This Singer Was the First to Have Hit Songs in Six Consecutive Decades

Some musicians have enjoyed long, successful careers with consistent chart-topping hits. Others have had enduring popularity after their heyday and even after their death. But just one has had a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in six consecutive decades.

Michael Jackson continues to reign as the King of Pop. When “Thriller” re-entered the Hot 100 just in time for Halloween in 2025, it made Jackson the first artist to have a Top 10 song in six consecutive decades, from the 1970s through the 2020s. When the song was released in 1984, it peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 and has re-entered the charts a few times in the decades since, most notably after Jackson’s death in 2009. That same year, its music video became the first ever to be inducted into the U.S. National Film Registry.

If his time with The Jackson 5 is included, the run includes the 1960s and seven consecutive decades, thanks to “I Want You Back”. That track charted at No. 8 in December of 1969, when Jackson was just 11 years old.

Michael Jackson Scored Countless Hit Songs Across Six Whole Decades

Jackson’s first solo Top 10 hit was “Got to Be There,” released in 1971. Throughout his career, he had 30 Top 10 hits, including 13 No. 1s. He last entered the Top 10 when he was featured on Drake’s “Don’t Matter to Me” in 2018.

While other artists have charted across multiple decades, including Cher and Elvis Presley, Jackson is the only one to have a song in the Top 10 in that timespan. Before he broke the record, he was tied with Andy Williams for having Top 10 hits in five decades. Although, Williams’ were not consecutive. He was best known for the hit “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”. That song still receives plenty of airplay during the holiday season.

Jackson’s music is also enjoying a resurgence in the wake of the release of the biopic Michael. Multiple albums re-entered the Billboard 200 chart, and some of his biggest songs have seen a boost on streaming platforms. Jackson also entered the Billboard Artist 100 chart for the first time. The list was introduced in 2014 and ranks the top artists in the U.S. based on their activity across streaming and radio play, plus album and song sales.