Michael Jackson proved Invincible to negative reviews. His first new album in almost six years has debuted at the top of the charts, according to figures released Wednesday.

        Mr. Jackson's Invincible sold 366,272 copies in its first week of release in the United States; it also debuted at No. 1 in a dozen countries overseas. The album succeeded despite mixed to harsh criticism from music reviewers: The headline of Entertainment Weekly's review was “King of Pap.”

        Industry watchers said the figures were encouraging for Mr. Jackson.

        “For someone who has not been visible musically in a long time, I think it's a very strong first week,” said MTV's Tom Calderone.

        It may be time for Mr. Jackson to give up his “King of Pop” moniker, however. Invincible sold far fewer than the 1.9 million copies that 'NSync's Celebrity moved in its debut week last summer. Even last week's No. 1 debut, from gruff rapper DMX, sold 439,957 copies.

        Still, it was one of the best debuts of Mr. Jackson's career, which is filled with top-selling discs, including the all-time best-seller Thriller.

        But Mr. Jackson's reign at the top of the charts is likely to be brief — Britney Spears' third disc, Britney, was released Tuesday, and is expected to post first-week sales of near 1 million.

        “I think everybody should be happy with this for a first-week number,” said Alan Light, editor of Spin magazine. “The question now is: Were those the die-hard fans? Now we'll see what the effect of word of mouth will be, because he's got to compete against Britney this week and everything that's coming out in the next.”

        Perhaps mindful of his tenuous spot at No. 1, Mr. Jackson was at the Virgin Megastore in New York Wednesday to do something usually reserved for new or less successful acts — sign copies of his disc for fans.

        At one point, he made a grand appearance in front of the store, stepping onto a podium outside to acknowledge the huge crowd. Hundreds of people rushed to get a glimpse of the star, clad in a blue sweatsuit.

        While no media were permitted inside, MTV's Carson Daly interviewed Jackson briefly for his TRL show across the street, congratulating him on having the nation's best-selling disc.

        Jackson may get a boost when his much-hyped 30th anniversary concerts, held in September at Madison Square Garden, are aired as a two-hour, CBS prime-time special Tuesday.

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