Three 1984 Hits That Missed That Halloween’s Top 40 Are Back in the Top 20 — Together for the First Time
(November 12, 2026) – Three 1984 hits – all million-selling Top 10 hits that year – have returned to the Top 20 on the November 14-dated Hot 100, reflecting activity over Halloween week. Readers already know about “Thriller” reaching a new peak at No. 2. Joining Michael Jackson’s perennial hit in the top 20 on the latest chart are Ray Parker, Jr.’s smash movie theme “Ghostbusters” at No. 12, and Rockwell’s Jackson-assisted ode to paranoia, “Somebody’s Watching Me,” at No. 14.
All three songs have achieved their highest chart positions since 1984. “Thriller” beats its No. 4 from March 1984, while “Somebody’s Watching Me” topped out at No. 2 later that month. In August ’84, “Ghostbusters” dethroned Prince’s “When Doves Cry” and spent three weeks at No. 1. In a remarkable parallel, the Ghostbusters movie also displaced Prince’s Purple Rain atop the domestic weekend box office during that same period.
Although all three songs never shared the Hot 100 during their original 1984 runs, they’ve become familiar chart companions during recent Halloween seasons. But never before had all three reached the Top 20 together.
That gives 1984 another distinction in the Billboard record books: it’s the first year to produce three Top 10 hits that would return to the Hot 100’s Top 20 together in a later year. Not bad for a year already considered one of the greatest in pop music history. The closest a year came before now also involved 1984. It was a near-miss ten years ago when ‘84 was represented with three Purple Rain singles in the wake of Prince’s death at Nos. 4, 8 and 25 on the May 14, 2016-dated chart.
Ironically, none of these songs were hits during Halloween 1984. “Thriller” and “Somebody’s Watching Me” had long since vanished from the Hot 100 by that October. “Ghostbusters” was hanging on at No. 98 in its last chart week on the chart dated Nov. 3. Few people could have imagined back then a circumstance where Halloween would become their annual ticket back to Billboard prominence. Yet here they are, 42 years later, occupying the Top 20 together – with “Thriller,” ironically the lowest-peaking of the three originally, leading the pack.
This week’s development also makes for some astounding Michael Jackson-related trivia as all three songs have connections to the late King of Pop, albeit one being somewhat tenuous.
Of course, Jackson’s “Thriller” is keying this story. Then, Jackson famously provided uncredited backing vocals on Rockwell’s hit. In August 1984, while Prince’s “When Doves Cry” and Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” were holding at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, the Jacksons were climbing to No. 3 with “State of Shock,” their Mick Jagger-assisted single from Victory. Having just risen from No. 4, the Jacksons appeared poised to challenge Prince for the summit. Instead, on August 11, “Ghostbusters” leapfrogged Prince to No. 1 while “State of Shock” stalled at No. 3, its eventual peak.
And while it may be tempting to associate “State of Shock” with Halloween, the song was merely about Mike’s and Mick’s mutual (and competing) interest in a female, and the state of shock she triggered for both. But there is another 1984 Jacksons hit that could have made this Halloween reunion even more complete: the follow-up single, “Torture.” Given its title and famously creepy music video, you’d think it would be a natural for an annual October/November resurrection. But apparently, even Halloween has its limits. While “Thriller,” “Somebody’s Watching Me,” and “Ghostbusters” keep rising from the dead every autumn, “Torture” remains buried.
Given the songs’ increasing seasonal popularity, an even more remarkable reunion next year — perhaps even in the Top 10 — isn’t out of the question.
And if the three classics manage an even bigger reunion next Halloween, 1984 might not just want its Top 20 back. It might come looking for the Top 10.
DJRob
DJRob (he/him) is a freelance music blogger from the East Coast who covers R&B, hip-hop, disco, pop, rock and country genres – plus lots of music news and current stuff! You can follow him on Bluesky at @djrobblog.bsky.social, X (formerly Twitter) at @djrobblog, on Facebook or on Meta’s Threads.
You can also register for free by selecting the menu bars above to receive notifications of future articles. Also, please feel free to share this article on your social media feeds.