Michael Jackson Legacy Remains Unmatched During Black Music History Month
In honor of Black Music History Month and the release of the biggest box office record-breaking biopic film to date, the legacy of Michael Joseph Jackson continues to be unmatched. The month also marks seventeen years since his tragic passing at the age of 50.
Near two decades, that means there are current generations right now discovering the story of the world renowned “King Of Pop” through this biopic. So much in fact, Spotify recently named Jackson and fellow icon, Barbadian singer-songwriter Rihanna, as one of only two to have maintained 100 million monthly listeners without releasing a studio album in over a decade.
In Jackson’s case, this is monumental because by Jackson being a posthumous artist, he has created a body of work that has cemented his legacy far past his existence. Born in Gary, Indiana, Michael Jackson is arguably the biggest artist in the world and is widely known for his magnum opus Thriller.
Box Office Records Show Jackson’s Global Power Still Moves Audiences
Approximately 500 million records sold to date, with Thriller selling approx 70 million copies, according to the Guiness Book of World Records, Michael Jackson was a once in a lifetime artist who provided a distinct look into the creatively complex world of an artist.
Anthony D’Alessandro, in his 2026 article for Deadline, “‘Michael’ Dethrones ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ To Become Highest-Grossing Music Biopic Of All Time”, writes, “The Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody has been caught in a landslide as the King of Pop’s biopic Michael has become the highest-grossing musical biopic ever with $911.9 million worldwide…[Michael] currently counts $358.6M at the domestic box office with $553.3M from international (Universal generated $540.5M of that after taking foreign theatrical and ancillary rights). Bohemian Rhapsody grossed $216.6M stateside and $694.3M abroad.”
As time goes on his legacy becomes critiqued more and more, this will begin to be a textbook-example of what it means to have a global legacy. It is often overlooked just how big Jackson’s audience was outside of America and how that paved the way for artists of color to be embraced overseas. Jackson had fans all over, from Japan to Australia, Europe, Africa, etc. And in a global market where a global selling artist is the subject, that will translate to record-breaking views, likes, shares, and will capture the very algorithm within the cultural zeitgeist.
Michael Jackson Expands The Global Reach Of Black Artists
This means Jackson occupies a space where his legacy mingles with that of other historically Black artists such as Josephine Baker, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Jimi Hendrix, Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, and so many more. This will be important because Jackson’s accomplishments will define what is possible for African American artists in music.
In honor of both this incredible milestone, Black Music History Month, and the seventeenth anniversary of his passing, Michael Jackson’s legacy has endured.
