Michael Jackson Reaches A Special Milestone — Again
Michael Jackson's The Essential hits 200 weeks on the U.K. albums chart as the compilation's ... More twentieth anniversary is fast approaching. AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 01: Photo of Michael JACKSON; Portrait of Michael Jackson, wearing hat and sunglasses (Photo by Bob King/Redferns)
Michael Jackson has been gone for more than a decade, but his music hasn't lost a bit of its luster. In fact, in many ways, it seems to be growing in popularity with each passing year. New generations keep discovering the King of Pop's hits, while longtime fans continue streaming and buying his songs and albums in large numbers every day. Some of his albums chart fairly regularly, but the focus these days for the late star is on compilations, which keep his name on the weekly rankings.
One of Jackson's most popular compilations is once again performing extremely well in the United Kingdom. It's doing more than just hanging on, as this time around it helps him reach another incredible milestone.
The Essential by Michael Jackson currently appears on two important rankings in the U.K. The compilation album keeps at No. 9 on the Official Albums Streaming chart, which lists the most-played full-lengths on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and others. Amazingly, in the year 2025, Jackson once again claims one of the top 10 most-streamed titles in the country.
The collection also moves north to No. 14 (up from No. 17) on the all-encompassing Official Albums chart, which measures the most consumed albums across all formats. While a small rise may not seem like much, it's on that tally where The Essential makes history and joins an elite group within the superstar's own discography.
The Essential has now lived on the Official Albums chart for 200 weeks. That sum is not made up of one consecutive stay, as the set has fallen off the list before, only to return.
Only four of Jackson's releases have displayed that longevity in the U.K. The compilation joins two of his traditional studio albums, Thriller and Off the Wall, which have already made it to the 200-week milestone. Thriller, often considered one of the greatest albums of all time, leads the way among studio LPs, with 261 frames. Off the Wall isn't far behind, with 225 turns spent somewhere on the ranking.
The other Jackson title that's gone even further is another greatest hits set. Number Ones stands in a league of its own, having racked up 587 weeks on the Official Albums chart. That set, which isn't present on the list at the moment, is still beating every other offering from the pop icon twice over.
The Essential was first released back in the summer of 2005. The double-disc compilation originally featured 38 of Jackson's biggest hits, covering his legendary catalog from the Jackson 5 era in the late 1960s to his solo work through 2001's 'You Rock My World.' Throughout the years, it's been re-released several times in different formats, and it has moved millions of copies around the globe.
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