Michael Jackson 1981. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” rules the U.S. iTunes chart around Halloween, and … [+] the late singer pushes Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars out of the No. 1 spot. (Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage)
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Halloween has come and gone for another year, which means in a few days, one of the most successful–and creepiest–pop singles of all time will start to fall from popularity. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” surges in consumption every fall around the scariest holiday, and then immediately afterward, interest wanes…but not for long.
Jackson’s smash is performing well on the current Billboard charts, and it could climb when the company refreshes its rankings again in a few days, as those numbers will reflect current streams and sales. The tune sold most intensely as millions of Americans added it to their party playlists or purchased it again, simply to get into the mood.
“Thriller” still sits at No. 1 on iTunes’ ranking of the top-selling songs in the U.S., as of early Friday morning (November 1). While Halloween is through, it seems the spirit still lingers–at least for a little while longer.
Jackson’s hit single bolted to the summit of the iTunes chart during Halloween and kept bouncing around the loftiest reaches of the tally in the hours afterward. The late superstar had the power to unseat two of the biggest names in the music industry, who are looking to score their first joint No. 1 with one of the most popular songs on the planet right now.
Before “Thriller” returned to No. 1 on iTunes, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars were running the show. The pair recently unveiled a new version of their hit single, “Die with a Smile,” which instantly became a bestseller.
For a time, several takes on “Die with a Smile” claimed the highest rungs on iTunes in America. Their updated edit, labeled “Live in Las Vegas,” sat at No. 1 not long ago. Now, it’s down to sixth place, as several other Halloween classics crawled their way up the chart around the big night.
On Thursday (October 31), Gaga and Mars owned the top two spots on the sales ranking–both with “Die with a Smile.” The original cut, which is the one most people know, appeared in second place, right behind the live edition. Gaga’s even-more-recent single “Disease” lived at No. 3 for a while, meaning the pop icon held sway over the highest three slots, and she could do so again very soon.
