Throughout much of spring 2026, Michael Jackson’s compilation The Essential has ranked as one of the biggest albums in the world. That is certainly true in the United Kingdom, where the late superstar remains a serious hitmaker more than a decade and a half after his death.
The collection was already immensely popular before the release of the Michael biopic, but the movie sent it surging up the British charts. Since the middle of May, The Essential has not fallen outside the top five on the main albums ranking in the country. It has repeatedly returned to the summit or settled in second place, and this week, Jackson nearly reaches an important milestone for the first time.
Michael Jackson Nearly Returns to No. 1
The Essential climbs from No. 4 to No. 2 on this week’s Official Albums chart. The ranking – the most important for albums and EPs in the nation – measures the most-consumed releases in the U.K., with both purchases and streams helping titles rise or fall.
Had The Essential returned to the peak position on the Official Albums chart, it would have earned a tenth week at No. 1. No Jackson release has ever accumulated that many frames atop the tally.
Gracie Abrams Blocks Michael Jackson From Hitting No. 1
The Essential is blocked by Gracie Abrams. Her latest full-length, Daughter from Hell, debuts at No. 1 and gives the pop singer her second leader on the Official Albums chart.
Abrams first conquered the list two summers ago with The Secret of Us. Her debut collection, Good Riddance, opened and peaked at No. 3 in March 2023 and has not appeared since. The Secret of Us – Live from Radio City and Minor each spent one frame on the ranking, launching and peaking at Nos. 74 and 51, respectively.
‘The Essential’ Recently Ruled for Two Weeks
It has not been long since The Essential last controlled the Official Albums chart. The compilation jumped from outside the top 10 to No. 1 on the ranking dated May 14 – after Michael became a box office smash – and remained in charge for two consecutive frames.
Throughout the 10 weeks since that comeback, The Essential has spent six stints at No. 2, including this current frame. The set has remained locked inside the top two for most of that stretch.
‘The Essential’ Passed ‘Thriller’ as Michael Jackson’s Longest-Running No. 1
The two-week return to the summit that The Essential accomplished this spring altered one of Jackson’s personal chart records. Thriller previously ranked as his longest-running No. 1 on the Official Albums chart, with eight frames on top. The Essential first matched that historic sum and then moved ahead.
Michael Jackson Holds at No. 1 on the Streaming Chart
The Essential appears on only two rankings in the U.K. this week, but it performs exceptionally well on both of them. While the compilation sits at No. 2 on the main albums list, it holds at No. 1 on the Official Albums Streaming chart.
The compilation is Jackson’s sole career champion on the streaming-focused roster. The Essential first debuted on the list in May 2015, but it did not reach the summit until this May.
Since climbing to No. 1, the compilation has not slipped beneath second place. It has now accumulated nine frames running the show as the most-streamed album of any kind across the Atlantic.
Michael Jackson Fills Three Spaces on Multiple Charts
Jackson occupies three spaces on both the Official Albums and Official Albums Streaming charts this week. In addition to The Essential, both Thriller and Bad appear on the pair of tallies as well.
Six Michael Jackson Albums Reach the U.K. Charts
Three additional Jackson titles appear on other U.K. tallies this week, though none settle onto either the main albums tally or the streaming-only roster. Number Ones, Off the Wall and Michael – Songs from the Motion Picture are all bestsellers on multiple tallies.
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