Billboard
Noah Kahan’s The Great Divide Holds No. 1 as Michael Jackson Surges Back Into Billboard Top 10
Noah Kahan continues his breakout chart domination as his latest album, The Great Divide, spends a second consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The achievement marks a major milestone for modern folk-rock music while also signaling renewed interest in the catalog of late pop icon Michael Jackson following the success of the Michael biopic.
According to Billboard data for the week ending May 7, The Great Divide earned 163,000 equivalent album units in the United States. Although the album experienced a natural decline from its explosive debut week, it still maintained enough momentum through streaming and sales to comfortably remain atop the chart.
Noah Kahan Leads Rock Music’s Biggest Chart Moment in Years
Kahan’s success is especially significant for the rock and folk genres. The Great Divide becomes the first rock album in nearly three years to spend at least two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Industry analysts view the album’s continued dominance as proof that emotionally driven singer-songwriter projects are still resonating strongly with mainstream audiences.
Streaming remained the album’s biggest strength. More than 137,000 of the week’s total units came from streaming equivalent albums, fueled by nearly 140 million on-demand streams across the record’s tracks.
Songs from the album have continued gaining traction across social media platforms and playlists, helping Kahan solidify his place among today’s top crossover artists.
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Kacey Musgraves Debuts Strongly With Middle of Nowhere
Country star Kacey Musgraves landed at No. 3 with her new album Middle of Nowhere, giving her sixth top-10 album on the Billboard 200.
The project earned 100,000 equivalent album units in its opening week, making it the strongest debut of Musgraves’ career by total consumption. The album’s release was boosted by multiple physical editions, signed vinyl copies, and deluxe digital variants.
The album also features collaborations with artists including Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, and Billy Strings.
Michael Jackson’s Catalog Makes Massive Comeback
The biggest surprise on this week’s chart may belong to Michael Jackson. Interest surrounding the Michael biopic has sparked a major resurgence in the singer’s music catalog.
Michael Jackson’s legendary album Thriller climbed back into the top five, while his compilation album Number Ones surged into the top 10 for the first time since its release.
The renewed popularity means Jackson has now achieved at least one new top-10 album in every decade since the 1970s — a historic accomplishment matched by only a handful of artists in Billboard history.
The enduring success of classics like “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Thriller” continues to introduce Jackson’s music to younger streaming audiences decades after their original release.
Billboard 200 Reflects Streaming Era Trends
This week’s Billboard rankings once again highlighted the growing influence of streaming platforms on chart performance. Albums with strong replay value and viral online engagement continue to dominate overall consumption metrics.
Meanwhile, artists such as Morgan Wallen, Bad Bunny, and BTS also maintained top-10 positions, reflecting the diverse listening habits shaping today’s music industry.
