Michael Jackson biopic drives disc sales surge and Billboard dominance

Lionsgate’s biopic "Michael," starring Jaafar Jackson as his uncle, topped the Circana VideoScan chart for combined disc formats and led the dedicated Blu‑ray and 4K charts for the week ended July 25. HD formats accounted for 58% of its second‑week sales, with regular Blu‑ray and 4K discs contributing 31% and 27% respectively.

The film’s success also revived interest in Michael Jackson’s catalog, propelling his songs to occupy the top three positions on Billboard’s R&B Streaming Songs chart: "Billie Jean" at No. 1, the posthumous track "Chicago" at No. 2, and "Beat It" at No. 3. The resurgence helped Sony Music report a 22% increase in recorded‑music revenue, marking Jackson as the first artist with Hot 100 entries in every decade since the 1970s.