MJ Doc Fuels Reinterest in 'Whacko' Jacko’s Music
The media furor and speculation that followed HBO’s Leaving Neverland 2-part doc has led to a small numbe
By David Farrell
The media furor and speculation that followed HBO’s Leaving Neverland 2-part doc has led to a small number of radio stations erasing Michael Jackson’s hits from their playlists, the cancellation of a planned jukebox musical and the deceased singer’s estate volubly outraged. But here in Canada, the stink has created a cash cow with album, digital tracks and on-demand streams surging in the wake of the two-parter. The only significant evidence that The King of Pop’s influence is waning in Canada is a 27-percent drop in airplay spins since the show’s airing
Jackson’s alleged badness has created a thriller wave of good news for Sony Music and the estate.
Here’s a breakdown of MJ’s Canada-wide metrics for the week ending March 7, 2019, as compared with the week ending Feb. 28, 2019.
Physical albums up a whopping 48%
Digital albums up 27%
Total albums up 39%
Digital tracks up 8%
On-demand streams up 7%
Airplay spins down 27%
– Data provided by Nielsen Canada and SoundScan.
Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance of Bob Moses at the W Toronto in September, 2025.Lane Dosey
Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance of Bob Moses at the W Toronto in September, 2025.Lane Dorsey