Michael Jackson has emerged victorious in a three-way battle to earn his first U.K. No. 1 album in 17 years.
MJ was competing against Northern Ireland rap trio Kneecap and Spice Girl Melanie C, but pulled away in the final days to achieve the feat on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart dated May 8.
The release of new biopic Michael has seen streams for the King of Pop spike amid a record-breaking opening in theaters. The career-spanning The Essential Michael Jackson collection is No. 1 for the first time since his death in 2009; the compilation ruled for seven weeks following the news of his passing.
Two more MJ albums see surges as 1982’s Thriller lifts two places to No. 6, while Bad is up five to No. 8, the first time it has appeared in the top 10 in 14 years.
Kneecap earn a career-best with its second studio LP Fenian at No. 2. The trio — composed of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí — previously hit No. 42 with its 2024 album, Fine Art. The group also tops the Official Vinyl Albums Chart this week by shifting the most copies on wax over the past seven days.
Spice Girls member Melanie C celebrates her highest charting solo album with ninth studio LP Sweat coming in at No. 3, besting her previous peak of No. 4 with Northern Star (1999). It’s now the highest position of any solo album by a Spice Girls member; Geri Halliwell and Emma Bunton’s retrospective debuts Schizophonic and A Girl Like Me both hit No. 4.
Last week’s chart-topper, Noah Kahan’s The Great Divide, moves down three spots to No. 4, while Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving closes at No. 5.
Kacey Musgraves’ Middle of Nowhere is at No. 7 to give the Texan star her fourth top 10 entry in the U.K., while Tori Amos lands her highest charting album in 12 years with In Times of Dragons (No. 13).
Asake bags a fourth top 40 with M$ney (No. 27), The Black Keys’ new cover album Peaches! lands at No. 33 and Zara Larsson’s Midnight Sun returns to the top 40 following the Girls Trip remix edition (No. 26).
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