Latest news with #TheEssential
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
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.
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Bob Dylan's Album Soars To A New All-Time Peak
Bob Dylan's The Essential hits a new peak on the Official Album Downloads chart in the U.K., soaring ... More to No. 63 after a slow-burning return. NEW YORK - JANUARY 13-15: Bob Dylan plays a Fender Jazz bass with the harmonica around his neck while recording his album 'Bringing It All Back Home' on January 13-15, 1965 in Columbia's Studio A in New York City, New York. (Photo by Michael) Bob Dylan's music continues to reach a massive audience around the world, even more than half a century after he first rose to prominence. His catalog is filled with some of the most successful and critically-acclaimed rock tracks of all time, and he remains one of the most important singer-songwriters ever. From time to time, fans rush back to some of his biggest hits and most popular albums, turning them into chart wins once again. This frame, the folk hero sees one of his years-old projects rise to a special new peak. Dylan appears on only one chart at the moment in the United Kingdom. His compilation The Essential can be found on the Official Album Downloads tally, where it once again ranks among the most downloaded projects in the nation. This frame, the title rockets from No. 98 to No. 63. That loftier position now stands as the collection's all-time high point on this specific roster. The Essential has spent just three weeks on the Official Album Downloads chart. It debuted on the tally in late January at No. 88. Just days later, it disappeared entirely. It took several months — until mid-May — for it to return, and even then it just barely managed to break back in last time around. Two different versions of The Essential have appeared on the Official Albums chart, the most important and closely-watched ranking for full-lengths and EPs in the U.K. The set originally debuted in June 2001 and climbed to No. 9, giving Dylan yet another top 10 success. A slightly altered take arrived on the same tally in the summer of 2013. That project was far less successful, holding on for only four frames and peaking at No. 97. The Essential is one of several Dylan efforts to reach the Official Album Downloads chart recently. In the same week that the compilation debuted, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan and Highway 61 Revisited also arrived on the same downloads-only ranking. The surge in consumption of his work was thanks to the musician's biopic A Complete Unknown, which stars Timothée Chalamet as the rocker.
Forbes
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
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.
Forbes
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Michael Jackson Returns To The Top 10 — And One Hit May Be Responsible
Michael Jackson's The Essential rises on two U.K. charts, possibly boosted by renewed interest in ... More 'Billie Jean,' which re-enters the singles streaming list. PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 31: Michael Jackson performs at the Super Bowl XXVII Halftime show at the Rose Bowl on January 31, 1993 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) More than a decade has passed since Michael Jackson died, but his grip on pop culture – and the charts, to a lesser extent – remains firm. Whether through re-releases, compilations, or viral moments that breathe new life into old hits, the icon seems to always find a way to live on the charts. This week, one of his most successful retrospectives grows again, and it seems that it was powered in large part by the neverending appeal of just one song. Jackson's The Essential is on the rise again in the U.K., gaining on two different rankings. The decades-old compilation appears on both the Official Albums Streaming chart and the all-encompassing Official Albums list — and it's headed north on both of them. On the streaming-focused roster, The Essential earns a coveted spot inside the top 10, as it advances from No. 12 to No. 9. That movement shows that fans are still pressing play on the superstar's biggest hits in huge numbers via platforms like Spotify. Over on the main albums list, which blends sales and streaming activity into one ranking, the collection improves as well. It pushes forward two spaces, rising from No. 19 to No. 17. Only one of Jackson's songs appears on a singles ranking this frame in the U.K. 'Billie Jean,' arguably one of his most recognizable and beloved cuts, re-enters the Official Streaming chart at No. 88. Sometimes, when a single track from a compilation goes viral or enjoys a spike in attention, it can often lift the entire album it's featured on. That may be what's happening here, as 'Billie Jean' returning to the streaming tally shows that there's renewed interest in the cut – perhaps enough to help The Essential ascend on multiple tallies, especially one focused on the most-played full-lengths. While The Essential returns to the top 10 on one roster, it stops short of its all-time peak. On the Official Albums Streaming chart, the compilation has previously climbed as high as No. 7, so its current placement at No. 9 is close, but not quite a new best. That's not the case on the broader Official Albums chart, where Jackson's collection has enjoyed even greater success in the past. At No. 17 this week, it still has a fair way to go before it can hit No. 1, as it's already conquered the tally. 'Billie Jean' also has some room for growth. In total, the smash has spent just four frames on the Official Streaming chart, and its highest position remains No. 85. With the song now back at No. 88, it's within reach of a new peak. If its current upward momentum continues, 'Billie Jean' could reestablish a new best showing, decades after it was first released.
