Michael Jackson never needed an actual rivalry with The Beatles to produce one incredible piece of music history.
On April 25, 1970, the Jackson 5’s “ABC” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song it replaced?
The Beatles’ “Let It Be.” Billboard’s original chart from that week shows “ABC” jumping from No. 2 to No. 1 while “Let It Be” dropped into second place.
Michael was only 11 years old.
And remarkably, this was already becoming normal for the Jackson 5.
Just three months earlier, their debut Motown single “I Want You Back” had reached No. 1. “ABC” became their second consecutive chart-topper and remained at the summit for two weeks.
What makes the moment fascinating is the timing.
The Beatles were one of the most powerful groups music had ever seen. They held a record 20 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles during their career. Yet as their era was approaching its end, a new family group from Gary, Indiana was exploding onto American television with an 11-year-old lead singer at the center.
Only weeks before “ABC” reached No. 1, viewers had watched Michael perform it on American Bandstand.
Video 1 Link: The Jackson 5 Perform “ABC” on American Bandstand
The February 1970 appearance captures just how young Michael looked next to the voice and confidence coming out of him. The group performed “I Want You Back” and the then-new “ABC,” with Michael already commanding the stage from the front.
And “ABC” was only the beginning.
The Jackson 5 followed it with “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be There.” All four of their first Motown singles reached No. 1, giving Michael one of the most extraordinary starts to a recording career imaginable.
There was no Beatles-versus-Michael feud here.
No diss tracks. No public battle. Michael was simply a kid singing with his brothers while the charts created the comparison for him.
On one Billboard chart in 1970, The Beatles were No. 2 and 11-year-old Michael Jackson was No. 1.