Reflecting the spooky season’s soundtrack, four Halloween classics re-enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Nov. 13).
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” returns to the Hot 100 at No. 19, marking its highest placement since its original chart run in 1984, when it peaked at No. 4. The song tallied 12.9 million U.S. streams (up 109%), 8.2 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 275%) and 6,300 downloads sold (up 71%) in the Oct. 29-Nov. 4 tracking week, according to MRC Data.
The title cut of Jackson’s landmark 1983 album was produced by Quincy Jones and written by Rod Temperton, while its video was inducted into the National Film Preservation Board’s National Film Registry.
Notably, Jackson has now placed a solo song in the Hot 100’s top 20 in the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, ’10s and ’20s. (As a Jackson 5 member, he also ranked in the top 20 in the ’60s thanks to the group’s debut hit “I Want You Back,” which reached the region in December 1969 on its way to No. 1 the following month.)
Jackson sent six songs into the Hot 100’s top 20 in the ’70s; 17 in the ’80s; seven in the 90s; and two each in the ’00s and ’10s. Jackson, who died in 2009, appeared in the top 20 posthumously in the ’10s with “Love Never Felt So Good,” with Justin Timberlake (No. 9 peak in 2014), and as featured on Drake’s “Don’t Matter to Me” (No. 9; 2018).
With his Timberlake team-up, Jackson became the only artist with top 10 Hot 100 hits in five distinct decades as a soloist (’70s-’10s).
Bobby “Boris” Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers’ novelty tune (and graveyard smash) “Monster Mash” re-enters the Hot 100 at No. 37, with 8.7 million U.S. streams (up 130%), 4 million in airplay audience (up 1,010%) and 7,300 sold (up 79%).
“Monster Mash” spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in October 1962, marking the first and only chart-topper for Pickett, who died in 2007. It returned in 1970 and 1973, reaching No. 10, and had not appeared on the chart again until this week.
Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” re-enters the Hot 100 at No. 40 with 8.5 million U.S. streams (up 114%), 5.3 million radio audience impressions (up 700%) and 4,700 sold (up 75%).
“Ghostbusters” spent three weeks atop the Hot 100 in August 1984, doubling as the theme to the blockbuster film of the same name, starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Sigourney Weaver. It became Parker’s first leader and fifth and most-recent top 10 (three logged with his group Raydio). Before this week, “Ghostbusters” hadn’t hit the Hot 100 since its original run in 1984.
Parker himself hadn’t appeared on the Hot 100 in any capacity until this week since 1990, when he was featured on Glenn Medeiros’ “All I’m Missing Is You” (No. 32 peak).
Adding to the Hot 100’s Halloween haul, Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” re-enters at No. 42 with 9.4 million U.S. streams (up 71%), 3 million in radio reach (up 473%) and 3,000 sold (up 55%).
The song peaked at No. 2 for three weeks (where it was blocked by Van Halen’s “Jump” and Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose”) in March-April 1984. Like “Monster Mash” and “Ghostbusters” (and in the Halloween spirit), it creaks back onto the Hot 100 for the first time since its initial chart life.
Rockwell (real name: Kennedy Gordy) is the son of legendary record executive and Motown founder Berry Gordy. “Somebody’s Watching Me” became Rockwell’s first and highest-charting hit, its success helped by guest vocals from Michael (in the chorus) and Jermaine Jackson.
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