{
  "id": 16212569,
  "title": "Will We Get Our First Seasonal Halloween No. 1 of the Century This Year? ‘Thriller,’ ‘Dracula’ & The Spookiest Hot 100 Race Ever",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/will-we-get-our-first-seasonal-halloween-no-1-of-the-century-this",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-23T18:05:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/halloween-number-one-thriller-dracula-michael-jackson-1236367320/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As November nears, Mariah Carey is gearing up for her annual return to declare the start of the pop music holiday season. However, in 2026, she may have to wait a little longer to officially kick off the Halloween festivities. This year, there is another seasonal chart race to contend with before Halloween takes center stage. Since 2018, the Billboard Hot 100 has witnessed the resurgence of seasonal classics like \"Thriller,\" \"Monster Mash,\" and \"Ghostbusters.\" While none of these songs have threatened the top spot upon their yearly return, this year, the tables might turn. \"Thriller,\" in particular, is poised to challenge the chart's top position. Not only could it be a contender for the post-Halloween No. 1, but there's also a newer song on the rise that may soon surpass it in the Hot 100 rankings. This 2026 race is becoming increasingly competitive due to larger trends within the Hot 100 and Michael Jackson's catalog, which lend credence to the notion that \"Thriller\" may have a shot at the top spot. These factors include a higher number of catalog hits re-entering the chart, the potency of holiday bumps reintroducing older songs to the Hot 100, and the streaming era flattening the popular music timeline. MJ's catalog has already benefited from these trends in 2026, with six chart titles this year following the blockbuster movie release. \"Thriller,\" augmented by significant streaming gains, is starting from a stronger position than in previous years. The weekly timing of Halloween is also favorable for \"Thriller\" this year, as it falls on a Friday, allowing for the entire week of pre-Halloween streaming to be counted.",
  "summary": "As Oct. 31 approaches, we look at the competition for the following week's No. 1 — which, for the first time, includes multiple thematically appropriate contenders for the top spot.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}