Michael (2026) Soundtrack: Every Song in The Michael Jackson Biopic

Michael arrives with music first and questions right behind it. Michael: Songs from the Motion Picture releases on April 24, 2026, the same day Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic opens in theaters, and the companion album is built around 13 Michael Jackson recordings drawn, and the early solo ascent that turned Jackson into a global force. Sony Music’s official announcement says the set stretches from Jackson 5 material to songs from Off the Wall and Thriller, with major staples like Billie Jean, Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough, and Human Nature in the lineup. 

The film itself stars Jaafar Jackson as adult Michael Jackson and Juliano Krue Valdi as the younger version, with Lionsgate releasing it domestically and Universal handling international territories. So yes, soundtrack is being marketed as a direct line to Michael Jackson’s strongest musical years, and that is plainly the engine here.

Michael Soundtrack: All The Songs In The King Of Pop’s Biopic

The soundtrack is not trying to cover every era of Michael Jackson’s career. It is aiming for a tighter lane, and within that lane, it is stacked. The official album contains 13 tracks, beginning with the Jackson 5 and moving into the early solo run that gave Michael Jackson some of the most recognizable pop records ever pressed. Sony Music says the collection is built from songs featured in the film, and Apple Music lists the release as a 13-song soundtrack album arriving on April 24.

Radio Times also notes that the film includes renditions across Michael Jackson’s early rise, with Jaafar Jackson performing in the title role. Here is the full Michael: Songs from the Motion Picture track list:

Why Michael Biopic Skips Some of the King of Pop’s Biggest Hits

Michael | Credits:- Glen Wilson/Lionsgate

This is where the soundtrack story gets more interesting. The reason certain famous Michael Jackson songs are missing is not simply carelessness or bad taste. According to director Antoine Fuqua, producer Graham King, and actor Colman Domingo, the omissions came down to timeline and dramatic fit. In ScreenRant’s interview, Graham King said:

He also added a production detail that says a lot about the challenge of shaping a catalog film: 

The film’s narrative frame explains the rest. ScreenRant reports that Michael covers Michael Jackson’s youth in the Jackson 5, his transition into solo stardom in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and reaches its climax around the 1984 Victory Tour. That structure naturally shuts the door on many later-era hits. The article notes that Bad is the only song from the Bad album included in the film, and it appears fittingly at the end. That is why songs fans may instinctively expect, especially later 1980s and 1990s favorites, do not appear in the main lineup. The film is stopping earlier than Michael Jackson’s full career arc.

Colman Domingo and Antoine Fuqua also pointed to deeper-cut favorites when discussing what did not make it. The former said, “And certain things you have to keep out.” He then brought up the Philadelphia International phase and Show Me The Way to Go as a meaningful artistic turning point for the Jacksons. Antoine Fuqua, meanwhile, mentioned, “He also had that cinematic, ‘We’re Almost There,’ when they were The Jackson 5.” 

So, did the soundtrack choices win you over, or are the missing songs a real sore spot for you? Drop your take in the comments and follow FandomWire for more updates.

Michael is scheduled to be released in the U.S. theaters on April 24, 2026.