The original King of Pop, Michael Jackson, in an iconic sequined ensemble. His catalogue has seen a massive resurgence in May 2026, leading to his position as the No. 1 global digital artist with over 81 million Spotify monthly listeners. Photo Credit: Mjes/Instagram
Michael Jackson has not released a new song since his passing in 2009. He has not toured, has not done press, and has not dropped a single new release. And yet, as of 1st May 2026, he is the number one global digital artist in the world, sitting ahead of Justin Bieber, BTS, Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Drake, and Rihanna.
The reason is Michael, the long-awaited biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in the title role, which opened on 24th April 2026 in the United States. The film opened to $97 million in its first weekend in North America alone, setting a new record for the biggest opening weekend ever for a biographical film. It has since grossed over $423 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing music biopic ever made for an American artist and the second highest-grossing music biopic of all time, behind only Bohemian Rhapsody.
On the set of Michael, Jaafar Jackson holds the late singer’s actual Grammy Awards while wearing a recreated military jacket. The film’s record-breaking $97 million opening weekend has propelled Michael Jackson back to the top of the Kworb Global Digital Artist Ranking. Photo Credit: Jafaar Jackson/Instgram
The chart impact has been swift and significant. Jackson now sits at number one on Kworb’s Global Digital Artist Ranking, a widely followed tracker that measures artist activity across Apple Music, Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, Shazam, and Deezer, with 8,628 points and holding the position for three consecutive days. His Spotify monthly listeners have surpassed 81 million, the highest figure of his career on the platform. Billie Jean jumped 60 places on the weekly Spotify Global Chart to number five, Beat It soared 117 spots to number 15, and Thriller re-entered the Billboard 200 top ten. Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Smooth Criminal, and They Don’t Care About Us also entered the global top 100 simultaneously.
Jaafar Jackson portrays his uncle in the 2026 biopic Michael. The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, has grossed over $423 million worldwide, driving a global resurgence in Jackson’s digital music rankings. Photo Credit: Jafaar Jackson/Instgram
Jaafar Jackson, who had never acted professionally before taking on this role, has drawn consistent praise for capturing his uncle’s movement and presence on screen. The film covers the period from Michael’s early years with the Jackson 5 in the 1960s through to the Bad tour in the late 1980s, with a supporting cast that includes Nia Long, Colman Domingo, and Miles Teller.
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