One fan flew all the way in from overseas to stand in line outside the Virgin Megastore in Times Square. By 5 a.m., that fan estimated, about 1,000 people were already waiting.
There was one big problem. Only 500 tickets were being handed out.
This was Nov 7, 2001, and Michael Jackson was coming to the giant New York record store to sign copies of “Invincible.” The album had come out the week before, on Oct 30. And 25 years ago this Saturday, fans packed the sidewalks of Times Square just hoping to get close.
Some of them had been waiting for up to 48 hours, according to the music magazine NME, which covered the day. That’s two full days on a New York sidewalk for a few seconds with Michael. A Spanish fan club shared its own footage from the event, and it’s the closest most of us will get to being there.
Fan-club footage from Michael’s Times Square signing day
Most people in line figured they’d get a quick hello and an autograph. That alone would’ve been worth it.
But Michael didn’t start with the signing table.
He came outside first. Michael stepped onto a stage set up in front of the Virgin Megastore and greeted the screaming crowd. Then he danced to his brand-new single, “You Rock My World,” right there in the middle of Manhattan.
Times Square came to a standstill. NME reported that traffic stopped completely.
One fan who was already inside the store only heard the screams coming from the street. It wasn’t until later that the fan learned traffic had stopped for Michael. This next clip takes you back to his visit to the store that day.
Michael Jackson at the Virgin Megastore in 2001
Inside, it was a different kind of wait.
Fans were let in about 10 at a time. “Invincible” played over and over on a loop. The lucky ticket holders lined up along the walls on two floors, inching forward for hours.
At the very bottom, in the basement, Michael sat at a table signing album booklets. Each person got only a short moment with him. For a lot of them, it was worth every hour in line. Another fan upload has more footage of the signing event.
More footage from inside the “Invincible” signing
One fan, Shari Griffith, told MTV News exactly why she was there. NME quoted her the next day: “He’s the greatest of all time, you don’t even have to ask the question. He’s just an innovator.”
Plenty of people in that line felt the same way. One more fan upload covers the autograph session, so you can see what those few seconds at the table were all about.
Michael signing autographs for fans at the “Invincible” release
Twenty-five years later, plenty of those fans probably still have their signed booklets tucked away somewhere safe.
And the ones who never made it past the sidewalk still got to see Michael dance out front, which nobody in that line had expected when they showed up.