How on Earth songs on Triumph were not much bigger hits?

[HIStory]

I think the Jacksons' Triumph album is FULL of gems. Can You Feel It and Heartbreak Hotel are classics. When I see that CYFI peaked at Nr 77 on Billboard at the time I'm like: WTH? (At least the British had better sense, there it peaked at Nr 6.) The song is such a classic since, covered and sampled numerous times by a lot of artists in lots of different styles. So why was it so overlooked in its time? Especially with that video which is ahead of its time.

Same for HH, though it did a little better than CYFI, peaking at Nr 22. IMO HH is quite simply a masterpiece!

There are other great songs on the album which are great: Time Waits for No One - Michael's voice is beautiful. Walk Right Now and Lovely One are good ones too.

IMO it's such a MASSIVELY underrated album!

 

[Hunterr]

It was big, but it should have been OFF THE WALL big.

I think they should have done videos for the other singles (Heartbreak Hotel, Lovely One, Walk Right Now).
Seems like they blew their video budget on Can You Feel It.

Time Waits For No One is SOOOO good. I love singing along very loudly in my car

Not a bad song on the album.

 

[144000]

timing. Michael was developing a rep for consistency. but then again, you're right. The British knew, so the album's not underrated. America is just overrated. i'm an american so...

 

[nadalette]

Triumph is one of my favourite albums and I SO agree about HH! I remember the first time I heard that song, it just blew me away. Still does - on the album and Michael's live performances. The whole album was way ahead of it's time. Perhaps the world wasn't quite ready for such genius.

 

[Hunterr]

 

[HIStory]

I read there was a big backlash at disco music at the time, so maybe that's a reason. Mind you Triumph is not really disco but it's not rock so it might have been categorized together with disco in the mind of the masses. Idk.