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It’s been more than 15 years since Michael Jackson’s death, but his music continues to live on. Today, many of the King of Pop‘s hits are still found in millions of playlists around the world. Now, leading up to the late singer’s biopic, which will be released on April 24, 2026, there’s been an uptick in searches for his music.

The team at Mountainside Music Academy analyzed Google Trends search data over the last 12 months to determine the most popular Michael Jackson song in each state and the District of Columbia. Check out the findings below to see which location matches your favorite MJ song.

The top-searched Michael Jackson song overall

With so many hits to choose from, what song comes to mind first when you think of a Michael Jackson track? Is it “Thriller,” “Rock With You,” “Bad,” or something else?

Well, the most popular song in 12 states is “Billie Jean.”

The 1983 hit is the most-searched in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and West Virginia. It’s considered Jackson’s biggest single, acting as his career-defining track that drove the massive success of the Thriller album and topped the charts in 13 countries. It is certified Diamond, making it his best-selling single.

“Billie Jean” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a solid seven weeks and held a spot on the charts for almost half a year before being knocked off. The track is also the star’s most-streamed and viewed song on digital platforms. 

The second most popular MJ tune is “Smooth Criminal,” which was the most searched in Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. It was released on Nov. 14, 1988, as the seventh single from his studio album, Bad.

Jackson songs that were one-state wonders

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The Mountainside Music Academy study also notes regional trends as “Smooth Criminal” led as the most searched Jackson single in the Midwest and the Northeast, while the South favored “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing.” At the same time, the data reveals that a handful of states have a less expected favorite that only shows up once in the results.

The songs that were one-state wonders are “You Are Not Alone” as the most searched in Arizona, “Off The Wall” was the most Googled in Hawaii, “Man in the Mirror” was the most popular in Nevada, “I Wanna Be Where You Are” was looked up the most in New Jersey, “Rock With You” was in North Dakota, and “Dirty Diana” was in South Dakota.

Somewhat surprising about the results is that the song “Thriller” didn’t do better since the album with the same name is not only Jackson’s best-selling album but the best-selling album of all time globally. The “Thriller” single was the most searched in just four states. Coming in behind “Thriller” are “Beat It,” which was the most searched song in Connecticut, Illinois, and Oklahoma, while “In the Closet” was the fave in Indiana, New York, and Texas.

Don’t see your state’s favorite MJ tune? Click here for the full study and state graphs.

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