Michael Jackson’s The Essential Returns to Its Peak

Jackson's The Essential rises ever so slightly on the current edition of the Official Albums Streaming tally. This frame, the collection, which features many of the superstar’s most famous singles, improves from No. 5 to No. 3.

The fact that a compilation by a musical icon who got his start decades ago is the third-most-played on platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and others in one of the world's largest music markets is incredibly impressive. Another fact – that The Essential has never climbed any higher than where it sits right now – is slightly surprising.

The Essential Debuted More Than a Decade Ago

The Essential has now lived on the Official Albums Streaming chart for more than 200 weeks. The compilation first appeared on the rundown in March 2015, 11 years ago. The set has spent months somewhere inside the top 10, and back in March of this year, The Essential rocked its way to No. 3. In the month or so since that triumph, the title hasn’t drifted very far. The Essential has not slipped below No. 7 in recent frames, and for two weeks now, the singles collection has been on the rise.

Olivia Dean and Fleetwood Mac Block Michael Jackson

Only two releases block Jackson from his first No. 1 on the Official Albums Streaming chart, and the pair of projects that land just ahead of him both settle into their previously-set high points. Olivia Dean's The Art of Loving is comfortable at No. 1 yet again. The singer-songwriter's breakout full-length has lived somewhere on the streaming-only tally for 29 weeks, and 19 of those turns have been at the summit.

Meanwhile, coming in once again in second place is another compilation, Fleetwood Mac's 50 Years – Don’t Stop. That popular release lifts to No. 2, where it has also spent plenty of time, and like Jackson’s album, it has never risen any higher. 50 Years – Don’t Stop peaked at No. 2 for the first time in February 2022, and in the years since, it has rarely fallen outside of the uppermost region. This is the eighth week that the Fleetwood Mac collection has stalled at No. 2 in 2026 alone.

Michael Jackson’s The Essential Remains a Top 10 Smash

The Essential can only be found on two rankings in the U.K., and it's a top 10 win on both of them. As it ascends slightly on the Official Albums Streaming chart, The Essential dips from No. 7 to No. 9 on the main ranking of the most-consumed albums and EPs throughout the nation.

Michael Jackson Scores Multiple Charting Albums

Jackson sees two collections appear on only the Official Albums and Official Albums Streaming charts this week. As The Essential occupies a spot inside the top 10, Bad improves, but still lands in the lower half of those tallies.

Michael Jackson’s The Essential Stands Alone Inside the Top 10

In March 2015, three projects by Jackson debuted that month – his first on the Official Albums Streaming chart – including Bad, Number Ones, and The Essential. The singer has only scored a single top 10 thus far. The Essential remains his sole project to find its way into that space, though Number Ones, another compilation, came close when it topped out at No. 12.

Among Jackson's 14 albums that have ranked on the streaming roster, 12 debuted in 2015. Jackson hasn't scored another win on the list since 2017, when both Thriller and Thriller 25 arrived at the same time.