Whether you like it or not, Drake has made music history and broken a record previously held by Michael Jackson. But if we’re completely honest, Drizzy’s numbers still won’t be enough to cement him above MJ, and we can tell you why.
For context, conversations about who’s the true GOAT when it comes to these two have been fodder for fans for years now. However, it got renewed fervor on Tuesday when it was revealed that the Canadian rapper had received his 14th number one song on the chart, thanks to the recently released hit “Janice STFU,” breaking his tie with Michael Jackson. Now, he holds the record for the most number one hits by a male solo artist in history. (However, there’s a little bit of a dispute brewing as to whether or not 14 is an accurate number, with some online arguing that a handful of them are either features he did or songs of his that include other guests on them.)
But let’s just say the numbers are correct and Drake really has beaten out Michael for this feat. It’s definitely impressive, 14 number ones are tough to come by for any artists—dead or alive. And for what it’s worth, Drake has a giant fanbase and has had his finger on the pulse of culture and hip-hop for a while. And whether you want to admit it, the beef between him and Kendrick Lamar in 2024 no doubt made diehards double down on their support of him and possibly attracted new fans who just couldn’t get with Lamar’s style.
And while all that may be valid—it still pales in comparison to that of Jackson. And why is that you may ask? That’s because for all of Drake’s accolades, it does nothing to truly reflect the cultural impact he’s had on not just folks here in the U.S.—but folks worldwide. At its peak, “Thriller” sold one million copies worldwide in the 80s. And that was without a true “roll out,” social media, streaming platforms, YouTube or anything like it. Drake’s not doing numbers like that.
When Jackson went on the road for his “Bad” tour in the late 80s, reportedly over 3,000 fans passed out while he was in Liverpool, England, to perform. Folks aren’t doing that at Drake concerts. (You could make the argument that some fans are passing out at Beyoncé concerts, but not at the same scale.)
You could throw a dart on the map, travel there, and ask a random stranger in a random country if they know or like Michael Jackson—and nine times out of 10, the answer will be yes. To take it further, we’d be willing to bet they’d start singing their favorite song of his and mimicking his moves. We highly doubt you’d see this same scenario play out for Drake.
Jackson made a classic when he made “Off the Wall.” He dropped his magnum opus when he came out with”Thriller.” He continued to prove he was the biggest entertainer on the planet with the release of “Bad.” And this was after he’d already taken the world by storm as a child star and put his brothers on the road to international stardom thanks to his time in The Jackson 5.
No shade, but Drake started off as “Wheelchair Jimmy” in “Degrassi” before his off-screen rap skills caught the attention of Lil Wayne and YMCMB crew. And sure, you could argue that “Take Care,” “NWTS,” and “Views” are a really, really, really good three album run—but they aren’t timeless classics in the way that Jackson’s projects were and still are.
At the end of the day, while the numbers may show that Drake has surpassed Jackson in a way, the widespread and worldwide cultural impact of the King of Pop says otherwise. And it’s high time we stop with all the comparisons and let both artists be in leagues of their own.
