Michael Jackson Returns To The Top 10 — And One Hit May Be Responsible
More than a decade has passed since Michael Jackson died, but his grip on pop culture – and the charts, to a lesser extent – remains firm. Whether through re-releases, compilations, or viral moments that breathe new life into old hits, the icon seems to always find a way to live on the charts. This week, one of his most successful retrospectives grows again, and it seems that it was powered in large part by the neverending appeal of just one song.
Jackson's The Essential is on the rise again in the U.K., gaining on two different rankings. The decades-old compilation appears on both the Official Albums Streaming chart and the all-encompassing Official Albums list — and it's headed north on both of them.
On the streaming-focused roster, The Essential earns a coveted spot inside the top 10, as it advances from No. 12 to No. 9. That movement shows that fans are still pressing play on the superstar's biggest hits in huge numbers via platforms like Spotify.
Over on the main albums list, which blends sales and streaming activity into one ranking, the collection improves as well. It pushes forward two spaces, rising from No. 19 to No. 17.
Only one of Jackson's songs appears on a singles ranking this frame in the U.K. 'Billie Jean,' arguably one of his most recognizable and beloved cuts, re-enters the Official Streaming chart at No. 88.
Sometimes, when a single track from a compilation goes viral or enjoys a spike in attention, it can often lift the entire album it's featured on. That may be what's happening here, as 'Billie Jean' returning to the streaming tally shows that there's renewed interest in the cut – perhaps enough to help The Essential ascend on multiple tallies, especially one focused on the most-played full-lengths.
While The Essential returns to the top 10 on one roster, it stops short of its all-time peak. On the Official Albums Streaming chart, the compilation has previously climbed as high as No. 7, so its current placement at No. 9 is close, but not quite a new best.
That's not the case on the broader Official Albums chart, where Jackson's collection has enjoyed even greater success in the past. At No. 17 this week, it still has a fair way to go before it can hit No. 1, as it's already conquered the tally.
'Billie Jean' also has some room for growth. In total, the smash has spent just four frames on the Official Streaming chart, and its highest position remains No. 85. With the song now back at No. 88, it's within reach of a new peak. If its current upward momentum continues, 'Billie Jean' could reestablish a new best showing, decades after it was first released.
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New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
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And unfortunately, JLH didn't come to the after-party,' the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' star commented on Instagram Wednesday. 11 Sarah Michelle Gellar at the 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Hollywood Premiere on October 8, 1997 WireImage 'If you have ever been to one of these, it's crazy,' continued Gellar. 'I sadly didn't get pics with most of the cast. But that doesn't change how amazing I think they all are. Unfortunately, some things happen only in real life and not online.' While on the carpet, Gellar posed for pictures with her husband of 23 years and her former 'Buffy' co-star, Seth Green. The 'Ringer' alum also snapped pictures with the film's director, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, and the slasher's new star, Madelyn Cline. 11 Freddie Prinze Jr. at the 1997 premiere. WireImage 'What a night!!! Still can't believe …… years later (no need to date myself) I got to walk the red carpet at another premiere of @ikwydlsmovie,' Gellar captioned her original Instagram post. 'Still starring the most handsome man I know @realfreddieprinze, but this time directed by my best friend @jennkaytin and written by Jenn and @samlansky I love this movie sooooo much and this cast!! Now for the important thank you's @justinemarjan @kmannmakeup @jamielevin_ @taraswennen @oscardelarenta @fernandogarciam1205 @margosiegelpr @lesilla @effyjewelry @guitam_jewelry @lateliernawbar @selimmouzannar for this look I'll never forget.' Hewitt had previously addressed the online chatter in December. 'I just heard that there's this whole thing where they think that Sarah and I were fighting or something. 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Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
'You Can't Out-Myth the Original Myth': Jakob Nowell's Time With Sublime
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Jim Bennett/WireImage When it comes to music, there can be a tendency to lean on nostalgia and want things to remain the same. The renewed Sublime trio, though, has been traveling and headlining shows across stages, including their public debut at Coachella, to much praise from fans. "If people didn't like it, we wouldn't keep doing it. I do it for the fans, truly. So Sublime for me really has to be like, 'Do the fans want this kind of thing, Is this legit enough? Is this authentic enough?' Nowell said. "And for the most part, you know, 99 percent of people are on board. You know, I see families out there in the audience. I see multigenerational. I always say that is like, every single generation is like, into Sublime right now. If you just go to any of our shows, you just see it from the teenage demographic, the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, even 60s and beyond." And, for Nowell, that reception is more than just a positive omen for the group's commercial prospects. 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"I was on tour with my band, Jakob's Castle, and I had this kind of cool spiritual experience at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, California, where my dad played his last show or Sublime played their last show. That coincided with me turning 28, the same age my dad was when he technically left the band," he said. "I had always said, 'I'll play Sublime songs when it's something for charity or when it can raise awareness for something or shed light on other things, but never for my own personal benefit.' And so my uncles wanted to play this benefit show for H.R. from Bad Brains. He's just like a hero to us, and good friends of Bud and Eric. Playing that show, we had just connected and we rehearsed, and it was so awesome getting to be in each other's lives that it all kind of coincided naturally." But even if something feels natural, there can still be challenges. Stepping into that frontman role once held by his father and as part of such an iconic band can be rattling, Nowell admitted. "Especially in the beginning, it's just so much pressure, because I want to prove myself," he said. "And I think we all have a little bit of impostor syndrome. Everybody out there, in every industry, we just want to fit in, and that would also feel like we legitimately belong. "And I think that the worst one was Coachella, for sure, because that was really like our first real show together in Sublime, and it's like, 'All right, your first one, go play Coachella.' You're kidding me," he laughed. "This is going to be the most publicized event. And I really shouldn't care what people's thoughts are of me, but I'm the only human and I care because, because I care, because I love Sublime, I love the music, and I respect it." Even out of the public eye, there's still pressure. Hitting the studio with an iconic group requires being authentic to the original sound, but Nowell is well-versed in the music. And there's an additional ace up Sublime's sleeve should any additional challenges arise. 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"There was learning about the performance and how to portray it live, which, you know, obviously listen to all the songs in the catalog and then watch a lot of live performance videos and be like 'OK. What's the essence of this band? What is the vibe like? How am I gonna do this without just feeling like I'm copying and make it authentic?' I got really familiar with the sound of the band and their approach to playing music. "Then the second half of my training and studies was like when we decided 'Are we gonna try to write Sublime songs? How do we do that?' So we poured through all the old bootlegs, demos and unreleased material in the vaults that nobody's heard and through them, in tandem with the help of my friend Jon Joseph, who's the producer for this upcoming record, and Zane Vandevort, who was just a natural Californian fan of Sublime since birth, you know, like his favorite band. Basically, we then went to go map out what is the essence of a Sublime song, and what recurring themes, vocally, lyrically, recurring guitar parts? What's canonical? What do they do, for sure? What do they never do when it comes to instrumentation." That understanding laid the foundation for the next step: new music. Nowell described the recording process of "Ensenada" and the band's upcoming new music as "a bonding experience," saying, "I think when you're sitting in any room for eight hours, eventually it becomes sort of like a little bit of a therapy room, too. I mean, the world outside the studio doesn't stop. It's kind of like the hyperbolic time chamber. The other world slows down. You're just in there practicing our f***ing martial arts. "It's so cool when people will accept that material, too. It shows that we're doing something right and that it fits in the catalog. That's all I want. I don't think that you know. I'll knock on wood. Who knows, time will tell. I'm proud of what we did, but I don't think we were able to achieve writing like a 'Santeria' or even a 'What I Got' like, I consider those two like their big, big, just timeless rock 'n' roll classics, just without a doubt, alternative classics, and that's because those go beyond their influences. That's a riddle that we would not be able to solve without the original members. "They probably didn't know. They probably had versions of those jams 100 times, and then one recording just sort of did it time and place, bam. You know, timeless song. You can't out-legacy. You can't out-myth, the original myth. So we just wanted to create a bunch of songs that were well within the same sound genre." And, on the subject of timeless, iconic music, what is Nowell's favorite Sublime song? "Definitely the song 'All You Need.' It just is such a good example of the band's influences and capabilities," he said. "'All You Need' and Greatest Hits and 'S.T.P.,' as well." Sublime's new single "Ensenada" is available now.
Hamilton Spectator
5 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Essex County's Richard Janik releases first album in 26-years
In the '80s and '90s, Richard Janik, originally of Windsor, was living his dream life as a musician, playing his own music and connecting with crowds from coast-to-coast-to coast. It was a life on the road and in the studio, embodying creativity at every turn. He traversed Canada, playing at college and university campuses to the tune of around 200 gigs a year. Along the way, his brother asked him to join his manufacturing businesses temporarily to complete a technical writing project, but that shift ended up being a little more permanent than originally intended. It has been 26-years since Janik released new material, and he was excited to drop his new work on the 13-track album just last week on a variety of online platforms. Already, his new material has been receiving good feedback and listenership, he said. Those at the Town of Essex's Tune Up the Parks summer concert series on Monday evening in Colchester were able to listen to Janik perform many of the songs on his new album 'Ultramodern Relic,' which the Tecumseh resident was pleased to share with a live audience. This was his second performance in the music series in as many years. The first single will be released on July 17. It is called 'The Music That We Made,' inspired by a recollection of a happy childhood and being able to create music with family and friends. Two of the songs on the new album were rescued from a couple of degraded master tapes for an album he was going to put together in the early '90s. It was never completed, as the project was started on what he said was a bad batch of tapes. Two of the tracks he had saved to a cassette, which he was able to digitize and work with using new technology to a point where they could be used as the foundation of two of the new songs. One of the songs on the new album is called 'Look My Way,' which Janik said is a statement of ageism and embracing the wisdom of the older generation. He used an analogy of an old car to do so. The new songs are available on Spotify and Apple Music, and 'seem to be gaining a little bit of traction,' Janik said. He also has a YouTube account. Janik released his first album 'Temperate Zone' in 1988, with a few singles preceding it. That was 'back when Canadian content was something – more-or-less – where you could peddle your own records to the radio stations, and actually get chart positions.' It is a different musical landscape now with online streaming, Janik added. He released his second album 'Gems' in 1996. After that, he went into the manufacturing business with his brother. Though he still played music, he was not embarking on any original projects. What got him back writing music recently included what is going on in the world with the economic and social dynamics, and changes to technology with the introduction and proliferation of AI. He balanced that out with wholesome values of living. 'The songs kind of run the gamut lyrically, between those kinds of topics. So far, people are saying, 'yeah, I can relate to this, this is pretty cool,'' Janik said. 'I like to come up with songs, I suppose, are artistically substantial, but in the end are very helpful.' In describing his music, Janik said it is 'stylistically, kind of all over the map, but I would like to think it has a cohesive sound to it just because of my writing. There is a little bit of jazz, a little bit of folk, there is definitely straight-ahead pop.' If it had to be distilled into something, he'd call it 1970s-1980s mellow rock. Getting the new material recorded was a different experience than he had in the past. With the earlier albums, Janik said it was a matter of writing the songs and then laying out some of the demos. He would have session musicians play on the records. He would then produce and mix the material himself. With the new album, Janik said it was a little bit of a harder project on which to work. Much of the work he completed in his own home studio with a small amount of technology. He did work with a few local studios to work on a few bits and pieces. 'It was a patchwork of a project that in the end worked out quite well,' Janik said. Today, he said it is more difficult to become visible in the music industry than he experienced previously, due to the volume of artists who are a mouse click away from an audience. However, in those earlier days, he said artists had to work harder to become visible. Janik has a full schedule of shows booked leading up to the end of the summer. He is trying to do a few more concert events, as well. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
