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Global Chart Report
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'Billie Jean' turns back to no.1
Sunday, May 24, 2026
by Fred Chuchel, Dresden

 

What a great surprise!! 43 years after its seven week run atop the Global Track Chart, Michael Jackson's classic 'Billie Jean' returns to the summit of the Global Track Chart for an eighth week with 231,000 points. The musical biographical film 'Michael' ensures that many of Michael Jackson's biggest hits returns to the international hitlists. It's the third time that 'Billie Jean' reaches the top three, the song was seven weeks at number one in March / April 1983 and placed no.2 on the Year-End Chart 1983. After Michael Jackson's death it returned and peaked at no.3 in the calendar week 28, 2009. With a total of 11,294,000 points 'Billie Jean' reaches no.52 on our historical ALL TIME CHART. Broken down by sectors the song gets 195,000 points by streaming (down 3,5%), 32,000 points by sales (down 11%), but only 4,000 points by airplay (down 2%). Justin Bieber's 'Beauty And A Beat', a collab with rapper Nicki Minaj, ruled the Global Track Chart

the last four weeks and sails now at no.3 with 215,000 points (183,000 points by streaming, 28,000 points by sales, and 4,000 points by airplay). Sandwiched between 'Billie Jean' and 'Beauty And A Beat' places 'Swim' by BTS (Bangtan Boys) at the runner-up slot with 217,000 points (down 5% with 166,000 points by streaming, 13,000 points by sales, and 38,000 points by airplay). With the release of three new albums by Canadian rapper and singer Drake, six of his new songs entering the Top 40, led by 'Janice STFU', which bows at no.5 with 202,000 points (170,000 points by streaming, 30,000 points by sales, and only 2,000 points by airplay). Outside our Top 40 waiting among other 'Self Aware' by Temper City at no.43, 'Bangaranga' by Dara at no.51, 'Rein Me In' by Sam Fender & Olivia Dean at no.59, and 'Be Her' by Ella Langley at no.60 for their first appearance on the hitlist. 'GreenGreen', the second extended play by the South Korean boy group Cortis, is the clear winner of the current Global Album Chart. The set bows with massive 566,000 equivalent sales (most of it consists of physical sales). Cortis is Big Hit Entertainment's third successful band after BTS (Bangtan Boys) and Tomorrow X Together. Their first extended play 'Color Outside The Lines' debuted and peaked at no.5 with 142,000 consumption units in the calendar week 39, 2025. Noah Kahan's fourth studio effort 'The Great Divide' remains at the runner-up slot for a third week with another 165,000 consumption units (135,000 points by streaming + 30,000 points by sales). Rounds out the top three is 'Arirang' by BTS (Bangtan Boys) with 155,000 equivalent sales (74,000 points by streaming + 81,000 points by sales). With a total of 3,68 million units it's far and away the most successful album of the year 2026 (so far). And now, as every week, additional stats from outside the current Global Album Top 20 in alphabetic order. The first figure means last week's sales, the second figure the total sales: '1989' by Taylor Swift 16,000 / 17,499,000, '1989 (Taylor's Version)' by Taylor Swift 10,000 / 7,586,000, '21' by Adele 12,000 / 34,465,000, '25' by Adele 9,000 / 26,179,000, '30' by Adele 8,000 / 7,291,000, 'After Hours' by The Weeknd 22,000 / 12,231,000, 'Cowboy Carter' by Beyoncé 9,000 / 2,509,000, 'Divide' by Ed Sheeran 17,000 / 22,954,000, 'Eternal Sunshine' by Ariana Grande 22,000 / 5,722,000, 'Evermore' by Taylor Swift 8,000 / 7,152,000, 'Fireworks & Rollerblades' by Benson Boone 13,000 / 4,268,000, 'Folklore' by Taylor Swift 17,000 / 13,291,000, 'Future Nostalgia' by Dua Lipa 15,000 / 10,420,000, 'GNX' by Kendrick Lamar 12,000 / 4,289,000, 'Guts' by Olivia Rodrigo 28,000 / 5,949,000, 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' by The Weeknd 16,000 / 2,982,000, 'I Barely Know Her' by Sombr 40,000 / 2,200,000, 'I've Tried Everything But Therapy' by Teddy Swims 19,000 / 4,501,000, the soundtrack to 'K-pop Demon Hunters' 47,000 / 4,771,000, 'Lux' by Rosalíá 16,000 / 937,000, 'Mayhem' by Lady GaGa 21,000 / 3,332,000, 'Midnights' by Taylor Swift 12,000 / 13,509,000, 'One Thing At A Time' by Morgan Wallen 31,000 / 10,691,000, 'Red (Taylor's Version)' by Taylor Swift 9,000 / 7,233,000, 'Short n' Sweet' by Sabrina Carpenter 44,000 / 7,435,000, 'So Close To What' by Tate McRae 29,000 / 3,596,000, 'Sour' by Olivia Rodrigo 39,000 / 13,950,000, 'SOS' by SZA 47,000 / 13,991,000, 'Starboy' by The Weeknd 24,000 / 10,747,000, 'Stick Season' by Noah Kahan 36,000 / 6,755,000, 'The Highlights' by The Weeknd 16,000 / 11,052,000, 'The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess' by Chappell Roan 16,000 / 5,073,000, 'The Secret Of Us' by Gracie Abrams 17,000 / 4,310,000, 'The Tortured Poets Department' by Taylor Swift 29,000 / 12,235,000, 'Tropicoqueta' by Karol G 23,000 / 1,665,000, and 'When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?' by Billie Eilish 15,000 / 13,527,000.


GLOBAL NO.1 - 40 YEARS AGO ... "Kiss" was released on February 5, 1986, as the lead single from Prince's eighth studio album, Parade (1986). The song started as a rough acoustic demo, with a verse and chorus written by Prince. He gave his demo to the funk band Mazarati. But in the end, Prince decided to finish the song and added the signature guitar and falsetto vocal. The distinctive "ah-wah-ah" backing vocals were taken from 60s icon Brenda Lee. "Kiss" went to the number one position in the United States and reached the Top 10 in United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, and New Zealand.


USA
Billboard Report
(excerpt)
"Choosin' Texas" notches tenth week at No. 1
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
by Keith Caulfield & Gary Trust, Los Angeles


Ella Langley adds her latest week of chart history as “Choosin’ Texas” tallies a 10th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Only 4% of all leaders over the survey’s 67-year archives have

reached the milestone — and the achievement is even rarer among country hits. The song, is one of just four songs to have ruled the Hot 100 for 10 or more weeks and made the Hot Country Songs top five; notably, three have done so in the last three-plus years. Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” led the lists for 19 and 45 weeks, respectively, in 2024-25, following Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” (16 and 25 weeks in 2023). Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life” became the first song ever to dominate the Hot 100 for double-digit weeks (10) and hit No. 4 on Hot Country Songs in 1977. Langley sets another mark on the latest Hot 100: “Be Her” holds at its No. 2 high, making her the first artist known for primarily recording country music ever to claim chart’s the top two spots simultaneously for multiple weeks. Among all core-country acts, she passes Wallen, who doubled up for a week last year. “Choosin’ Texas,” on Sawgod/Columbia Records, with Triple Tigers

promoting it to country radio, totaled 27.8 million official streams (up 4% week over week), 48.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 1%) and 7,000 sold (down 11%) in the United States May 8-14. The single, which became Langley’s first Hot 100 No. 1 in mid-February, logs an 11th week atop the Streaming Songs chart; rises a spot to a new No. 5 best on Radio Songs; and holds for a seventh week atop Digital Song Sales. Olivia Dean charts her first two Hot 100 top 10s in the top five for the first time: “Man I Need” rebounds 4-3, after reaching No. 2, and “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” ascends a place to a new No. 5 high. Dean, from London, becomes the first British woman to place her first two top five Hot 100 hits in the bracket simultaneously. Among all Englishwomen at any career point, she’s the first to manage the accomplishment since Adele with “Easy on Me” and “Oh My God” (the most recent of her six top five hits) in December 2021. The only British acts overall to each chart their first two top five titles, or more, on the Hot 100 in that range simultaneously? Dean, Herman’s Hermits (for one week in 1965) and The Beatles (eight weeks, 1964). The Peter Noone-fronted Herman’s Hermits did so with “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat” and “Silhouettes” after the Fab Four initiated the stat with the iconic “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You.” Bruno Mars’ “I Just Might” lifts 5-4 after three weeks atop the Hot 100 between January and March. It leads Radio Songs for a 13th week, with 72.6 million in audience (down 5%). Mars also returns to the Hot 100’s top 10 with “Risk It All” (15-8), which debuted at its No. 4 peak in March. Following the May 8 release of its Spanish version, it’s up 19% to 11.2 million streams, 11% to 38.8 million in radio reach and 70% to 2,000 sold. Alongside Langley, Dean and Mars each infusing the Hot 100’s top 10 with two hits, Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” rises 7-6 after 10 weeks at No. 1 last June-August. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drop Dead” dips 3-7 on the Hot 100, three weeks after it debuted at No. 1. Kehlani’s “Folded” holds at No. 9 after reaching No. 6 on the Hot 100. Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Tame Impala and Jennie’s “Dracula” repeats at its No. 10 high. Noah Kahan’s The Great Divide scores a third week atop the Billboard 200 (dated May 23), making it the first rock album with three weeks at No. 1 in more than a decade. The last rock set with as many weeks at No. 1 was Mumford & Sons’ Babel, with five, nonconsecutively, in 2012-13. The Great Divide earned 132,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending May 14 (down 19%), according to Luminate. Of The Great Divide’s 132,000 equivalent album units earned in the latest tracking week, SEA units comprise 109,000 (down 20%, equaling 111.46 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks; it spends a third week at No. 1 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 22,000 (down 85%; it holds at No. 2 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise the remainder (up 18%). Ella Langley’s former leader Dandelion is a non-mover at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 100,000 equivalent album units earned (down 3%). Cortis earns its first top 10 with the No. 3 debut of GreenGreen, starting with 87,000 equivalent album units, the group’s best week by units. Of that sum, album sales comprise 81,500 (the quintet’s best sales week; it debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 5,500 (equaling 5.91 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. First-week album sales were bolstered by the set’s availability across more than 20 physical variants on CD and vinyl, all containing collectible items such as photocards and stickers, with some items randomized. Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping I’m the Problem is steady at No. 4 on the latest Billboard 200 with 85,000 equivalent album units earned (up 2%). Michael Jackson has the Nos. 5 and 6 albums, as his former No. 1 Thriller is steady at No. 5 (66,000 equivalent album units, up 6%) and Number Ones is also stationary at No. 6 (just more than 65,000, up 6%). Both titles continue to bask in the glow of the success of the Michael biopic film. Chris Brown’s new studio effort, Brown, bows at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, earning the singer-songwriter his 13th top 10-charted project. The new set launches with 65,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 60,000 (equaling 60.31 million on-demand official streams of the sets tracks; it debuts at No. 4 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 5,000 (it debuts at No. 19 on Top Album Sales, and was only available to purchase as a digital download) and TEA units comprise the remainder. Rounding out the rest of the top 10 on the latest Billboard 200: BTS’s former leader Arirang (falling 7-8 with 44,000 equivalent album units, down 10%), Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time (holding at No. 9 with 41,000, up 3%) and Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving (8-10 with nearly 41,000, down 3%).


Record Of The Month
'Fever Dream' by Alex Warren is his new smash and the first sign of a new album?


United Kingdom
Music Week Report
(excerpt)
'Rein Me In' rules a 12th week
Monday, May 25, 2026
by Alan Jones, London

 
Drake released 41 new songs (and two previously released tracks) last Friday (May 15), across three albums. Some put up a spirited fight to earn him his seventh No.1 but all ultimately fell short, leaving Rein Me In to claim pole position for the fourth week in a row, and 12th week in total for Sam

Fender & Olivia Dean, on consumption of 47,622 units (14 vinyl singles, 597 digital downloads and 47,011 sales-equivalent streams). Securing its 31st week in the Top 10 and 48th consecutive week in the Top 40 – the former tally being exceeded by only seven songs, the latter by five – the track continues to slow, with consumption off 5.10% week-on-week to its lowest level – and the lowest for a No.1 for 12 weeks. Only seven songs have spent longer at No.1, and Rein Me In now shares the leadership for most weeks at No.1 by a duo with Wham!’s Last Christmas. Rein Me In and Last Christmas also share second place for most weeks at No.1 in the 2020s, with only Ordinary (13 weeks) by Alex Warren reigning longer. Unless it outperforms the market next week, however, Rein Me In will fall into ACR the following frame. As for Drake, debuting at No.2 with Janice STFU (39,645 sales), No.3 with National Treasures (36,862 sales), and No.6 with Make Them Cry

(33,144 sales) is not too shabby. They are but the visible peak of a Drake mountain, which, under primary artist rules, sees a further 34 of the 40 other songs on his triumvirate of new albums – Iceman, Maid Of Honour and Habibti – ‘starred-out’ of the Top 75. The only Drake songs on the new albums previously released - What Did I Miss? from Iceman and Central Cee collaboration Which One? from Maid Of Honour, peaked at No.27 and No.4 last year. What Did I Miss? is ‘starred-out’ this week between No.17 and No.18 (20,686 sales), but Which One? is on ACR and outside the Top 75 (its unadjusted consumption is 10,208 units). Drake’s new hits raise his tally of Top 10 entries to 51, Top 40 entries to 100 and Top 75 entries to 155 – the most of any act. In the Top 200 Combined Tracks chart – where ACR and primary artist rules do not apply – 33 Drake tracks put in an appearance. Despite the buffeting from Drake, Michael Jackson continues to have three songs in the Top 10. All fall while increasing consumption slightly: Billie Jean dips 3-4 (24,916 sales), Human Nature 6-8 (28,509 sales) and Beat It 5-9 (28,396 sales). The Jackson 5’s 1970 chart-topper I Want You Back continues to advance, however, moving 27-26 (13,150 sales). A further 12 songs by Michael Jackson are ‘starred-out’ of the Top 75 under primary artist rules. Unlike the three allocated chart positions, they all suffer small diminutions in consumption. With Jackson and Drake making the biggest contributions, there are 59 songs ‘starred-out’ of the Top 75 in total. The rest of the Top 10: Dracula (2-5, 33,746 sales) by Tame Impala, Go (7-7, 31,196 sales) by The Chemical Brothers and Drop Dead (4-10, 25,331 sales) by Olivia Rodrigo. Overall singles consumption is up 0.96% week-on-week to 32,442,514 units, 1.52% above same week 2025 sales of 31,955,897 units. Paid-for sales are up 7.15% week-on-week at 278,077, 3.26% above same week 2025 sales of 269,287. Never one to duck a challenge, Drake becomes the first artist in chart history to simultaneously debut on the chart with three albums of new material, simultaneously unleashing a triple bill comprising Iceman, Maid Of Honour and Habibti. Cumulatively containing 43 songs – only two of which had previewed as singles – and a combined playing time of 150 minutes, they are all available only digitally (for download and streaming) at this juncture. Despite this, and very mixed reviews, they all make a significant initial impact on the chart with Iceman debuting at No.1 (44,129 sales including 428 digital downloads), Maid Of Honour at No.6 (10,931 sales) and Habibti at No.7 (9,748 sales). Raising his tally of Top 10 entries to 17, they join 2011 album Take Care (49-45, 2,894 sales) in the Top 75 for the 39-year-old Canadian rapper and singer. Iceman – trailed by No.27 hit What Did I Miss? – also spawns a trio of new hits, and its first week consumption (despite competition from Maid Of Honour and Habibti) is 50.06% greater than the 29,408 units Drake’s last studio solo album, For All The Dogs, sold as it debuted at No.1 in 2023. His biggest first week sale came in 2016, when his fourth album, Views, debuted at No.1 on consumption of 78,397 units. Views used to be his most-consumed set but with to-date consumption of 992,927 units, it lost that honour to Take Care six months ago. His second album, Take Care peaked at No.5 on debut in 2011, and has a career record of 97 weeks in the Top 75, including the last 45 consecutively. More impressively, it has racked up a massive 606 weeks in the Top 200, occupying every position between No.76 and No.200 at least once, except for No.77 and No.88, while increasing its career cume to 1,058,958 units. Iceman is Drake’s seventh No.1 album – and the 39th by a Canadian act. The others, and their tallies: 5: Celine Dion, Michael Bublé, 4: Arcade Fire, The Weeknd, 3: Avril Lavigne, Bryan Adams, Shania Twain, 2: Justin Bieber, 1: Alanis Morrisette, Neil Young, Nickelback. NB: one of their five members is American, but Arcade Fire identify as Canadian. Drake’s Top 10 trifecta is matched by Michael Jackson, whose dethroned The Essential dips to No.2 (30,778 sales) after a fortnight at No.1, while Thriller (5-4, 11,451 sales) and Bad (6-8, 8,989 sales) remain in the top tier. All experience small declines in consumption as do Off The Wall (39-37, 3,225 sales) and Dangerous (74-71, 2,321 sales). The rest of the Top 10: The Art Of Loving (4-3, 11,729 sales) by Olivia Dean, The Great Divide (3-5, 11,252 sales) by Noah Kahan, 50 Years: Don’t Stop (8-9, 7,884 sales) by Fleetwood Mac and Kiss All The Time: Disco, Occasionally (9-10, 7,669 sales) by Harry Styles. Overall album sales are down 0.13% week-on-week to 2,563,626 units, 1.32% below same week 2025 sales of 2,530,275. Physical product accounts for 240,716 sales, 9.39% of the total.

GLOBAL ALBUM CHART        GLOBAL TRACK CHART