{"id":2117368,"date":"2026-08-28T22:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T19:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2117368"},"modified":"2026-08-28T22:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T19:30:00","slug":"michael-jacksons-top-50-hit-songs-on-the-billboard-hot-100","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2117368","title":{"rendered":"Michael Jackson\u2019s Top 50 Hit Songs on the Billboard Hot 100"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\tIn a career that spanned almost all 50 years of his life, Michael Jackson became a mainstay on the Billboard<\/em> charts, evolving from a child star into a global phenomenon and an undisputed legend.<\/p>\n
\n\tHis dominance on the Billboard Hot 100 reflects his record-breaking career: As a solo artist, 13 of his singles reached No. 1 \u2013 tied with Drake for the most by a male artist in history \u2013 and an additional four songs by the Jackson 5, with Michael on lead vocals, topped the chart.<\/p>\n
\n\tJackson first gained major recognition as the lead singer of family band the Jackson 5 with his siblings Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Tito, who notched massive hits for Motown off the bat. By age 12, the earliest instance of Jackson\u2019s record-shattering capabilities emerged: The Jackson 5 became the first act to have their first four Hot 100 entries all reach No. 1. Parallel to his siblings\u2019 success, Michael scored solo hits \u2013 including Hot 100 champ \u201cBen\u201d \u2013 through the 1970s.<\/p>\n
\n\tAlthough 1979\u2019s Quincy Jones-produced Off the Wall<\/em> was his fifth album, its bold creative direction positioned a then-21-year-old Michael as a fully-formed artist who would soon claim\u00a0the King of Pop crown. The follow-up, 1982\u2019s Thriller<\/em>, is widely considered the best-selling album of all time and spent an astonishing 37 weeks atop the Billboard 200 \u2013 a record for an album by a single artist. In another first, th album\u2019s seven singles all reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, with two, the immortal \u201cBillie Jean\u201d and \u201cBeat It,\u201d topping the chart.<\/p>\n
\n\tWhile Thriller<\/em> showed Jackson at unprecedented commercial heights, the superstar continued to make Hot 100 history with subsequent projects. 1987\u2019s Bad <\/em>produced\u00a0a record five No. 1 singles, a mark unmatched by any album until 2011, and \u201cYou Are Not Alone\u201d in 1995, became the first song to ever debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Though his chart power had waned at the time of his death in 2009, posthumous releases with his musical descendants still generate buzz collaborations: 2014\u2019s \u201cLove Never Felt So Good (with Justin Timberlake) and a featured credit on Drake\u2019s 2018 track \u201cDon\u2019t Matter to Me,\u201d which samples an unreleased Jackson song, both reached No. 9.<\/p>\n
\n\tTo review Jackson\u2019s more than half-century of Hot 100 impact, here\u2019s a review of the late icon\u2019s 50 biggest hits on the Hot 100. For a wider scope of his influence, the list comprises his solo catalog as well as material by the Jackson 5 and The Jacksons.<\/p>\n
Michael Jackson\u2019s Biggest Hot 100 Hits ranking is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 (from its inception on Aug. 4, 1958, through Aug. 29, 2026). Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\u201cLookin\u2019 Through the Windows\u201d (The Jackson 5)<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 16 Peak Date:<\/strong> Aug. 26, 1972 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 10<\/p>\n
Jackson\u2019s Billboard<\/em> chart history began with a streak of extraordinary success, as the Jackson 5\u2019s first 20 entries on what\u2019s now known as Hot R&B\/Hip-Hop Songs all reached the top 10. This song marked the 10th top 10 in-a-row for the act on Hot R&B\/Hip-Hop Songs, reaching No. 5 in 1972. On the Billboard Hot 100, the track peaked at No. 16. The title cut from the group\u2019s fifth studio album illustrated the maturation of Michael, then 13, from boy soprano to the tenor who would subsequently reign as the King of Pop.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cTorture\u201d (The Jacksons)<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 17 Peak Date:<\/strong> Sept. 29, 1984 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 12\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Jacksons\u2019 1984 Victory<\/em> album spawned multiple hits, including this funky rock number, which peaked at No. 17 on the Hot 100. While it was the second single from Victory<\/em>, it yielded the first music video produced for the album. Ironically, though Michael and Jermaine Jackson share lead duties on the song, neither appears in the clip, which was choreographed by Paula Abdul.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cGet It Together\u201d (The Jackson 5)<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 28 Peak Date:<\/strong> Oct. 6, 1973 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 13<\/p>\n
In 1973, Michael and his brothers weren\u2019t begging girls to stick around just yet. In fact, the Jackson 5\u2019s funk-flavored pop single \u201cGet It Together\u201d featured sweet vocals delivering a not-so-sweet message: \u201cGet up off your high horse, girl.\u201d The band wasn\u2019t messing around in its lyrics or on the charts. Although the song peaked at No. 28 on the Hot 100, it was a No. 2 smash for the group on Billboard<\/em>\u2018s R&B songs chart.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cYou Rock My World\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy Photo\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 10 Peak Date:<\/strong> Sept. 22, 2001 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 20<\/p>\n
The lead single from Jackson\u2019s 2001 studio album Invincible<\/em> peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100. Co-produced by Jackson and Rodney Jerkins, the song was ushered in by an unsurprisingly lavish music video directed by Paul Hunter. The clip features Chris Tucker as Jackson\u2019s comic foil, along with turns from Michael Madsen and Marlon Brando.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cHeartbreak Hotel\u201d (The Jacksons)<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 22 Peak Date:<\/strong> Feb. 14, 1981 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 16<\/p>\n
\u201cHeartbreak Hotel\u201d was released June 17, 1980, and was the second single off the Jacksons\u2019 Triumph<\/em> album. It peaked at No. 22 on the Hot 100. \u201cOne time Michael called me into a Hollywood studio to play a solo on a song that turned out to be \u2018Heartbreak Hotel,\u2019 \u201d says Paul Jackson Jr., his longtime guitarist. \u201cI asked him what kind of solo he wanted. The solo I played on the record is what he sang to me note for note.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cCorner of the Sky\u201d (The Jackson 5)<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 18 Peak Date:<\/strong> Dec. 16, 1972 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 12<\/p>\n
The Jackson 5 lent its soulful pop to the 1970s musical Pippin<\/em> in the form of the track \u201cCorner of the Sky.\u201d In line with the musical\u2019s plot, \u201cCorner\u201d is about seeking out happiness in life (\u201cBut I won\u2019t rest\/ \u2018Til I know I have it all\u201d). The song, which also appeared on the Jackson 5\u2019s 1973 album Skywriter<\/em>, hit No. 18 on the Hot 100 and No. 9 on Billboard<\/em>\u2018s R&B songs chart.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cLittle Bitty Pretty One\u201d (The Jackson 5)<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 13 Peak Date:<\/strong> May 27, 1972 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 9<\/p>\n
Few songs show off artists\u2019 vocal chops as well as this one, and the Jackson 5 reinforced their timeless family harmonies on this well-loved doo-wop classic. Thurston Harris introduced the song to pop audiences in 1957 and it has since been recorded by a wide range of acts, including the Allman Brothers, Huey Lewis & the News and Aaron Carter. The Jackson 5\u2019s version reached No. 8 on the R&B songs chart and No. 13 on the Hot 100 in 1972.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cI Wanna Be Where You Are\u201d<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 16 Peak Date:<\/strong> July 15, 1972 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 11<\/p>\n
\u201cI Wanna Be Where You Are\u201d was released May 2, 1972, and appears on the album Got to Be There<\/em>. It was Jackson\u2019s third consecutive top 40 pop hit in the beginning of his solo career with Motown. The single peaked at No. 16 on the Hot 100 and would become one of Jackson\u2019s most covered songs, with Marvin Gaye, the Fugees and Jason Weaver also recording their own renditions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cButterflies\u201d<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 14 Peak Date:<\/strong> Jan. 26, 2002 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 20<\/p>\n
The last studio album released in Jackson\u2019s lifetime, 2001\u2019s Invincible<\/em>\u00a0served as the long-awaited follow-up to 1991\u2019s Dangerous<\/em>. It featured three neo-soul-styled tracks, including \u201cButterflies.\u201d With the help of British duo Floetry on backing vocals, the single peaked at No. 14 on the Hot 100.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cI Am Love (Parts I & II)\u201d [The Jackson 5]<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 15 Peak Date:<\/strong> March 22, 1975 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 14<\/p>\n
1975\u2019s \u201cI Am Love\u201d by the Jackson 5 was part soulful ballad (led by Jermaine) and part Michael-fronted, danceable funk\/rock. But no matter the musical style, the message was the same: the brothers weren\u2019t letting their loves get away. The song was the Jackson 5\u2019s last top 20 hit with Motown, reaching No. 15 on the Hot 100 in 1975. It also went to No. 5 on Billboard<\/em>\u2018s R&B songs chart.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cLovely One\u201d (The Jacksons)<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 12 Peak Date:<\/strong> Nov. 15, 1980 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 18<\/p>\n
Once the Jackson 5 grew up and parted ways with Motown, they became the Jacksons \u2014 and they knew all about the growing pains that come with young romance. The 1980 funk song \u201cLovely One\u201d sees Michael, backed by brothers Jackie, Tito, Randy and Marlon, confronting a skeptical lover and trying to prove his dedication. The track peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100 but hit No. 2 on Billboard<\/em>\u2018s R&B songs chart and No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cAnother Part of Me\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy Photo\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 11 Peak Date:<\/strong> Sept. 10, 1988 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 13<\/p>\n
Released as the sixth single from Jackson\u2019s Bad<\/em> album in summer 1988, the synth-backed, uptempo hit was actually first heard nearly two years earlier, in the most unlikely of places. On Sept. 12, 1986, visitors at the Epcot theme park at the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, Fla. got the first public taste of the song, one of two new compositions recorded for Jackson\u2019s star turn in the 3D film Captain EO<\/em>, which premiered that day in the park. The song ultimately reached No. 11 on the Hot 100. By 1998, all of the Captain EO<\/em> attractions had ended their runs at the assorted Disney Parks throughout the world. The company was moved, however, to return the show to its parks in 2010, starting with Disneyland\u2019s version.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cP.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)\u201d<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 10 Peak Date:<\/strong> Nov. 26, 1983 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 16<\/p>\n
\u201cP.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)\u201d was released Sept. 19, 1983, as the sixth single from the Thriller<\/em> album and features Janet Jackson and LaToya Jackson on backup vocals. The single peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100, becoming the sixth consecutive top 10 song from the album. \u201cP.Y.T.\u201d has been sampled by many artists, including Monica on \u201cAll Eyez on Me\u201d and Kanye West on \u201cGood Life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cSugar Daddy\u201d (The Jackson 5)<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 10 Peak Date:<\/strong> Jan. 22, 1972 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 10<\/p>\n
Written and produced by The Corporation, a Motown collective assembled specifically for cranking out Jackson hits, \u201cSugar Daddy\u201d peaked at No. 3 on Billboard<\/em>\u2018s R&B songs chart. Older brothers Tito and Jermaine backed up Michael on the poppy, organ-filled ditty, which featured multiple food-related entendres (\u201cI\u2019ve got your lollipop \/ Well, my flavor\u2019s long lastin\u2019, girl\u201d). It was included as a new track on the group\u2019s 1971 Greatest Hits<\/em> album.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cIn the Closet\u201d<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 6 Peak Date:<\/strong> May 30, 1992 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 20<\/p>\n
When the public first got a listen of \u201cIn the Closet\u201d on Jackson\u2019s 1991 Dangerous<\/em> album, people immediately began to wonder who his female duet partner was on the song. She was billed only as \u201cMystery Girl\u201d in the set\u2019s liner notes and some began to assume \u2014 perhaps because of her whispery, come-hither vibe \u2014 that it was Madonna. As it turns out, the mysterious woman was revealed to be, of all people, Princess Stephanie of Monaco. But folks weren\u2019t far off in their theories: \u201cIn the Closet\u201d was initially conceived as a collaboration between the King and Queen of Pop. The pair, however, couldn\u2019t come to an agreement on the song\u2019s direction and the singers parted ways.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cOff the Wall\u201d<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 10 Peak Date:<\/strong> April 12, 1980 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 17<\/p>\n
When the title track to his fifth studio album debuted on the Hot 100 dated Feb. 16, 1980, Jackson was following up back-to-back No. 1s for the first time in his solo career. The single could not match the success of the album\u2019s previous singles, but managed to land the album\u2019s third top 10 peak, reaching No. 10 in April 1980.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s Out of My Life\u201d<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 10 Peak Date:<\/strong> June 21, 1980 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 16<\/p>\n
Quincy Jones used simple instrumentation to produce this ballad from Off the Wall<\/em>. Over the lyrics \u201cI don\u2019t know whether to laugh or cry \/ I don\u2019t know whether to live or die,\u201d the song\u2019s tempo sounds nearly at a stand-still compared to his best-known dance jams. (Jackson is even heard crying at song\u2019s end). The cut peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100 in 1980.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 5 Peak Date:<\/strong> June 17, 1995 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 17<\/p>\n
The double A-side single was released as the lead off Jackson\u2019s 1995 set, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I<\/em>. \u201cScream\u201d was his first duet with sister Janet Jackson; the song is an effort to retaliate against the media\u2019s obsession with his personal life and it resulted in a memorable video directed by Mark Romanek. \u201cChildhood\u201d was solely written and composed by Michael. The single peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cWill You Be There\u201d<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 7 Peak Date:<\/strong> Sept. 11, 1993 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 20<\/p>\n
This gospel-tinged track became the seventh song to reach the Hot 100\u2019s top 40 from Jackson\u2019s Dangerous<\/em> album, peaking at No. 7 in 1993. The song was truly a whale of a hit: doubling as the theme to the film Free Willy<\/em>, it won the MTV Movie Award for best song in a movie in 1994. American Idol<\/em> season nine finalist Michael Lynche introduced the song to a new generation with his faithful rendition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cHuman Nature\u201d<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 7 Peak Date:<\/strong> Sept. 17, 1983 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 14<\/p>\n
As one of seven consecutive Hot 100 top 10s from Jackson\u2019s Thriller<\/em> album, \u201cHuman Nature\u201d was the mellowest. It also spent the least amount of time on the chart of the set\u2019s seven singles (14 weeks), peaking at No. 7. Female R&B trio SWV carried elements of the song to No. 2 in 1993 with its \u201cRight Here\u201d\/\u201dHuman Nature\u201d mash-up sampling Jackson\u2019s original recording.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cSmooth Criminal\u201d<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 7 Peak Date:<\/strong> Jan. 14, 1989 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 15<\/p>\n
\u201cSmooth Criminal,\u201d like \u201cThriller,\u201d is one of Michael Jackson\u2019s songs whose memory in the public\u2019s collective consciousness is intrinsically tied to its music video. With \u201cSmooth Criminal,\u201d Jackson further lifted the art of music videos, serving as the centerpiece of his theatrical film Moonwalker<\/em>, co-starring Joe Pesci. \u201cSmooth Criminal\u201d was the seventh and final single from Jackson\u2019s Bad<\/em> album, peaking at No. 7 on the Hot 100 in January 1989.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\n\n
\u201cMama\u2019s Pearl\u201d (The Jackson 5)<\/h2>\n
\n
Hot 100 Peak Position:<\/strong> No. 2 Peak Date:<\/strong> Feb. 27, 1971 Weeks on Chart:<\/strong> 10<\/p>\n
\u201cMama\u2019s Pearl\u201d features pretty mature lyrics for the young Michael: \u201cYou send cold chills up and down my spine \/ We kiss for thrills, then you draw the line,\u201d he belts over classic Motown string arrangements and plucky piano. Peaking at No. 2 on both the Hot 100 and Billboard<\/em>\u2018s R&B songs charts in 1971, the song was the second single from the group\u2019s Third Album<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/michael-jackson-you-rock-my-world-music-video-still-2001-billboard-1548.jpg?w=300\")
![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/michael-jackson-another-part-of-me-1988-billboard-1548.jpg?w=300\")
![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/michael-jackson-janet-jackson-scream-music-video-still-1995-billboard-1548.jpg?w=300\")