a new leader. Its “Somewhere Along the Way” held in first place. That tune kept “Billie Jean” from ruling for several periods, and now Mars is doing the same thing.
Michael Jackson Waits for a Third Champion
Jackson was looking for a third champion on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart with “Billie Jean,” but he’ll have to wait for another period to see if he can topple Mars and, perhaps, Dalton. His Halloween staple “Thriller” has spent 14 frames running the show, beginning in November 2017 – half a decade after it launched on the list. A year after “Thriller” gave Jackson his first winner, “Don’t Matter to Me,” a single he’s credited on that is fronted by Drake, doubled his sum.
Michael Jackson Fills Eight Spaces on This Week’s Chart
Jackson may not appear at No. 1 on this week’s R&B Digital Song Sales chart, but he is the most successful act when looking at who claims the greatest number of spaces. The tally only features 10 slots, and eight of them are filled by Jackson tracks.
As “Billie Jean” holds at its all-time high, “Beat It” returns to its peak of No. 3. A handful of other tunes, including “Human Nature,” “Smooth Criminal” and “Man in the Mirror,” also land once more in the loftiest spaces they have ever occupied.
Here is a look at all of Michael Jackson’s hits on this week’s R&B Digital Song Sales chart.
- No. 2 – “Billie Jean”
- No. 3 – “Beat It”
- No. 5 – “Human Nature”
- No. 6 – “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough”
- No. 7 – “Smooth Criminal”
- No. 8 – “Thriller”
- No. 9 – “Bad”
- No. 10 – “Man in the Mirror”
“Billie Jean” Misses No. 1 on Multiple Billboard Charts
Frustratingly, “Billie Jean” fails to conquer two rosters by just one space at the same time. In addition to the R&B Digital Song Sales chart, Jackson misses out on his first champion on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. “Swim” by BTS keeps “Billie Jean” waiting in the wings.
The Thriller single does hold at No. 1 on just one of the 11 Billboard rankings on which it appears. Jackson is once again in control of the R&B Streaming Songs tally, where “Billie Jean” is unmovable at No. 1.
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