In late 2003, Michael Jackson released what would be the final original single of his lifetime. It peaked at #83 on the Billboard Hot 100. For a man with 13 number-one singles to his name, that number tells a story — just not the one you might expect.
The Song Nobody Planned
“One More Chance” is an R&B ballad written by R. Kelly, released on November 22, 2003, as the exclusive new track on the greatest hits compilation Number Ones. Wikipedia It was originally written for Invincible and was mostly completed during those sessions, before being revisited and mixed in 2003. HuffPost The Number Ones album itself comprised fifteen singles, fourteen of which were Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hits. KS95 “One More Chance” was the odd one out — the new song tacked onto a collection of undeniable classics.
The Worst Possible Week
The timing of the release was catastrophic. On November 18, 2003 — just days before the single dropped — police raided Neverland Ranch with a search warrant. Jackson was in Las Vegas filming the music video for “One More Chance” when the raid occurred. He was arrested on November 20 and released after posting a $3 million bond. Wikipedia On December 18, he was formally charged with seven counts of child sexual abuse and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent to commit a felony. PBS.org
The single entered the Hot 100 in the middle of a media firestorm unlike anything pop music had seen in years. US radio stations, advertisers, and programmers had every incentive to keep their distance.
The Chart Story: #83 and Out
The song peaked at #83 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Wikipedia For context, that’s seventeen spots below where we usually start on this blog. It barely made the chart at all, and never climbed. In a parallel universe — one where the arrest didn’t happen — a new Michael Jackson single attached to a massive greatest hits campaign might have been a genuine contender. In this one, it was dead on arrival in the US.
The International Contrast
The gap between the US and international performance tells the whole story. Despite limited US radio support, the track reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart, topped the UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart, and spent seven weeks in the UK top 40. Wikipedia It also reached the top ten in Italy and the top 30 in Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Wikipedia As a single, it reached the Top 40 in eight countries, including the UK, France, Spain, and Italy. SongwriterUniverse
The same song. The same week. Two completely different chart outcomes separated by an ocean and the reach of American news cycles.
The Legacy
“One More Chance” was the last original single released during Jackson’s lifetime. SongFacts He was acquitted of all charges in June 2005, but never released another single before his death in 2009. The song sits awkwardly in his discography — a decent, warm R&B ballad that deserved a better launch window, released into one of the worst news cycles of its creator’s life.
#83. Some songs don’t get a fair shot.