Michael Jackson’s ‘Chicago’ Breaks Into the Hot 100 After Decades as Biopic Sparks Massive Streaming Comeback

Michael Jackson’s posthumous track “Chicago” has made an unexpected return to the Billboard Hot 100, landing at No. 30 on the chart dated June 6. According to Billboard, this is the first time the 2014 song has ever appeared on the chart, making its debut more than a decade after its original release.

The song is seeing a major streaming boost, pulling in 10.7 million official U.S. streams during the May 22–28 tracking week. That number is up 30% compared to the previous week, showing a steady rise in listener interest. “Chicago” is part of the 2014 posthumous album Xscape, which was released five years after Michael Jackson’s death. The track was produced by Timbaland and JRoc, with lyrics written by Cory Rooney.

Xscape had already produced other charting songs. “Love Never Felt So Good,” featuring Justin Timberlake, reached No. 9 on the Hot 100, while “Slave to the Rhythm” peaked at No. 45. Now “Chicago” joins that list as another charting entry from the album.

With this new entry, Michael Jackson now has 52 solo songs on the Hot 100, according to Billboard. His first appearance on the chart was back in 1971 with “Got To Be There.” His most recent chart appearance before this was in 2018, when he was featured on Drake’s “Don’t Matter to Me,” which reached No. 9.

One of the most notable milestones from this new chart run is that Jackson has now had Hot 100 entries across six different decades, from the 1970s through the 2020s. His total chart appearances are spread across his long career, with 11 in the 1970s, 20 in the 1980s, 12 in the 1990s, four in the 2000s, four in the 2010s, and one so far in the 2020s.

Streaming trends show how the song slowly gained momentum. “Chicago” recorded 3.8 million streams on the May 9 chart, then climbed to 5.4 million, 6.9 million, and later 8.3 million in the following weeks before reaching its current peak. So far, the track has accumulated 388 million total streams.

Billboard also notes that renewed attention around Jackson’s music is tied to the release of the biopic Michael, which premiered on April 24. After the film’s release, several of his classic songs returned to the Hot 100 at the same time, including “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Human Nature,” “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough,” “Dirty Diana,” and “Rock With You.” All of these were originally major hits during his peak years in the 1970s and 1980s.

On the current chart, “Chicago” sits behind “Billie Jean,” which is at No. 19, and ahead of “Human Nature” at No. 31. Other Jackson tracks also remain present on the chart, showing a wider revival of his catalog.

Interestingly, “Chicago” was never released as a major single during his lifetime and is not featured in the biopic. Its rise has also been helped by social media platforms like TikTok, where users have been sharing clips using the song.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!