For six weeks in a row in 1983, Michael Jackson was #1 on Billboard‘s top album and singles charts, making him the first artist in music history to reach the peak of the four pop and R&B charts simultaneously. The six-week run – from March 5 through April 9, 1983 – was part of a much longer stay at the top for Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the best-selling album of all time, and for “Billie Jean,” its groundbreaking second single.
Michael’s unprecedented chart run began when Thriller hit #1 on Billboard‘s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for the week of January 29, 1983 and stayed there for 25 consecutive weeks. The album then topped the Billboard 200 chart the week of February 26, and stayed there for 17 consecutive weeks. Overall, Thriller would spend a combined total of 37 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200, setting a record for the most weeks at #1 by a music artist, and ultimately spending more than 300 weeks on the chart in total.
While Thriller topped both album charts, “Billie Jean” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, staying there for nine consecutive weeks from February 12 through April 9, 1983. The single then topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks from March 5 through April 16, 1983.
Listen to “Billie Jean” and all the hits from Thriller here.
