Michael Jackson Called This Album ‘Just as Good or Better Than’ ‘Thriller’
Thriller is Michael Jackson‘s most famous album and the King of Pop said that came with a downside. During an interview, the “Billie Jean” singer said it was for difficult for him to live up to the success of Thriller. He also said one of his other albums was just as good as Thriller, if not better.
It took Michael Jackson quite a while to make one of his post-‘Thriller’ albums
Between 1972 and 1975, Jackson released four albums: Got to Be There, Ben, Music & Me, and Forever, Michael. Jackson became less prolific later in life. For example, there was a six-year gap between the release of his albums HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I and Invincible. The latter was the final album the King of Pop released during his lifetime.
In an interview with ABC News, Jackson discussed taking his time to make Invincible. “It did take a while because I’m never happy with the songs,” he revealed. “I’ll write a bunch of songs, throw them out, write some more. People say, ‘Are you crazy? That’s got to go on the album.’ But I’ll say, ‘Is it better than this other one?'”
The King of Pop compared ‘Thriller’ to ‘Invincible’
Jackson said his earlier album Thriller cast a long shadow over his subsequent albums. “It is tough because you’re competing against yourself,” he said. “Invincible is just as good or better than Thriller, in my true, humble opinion. It has more to offer. Music is what lives and lasts. Invincible has been a great success. When The Nutcracker Suite was first introduced to the world, it totally bombed. What’s important is how the story ends.”
Jackson added that he wasn’t concerned with a particular theme while he recorded Invincible. “I never think about themes,” he revealed. “I let the music create itself. I like it to be a potpourri of all kinds of sounds, all kinds of colors, something for everybody, from the farmer in Ireland to the lady who scrubs toilets in Harlem.”
The way the world reacted to Michael Jackson’s ‘Invincible’
Invincible became a hit. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 28 weeks. It produced two hit singles: the disco track “You Rock My World” and the pop ballad “Butterflies.” Those songs peaked at No. 10 and No. 14, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100. “You Rock My World” was the last Jackson song to hit the top 10 in the singer’s lifetime.
Invincible was popular in the United Kingdom as well. The Official Charts Company reports the album peaked at No. 1 in the U.K., staying on the chart for 16 weeks. Meanwhile, “You Rock My World” peaked at No. 2 there while another track from the album, “Cry,” reached No. 25. Even if it’s not as well-known as Thriller, Invincible seemed to connect with audiences.
