Thriller vaulted 13-2 on the Billboard 200 dated Nov. 14, its highest rank since 1984. Here is the vinyl and streaming math, and the full top 10.
As of Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, Michael Jackson's Thriller sits at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated Nov. 14, jumping from No. 13. According to Billboard, it is the album's highest chart position since the spring of 1984, and the biggest vinyl sales week it has had since Luminate began electronic tracking in 1991. Olivia Rodrigo's "you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love" holds the top spot.
Billboard publishes the full chart on its website on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Here is what drove the jump, the numbers behind it, and who else landed in the top 10.
Why did Thriller jump to No. 2 on the Billboard 200?
Two things happened in the tracking week of Oct. 30 through Nov. 5, according to Billboard: Halloween streams and new physical versions. Thriller earned 55,000 equivalent album units that week, up 89%, boosted by seasonal spooky streams of the title track and by the new vinyl and cassette editions released Oct. 30.
Billboard says the reissues came as three new vinyl variants, including two color editions and a liquid-filled version, plus a cassette tape. That timing, a holiday and a physical release landing the same day, explains most of the jump.
How big were the Thriller numbers?
Here is Billboard's breakdown of those 55,000 units, as measured by Luminate:
- Streaming equivalent album units: 32,000, up 37%, which equals 34.34 million on-demand official streams. Thriller moved 14-5 on Top Streaming Albums.
- Album sales: 22,000, up 335%. That is the album's largest sales week in nearly four years, since 23,000 in the chart dated Dec. 31, 2022. It rose 14-3 on Top Album Sales.
- Vinyl: 19,000 of those 22,000 sales were vinyl, the best vinyl week for Thriller since Luminate began tracking in 1991.
- Track equivalent albums: 1,000, up 30%.
Billboard adds that Jackson's No. 2 is his highest Billboard 200 rank in more than a decade, since the posthumous album Xscape peaked at No. 2 in May 2014. Thriller has appeared on the chart every year since 2009 and has been in the top 20 each week since early May, with 15 straight weeks in the top 10 through August, helped by the record-setting biopic Michael, per Billboard.
Who is No. 1, and what else is in the top 10?
Rodrigo's album returns to No. 1 for a fourth nonconsecutive week with 57,000 units, down 10%, according to Billboard. That is the smallest total for a No. 1 album in more than a year, since SZA's SOS led with 52,000 on the chart dated May 3, 2025. The gap between No. 1 and No. 2 is therefore only 2,000 units.
Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem is No. 3 with 49,000, Ella Langley's Dandelion No. 4 with 45,000 and Noah Kahan's The Great Divide No. 5 with 40,000. Three entries stand out below that:
- ILLIT's BREAK EVEN debuts at No. 6 with 37,000 units, the group's first top 10. Most of that came from album sales, with 32,500 sales across more than 24 CD versions.
- BigXthaPlug's Better Over Time enters at No. 7 with 35,000, tying his highest-charting album.
- Queens of the Stone Age land at No. 10 with their newest album, their fifth top 10, per Billboard.
Could Thriller reach No. 1?
Billboard does not say. Based on the numbers it reported, Thriller trailed by 2,000 units, and a lot of its week came from a Halloween streaming bump and a vinyl launch that will not repeat at the same size. We would not expect it to stay this high without another push, but a fifth week for Rodrigo is not guaranteed either. That is analysis, not a forecast from Billboard.
What it means if you are shopping
If you wanted one of the new Thriller pressings, check retailer and label pages for stock, since we did not verify availability or prices. For fans following the chart, the next date to watch is Nov. 10, when Billboard posts the full chart.
Related reading
Picture credit: MichaelJackson.com
