What is the most expensive album ever produced?

Even the most lavish albums used to be pretty affordable. The Beatles spent about $75,000 on "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in 1967, and the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" cost around $70,000 the year before. Those were considered extravagant back then, but they look like pocket change compared to what artists started spending a few decades later. What is the most expensive album ever produced?

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Correct Answer: Michael Jackson's "Invincible"

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When your previous albums sell 30 million copies like clockwork, your record label stops asking questions. Sony handed Michael Jackson a blank check when he started working on "Invincible" in 1997, and he spent four years finding creative ways to cash it. He paid producer Rodney Jerkins not to work with any other artists for two and a half years (dream job).

By the time Jackson finished recording somewhere between 50 and 87 songs and narrowing them down to 16, Sony had burned through $30 million to $40 million on production alone. The album debuted at number one when it was released in October 2001, but the Princess of Pop dethroned the King of Pop the following week. "Invincible" sold around 8 to 10 million copies, which sounds great until you remember this is Michael Jackson. By his standards, that's a flop.

What is the most expensive album ever produced?

Correct Answer: Michael Jackson's "Invincible"

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