As previously reported, Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” is the biggest song in the world — more than 43 years after its release, moonwalking two spots to No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart (dated May 23). The song has surged as the Jackson biopic Michael continues to thrill moviegoers, topping the latest box office over its fourth weekend of release.
“Billie Jean” totaled 51.5 million chart-contributing streams (up 7% week over week) and 3,000 sold (down 3%) worldwide May 8-14, according to Luminate. (The Global 200 ranks songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world.)
Jackson, who died in 2009, is No. 1 on the Global 200 for the first time. Meanwhile, “Billie Jean” claims the record for the longest rise to the top, reigning in its 144th week. (The chart launched in September 2020.)
“Billie Jean” also dates back the furthest among all Global 200 No. 1s, having been released on Jackson’s album Thriller in November 1982; it dominated the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks in March-April 1983.
Since the Global 200 began, five songs have hit No. 1 more than a decade after their release, reflecting a combination of their evergreen appeal and new buzz that has helped win over subsequent generations of fans. From Jackson’s coronation with “Billie Jean” to the song it dethrones — Justin Bieber’s “Beauty and a Beat,” featuring Nicki Minaj — to two festive carols and a Stranger Things-boosted favorite, below is a look at the leaders that have built legacies strong enough to conquer much newer chart competition.
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