![\"AUCKLAND,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/71437019-e1777308566991.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe biopic Michael set records over the weekend. Jackson had a long history of doing just that.<\/p>\n
\t4\/27\/2026\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tMichael Jackson performs on stage during is “HIStory” world tour concert at Ericsson Stadium November 10, 1996 in Auckland, New Zealand.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Photo by Phil Walter\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Michael Jackson<\/a> film Michael grossed $217.3 million worldwide in its opening weekend, according to\u00a0boxofficemojo.com<\/a>.\u00a0 That already places it at No. 3 on\u00a0Billboard\u2019s list of music biopics with the highest worldwide grosses, behind Bohemian Rhapsody ($910.8 million) and Elvis ($288.7 million).<\/p>\n \n\tMichael grossed $97 million over the weekend in the U.S. and Canada alone. That\u2019s the highest opening-weekend domestic gross ever for a music biopic, eclipsing the mark set by Straight Outta Compton in 2015 ($60 million).<\/p>\n \n\tJackson has been making history for decades, both during his lifetime and since he died in 2009. He landed three No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and two top five albums on the Billboard 200 (all with the Jackson 5<\/a>) before he turned 12. By the time he turned 13, the J5 had notched another No. 1 Hot 100 hit (\u201cI\u2019ll Be There\u201d) and another top five album.<\/p>\n \n\tJackson won 13 Grammys, received two Primetime Emmy nods and has two inductions into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He performed live on the Oscars when he was just 14 and, at 29, gave one of the most riveting performances in Grammy Awards history.<\/p>\n \n\tJackson led a turbulent life, with lows as deep as these historic highs. The Michael biopic, which ends in 1988, when he was the biggest pop star on the planet, doesn\u2019t take any of those lows or lingering controversies into account. The movie celebrates his commercial triumphs. So does this list.<\/p>\n \n\tHere are 20 previous times Jackson proved he\u2019s the King of Pop.<\/p>\n \tOct. 17, 1970: Fronted the first act to top the Hot 100 with first four chart singles<\/p>\n \n\tThe Jackson 5\u2019s \u201cI\u2019ll Be There\u201d followed \u201cI Want You Back,\u201d \u201cABC\u201d and \u201cThe Love You Save\u201d to the No. 1 spot, making the group the first act to top the chart with their first four chart hits. Only one artist has equaled or bettered the feat: Mariah Carey, who scored with her first five chart hits in 1990-91. Carey paid homage to the J5 in 1992 with her remake of \u201cI\u2019ll Be There,\u201d which also reached No. 1.<\/p>\n \tMarch 27, 1973: At age 14, performed live on the Oscars<\/p>\n \n\tAt just 14, Jackson performed \u201cBen,\u201d which in October 1972 became his first solo No. 1 Hot 100 hit, live on the Oscars. Charlton Heston introduced his performance by noting: \u201cThe first nominated song is \u2018Ben\u2019 from the picture Ben. It will be sung by a young man whose talent is mature, but whose age suggests that maybe he shouldn\u2019t even be up this late.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBen\u201d didn\u2019t win the Oscar \u2013 the award went to \u201cThe Morning After\u201d from The Poseidon Adventure, a rather ordinary ballad from a bigger boxoffice hit. But Jackson won in the end: One of the people who was impressed by his performance was Quincy Jones, who decided if Jackson could wring that much emotion from a song about a rat, he had greater potential.<\/p>\n \n\tJackson never performed on the Oscars again, though he made a high-profile return to the show in 1991 as the \u201cdate\u201d of fellow megastar Madonna.<\/p>\n \n\tWatch here<\/a><\/p>\n \tJune 21, 1980: First solo artist to land four top 10 Hot 100 hits from one album<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cShe\u2019s Out of My Life,\u201d the fourth single from Off the Wall, followed \u201cDon\u2019t Stop \u2019Til You Get Enough,\u201d \u201cRock With You\u201d and \u201cOff the Wall\u201d into the top 10 on the Hot 100. It was the first time an album by a solo artist spawned four top 10 hits. One album by a group, Fleetwood Mac\u2019s Rumours, and two multi-artist soundtracks, Saturday Night Fever and Grease, had previously achieved the feat.<\/p>\n \tMay 16, 1983: Unveiled moonwalk on Motown 25 special<\/p>\n \n\tJackson unveiled his signature moonwalk dance step as he performed \u201cBillie Jean\u201d on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever special. The special was taped on March 25, 1983, when \u201cBillie Jean,\u201d the only non-Motown song performed on the show, was midway through its seven-week reign atop the Hot 100. The show aired on NBC seven weeks later. Jackson received a Primetime Emmy nomination for outstanding individual performance in a variety or music program.<\/p>\n \n\tWatch here<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tHe went on to land a second Emmy nod in 1990 \u2013 outstanding music and lyrics for cowriting a song for Sammy Davis Jr.\u2019s 60th Anniversary Celebration. Jackson was nominated for co-writing \u201cYou Were There,\u201d a tribute to Davis, with Buz Kohan.<\/p>\n \n\tWatch here<\/a><\/p>\n \tJan. 16, 1984: First artist to win eight American Music Awards in one night<\/p>\n \n\tJackson won eight AMAs on the show, then in its 11th year, in what was essentially a dress rehearsal for the upcoming Grammys. Jackson elected not to perform on the show. Instead, Barry Manilow sang \u201cI\u2019ll Be There\u201d as a tribute. In all the years since, just one artist has matched Jackson\u2019s eight-AMA sweep. Whitney Houston equaled the mark in 1994.<\/p>\n \tFeb, 18, 1984: First album to spawn seven top 10 Hot 100 hits<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThriller\u201d reached the top 10, becoming the seventh top 10 hit from the album of the same name, an unprecedented feat. It followed \u201cThe Girl Is Mine\u201d (a collab with Paul McCartney), \u201cBillie Jean,\u201d \u201cBeat It,\u201d \u201cWanna Be Startin\u2019 Somethin\u2019,\u201d \u201cHuman Nature\u201d and \u201cP.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing).\u201d<\/p>\n \tFeb. 28, 1984: First artist to win eight Grammys in one night<\/p>\n \n\tJackson had set a new Grammy record with 12 nominations in one year, and on the big night he became the first artist to win eight Grammys in one night, one more than Paul Simon won in 1971.<\/p>\n \n\tBoth records have since been tied. In 1997, Babyface equaled MJ\u2019s record of 12 nominations in one year. In 2000, Santana equaled the record of eight Grammy wins in one year.<\/p>\n \tApril 14, 1984: First album by an individual artist or group to spend 37 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard 200<\/p>\n \n\tThis was Thriller\u2019s 37th and final week at No. 1. When it hit 32 weeks on top, it set a new record for the most weeks at No. 1 by an album by an individual artist or group. The only album with more weeks at No. 1 since the Billboard 200 launched on a consistent weekly basis in March 1956 was the West Side Story soundtrack, which spent 54 weeks on top.<\/p>\n \n\tMJ drew inspiration from West Side Story in two of his most famous videos: \u201cBeat It\u201d (1983, directed by Bob Giraldi) and \u201cBad\u201d (1987, directed by Martin Scorsese). Both videos feature rival street gangs, urban settings and dance-fighting sequences similar to the classic 1961 film.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tWhen the Recording Industry Assn. of America introduced multiplatinum albums on Oct. 30, 1984, Thriller was out front with certified U.S. shipments of 20 million copies. On the current tally, it has advanced to 34 million, topped only by Eagles\/Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, which leads with 40 million.<\/p>\n \tFeb. 25, 1986: Won Grammy for song of the year<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe Are the World,\u201d which Jackson co-wrote with Lionel Richie, won a Grammy for song of the year. That was the only Big Three category that eluded Jackson two years earlier in his Thriller sweep, when both \u201cBeat It\u201d and \u201cBillie Jean\u201d were nominated in the category but lost to Sting\u2019s \u201cEvery Breath You Take.\u201d<\/p>\n \tMarch 2, 1988: A showstopping performance on the live Grammy telecast<\/p>\n \n\tJackson was nominated in four categories at the 30th annual Grammy Awards and lost them all. But he left Radio City Music Hall in New York City with something better than a trophy \u2013 a performance clip that proves that, despite all the controversy and well-placed concerns, he was indisputably one of the greatest performers of all time.<\/p>\n \n\tHe performed two songs in their entirely \u2013 \u201cThe Way You Make Me Feel\u201d and \u201cMan in the Mirror.\u201d The latter hit was nominated for record of the year at the following year\u2019s awards. It lost to Bobby McFerrin\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t Worry Be Happy.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tWatch here<\/a><\/p>\n \tJuly 2, 1988: First album to spawn five No. 1 hits on the Hot 100<\/p>\n \n\tThis was the week \u201cDirty Dancing\u201d hit No. 1, becoming the fifth No. 1 hit from Bad, an unprecedented feat. It followed \u201cI Just Can\u2019t Stop Loving You,\u201d \u201cBad,\u201d \u201cThe Way You Make Me Feel\u201d and \u201cMan in the Mirror.\u201d In all the years since, just one other album has equaled the feat \u2013 Katy Perry\u2019s Teenage Dream.<\/p>\n \tSept. 7, 1988: Won MTV\u2019s Video Vanguard Award<\/p>\n \n\tJackson became the 11th recipient of MTV\u2019s Video Vanguard Award, an award that was named in his honor three years later.<\/p>\n \n\tJackson never won video of the year at the VMAs, one of the few major prizes that eluded him. He was nominated three times \u2013 with \u201cThriller,\u201d \u201cLeave Me Alone\u201d and \u201cScream,\u201d the latter a collab with sister Janet Jackson.<\/p>\n \tNov. 15-18, 1992: Subject of a hit TV miniseries<\/p>\n \n\tThe Jacksons: An American Dream became one of the most popular music-bio miniseries of the 1990s. The miniseries was watched in 38.3 million households. It was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, including outstanding miniseries. Michael Peters won for outstanding individual achievement in choreography.<\/p>\n \tFeb. 24, 1993: Became youngest recipient of Grammy Legend Award<\/p>\n \n\tJackson received the Grammy Legend Award on the annual Grammy telecast. At 34, he was the youngest-ever recipient. The award was presented by his sister, Janet.<\/p>\n \n\tJackson didn\u2019t receive a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in his lifetime, but he got one on the first telecast (on Jan. 31, 2010) following his death. Five top stars \u2013 Celine Dion, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson \u2013 performed his 1995 single \u201cEarth Song.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tWatch here<\/a><\/p>\n \tSept. 2, 1995: First single to enter Hot 100 at No. 1; first male solo artist to land 13 No. 1 hits<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYou Are Not Alone\u201d became the first single to enter the Hot 100 at No. 1. It was Jackson\u2019s 13th No. 1 hit as solo artist, extending his record as the male solo artist with the most No. 1 hits. Drake tied that record in October 2023, but no one has yet surpassed it.<\/p>\n \tMarch 19, 2001: Became youngest (living) two-time inductee into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame<\/p>\n \n\tJackson was inducted into the Rock Hall on his first nomination, four years after he was inducted as a member of the Jackson 5. At 42, he was the youngest living two-time inductee. John Lennon, who died at age 40, became a two-time inductee posthumously. The ceremony was held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.<\/p>\n \tJuly 11, 2009: First catalog album to outsell that week\u2019s No. 1 album<\/p>\n \n\tIn the wake of his death on June 25, 2009, his 2003 compilation Number Ones became the best-selling album in the U.S. It didn\u2019t appear at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 because rules in place at the time didn\u2019t allow catalog titles to appear on that chart. The rule was changed later that year. But it\u2019s a matter of historical record that Number Ones was the best-selling album for six of the first seven weeks following his death.<\/p>\n \tNov. 14, 2009: Topped Billboard 200 with posthumous This Is It<\/p>\n \n\tThe soundtrack to Michael Jackson\u2019s This Is It topped the Billboard 200, becoming his sixth No. 1 album. The film was also a big hit, grossing $268 million worldwide, according to boxofficemojo.com.<\/p>\n \tJune 12, 2022: Subject of Broadway musical that won four Tonys<\/p>\n \n\tMJ The Musical won four Tonys, including one for Myles Frost as lead actor in a musical. It was nominated for best musical but lost to A Strange Loop.<\/p>\n \tNov. 10, 2025: First artist to land top 10 Hot 100 hits in six different decades<\/p>\n \n\tJackson\u2019s 1983 classic \u201cThriller,\u201d which has become a Halloween perennial, rose from No. 32 to No. 10 on the Hot 100\u00a0dated Nov. 15, 2025. This made Jackson the first artist to rank in the top 10 in six distinct decades.<\/p>\n \n\tJackson had No. 1 multiple hits in the 1970s, \u201880s and \u201890s. His biggest hit of the \u201900s was \u201cYou Rock My World\u201d (No. 10 in 2001). His biggest hits of the \u201910s were two collabs that each reached No. 9: \u201cLove Never Felt So Good\u201d (with Justin Timberlake, 2014) and \u201cDon\u2019t Matter to Me\u201d (with Drake, 2018).<\/p>\n \n\tIf you combine group and solo achievements, this was Jackson\u2019s seventh decade with a top 10 Hot 100 hit: The Jackson 5 first cracked the top 10 on the last chart of the \u201860s, dated Dec. 27, 1969, with their breakthrough hit, \u201cI Want You Back.\u201d<\/p>\n \t<\/p>\n \t<\/a><\/p>\n Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tThe Daily\t\t<\/p>\n A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry<\/p>\n \t\tBy providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use<\/a> and our Privacy Policy<\/a>.![\"Billboard](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2HpFicp.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\tSign Up<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tWe use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. \/\/ This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The biopic Michael set records over the weekend. Jackson had a long history of doing just that. 4\/27\/2026…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":420660,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[6971,7849,93,821,61,60,278],"class_list":["post-420659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-awards","tag-chart-beat","tag-entertainment","tag-genre-pop","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=420659"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420659\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/420660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=420659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=420659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=420659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}