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Originally Posted by Jeanann Leone  ISony refused to promote Invincible. In fact "You Rock My World" was secretly leaked by a radio station who began playing it and it became a hit.
"Invincible" sold nine million copies which was three times more than any other artist at the time. Sony considered it a failure because it didn't sell like "Thriller". Expecting an artist to produce albums that were on the same level in sales as "Thriller" was unfair. to sell nine million copies with hardly any promotion, is unbelievable. Personally, "Invincible" is one of my favorite albums.
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Just for clarification, Invincible didn't sell "three times more than any other artist at the time."
But I do agree that despite the negative press attention it received, it did sell very well when you consider the dubious tactics Sony used. Leaking "YRMW" was just the beginning. Mike was not ready to release it and he was not on form around that time and Sony knew it. By releasing the single they forced his hand.
For the second single they released "Cry", which was an appalling choice IMO. Mike was so p!ssed he didn't even appear in the video. I was always confused about why Mike would use the same "change the world" at the end of "Cry" that he used at the end of "Man In The Mirror". Very strange.
The song "Butterflies" was doing very well on US urban radio and really should have been released as a single there, but Sony kept delaying the release and eventually cancelled it altogether. I presume that is because MJ wouldn't participate in any more promotion with them.
It's a shame that Mike's last studio album became such a mess and that his living career never made a comeback. One of the biggest disappoints for me is that Mike never got to start his "This Is It " shows and (obviously) never saw the outpouring of appreciation that followed his death in June. Despite what he had been through, he was still a massive draw and people still wanted to see him. A Megastar through to the end. RIP