Michael Jackson’s Iconic Song Hits 1 Billion Streams After 38 Years

Geca FloresSun, February 15, 2026 at 5:04 AM UTC

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Michael Jackson’s legendary status shows no signs of fading and continues to dominate the music scene.

Even after his passing in 2009, the award-winning singer’s influence remains as strong as ever.

In January, the former lead vocalist of Jackson 5 marked a monumental milestone by joining Spotify’s Billions Club, the streaming giant’s curated playlist for songs that have surpassed one-billion streams.

For the King of Pop, his hit song “Smooth Criminal” has officially exceeded one-billion streams after 38 years.

Released in 1988, the music video featured the iconic "anti-gravity lean,” now considered one of Jackson’s signature moves.

VARIOUS, VARIOUS - March 3: Michael Jackson performs during the "Bad" tour at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 3, 1988. Kevin Mazur/WireImage via Getty Images (Kevin Mazur/WireImage via Getty Images)

With its infectious rhythm and stunning choreography, the song earned multiple recognitions, including Best Video at the 1989 Brit Awards and People’s Choice Awards.

Moreover, “Smooth Criminal” was part of his seventh studio album Bad, launched in 1987, and is considered one of his classic songs along with top hits "Billie Jean," "Thriller" and "Beat It.”

Apart from this song, the late singer-songwriter has a slew of timeless hits that were included in the billions club. This includes "Billie Jean" with over 2.5 billion streams and “Beat It" with more than 1.6 billion streams.

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Michael Jackson’s Soon-to-Be-Released Biopic Michael

From music to the big screen, the King of Pop lives on with an upcoming biopic.

Michael, set to hit theaters on April 24, stars his nephew Jaafar Jackson.

According to the 29-year-old actor, he never thought that he would be playing the role of his late uncle.

“I never dreamed to be an actor or even thought of playing him, but I knew it was a calling," he said in a behind-the-scenes interview as released by Lionsgate on YouTube. "Embodying Michael, I really had to earn the role and prove to the filmmakers that I was capable of becoming Michael. Essentially, it was starting at the roots and finding the authenticity."

Director Antoine Fuqua expressed his admiration for Jaafar Jackson for his perfect portrayal of the music icon.

"Day one, all I could think of was, 'Can Jaafar really pull this off?' Man, when the music started and he hit those first few moves, I mean, this guy killed it,” he recalled, adding, “I looked at Graham and Graham looked at me, I was like, 'Who is this guy?!'”

The cast of Michael also includes Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, the matriarch of the Jackson family, Colman Domingo as the father and the Jackson 5 manager Joe Jackson, Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe, Juliano Valdi as young Michael and Miles Teller as renowned celebrity lawyer and co-executor of the Michael Jackson estate John Branca.

Related: '70s Legend's Classic Song Hits 1 Billion Streams After 49 Years

This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”