singles from Thriller. Pitchfork ranked this song No. 2 on its list of "The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s", saying that "if you're going to become the biggest star in the world, it helps to make the biggest song". Chart performance In 1983, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" had a good chart performance worldwide. The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart top ten positions on July 2, 1983, at number nine, having moved up six places from the song's previous week. On July 16, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" charted at number five, which was the song's peak position on the chart. The song's peak position made "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" Thrillers fourth consecutive single to peak within the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. It was more commercially successful than Thrillers follow-up single "Human Nature" on the Billboard Hot 100, with the song peaking on the chart at number seven. The song also peaked within the top ten, at number five, on the Black Singles Chart. Internationally, the song was commercially successful, mainly charting within the top 20 and top 30 on music charts. In the United Kingdom, on June 11, 1983, the song entered the chart's top 40 positions at number 38. The following week, the song moved up 24 positions to number 14, and on June 25, the song peaked within the top ten at number eight. The song remained on the charts for a total of nine weeks in 1983. In New Zealand, on July 24, 1983, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" entered the charts at number 47. The following week, the song peaked at number 35, which was its peak position, and remained in the top 50 of the chart for three weeks. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" entered the Dutch charts on July 9, 1983, charting within the top five at number four. The following week, the song charted at number three, which was its peak position, for three consecutive weeks. The song charted within the top ten for several weeks, and remained in the top 20 for ten weeks in 1983. In 2008, after the release of Thriller 25 the song re-entered music charts worldwide. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" entered the Italian music charts on February 21, 2008, charting at number 14; it remained on the chart for only one week. The song entered the Danish music charts on February 28, charting within the