Got to Be There is the debut solo studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released by Motown on January 24, 1972, four weeks after the Jackson 5's Greatest Hits (1971). It includes the song of the same name, which was released on October 7, 1971, as Jackson's debut solo single.
On August 2, 2013, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 500,000 copies. The album was later remastered and reissued in 2009 as part of the 3-disc compilation Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection.
Background
The album was arranged by The Corporation, Eddy Manson, James Anthony Carmichael, Gene Page, and Dave Blumberg. Berry Gordy served as Got to Be Theres executive producer, while Jim Britt was credited for photography. The album included remakes of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine", Carole King's "You've Got a Friend" and The Supremes' "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone". The album's songs have a tempo ranging from 74 beats per minute on "Ain't No Sunshine" to 170 on "Rockin' Robin."
Promotion
The title track and "Rockin' Robin," a Bobby Day cover, were released as Got to Be Theres first two singles and became back-to-back hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number four and number two, respectively. Third single "I Wanna Be Where You Are" peaked at number 16 on the same chart on June 24, 1972. In the United Kingdom, Jackson's version of Withers's "Ain't No Sunshine" was issued as the album's third single. It reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart.
Critical reception
Writing for Rolling Stone in 1972, the magazine described the album as "slick, artful and every bit as good as the regular The Jackson 5 product," praising Jackson's "sweetly touching voice" and "utter professionalism." In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Rob Theakston rated the album two and a half out of five stars, noting that while the record is "wildly erratic" as a cohesive work, Jackson's covers of "You've Got a Friend" and "Ain't No Sunshine" effectively demonstrate his versatility as a singer.
Got to Be There sold over 750,000 copies within the first three weeks of its release, and reached one million copies sold in the US by the end of 1972. The album has sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.
Track listing
Charts
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|+ Weekly chart performance for Got to Be There
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! scope="col"| Chart (1972)
! scope="col"| Peak<br/>position
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