Twenty-five years ago this week, Michael Jackson got the kind of news every singer hopes for. His album “Invincible” had debuted at No. 1 in America.
That was a big moment for him and for his fans. “Invincible” came out on Oct 30, 2001, and it was Michael’s first album of new songs in almost six years. Fans had waited a long time, and they showed up in a hurry. In its first week the album sold 366,272 copies in the US.
The news broke on Wednesday, Nov 7, 2001. And it wasn’t only an American story. “Invincible” also debuted at No. 1 in about a dozen countries.
The people who ran music TV were paying attention. Rick Krim of VH1 told the AP, “Every time we put something on with Michael Jackson, our ratings go up.”
Tom Calderone of MTV sounded just as impressed. “For someone who has not been visible musically in a long time, I think it’s a very strong first week,” he said.
A lot of that excitement came from the first single, “You Rock My World.” Its video turned into a little movie of its own, with Chris Tucker right there next to Michael. It’s the official video for the song that led the album to the top, so it’s the best way to hear what fans were rushing out to buy that fall.
Michael’s official video for “You Rock My World”
The race to No. 1 that week wasn’t a walkover. “Invincible” replaced DMX’s “The Great Depression” at the top. Right behind Michael at No. 2 was Enrique Iglesias, whose album “Escape” debuted with 267,301 copies.
Michael held the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart dated Nov 17, 2001.
But staying there is the hard part. Rolling Stone was already looking ahead to the following week, and it didn’t sound unsure at all. “Next week promises the surest chart-topper in weeks,” the magazine wrote.
They called it. The singer who knocked “Invincible” off was Britney Spears.
Her album “Britney” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated Nov 24, 2001, with about 746,000 copies in its first week. That also made her the first female solo act to reach No. 1 with her first three albums.
So why does that matter here? Because just two months earlier, Britney had been on stage with Michael himself. At his 30th Anniversary Celebration concerts at Madison Square Garden, she performed “The Way You Make Me Feel” with him. A few weeks after that duet, her new album was the one that moved his down the chart.
Back when “Invincible” was brand new, you could catch it being advertised right on your TV. This original US commercial for the album is a fun time capsule of how “Invincible” was sold to fans that fall.
The original TV commercial for “Invincible” from 2001
One week at No. 1 might sound short. Still, Michael’s last album of new songs opened at the very top in America and in about a dozen other countries, and it beat a strong field to get there.
If you were buying CDs in November 2001, there’s a decent chance both of those albums ended up in your car that month.