1 Hidden Gem From Every Michael Jackson Album

Invincible has sold over eight million copies worldwide. Most artists could only dream of such sales figures but, on Jackson’s own terms, that number represents a massive flop. You have to go back to 1975’s Forever, Michael for a Jackson album with lower total, worldwide sales.

While earlier entries saw us seeking out great tracks that had been overshadowed by strings of dazzling hits, this is very much a case of looking for a diamond in the rough. For much of Invincible, Jackson sounds like a man trapped in a machine, his trademark vocal tics and hiccups rubbing up against jittery, processed beats.

The ballads feel more distinctive but not in a good way. They’re saccharine, wimpy and borderline tasteless as Jackson sings of The Lost Children or how he can’t save the world all by himself. Meanwhile, lead single You Rock My World sounded like an ersatz version of his earlier hits (and at a time when Justin Timberlake was doing a better job of the same thing).

Butterflies is the album’s one highlight, genuinely managing to capture whatever remnants of the old magic remained. It sounds like a long lost outtake from Off The Wall, updated for the 21st century. Jackson briefly finds the elusive soul that powered his best early work. His voice is warm, rich and soaring in a way that was all too rare on his last couple of albums.