5 days ago
Michael Jackson's Hugely Popular Collection Reaches A Landmark Figure
Michael Jackson's The Essential hits 208 weeks on the U.K.'s Official Albums chart, joining ... More Thriller, Off the Wall, and Number Ones in achieving that feat. VARIOUS, VARIOUS - JUNE 25: **IMAGE RESTRICTED - NOT AVAILABLE FOR USE IN A NORTH AMERICAN MAGAZINE COVER UNTIL JULY 11, 2009** Michael Jackson performs in concert circa 1995. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
Michael Jackson's collection of hit singles is so vast and so popular – even to this day – that at least one of his albums remains a fixture on the charts in the United Kingdom. While the specific title that appears may change over time, it's often one compilation or another that earns a spot, as it's typically powered by streams of his many smashes. Several of these collections have managed lengthy stays on the Official Albums chart, and this week, one of his most successful releases reaches a special milestone.
The Essential — one of the countless hit-packed sets released by Jackson and his estate over the years — has now spent 208 weeks on the Official Albums chart. The tally ranks the most consumed full-lengths of any kind in the U.K., whether they be traditional studio LPs or compilations, and it's where Jackson can almost always be found.
This frame, The Essential dips slightly from No. 17 to No. 20, which is an impressive placement for a project that has now spent four full years on the roster.
The Essential is the fourth Jackson release to reach that milestone on the main albums chart in the U.K. The gathering of beloved tunes trails far behind another compilation, Number Ones, which leads all of Jackson's efforts, with 587 frames spent on the Official Albums ranking. In between the two compilations are Thriller and Off the Wall, with 261 and 225 weeks on the tally, respectively.
Streaming activity is largely responsible for keeping The Essential going strong. While the set doesn't appear on any of the U.K.-based lists of top-selling albums, it does climb on the Official Albums Streaming chart. This week, it rises from No. 14 to No. 11, nearly reentering the top 10. Just a few weeks ago, it celebrated 10 years — a full decade — on the list of the most-streamed collections in the nation.
Originally released in the summer of 2005, The Essential shot to No. 1 in the U.K. and is one of Jackson's 10 chart-topping projects in the country. It's the go-to release for many fans in the country whenever they want to hear one of his timeless tunes, and like a handful of other superstar projects, The Essential may always have a space on the ranking — at least unless it's eventually replaced by another compilation.
