Madonna’s new studio album. CONFESSIONS IIdebuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (dated July 18), the Queen of Pop joins the King of Pop Michael Jackson in the top ten. Jackson’s former No. 1 in 1983-84. Thriller drops by 7-8 on the last chart. Perhaps surprisingly, this is only the second time the pair have appeared in the top 10 at the same time, with the last time being almost 25 years ago. (All charts dated July 18th will be updated to Billboardwebsite on Tuesday, July 14.)
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Madonna and Jackson previously shared a top 10 spot on the December 1, 2001 chart. Jackson hit number one on the charts this week Invincible in its third week on the list fell 3–4 places, and Madonna’s collection GHV2: Greatest Hits Volume 2 debuted at number 7. The following week, both albums fell out of the top 10, although they remained in the top 15 together.
These two icons almost met in the top 10 in the 1980s – when they spent a total of 57 weeks at number one – but missed each other by just one week. On the chart dated September 19, 1987, the group led by Madonna Who is this girl The film’s soundtrack spent its third and final week in the top ten, at number seven. Next week Who is this girl dropped to 11th place, and Michael Jackson Bad debuted at number 1. Then on the chart dated October 3 Who is this girl remained in 11th place, while Bad held at number 1.
Who is this girl And Bad may have never shared time in the top 10, but they both appeared in the top 15 of the chart for four consecutive weeks (September 26–October 17, 1987).
Madonna and Jackson had another close encounter on the Billboard 200 dated January 23, 1988, when they were both in the top 15. Madonna remix album You can dance rose to 17-14 (at its peak), while Bad held at number 4.
Given Madonna and Jackson’s impressive chart history, how come they rarely crossed paths in the top 10, especially in the ’80s when they spent a total of 57 weeks at number one (16 and 41 respectively)? Madonna reached the top ten for the first time on the chart dated October 6, 1984, with her self-titled debut. By this time Jackson’s megahit Thriller has already left the top 10 (where it was from January 1983 to June 1984).
Next ThrillerBefore his death in 2009, Jackson finished in the top 10 four more times. Since his passing, he has scored four more top 10s. Meanwhile, Madonna was much more prolific in her creativity, as her self-titled set was her first of 24 top 10s, thanks to CONFESSIONS II.
It’s also worth considering that the pair have missed each other over the years, with their major new albums often not being released in close proximity to each other. If you go back in time, there have only been four occasions when Madonna and Jackson released top 10 charting albums within six months of each other. This happened in 1987 with Who is this girl And Bad; in 1995 with a collection of Madonna ballads. Something worth remembering and half-studio album/half-hits by Jackson STORY; in 2001 with GHV2 And Invincible; and in 2009 with the best songs of Madonna Holiday and posthumous Michael Jackson “This Is It” soundtrack to the film.