Victory Is Released

In July 1984, Victory, the fifteenth studio album by the Jacksons, arrives in record stores through Epic Records. It is their first album in four years and the only one to feature all six brothers—Michael, Jermaine, Jackie, Tito, Marlon, and Randy—together. Anticipation for the album is at an all-time high, fueled by Michael’s unprecedented solo success with Thriller and the announcement of the accompanying Victory Tour.

Upon release, Victory debuts at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 before peaking at No. 4. It quickly goes platinum, eventually selling over two million copies in the U.S. alone. The album’s lead single, “State Of Shock,” a high-energy duet between Michael and Mick Jagger, becomes its biggest hit. Released in June 1984, it climbs to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the Jacksons’ highest-charting single since “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground).”

A second single, “Torture,” featuring lead vocals from Michael and Jermaine, is released in August. The track reaches No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is accompanied by a surreal music video—famously made without Michael or Jermaine present, relying on body doubles and creative editing.

In October, “Body,” sung by Marlon, becomes the third and final single. Though it only reaches No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100, it showcases Marlon’s rare moment in the spotlight as a lead vocalist.

Despite Victory‘s commercial success, it receives mixed reviews, with critics noting the album’s disjointed nature—each brother essentially contributing solo tracks rather than creating a unified group effort. Nevertheless, buoyed by the Victory Tour, the album cements the Jacksons’ status as one of the biggest acts of the 1980s.