A return to No. 1 would give the album its 38th week atop the Billboard 200.

Michael Jackson’s Thriller is projected to earn approximately 52,000 album-equivalent units this week, placing it at No. 2 in HITS Daily Double’s latest forecast. It trails Olivia Rodrigo’s you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, which is pacing for approximately 56,000 units.

That projected 4,000-unit gap leaves Thriller within reach of the summit. If it finishes at No. 1, the album would secure its 38th week atop the Billboard 200 and its first since 1984. It would also mark its first No. 1 week in the 21st century.

Released in 1982, Thriller spent 37 weeks at No. 1 during its original run. It also produced seven Billboard Hot 100 top-10 singles, including “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and the title track.

HITS attributes the latest increase to Halloween activity and new vinyl editions. Traditional album sales account for approximately 17,500 of the projected units, with streaming and track-equivalent activity contributing the remainder. The forecast is preliminary, and Billboard’s final positions have not yet been announced.

Michael Jackson’s Thriller rising to the top of the charts around this time is a tradition. But challenging for No. 1 more than four decades after its release is still some ridiculous s**t. Apparently, this album has unfinished business at the summit.

Quincy

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.