"Number Ones" was successful around the world, originally reaching number one in the UK among other countries. The album eventually returned to the top spot in the UK and reached number one on the US charts after Jackson's sudden death in 2009, staying as the number one selling album in the United States for six non consecutive weeks and for twenty-seven weeks on the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart. However, as a 'catalog' title, initially "Number Ones" was excluded from the "Billboard" 200 denying Jackson a seventh solo number one album on the chart. The rules preventing titles older than 18 months to chart on the "Billboard" 200 were subsequently changed in the fall of 2009 due to the posthumous success of Jackson, as well as The Beatles re-mastered re-releases.