Biopic Tops Weekend Box Office, Michael Jackson Song Streams Soar
The biographical film "Michael" claimed the top spot at the North American box office on its opening weekend, leading to a significant surge in Michael Jackson's song streaming, which jumped 95% nationwide compared to the previous week. The film grossed $97 million, far exceeding initial predictions, and his music saw a massive increase in plays on platforms like Apple Music and Shazam.
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- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 17:54
- 🔍 Collected: April 28, 2026 at 18:32 (37 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 18:44 (12 min after Collected)
NEW YORK (CNA) – The biographical film "Michael" topped the North American box office on its opening weekend, and Michael Jackson's classic songs also saw a surge in popularity, with nationwide weekend streaming plays soaring by 95% compared to the previous week.
The Associated Press reported that this streaming boom is attributed to the biographical film "Michael," which premiered on the 24th. It claimed the top spot at the North American box office on its opening weekend with $97 million, significantly surpassing earlier predictions of $50 million and last week's revised forecast of $70 million.
Benefiting from the film's buzz, Michael Jackson's songs garnered 31.7 million streaming plays nationwide on the 24th and 25th, a substantial 95% increase compared to the 16.3 million plays on the previous weekend (17th and 18th).
Before Michael Jackson rose to fame in his solo career, he was the youngest member of The Jackson 5. The Jackson 5 also saw a similarly significant increase in streaming plays, with 2.4 million plays on the 24th and 25th, an 85% increase from 1.3 million plays on the previous weekend.
Apple Music data also reflected this trend. Michael Jackson had 8 songs in the Apple Music Daily Top 100 Global Chart today, with the classic dance track "Billie Jean" performing best, ranking 11th.
Shazam's music recognition software data showed that Michael Jackson's song streams surged by 140% between the 24th and 26th compared to the previous week. Currently, 7 of Michael Jackson's songs are in Shazam's global top 200 chart.
Despite mixed reviews, "Michael" was a box office success. Associated Press film critic Jake Coyle gave the film only 1.5 out of 4 stars, calling it "a fantasy film that recreates Michael Jackson's extraordinary highs but turns a blind eye to his life's lows." (Compiled by Liu Shu-chin) 1150428
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The Associated Press reported that this streaming boom is attributed to the biographical film "Michael," which premiered on the 24th. It claimed the top spot at the North American box office on its opening weekend with $97 million, significantly surpassing earlier predictions of $50 million and last week's revised forecast of $70 million.
Benefiting from the film's buzz, Michael Jackson's songs garnered 31.7 million streaming plays nationwide on the 24th and 25th, a substantial 95% increase compared to the 16.3 million plays on the previous weekend (17th and 18th).
Before Michael Jackson rose to fame in his solo career, he was the youngest member of The Jackson 5. The Jackson 5 also saw a similarly significant increase in streaming plays, with 2.4 million plays on the 24th and 25th, an 85% increase from 1.3 million plays on the previous weekend.
Apple Music data also reflected this trend. Michael Jackson had 8 songs in the Apple Music Daily Top 100 Global Chart today, with the classic dance track "Billie Jean" performing best, ranking 11th.
Shazam's music recognition software data showed that Michael Jackson's song streams surged by 140% between the 24th and 26th compared to the previous week. Currently, 7 of Michael Jackson's songs are in Shazam's global top 200 chart.
Despite mixed reviews, "Michael" was a box office success. Associated Press film critic Jake Coyle gave the film only 1.5 out of 4 stars, calling it "a fantasy film that recreates Michael Jackson's extraordinary highs but turns a blind eye to his life's lows." (Compiled by Liu Shu-chin) 1150428
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